Wiggle Room Is Key To Success

Setting your goals high...and low has cropped up to be an integral part of enjoying success. Whether slimming down, saving money or improving their sports prowess, people do better with a range than a single number. That's the conclusion of an intriguing study of how consumers attain goals, whether slimming down, saving money or improving their sports performance.

Rather than set a specific goal that you may not meet - and maybe get discouraged - use a range consisting of a pretty darn easy and a pretty tough goal. Over and over, says the new research, greater satisfaction and higher attainment plays out.

It's all found in "The Effect of Goal Specificity on Consumer Goal Reengagement" in the new issue of Journal of Consumer Research, published by the University of Chicago