---
title: "Book Brew 7: Goals, Reference Points, and Meaningful Connections"
description: Explore the psychology of goals, the importance of uniqueness and connection in business, and the impact of meaningful connections in our lives. Share your thoughts on balancing goals and individual expression.
image: https://thoughtsbrewing.com/hubfs/Mindful%20Musings.jpg
---

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# Book Brew 7: Goals, Reference Points, and Meaningful Connections

 April 3, 2024

![Picture of Danielle Price Griffin](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/31045232924d123af765cd9b1925a9ce) [Danielle Price Griffin](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/author/danielle)

![Book Brew](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/hubfs/Mindful%20Musings.jpg)

## Exploring the Psychology of Goals

If goals are reference points, since a goal is in the future and not achieving it is seen as a loss and exceeding it is seen as a gain, then we are more motivated by bad events than we are by good events. 

Our brains are apparently wired to give more priority to bad news than good - a way to keep us alive. And if the joy of a scarce commodity is not in experiencing it but in possessing it, we are more likely to experience joy by possessing the thing that helped us avoid the loss of not meeting a goal.

## Business Insights: Uniqueness and Connection

For business, because we each feel a strong need to express our uniqueness in matters of taste, leaders do well by ensuring that their members conform to work goals while being able to do so in their own way.

It was also interesting from *The Tipping Point* to learn the powerful effect of 150 - the number of meaningful connections in our lives. 

In the case of business, a business unit larger than 150 can’t be connected and doesn’t experience a sense of belonging to the group since there are too many people to get to know closely.

## Ponder This

1. How do you balance the pursuit of goals with the psychological tendency to focus on potential losses?
2. Do you think your work environment allows for both conformity to goals and the expression of individual uniqueness?

Share your thoughts in the comments below!

### Books

- Thinking Fast and Slow
- Influence
- The Tipping Point

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