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VOXU

One promise a day.

Keeping going

Stuck in the middle

Effort tends to rise near the end of a goal — and the middle is where it sags.

Coffee-card customers bought coffee more often the closer they got to a free one. People push harder when the finish feels near.

Other research found motivation tends to be highest at the start and the end, and lowest in the middle. If week two of an era feels flat, that dip is common.

Try this

In the middle of an era, count the days left instead of the days done.

Your era

Sources

  • Coffee-card customers bought more often as they neared a free coffee; a 12-stamp card with 2 stamps already given was completed faster than a 10-stamp card.

    Kivetz, R., Urminsky, O., & Zheng, Y. (2006). The goal-gradient hypothesis resurrected: Purchase acceleration, illusionary goal progress, and customer retention. Journal of Marketing Research, 43(1), 39–58.

  • Motivation tended to be higher at the beginning and end of a goal and lower in the middle.

    Bonezzi, A., Brendl, C. M., & De Angelis, M. (2011). Stuck in the middle: The psychophysics of goal pursuit. Psychological Science, 22(5), 607–612.

A general finding about how people tend to work — not advice for your situation, and not a diagnosis.