Mind Sets and Activities: Optimal Strategies for the Perfection Model of Success

In looking over some old notes from 2001, I found that I reported that I  always felt better when I followed what I choose to call my Inner Guide or Better Self   (or conscience, or superego). I always felt better and had more positive objective outcomes to report. However, my reluctance or resistance was also very present, no matter how good the results were when I was compliant. So what gives here?

Over and over again I have found the three mainstays of reluctance are inertia, inner conflict and temptation to give into some impulse, need or desire.

It is useful in confronting this problem to consider a fundamental distinction between two models of success, the perfection model and the fulfillment model.

The personality theorist Salvatore Maddi (Personality Theories : A Comparative Analysis by Salvatore R. Maddi, March 22, 2001)argues that there are two versions  of the success or fulfillment model the difference being the nature of  the postulated force. If the force is the tendency to express an ever greater degree the capabilities, potentialities or talents based on  one’s genetic constitution, then dealing with the ACTUALIZATION MODEL.

In the  PERFECTION MODEl,  the force is the tendency to strive for what will make life ideal or complete, perhaps even by compensating for some weak spot or feelings  of inadequacy, or feeling of inferiority.

The perfection model is one I am drawn to.  Striving to realize an ideal, like weight loss, sobriety, smoking cessation or mastering writer’s block requires disciplined acting in accord with certain tactics and strategies that must be followed for success to follow.

I have developed several tactics and strategies for dealing with reluctance, when I got off the main road, fell into some distracting  tributary, some weakness, or variant of irrational compulsion or lack to control.  Among the tactics and strategies I have used with good results are those that follow:

·      Record keeping….to track  progess and confirm or deny that you are on the correct path to success.

·      Public commitment…presenting your efforts to an audience,saying what you are about in order to reinforce your own motivation to go fro goal.

·      Journal keeping…to generate motivating ideas, pull in meanings that may aide self leadership, help identify obstacles and evolve new strategies for overcoming

·      Listening to self, especially your better self that KNOWS what is best for you.

·       Look at role models or read stories of achievers who went on to great things.

Knowing about these strategies and using them as well is not automatic and pitfalls always arise, plus it is difficult to stay focused and invest your time and energy consistently, over time, to bring about positive results. Knowing and doing can be close or not. The two can be brought closer with actions more so than with mind sets or perspectives. This is been my experience in a lifetime of personal change The reader will note that most of the strategies are activities, not thoughts.

The question of the effectiveness of strategies for change  is key and unfortunately the record of progress especially in the health field is not encouraging.

Many people adopt health goals but many fail to succeed in attaining these goals as is, for example, demonstrated in research on new year’s resolutions which shows that about 45% of people abandon their goal of losing weight or quit smoking within one month  Ringing in the New Year: The change processes and reported outcomes of resolutions JC Norcross, AC Ratzin, D Payne - Addictive behaviors, 1989

An important reason for such failure may be that people set goals that are too difficult or that they adopt goals for external reasons such as expectations of what they should do Attaining personal goals: self-concordance plus implementation intentions equals success. R Koestner, N Lekes, TA Powers… - Journal of personality …, 2002 - psycnet.apa.org

Another reason why people may fail is that they don’t develop plans for how they will go after their goals,  how they will ensure their persistence in the face of distractions and obstacles (De Ridder & Kuijer, 2006). Research suggests that furnishing goals with specific action plans (intentions to implement ) can enhance success  because it links the desired behaviors with certain situations and allows for automatic  responding that is not as volitionally demanding as is continually making decisions about when and how to accomplish one’s goals.