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Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation Hardcover – January 4, 2022

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 215 ratings

Discover a "compelling" framework for setting and achieving your goals (Carol Dweck, author of Mindset), from a psychologist on the cutting edge of motivational science.

A great deal of ink has been spilled on the subject of motivating and influencing others, but what happens when the person you most want to influence is you? Setting and achieving goals for yourself—at work, at home, and in relationships—is harder than it seems. How do you know where to start? How do you carry on in the face of roadblocks and distractions? How do you decide which tasks and ambitions to prioritize when you’re faced with more responsibilities, needs, and desires than you can keep track of?
 
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...
With fascinating research from the field of motivation science and compelling stories of people who learned to motivate themselves, Get It Done illuminates invaluable strategies for pulling yourself in whatever direction you want to go—so you can achieve your goals while staying healthy, clearheaded, and happy.
 
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Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Editorial Reviews

Review

“How do I love this book? Let me count the ways. First, its author. I don't know anyone, scientist or otherwise, who knows more than Ayelet Fishbach about the psychology of goals. Second, its practicality. Like anyone, I have dreams. Every chapter taught me about myself and how I could better frame my goals to make my dreams a reality. Third, the writing: clear, to-the-point and yet warm, intimate, and winningly honest. The list goes on but the point is that truly, I love this book and know you will, too.”―Angela Duckworth, author of Grit

“Ayelet Fishbach is one of the most interesting psychologists of her generation. And she studies motivation, one of the most important topics in psychology. In this compelling book, Fishbach shows us how we can motivate ourselves—by changing our situations and the way we see them—to reach our goals in life.”―
Carol S. Dweck, PhD, author of Mindset

“Ayelet Fishbach is a leading expert on motivation—her research has consistently produced insights that are both surprising and useful. In this engaging book, she shows what it takes to close the gap between your intentions and your actions.”―
Adam Grant, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife

“If we could ‘just do it,’ we wouldn’t need that advice. But why can’t we? And if we can’t just do it, then what should we do instead? In this smart, delightful, and important book, the world’s leading expert on the science of human motivation answers that question and more. What are you waiting for? Just read it!”―
Daniel Gilbert, New York Times-bestselling author of Stumbling on Happiness

“Fishbach is an expert guide to motivation, and
Get It Done addresses this perennial challenge without taking the kinds of shortcuts that can sabotage goal achievement. Leaders are likely to find themselves consulting it on a regular basis as they seek to achieve personal and organizational goals.”―Strategy+Business

“So many books promise to help you achieve your goals, but this is the only one backed by scientific research, written by the brilliant scientist who actually conducted much of it!
Get It Done makes you understand why motivation is so hard to come by at times, and what you can actually do to get yourself more motivated. Interesting. Clever. Most of all, extremely useful!”―Nicholas Epley, author of Mindwise

Get It Done is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to be more productive, focused, and motivated. Fishbach’s uniquely approachable and insightful book will revolutionize the way you think about setting and achieving your goals.”―Itamar Simonson, co-author of Absolute Value

Get It Done reveals the whys, hows, and wherefores of our lives, loves, and aspirations, and affords rare self insights into our choices, decisions, and feelings. This book is as intriguing intellectually as it is useful for better navigating our ways in work, play, and connection to others. A must read for anyone with interest in human social behavior and its mysteries."―Arie Kruglanski, PhD, co-author of The Radical’s Journey

"A special book. Fishbach provides a masterclass toolbox, accessible to all, for strengthening our motivation, and then using that enhanced motivation in ways to pursue our life goals more effectively. What she has to teach us about motivation is a need-to-know."―
E. Tory Higgins, author of Beyond Pleasure and Pain

“Ayelet Fishbach’s innovative breakthroughs have revolutionized motivation science and shifted our understanding of how people reach their goals. This thoughtful, often funny, and always practical book puts those insights into concrete terms that each of us can apply in our own lives.
Get It Done guides you through ways to effectively meet your goals — to pull yourself up out of the challenges of everyday life to accomplish difficult goals that, until now, may have eluded you. I can’t recommend Get It Done enough. It’s a must read.”―Wendy Wood, author of Good Habits, Bad Habits

About the Author

Ayelet Fishbach, PhD, is the Jeffrey Breakenridge Keller Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the past president of the Society for the Study of Motivation.

Dr. Fishbach has been published in many psychology and business journals, including
Psychological Review and Psychological Science, and served as an Associate Editor of several journals, including the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and Psychological Science. Her research is regularly featured in the media, including The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Chicago Tribune, NPR and was selected to be featured in the New York Times' "Annual Year in Ideas."

Dr. Fishbach has received several international awards, including the Society of Experimental Social Psychology's Best Dissertation Award and Career Trajectory Award, and the Fulbright Educational Foundation Award, and in 2006, she received the Provost's Teaching Award from the University of Chicago.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown Spark (January 4, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316538345
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316538343
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 215 ratings

About the author

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Ayelet Fishbach
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Ayelet Fishbach, Ph.D., is an award-winning psychologist at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the past president of the Society for the Study of Motivation. Dr. Fishbach has published over one hundred scientific articles in many psychology and business journals. Her groundbreaking research on human motivation has won the Society of Experimental Social Psychology's Best Dissertation Award and Career Trajectory Award, the Society of Consumer Psychology's Distinguished Scientific Contribution award, and the Fulbright Educational Foundation Award. Dr. Fishbach's scientific findings are regularly featured in the media, including the New York Times, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, and NPR.

Web: http://ayeletfishbach.com

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
215 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book well-researched and easy to understand. It teaches fundamental principles and weaves together theory and practice in an accessible way. Readers describe it as fun, interesting, and new school. They find the content accessible and approachable, describing it as simple yet complex.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

5 customers mention "Knowledge based"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book helpful for learning the fundamental principles of productivity. It combines theory and practice in an engaging way. Readers appreciate the well-researched content that provides fascinating insights into motivation and behavior. The strategies for getting out of one's own way and becoming more productive are described as practical and science-backed, with stories and anecdotes to illustrate key points.

"...This book is well researched, accessible and just an eye opener when it comes to motivating yourself in today's busy/hectic world...." Read more

"...books on how to improve your productivity is that it teaches you the fundamental principles you need to understand to not only get things done..." Read more

"I enjoyed every minute of reading this fascinating book. It covers a topic that is relevant to each an every one of us. I highly recommend it!!!" Read more

"This book weaves together theory and practice in a smart and fun to read way. Very approachable and helpful!" Read more

5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable to read and engaging. They describe it as a new school book.

"...the way you approach your goals, oh and did I mention it is genuinely fun to read! Already bought an extra copy to give as a gift." Read more

"I enjoyed every minute of reading this fascinating book. It covers a topic that is relevant to each an every one of us. I highly recommend it!!!" Read more

"This book weaves together theory and practice in a smart and fun to read way. Very approachable and helpful!" Read more

"...I sat down to start reading it tonight and it is super great! I love it and highly recommend it!!" Read more

3 customers mention "Accessibility"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book accessible and helpful. They describe it as simple yet complex, well-researched, and eye-opening.

"...This book is well researched, accessible and just an eye opener when it comes to motivating yourself in today's busy/hectic world...." Read more

"...It’s simultaneously simple (environnent, not willpower) and complex (people conform to each other’s goals more than their actions)...." Read more

"...Very approachable and helpful!" Read more

I love it and highly recommend it!
5 out of 5 stars
I love it and highly recommend it!
The copy I pre-ordered just arrived this afternoon. I sat down to start reading it tonight and it is super great!I love it and highly recommend it!!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2022
    Fascinating dive into the science underlying our motivation and behavior. Full of stories and anecdotes to illustrate key points that will stick with you. This book is well researched, accessible and just an eye opener when it comes to motivating yourself in today's busy/hectic world. Overall the book will change the way you approach your goals, oh and did I mention it is genuinely fun to read! Already bought an extra copy to give as a gift.
    14 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2024
    I’m only 40 pages into the book, so aside from the fact that the prose seems a bit verbose my main criticism thus far is the quality of the book itself. The cheap paper and light print result in poor contrast that makes it challenging to read in lower light levels.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2022
    Dr Ayelet Fishbach is one of the world’s leading experts on goals research. What sets this book apart from the multitude of books on how to improve your productivity is that it teaches you the fundamental principles you need to understand to not only get things done yourself, but get other people to get things done, and design systems to make that happen. It’s simultaneously simple (environnent, not willpower) and complex (people conform to each other’s goals more than their actions). I needed it badly, and I loved it!
    13 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
    I enjoyed every minute of reading this fascinating book. It covers a topic that is relevant to each an every one of us. I highly recommend it!!!
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2022
    Bought the Kindle version. Just don't think this brings anything new to the table. The glowing reviews from her friends notwithstanding
    38 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2022
    This book weaves together theory and practice in a smart and fun to read way. Very approachable and helpful!
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2022
    The copy I pre-ordered just arrived this afternoon. I sat down to start reading it tonight and it is super great!
    I love it and highly recommend it!!
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    5.0 out of 5 stars
    I love it and highly recommend it!

    Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2022
    The copy I pre-ordered just arrived this afternoon. I sat down to start reading it tonight and it is super great!
    I love it and highly recommend it!!
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    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2022
    Get It Done opens with an entertaining story about the fictional 18th c character Baron Munch-Hausen. Fischbach follows that with the dramatic contrast between her childhood in a communal Israeli kibbutz (where private property was disdained) versus her much later accession to a professorship at Chicago's Booth School of Business, famed for its extreme neoliberal individualism, and her shock at being refused the loan of a book by a peer (private property was pre-eminent). She's obviously a very smart woman with a crackerjack resume. Consistent with the latter ideology, she goes on to make a strong case in the rest of her book for pulling oneself up by one's own bootstraps, a kind of psychologically focused neoliberal manifesto.

    So far, so good.

    That is, until she makes the statement, "Motivation science is relatively young. It was born just a few decades ago."

    This statement, simply put, is not accurate. Motivation research dates back at least to 19th c Germany with Wilhelm Wundt (the "first" experimental psychologist) and includes William James, Ivan Pavlov, BF Skinner (the latter two receive mention), Ernst Dichter, Edward Deci and JW Atkinson. An entire chapter is devoted to 'intrinsic motivation' without mentioning Deci's seminal book on the subject. Dichter was a Viennese psychoanalyst who, in the 50s, applied Freud's theories to American business, created the Institute for Motivational Research and became known as the "father of motivational research” (Wikipedia). In addition, and perhaps even more egregious, she does not discuss Atkinson. Atkinson's work, which is of no minor significance in her field, deserves special notice as it begins in the 50s with, e.g., The Achieving Society, as well as his 70s text, Motivation and Achievement, work in which he established formal, psychometrically sound definitions of the need for achievement, n ach, in American culture.

    In an earlier era, psychological research established law-like regularities in behavior which were the human equivalents to the laws of thermodynamics, e.g., the halo effect or habituation to stimuli. More recently, psychological research has come under considerable fire for publishing peer-reviewed articles of dubious quality and value in top journals, e.g., its well-known p-hacking of statistical significance, grandiose claims wrt interactions between culture, mind and genes or the so-called 'power pose', to name a few. Given that, one could hope that the field's more recent work devoted more attention and effort to redressing its predicaments.

    What is one to make of such a lack of rigor?

    Fischbach's book is not intended to be a history of the field which, in these ahistorical times, comes as no surprise. Rather, it is a popularizing self-help book which should prove to be of utility to her readers, assuming they take her prescriptions to heart.

    Regardless, Fischbach's howlers do not merit a pass from me.
    46 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • CP
    5.0 out of 5 stars I’m half-way through this book and I love it.
    Reviewed in Canada on January 7, 2022
    Especially to kick off the new year.
  • Spenny
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely PACKED with useful information
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 24, 2022
    I wanted this book when I saw a podcast on utube and reading the book had been a pleasure.... I love the questions at the end of the chapter but I do reccomend that you read through it twice..
  • Hussain A.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Information packed but difficult to process
    Reviewed in Canada on July 19, 2022
    This book is heavily packed with information about goals from the perspectives of motivation, goal systems, social relationships, and others. The trouble for me was that I found the writing style too difficult to follow. I would stumble across a highly intriguing finding from a study or research but then I could not imagine how to practically use that. This happened too often and become frustrating. But I kept reading because the findings are interesting.

    There’s a small relief in the summary sections at the end of each chapter. But given how information packed this is, the summary covered the points from the chapter at a very high level. I think this book needs a highly abridged version that focuses more on practical uses of findings from the research collected here.
  • Thomas Dalton
    4.0 out of 5 stars Some Interesting Thoughts and Concepts - Abrupt Ending
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 18, 2024
    The book itself is a very interesting read, with some useful insights into the individual motivations and how to get more done. However, the biggest thing I took away from this book was the very abrupt ending.

    I was reading a chapter, finished it off… and then suddenly I was in the acknowledgements. It made for a really jarring end to the book and I didn’t feel like I was left satisfied even though the rest of the book had been really interesting. It almost felt half finished or rushed to be completed.

    It’s definitely worth a read, but expect to be left wanting at the end as the last concept was very interesting but the book was not concluded.