Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation

by Ayelet Fishbach

Overview

Discover a "compelling" framework for setting and achieving your goals (Carol Dweck, author of Mindset), from a psychologist on the cutting edge of motivational science.

A great deal of ink has been spilled on the subject of motivating and influencing others, but what happens when the person you most want to influence is you? Setting and achieving goals for yourself—at work, at home, and in relationships—is harder than it seems. How do you know where to start? How do you carry on in the face of roadblocks and distractions? How do you decide which tasks and ambitions to prioritize when you’re faced with more responsibilities, needs, and desires than you can keep track of?
 
In Get It Done, psychologist and behavioral scientist Ayelet Fishbach presents a new theoretical framework for self-motivated action, explaining how to:

• Identify the right goals
• Attack the “middle problem”
• Battle temptations
• Use the help of others around you
• And so much more...

With fascinating research from the field of motivation science and compelling stories of people who learned to motivate themselves, Get It Done illuminates invaluable strategies for pulling yourself in whatever direction you want to go—so you can achieve your goals while staying healthy, clearheaded, and happy.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316538367
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date:	01/03/2023
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	216,987
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Ayelet Fishbach, PhD, is the Jeffrey Breakenridge Keller Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the past president of the Society for the Study of Motivation.

Dr. Fishbach has been published in many psychology and business journals, including Psychological Review and Psychological Science, and served as an Associate Editor of several journals, including the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and Psychological Science. Her research is regularly featured in the media, including The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Chicago Tribune, NPR and was selected to be featured in the New York Times' "Annual Year in Ideas."

Dr. Fishbach has received several international awards, including the Society of Experimental Social Psychology's Best Dissertation Award and Career Trajectory Award, and the Fulbright Educational Foundation Award, and in 2006, she received the Provost's Teaching Award from the University of Chicago.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

Part I Choose Your Goal 1

1 Goals Aren't Chores 5

2 Put a Number on It 16

3 Incentives Matter 31

4 Intrinsic Motivation (and why you should have more fun) 50

Part II Keep Pulling 67

5 Progress Increases Motivation 71

6 The Glass Half Full and Half Empty 86

7 The Middle Problem 99

8 "You're Wrong!": Learning from Negative Feedback 110

Part III Competing Goals 135

9 Goal Juggling 139

10 Self-Control 156

11 Patience 182

Part IV Social Support 199

12 Pursuing Goals in the Presence of Others 203

13 Pursuing Goals with Others 216

14 Goals Make a Happy Relationship 232

Acknowledgments 249

Notes 251

Index 273

Editorial Reviews

How do I love this book? Let me count the ways. First, its author. I don't know anyone, scientist or otherwise, who knows more than Ayelet Fishbach about the psychology of goals. Second, its practicality. Like anyone, I have dreams. Every chapter taught me about myself and how I could better frame my goals to make my dreams a reality. Third, the writing: clear, to-the-point and yet warm, intimate, and winningly honest. The list goes on but the point is that truly, I love this book and know you will, too.”—Angela Duckworth, author of Grit

“Ayelet Fishbach is one of the most interesting psychologists of her generation. And she studies motivation, one of the most important topics in psychology. In this compelling book, Fishbach shows us how we can motivate ourselves—by changing our situations and the way we see them—to reach our goals in life.”—Carol S. Dweck, PhD, author of Mindset

“Ayelet Fishbach is a leading expert on motivation—her research has consistently produced insights that are both surprising and useful. In this engaging book, she shows what it takes to close the gap between your intentions and your actions.”—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife

“If we could ‘just do it,’ we wouldn’t need that advice. But why can’t we? And if we can’t just do it, then what should we do instead? In this smart, delightful, and important book, the world’s leading expert on the science of human motivation answers that question and more. What are you waiting for? Just read it!”—Daniel Gilbert, New York Times-bestselling author of Stumbling on Happiness

“Fishbach is an expert guide to motivation, and Get It Done addresses this perennial challenge without taking the kinds of shortcuts that can sabotage goal achievement. Leaders are likely to find themselves consulting it on a regular basis as they seek to achieve personal and organizational goals.”—Strategy+Business

“So many books promise to help you achieve your goals, but this is the only one backed by scientific research, written by the brilliant scientist who actually conducted much of it!Get It Done makes you understand why motivation is so hard to come by at times, and what you can actually do to get yourself more motivated. Interesting. Clever. Most of all, extremely useful!”—Nicholas Epley, author of Mindwise

“Get It Done is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to be more productive, focused, and motivated. Fishbach’s uniquely approachable and insightful book will revolutionize the way you think about setting and achieving your goals.”—Itamar Simonson, co-author of Absolute Value

“Get It Done reveals the whys, hows, and wherefores of our lives, loves, and aspirations, and affords rare self insights into our choices, decisions, and feelings. This book is as intriguing intellectually as it is useful for better navigating our ways in work, play, and connection to others. A must read for anyone with interest in human social behavior and its mysteries."—Arie Kruglanski, PhD, co-author of The Radical’s Journey

"A special book. Fishbach provides a masterclass toolbox, accessible to all, for strengthening our motivation, and then using that enhanced motivation in ways to pursue our life goals more effectively. What she has to teach us about motivation is a need-to-know."—E. Tory Higgins, author of Beyond Pleasure and Pain

“Ayelet Fishbach’s innovative breakthroughs have revolutionized motivation science and shifted our understanding of how people reach their goals. This thoughtful, often funny, and always practical book puts those insights into concrete terms that each of us can apply in our own lives. Get It Done guides you through ways to effectively meet your goals — to pull yourself up out of the challenges of everyday life to accomplish difficult goals that, until now, may have eluded you. I can’t recommend Get It Done enough. It’s a must read.”—Wendy Wood, author of Good Habits, Bad Habits

From the Publisher

In this comprehensive audiobook a business school professor looks at how external factors impact our drive to get things done. Narrator Andrea Gallo delivers the author’s research and insights with deliberate pacing and clarity that fits the academic character of this writing. Her attention to broad themes makes the ideas easy to absorb. The author looks at every aspect of becoming and staying motivated, that intrinsic feeling that resides deeply within us and makes a task absorbing instead of oppressive. Can goals and rewards create the energizing glow of internal motivation? Fishbach says that it depends and offers an intuitive framework for manipulating our mindset and the incentives or support in our environment. This is an excellent example of fascinating research distilled into best practices that anyone can adopt. T.W. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2022 - AudioFile

In this comprehensive audiobook a business school professor looks at how external factors impact our drive to get things done. Narrator Andrea Gallo delivers the author’s research and insights with deliberate pacing and clarity that fits the academic character of this writing. Her attention to broad themes makes the ideas easy to absorb. The author looks at every aspect of becoming and staying motivated, that intrinsic feeling that resides deeply within us and makes a task absorbing instead of oppressive. Can goals and rewards create the energizing glow of internal motivation? Fishbach says that it depends and offers an intuitive framework for manipulating our mindset and the incentives or support in our environment. This is an excellent example of fascinating research distilled into best practices that anyone can adopt. T.W. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2022 - AudioFile