AYELET FISHBACH

You can't just "find" motivation, says scientist Ayelet Fishbach — you have to learn how to motivate yourself. She shares a handful of tips backed by 20 years of motivation research, offering surprisingly simple wisdom on how to optimize your goals, set yourself up for success and avoid the tempting calls of procrastination.

Ayelet Fishbach

Ayelet Fishbach studies social psychology, management and consumer behavior. She is an expert on motivation and decision making, and has presented her research all over the world. She is currently the Eric J. Gleacher Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Her book Get It Done was the Gold Winner in the Nautilus Book Awards.

Fishbach has been published in many psychology and marketing journals, including the Journal of Consumer Research, the Journal of Marketing Research, Psychological Science, and the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. She is on the editorial board of several journals, including the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and the Journal of Consumer Research. Her research is regularly featured in the media, including WSJ, CNN, Chicago Tribune, NPR and was selected to be featured in the New York Times ‘Annual Years in Ideas.’

Fishbach is the recipient of several international awards, including the Society of Experimental Social Psychology's Best Dissertation Award and the Fulbright Educational Foundation Award. In 2006, she received the Provost's Teaching Award from the University of Chicago.

Fishbach earned a bachelor's degree with distinction in psychology in 1992, a master's degree summa cum laude in psychology in 1995, and a PhD magna cum laude in psychology in 1999, all from Tel Aviv University. She joined the Chicago Booth faculty in 2002.

Speech topics

Getting it done

Motivating yourself and others is challenging during these uncertain times. I present what motivation science has taught us about how to achieve our goals. I review best practices of setting a goal, monitoring progress toward a goal, addressing multiple goals and leveraging social support. I share the most essential ingredients in successful change. 

How to deliver and learn from feedback

We live in a society that celebrates failure as a teachable moment. Yet, setbacks and negative feedback will undermine learning if people ignore them — if in response to feedback, people stop paying attention. I present the barriers for learning from feedback and the fixes motivation scientists developed to maximize learning from both positive and negative outcomes.

Intrinsic motivation (and why you should have more fun at work)

Intrinsic motivation is the best predictor of engagement in just about everything. When you’re intrinsically motivated, pursuing an activity feels like an end in itself. How do you leverage intrinsic motivation for your success? I review what motivation science taught us about increasing intrinsic motivation at work and beyond, and how it can allows you to ultimately achieve more and be happier.

Books

Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation

In Get It Done, psychologist and behavioral scientist Ayelet Fishbach presents a new theoretical framework for self-motivated action, explaining how to identify the right goals, attack the “middle problem,” battle temptations, use the help of others around you, and so much more.

Video & Workshop Series

WATCH HERE

How should you set goals that motivate you? What’s the best way to juggle multiple goals? How can you exercise self-control? What is intrinsic motivation, and how can you use it to achieve your goals? And how should you monitor your progress along the way? 

Chicago Booth Professor Ayelet Fishbach, author of the book Get It Done, shares her insights in this Tiny Course. With five modules (each featuring two short videos and two quick quizzes), you can start to master the science of motivation in less than an hour.

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