We’re excited to share this insight from Ingrid Melvær Paulin, our in-house behavioral scientist and Head of Product, on discovering goal harmony.
Ever feel like your goals are at odds with each other? That might not be a bad thing.
It’s Spring here in the Northern Hemisphere, so let’s check in: How are those New Year’s Resolutions working out?
After New Years, it’s common to start or recommit to goals you’d like to achieve. It’s also highly likely that by spring, you have had to let go of one or all of them. But an inability to carry out goals is not always for lack of motivation, especially when we are juggling several at the same time. Sometimes we put goals on the backburner because they seem in direct conflict with each other.
In a busy world where we are constantly juggling priorities, it’s common to perceive our goals as at war with each other. Like, how can we both be a good employee and spend more time with our family? Or how can we stay fit if we also need to give our body breaks? How does the college student ensure they are both well-studied and well-rested?
As a result of this goal conflict, a lot of people end up either picking one aim over the other or giving up on both from the sheer overwhelm of trying to make everything work.
Recent research shows that goals which may seem conflicting can actually compliment and even facilitate each other. This idea is called “goal harmony”, and is the topic of a new paper by Jiabi Wang and Ayelet Fishbach out of the University of Chicago.
Goal harmony is defined as “the perception that an individual’s goals align coherently— facilitating or complementing one another.” It is the direct result of perception and mental integration. In other words, how we think about goals can determine whether we accomplish them. This is a yoga practice.
In 11 studies across 5,700+ participants in 10 countries, participants spent a few minutes writing about how two of their goals connect. They were not just listing them, but actively reflecting on how they were connected.
Across the various studies, participants who took the time to look at how their goals were complementary found increases in both motivation and well-being. Experiences of burnout and time pressure also dropped. Perhaps most surprising was the sustainability of goals. At two months, those who did the reflection exercise were more likely to still be pursuing their goals.
The implications are clear. Instead of giving up when we feel overwhelmed by two conflicting goals, spend some time looking at how they might be related and even compliment one another. This can help us stay committed to both tracks. And remember those resolutions? As the study’s authors write, “ Participants who perceived greater harmony between their New Year’s resolutions were more likely to follow through on their resolutions.”
Let’s make “Goal Harmony” a practice:
- Write 10 goals you are currently working toward.
- Which of these goals feel as though they are in direct conflict with each other? For example, do you have a goal to spend more time with friends? While another goal is to save money? Or do you want to start implementing a daily walk? But you also want to get ahead at your job?
- Take five minutes to reflect on how these seemingly opposite goals might actually enhance and compliment each other. For example, maybe not wanting to spend money will encourage you to suggest more outdoor activities or start hosting people in your home more often. Or will taking that daily walk improve your mental processing in meetings.
- Repeat with another set.
What’s the practical takeaway?
Before assuming two of your goals are in competition with each other, take time to reflect on how they might be serving each other instead. The research suggests the story you tell yourself about your goals shapes how you show up, and even whether you actually pursue them.
Written by: Ingrid Melvær Paulin, Head of Product at Glo
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Reference:
Wang, Jiabi & Fishbach, Ayelet. (2025). Goal Harmony. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 130. 701-720. 10.1037/pspa0000452.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/392440983_Goal_Harmony
