The Surprising Truth About Motivation: It's Not the Goal That Matters
Every January, millions of people set ambitious resolutions: lose weight, save money, learn a new language. Yet by spring, most of those goals are quietly abandoned. A new study from Cornell University may finally explain why.
According to research led by Kaitlin Woolley, professor of marketing at Cornell’s SC Johnson College of Business, the key to goal success isn't the outcome, it's how much you enjoy getting there.
Published in Psychological Science, the study followed more than 2,000 adults in the U.S. over the course of a year. Participants were asked about their motivation levels, how much they enjoyed their goals, and how well they were sticking with them. The researchers found a clear pattern: those who found their goals intrinsically enjoyable, fun, interesting, or satisfying, were significantly more likely to stick with them.
"People think the importance of the goal should keep them going," said Woolley. "But our data show that it's actually the joy in the journey that keeps people committed."
This wasn’t just a fluke of culture. The researchers ran a parallel study in China, where goal-setting values often emphasize duty and long-term sacrifice. Yet the findings were nearly identical: intrinsic motivation beat out extrinsic motivation across the board.
In another experiment, the team tracked how many steps people walked over two weeks. Those who reported walking as enjoyable consistently walked more than those who believed it was important for their health. In other words, feeling good in the moment translated to real-world results.
To test whether this insight could help people adopt healthier habits, Woolley and her coauthors developed an intervention using a health app. Half the participants were told to focus on how useful the app was, classic extrinsic motivation. The other half were told to focus on how fun and interesting it was to use, boosting intrinsic motivation. The results? The “fun” group scanned 25% more products.
“This isn't just about willpower or discipline,” Woolley said. “It’s about designing goals that feel good to pursue. People often think they should choose goals based on long-term value, but this study shows that immediate enjoyment is a better predictor of long-term success.”
The findings have wide-reaching implications for personal development, workplace productivity, education, and health behavior. Whether you're trying to run more, eat better, or master a new skill, you’re far more likely to succeed if you enjoy the activity itself, not just the idea of achieving it.
So next time you set a goal, don’t just ask, “Is this important?” Ask, “Will I actually enjoy doing this?”
Because it turns out, delight, not discipline, is what keeps us moving forward.