One Thing Highly Successful People Do Differently

"Individuals are more reluctant to lose something they possess than to acquire something of value that they presently lack. This leads to a massive difference in how motivated they become to accomplish new objectives. In psychology, this is referred to as loss aversion. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General illustrates what this looks like in everyday life. Across four experiments, it became clear that the fear of loss can often be a far stronger motivator than hope for gaining something new."

"They motivate themselves by defining goals not just by potential rewards, but by what they could lose. They actively use the fear of failure or missed potential as a major driving force. Here's how to harness fear as a strong motivator to reach your goals. 1. See Both Your Desired and Undesired Futures When you're instructed to "create the life you want," the timeline is unclear and far away."

"A 2025 study in the Journal of Personality Assessment introduced the Fear of Failure as Motivation Scale, highlighting that fear of failure can also be an effective motivator and not solely a negative one. The research illustrates that the fear of failure can motivate individuals to work harder and persevere, demonstrating its value as a constructive motivator, not just an anxiety or avoidance stimulus."

Loss aversion causes people to be more motivated to avoid losing what they have than to acquire comparable gains. Experimental evidence shows fear of loss often motivates more strongly than hope for gains. High achievers exploit loss aversion by framing goals around potential losses as well as rewards, using fear of failure or missed potential as a driving force. Identifying undesired futures and what will not be accepted creates a vivid, present-feeling motivation. Recent research introduced a Fear of Failure as Motivation Scale and found that reframing fear into goal-related frameworks can increase concentration, effort, perseverance, and sustained progress.

Read at Psychology Today