Many people operate under the false belief that they—as an individual—have everything they need to reach their goals, without needing support from anyone or anything. While personal ability is critical for reaching goals and is a large contributing factor in attaining a new goal, social support should not be overlooked.
Because humans are social creatures, support and feedback from other humans provide us with intrinsic motivation—that is, behavior that is driven by internal rewards, or that is naturally satisfying.
Think about it, when you get positive feedback from someone, whether it’s a compliment from a stranger or a positive review from your manager, it makes you feel good, right??
We NEED support from social circles, especially when we’re challenging ourselves to reach a new goal. Start by talking to your friends and family about your goals, and why you want to achieve them. If they’re supportive, that’s great! If they’re not, then start looking for ways to find that support from other outlets, such as online groups or local meetups.
Having social sources can do more than offer support, they can also offer alternative perspectives that help you seek new strategies and brainstorm ways to overcome obstacles, which are unavoidable when it comes to reaching new goals.
At the end of the day, support from others won’t replace personal motivation, but it can make the difference between victory and defeat.
P.S. You can read more about intrinsic motivation here: https://bit.ly/3wprwM6
