When to Give Up on a Goal
Going after unrealistic objectives may actually increase inflammation.
By Camille Noe Pagán
There’s no doubt that persistence is a positive trait. But, according to new research, being too persistent actually might be bad for your health, especially if you have arthritis.
According to a recent study in the journal Psychological Science, Canadian researchers found that people who failed to give up unreachable goals had higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) – a marker of inflammation tied to heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis – than did those who moved on when they were unable to accomplish their objective.
The key to staying healthy – but still striving enough to make progress in your personal and professional lives – is to know when to call it quits, says licensed psychotherapist and life coach Alyson Mischel, who works in Los Angeles.
“If reaching for a goal isn’t making you happy, it may be time to rethink your aim,” she says. “There’s nothing wrong with setting out to do something challenging, but the challenge should be a positive one that makes you feel good about yourself.”
On the other hand, if just thinking about your goal makes you anxious, or you’re unable or unwilling to take the necessary actions to achieve it, it’s probably best to give it up, says Mischel. In many cases, it’s not a matter of completely chucking your ambitions, but of rethinking them.
“It just may be a matter of scaling down a goal so that it’s more realistic,” says Mischel. “For example, perhaps you set out to walk a 5K and soon realized you couldn’t do it. Why not work up to a mile instead? If that goes well, you can aim for a 5K in the future.”
Need help getting in the mood to exercise? See Psych Yourself up for Exercise.
