Back when it was socially acceptable to persuade people to smoke cigarettes, the manufacturers of Camel cigarettes came up with the memorable slogan: “I would walk a mile for a Camel.” The catchphrase was meant to convey the idea that Camel cigarettes were so desirable that a smoker would be willing to go to great lengths (in this case, walking a mile) to obtain them. This slogan aimed to emphasize the quality and appeal of Camels, suggesting that they were worth extra effort to acquire. While walking miles for a cigarette is unlikely for a variety of health, social, and cultural reasons, there is great variability in how much effort we are willing to invest toward reaching our goals. But what accounts for the variability?

Just this morning I walked about two miles to get to a French bakery that makes these delicious, flaky, chocolate croissants. It was totally worth the journey! If you are like most individuals, you set targets, put plans into place, and then orchestrate a path to your intended destination. When the goal matters, we relentlessly pursue the outcome demonstrating determination, persistence, and tenacity. When driven, individuals often sacrifice short-term comfort for long-term success. Obstacles (like not knowing exactly where the bakery is or having foot blisters) are seen as challenges, not reasons to give up. While strong determination is generally positive, extreme goal focus can potentially lead to burnout, highlighting the importance of sustaining goal realism with overall well-being (Edú-Valsania et al., 2022).

However, croissant motivation differs between individuals, and, more importantly, when it comes to setting long-term goals, we often get stalled or plateaued. There are many reasons for the differences in how individuals set and pursue goals. First, the urge to reach a goal is governed by dopamine........

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