Scientists have found a simple key to achieving complex goals

Determined people are more likely to conquer difficult peaks: a study by German psychologists on the power of self-control

As reported by TUT.AZ, scientists from the University of Trier published a revolutionary study in the authoritative scientific journal Motivation and Emotion (ME).

The specialists studied the theory of personal systems interaction and found that achieving goals depends not so much on motivation or time resources, but on the mastery of managing one's internal states. "Action-oriented" individuals demonstrate an enviable ability to move from planning to concrete steps even in stressful situations. In contrast, "state-oriented" people often get stuck in endless reflections and doubts.

To test their hypothesis, researchers Karla Waldenmayer and Nicola Baumann conducted a large-scale experiment lasting four weeks. It involved 199 volunteers, mostly students (with an average age of 22). Each subject identified six personal goals, assessed their difficulty, and reported on the results a month later.

The data obtained confirmed the obvious: the more difficult the goal, the less chance of achieving it. However, this is where the key difference emerged: for "action-oriented" participants, this dependency was significantly weaker. They demonstrated success even when solving the most difficult tasks. For the "state-oriented" participants, however, performance dropped sharply as goal difficulty increased. When performing simple tasks, there was no significant difference between the groups.

"Who climbs Everest? It all depends on how difficult a person considers this goal. For the 'action-oriented,' it's another challenge; for the 'thinkers,' it's an obstacle," the study authors noted.

The scientists emphasized that the key factor is emotional self-regulation: the ability to stay calm when something doesn't go according to plan, and to move from analysis to action in a timely manner.