Performance Goal vs Learning Goal

Getting an A in French class is a performance goal. Being able to speak French is a learning goal.

Both goals can fuel acheivement.

A performance goal (Getting higher grades) is effective for relatively straightforward problems but often inhibits one to apply the concepts to a new situation.

It gives a feeling of entitlement, If I clear IIT (A prestigious engineering exam) I am entitled to the bests in life (Which is far from true).

Performance goal leads to the entity theory, If I do this, I will get this. And is a system that requires a diet of successes otherwise we give up easily on the goal (Or change the goal). As it’s more extrinsic than intrinsic.

People, therefore, choose easy targets that, when hit, affirm their existing abilities but do little to expand them.

In Learning goals, one doesn’t have to feel that they’re already good at something in order to hang in and keep trying. After all, their goal is to learn, not to prove they’re smart.

It is more in the belief that ability is malleable and working harder is a way to keep getting better and better.

Given a choice between the two, always go for the learning goal, as it’s much more fulfilling and rewarding than the performance goal.

Anger & Resentment eats human energy bar…

Life Energy Bar

A day without anger (resentment) is the most productive day. We accomplish most on that day in comparison and are more energetic at the end of the day.

All the talk about focus and increasing productivity is thrown away the moment we meet anger or resentment.

Observe a day and notice that the more we feel angry or resented about things or people, the day becomes more exhausting.

It’s like a video (computer) game, you have an energy bar when you start and anger keeps eating the bar till you bleed out at the end.


If its chronic anger (resentment) start taking baby steps to solve it.

If its instant anger, ignore the triggers or control it. check – Different ways to control anger.

Hence to win a day one at a time, start by resolving to be less angry and resenting that day.