Notice that all of these goals are either socially focused, or at least sufficiently abstract as to allow for that interpretation. And this is almost certainly where the trouble begins.
For example, if the desire to “get in shape” is fundamentally about signaling (far thinking), rather than specific, concrete benefits we’ll get from it (near thinking), then we’ll be primed to think about the options in far-mode signaling terms.
And in signaling terms, “work out at home” wins if it means we’re being “smart” or “frugal” as well as virtuously intending to “get in shape”. So the apparently-irrational decision is actually a rational decision when our real motivation in the moment is to make ourselves feel virtuous right away. The “decision” to work out at home requires zero actual action, so it’s the fastest way to feel virtuous—which was our brain’s primary intention all along!
(Notice, too, how in the other examples, the option chosen is the one that allows the most short-term virtuous feeling.)
Anyway, in order for the near-mode question of “will I actually do it” come into play, one has to be thinking in oncrete construal about the personal specifics of the goal, and what concrete benefits one will obtain that one actually cares about in near mode.
So e.g. “being healthier” is meaningless, but “having more energy” or “able to play tennis” or something else of that sort would work better. (Assuming one legitimately wants energy or to be able to play tennis, and those aren’t just signifiers for another kind of social signaling!)
Anyway, as a general rule, the more abstract the original goal (in the sense of not being grounded by some specifiable + desirable future state of reality), the more likely our plans are to be hijacked by signaling considerations and largely divorced from the practicalities.
The rule of thumb I use with clients is the “mmm test”—if you can’t picture it and feel good about it in the same way you’d feel good about a meal or sex or coming in from the cold (or heat) or plunking down in a comfy chair after hard work, the goal is one or more of:
too abstract,
focused on something you’re only “supposed to” want (rather than what you actually want),
something you thnk will get you what you actually want,
Notice that all of these goals are either socially focused, or at least sufficiently abstract as to allow for that interpretation. And this is almost certainly where the trouble begins.
For example, if the desire to “get in shape” is fundamentally about signaling (far thinking), rather than specific, concrete benefits we’ll get from it (near thinking), then we’ll be primed to think about the options in far-mode signaling terms.
And in signaling terms, “work out at home” wins if it means we’re being “smart” or “frugal” as well as virtuously intending to “get in shape”. So the apparently-irrational decision is actually a rational decision when our real motivation in the moment is to make ourselves feel virtuous right away. The “decision” to work out at home requires zero actual action, so it’s the fastest way to feel virtuous—which was our brain’s primary intention all along!
(Notice, too, how in the other examples, the option chosen is the one that allows the most short-term virtuous feeling.)
Anyway, in order for the near-mode question of “will I actually do it” come into play, one has to be thinking in oncrete construal about the personal specifics of the goal, and what concrete benefits one will obtain that one actually cares about in near mode.
So e.g. “being healthier” is meaningless, but “having more energy” or “able to play tennis” or something else of that sort would work better. (Assuming one legitimately wants energy or to be able to play tennis, and those aren’t just signifiers for another kind of social signaling!)
Anyway, as a general rule, the more abstract the original goal (in the sense of not being grounded by some specifiable + desirable future state of reality), the more likely our plans are to be hijacked by signaling considerations and largely divorced from the practicalities.
The rule of thumb I use with clients is the “mmm test”—if you can’t picture it and feel good about it in the same way you’d feel good about a meal or sex or coming in from the cold (or heat) or plunking down in a comfy chair after hard work, the goal is one or more of:
too abstract,
focused on something you’re only “supposed to” want (rather than what you actually want),
something you thnk will get you what you actually want,
a socially-acceptable cover for what you want,
the best you think you can get, etc. etc.