Foreword

by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.

HEIDI GRANT HALVORSON KNOWS JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING THERE IS to know about setting goals and reaching them. In this book, she shares this knowledge with you.

She takes all the latest research in psychology, distills it to its essence, and makes it practical. Why don't you stick to your New Year's resolutions? What's the best way to make sure you get started on the report that's due? Why can focusing on grades harm students' grades? How do you match your goals to your outlook on life? Why are some depressed people highly effective? She answers all of these questions (and many more) in ways you can use.

Dr. Grant Halvorson is not only a wonderful writer, she's also a researcher who did much of the research that appears in this book! She understood from the very start of her career that people's goals were at the center of their well-being and success, and in the course of her research, she has had extraordinary insights into why people set the goals they do and why they do or don't reach them. In fact, her research has answered every question I posed in the previous paragraph.

Dr. Grant Halvorson also has great taste in other people's research. She knows which research is important and meaningful, and she knows how to capture its essence and its practical applications. Psychological research can sometimes be rigorous without being meaningful, and it can sometimes address meaningful issues without being rigorous or trustworthy. All of the work you will read about here sheds light on the most basic processes of human motivation and has been held to the highest standards of research. That's what makes this book so exceptional.

The most important message of this book is that people can change. It's not necessarily easy, but it is possible with the right motivation and the right information about how to go about it. The problem has always been, Where do we go to get the right information? The solution is at hand; you need only turn the page.

I am proud to have been one of Dr. Grant Halvorson's mentors, but I have been even more excited to learn from her accomplishments, her knowledge, and her wisdom. As you read this book, you will see exactly what I mean.