Science says super-achievers don't set avoidance goals. Here's why successful people set approach goals

"Partly that's because it's more satisfying to do something you want to do than to avoid something you don't want to do. For example, for decades I drank a ton of Diet Mountain Dew. When I finally decided I wanted to drink less soda, I set an approach goal: Instead of setting a goal like "Stop drinking Diet Mountain Dew in the morning," my goal was "Drink water with my protein bar and banana for breakfast."

"Avoidance goals: stopping or preventing an undesired behavior."Stop ignoring interpersonal issues between employees." So is "stop putting off important tasks." So is "stop watching so much TV." So is anything you want, or wish, to stop doing or do less often. Approach goals: adopting a new behavior. "Complete the most important task on my to-do list every day." So is "Compliment at least one employee every day." So is "Eat at least one serving of vegetables at lunch and dinner.""

Goals divide into avoidance goals that stop or reduce undesired behaviors and approach goals that adopt new behaviors. Avoidance examples include stopping procrastination, watching less TV, or addressing interpersonal neglect. Approach examples include completing a key daily task, offering compliments, or eating vegetables at meals. Approach goals tend to produce greater persistence because performing desired actions provides more satisfaction than merely avoiding undesired ones. Replacing a negative aim with a concrete positive behavior — for example, swapping morning soda for water with a protein bar — makes habit change easier and more sustainable.

Read at Fast Company