How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

by Katy Milkman

long-term benefits are typically the impetus for pursuing a goal or making a change. If it weren’t for the long-term benefits of exercise, studying, saving, healthy eating, and so on, many of us would never bother. But there’s reason to worry that an eyes-on-the-prize mentality could be a mistake. Lots of research shows that we tend to be overconfident about how easy it is to be self-disciplined. This is why so many of us optimistically buy expensive gym memberships when paying per-visit fees would be cheaper, register for online classes we’ll never complete, and purchase family-size chips on discount to trim our monthly snack budget, only to consume every last crumb in a single sitting. We think “future me” will be able to make good choices, but too often “present me” succumbs to temptation.