Goal Setting & Motivation Strategies Flashcards

A client sets a goal to write a book but feels overwhelmed. Using the concept of 'chunking,' the coach BEST helps the client by:

Answer: Breaking the book project into small, discrete tasks with individual deadlines

Chunking large goals into smaller, manageable tasks reduces overwhelm and provides frequent completion experiences that sustain motivation.

WOOP is a goal-achievement strategy that stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, and Plan. What distinguishes WOOP from purely positive visualization?

Answer: WOOP includes mental contrasting — explicitly identifying obstacles to the wish

WOOP's 'mental contrasting' step, where the client imagines both the desired outcome AND the obstacles, makes it more effective than positive fantasy alone.

A client achieves a goal but says it felt hollow. The coach suspects a 'should goal' vs. a 'want goal' dynamic. This distinction MOST relates to:

Answer: Extrinsic vs. intrinsic motivation

'Should goals' often reflect externally driven (extrinsic) motivation, while 'want goals' reflect internally driven (intrinsic) motivation aligned with personal values.

When a client encounters a significant setback, which motivational concept explains why some clients increase effort while others disengage?

Answer: Attribution style and locus of control

Attribution style (how clients explain setbacks) and locus of control (internal vs. external) determine whether obstacles trigger persistence or withdrawal.

A coach uses a 'future self' visualization exercise with a client. The PRIMARY coaching purpose of this technique is to:

Answer: Strengthen the client's emotional connection to their long-term goals

Future-self visualization creates emotional resonance with long-term goals, increasing motivation and the sense that the goal is personally relevant.

Which phenomenon explains why clients may resist setting goals that require significant change to their self-concept?

Answer: Identity-based resistance

People protect their existing self-concept; goals that conflict with how someone sees themselves trigger resistance even when the change is desired.

A client in a coaching session says, 'I know what to do, I just don't do it.' This 'knowing-doing gap' is BEST addressed by exploring:

Answer: The emotional, identity, or environmental barriers preventing action

The knowing-doing gap is rarely an information problem; it typically reflects emotional blocks, conflicting identity, or environmental cues that inhibit action.