- The human brain loves a challenge, but only if it is within an optimal zone of difficulty. If you play a child at tennis it becomes too easy, if you play a professional you’ll loose motivation because it is too difficult.
- Now consider playing tennis against someone who is your equal. As the game progresses, you win a few, you loose a few. You have a good chance at winning, but only if you really try. Your focus narrows, distractions fade away, and you find yourself fully invested in the task at hand. This is a challenge of just manageable difficulty and it is a prime example of the Goldilocks Rule.
- Goldilocks Rule states that humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities. Not to hard, not to easy. Just right.
Goldilocks Rule – How to stay motivated in life and work (Atomic Habits)
