--- title: Here’s the Secret to Persistence, According to Research description: When challenged, focus on “getting better” — not doing well or looking good. Get-better goals increase motivation, make tasks more interesting and replenish energy. This... canonical: https://time.com/3842077/persistence-secret-getting-better/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-04-30T17:10:09.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:49:38.962Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Here’s the Secret to Persistence, According to Research og:description: The keyword is 'improvement' og:url: https://time.com/3842077/persistence-secret-getting-better/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8740b0c1ccf6dc79/6987edc75f570ff435b19640/159088008-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1080&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: man-climbing-mountain og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here’s the Secret to Persistence, According to Research twitter:description: The keyword is 'improvement' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8740b0c1ccf6dc79/6987edc75f570ff435b19640/159088008-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1080&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Here’s the Secret to Persistence, According to Research by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Apr 30, 2015 5:10 PM UTC  Climber ascends steep rock above mountains, valley Climber ascends steep rock above mountains, valleyGetty Images by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Apr 30, 2015 5:10 PM UTC When challenged, focus on “getting better” — not doing well or looking good. Get-better goals increase motivation, make tasks more interesting and replenish energy. This effect even carries over to subsequent tasks. Via [Nine Things Successful People Do Differently](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00607EX1E/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00607EX1E&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- And: --- > “” --- And: --- > “” --- **Join over 180,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD)**.** **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/07/whats-the-secret-to-persistence/)**_._** ### 5 Horrible Habits You Need to Stop Right Now  Do Not Email First Thing in the Morning or Last Thing at Night “The former scrambles your priorities and all your plans for the day and the latter just gives you insomnia,” says Ferriss, who insists “email can wait until 10am” or after you check off at least one substantive to-do list item. Chris Pecoraro—Getty Images  Do Not Agree to Meetings or Calls With No Clear Agenda or End Time “If the desired outcome is defined clearly… and there’s an agenda listing topics–questions to cover–no meeting or call should last more than 30 minutes,” claims Ferriss, so “request them in advance so you can ‘best prepare and make good use of our time together.'” Sam Edwards—Getty Images/Caiaimage  Do Not Check Email Constantly Batch it and check it only periodically at set times (Ferriss goes for twice a day). Your inbox is analogous to a cocaine pellet dispenser, says Ferriss. Don’t be an addict. Tools like strategic use of the auto responder and Boomerang can help. Jetta Productions—Getty Images  Do Not Carry a Digital Leash 24/7 At least one day a week leave you smartphone somewhere where you can’t get easy access to it. If you’re gasping, you’re probably the type of person that most needs to do kick this particular habit. by nacoki ( MEDIA ARC )—Getty Images/Flickr RF  Do Not Let People Ramble Sounds harsh, but it’s necessary, Ferriss believes. “Small talk takes up big time,” he says, so when people start to tell you about their weekends, cut them off politely with something like “I’m in the middle of something, but what’s up?” But be aware, not everyone agrees with this one (and certainly not in every situation), and you may want to pay particularly close attention to norms around chit chat when traveling internationally. Reza Estakhrian—Getty Images Related posts: [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/) [The 8 Things The Happiest People Do Every Day](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/happiest-people/) [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3842077/persistence-secret-getting-better/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3842077/persistence-secret-getting-better/"},"headline":"Here’s the Secret to Persistence, According to Research","datePublished":"2015-04-30T17:10:09.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:49:38.962Z","description":"When challenged, focus on “getting better” — not doing well or looking good. Get-better goals increase motivation, make tasks more interesting and replenish energy. 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