Professor Pozzulo’s Pick (July, 2025)

 

Professor Pozzulo’s Pick (July, 2025)

Get it Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation, Ayelet Fishbach (2022, published by Little, Brown Spark)



My take:

Have you ever experienced that excitement to embark on a new goal (you’ll start Monday!), only to find that part way through to reaching your goal, that you lost interest, your motivation wanes. In Get it Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation, Fishbach (2022) explores the complex construct of motivation. You’ll discover barriers to motivation and how to deal with them so you can reach your goals.

Fishbach provides a fulsome examination of the science of motivation. She explores orientations such as cup half full or empty and what motivates under these different perspectives. Intriguingly, which part of the glass motivates you will depend on context and the importance of your goal.

At the end of each chapter, a series of questions allow you to reflect to better understand the science and strategies you may want to use to keep motivated. You’ll even see some of the authors of our former picks mentioned in the book, (spoiler: Katy Milkman and Ethan Kross). In fact, Get it Done is a great complement to How to Change from Milkman (2021).

Interesting fact: Fishbach wrote this book during the COVID-19 pandemic. An ideal topic to have tackled during that period!

This book will have you better understanding motivation and why it increases (or decreases) under some conditions. You can then apply the principles in the book to help you achieve your goals.

Have you tried any strategies when you find your motivation waning? Are different strategies more helpful in certain circumstances? Has understanding motivation changed how you interact in your relationships? Has your behaviour changed allowing you to reach more of your goals?

Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 26, 2025 at 7:00 AM

    I find it challenging to stick to my goals.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJune 26, 2025 at 7:00 AM

    This looks like a good read for the summer.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJune 26, 2025 at 7:41 AM

    I lose interest in goals too and look forward to learning how I can keep my interest going to achieve my goals.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJune 26, 2025 at 7:41 AM

    Looks like an interesting book.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJune 26, 2025 at 7:42 AM

    Hope it helps with strategies that I can implement.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanna PozzuloJune 26, 2025 at 8:43 AM

      I hope you find some strategies that are helpful. I found it interesting that different strategies work under different conditions.

      Delete

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