A recent research study (Shin and Milkman, 2016) revealed the dangers and risks of having a “Plan B” when you truly want your “Plan A” to succeed. The researchers found that once you begin thinking about a fallback plan, your desire to achieve your ultimate goal decreases.
The researchers conducted a series of three experiments in which people were asked to think about an alternate plan in the event that their original effort were to fail. They found that those who were encouraged to develop a Plan B were less likely to achieve their goal than those who did not receive these instructions. Not only were the Plan B participants less successful, their interest in reaching their original goal decreased.
We wonder about the practical applications of this type of finding, especially since it seems to contradict the advice many self-help gurus offer. Here are a few examples of how this research finding might play out in life:
