Agency and Goal Setting
Agency is the second component of hope. Hope is a person’s tendency to set goals, think of several pathways to achieve those goals, plan for hurdles and break their goals down into smaller components so the goal seems more attainable.
For me, agency borders on the next topic – self-efficacy, and it is easy to see why hope, self-efficacy and all of the other components of Psychological Capital are related and work together synergistically. What this means is that it is helpful to view these components as interrelated, ongoing processes rather than separate, individual components.
For a rundown on PsyCap, see here. For more information on the first component of hope, pathways, see here.
There are two quick ways to increase your agency, and these relate to mindfulness and resilience. First, you want to make sure you are enjoying the process of getting to your goal. Stress is the quickest way to decrease positive emotions, mindfulness, and flexibility. You can increase agency and keep stress at bay by remaining fluid, not fixed, with your goal. This also hearkens back to growth mindset – are you trying to learn or are you trying to achieve something for the sake of that something?
The second way is to increase your belief in your goal with positive self-talk. You want to believe you were meant to achieve this goal, without getting overly rigid or dogmatic. Notice how you talk to yourself about the goal – for example, “This will never work out, I will never get that promotion, etc.” are good examples of negative self-talk that decrease agency. So, make sure that you are being kind and encouraging to yourself around your goal.
High scores on hope correlate with self-esteem, positive emotions, effective coping, academic achievement, and physical health. One particular study showed that negative affect was even decreased in participants with reoccurring cancer through mindfulness, hope and goal setting. Positive affect and mental health quality-of-life increased as well.
As we discussed previously, increasing your belief in your goal with positive self-talk is essential. Hope safeguards against intrusive, self-critical thoughts, negative emotions, and is a cornerstone of psychological health.
How can you enjoy the process of achieving your goal and increase your positive self-talk? Let me know in the comments!
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References
Boniwell, I., & Tunariu, A. D. (2019). Positive psychology: Theory, research and applications. Open University Press.
Peterson, C. (2000) The future of optimism, American Psychologist, 55: 45-55.
Snyder, C. R. (2002) Hope theory: rainbows of the mind, Psychological Inquiry, 13: 249-75.
Thornton, L. M., Cheavens, J. S., Heitzmann, C. A., Dorfman, C. S., Wu, S. M., & Andersen, B. L. (2014). Test of Mindfulness and Hope Components in a Psychological Intervention for Women With Cancer Recurrence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 82(6), 1087–1100. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0036959