We’re all chasing goals – but what makes them stick?

We often imagine progress as a straight line, setting an effective goal and then mechanically working towards it – ticking boxes, hitting milestones, moving forward. But real progress isn’t mechanical. It’s emotional, shaped by time, effort, and the feedback we receive along the way. So, what makes progress feel meaningful? And how can organisations show up in ways that genuinely support it?

We value what we’ve earned

There’s something inherently satisfying about earning your success. Whether it’s making progress on a DIY project, running your first 10k, or growing a savings account, the value lies within the effort.

Behavioural economics calls this the IKEA Effect: we place disproportionately high value on things we’ve invested time and energy into. The slightly wonky bookshelf feels more valuable than a pre-built piece when we have built it ourselves, because it carries our sweat, pride, and time.

The same principle applies to goals. Progress isn’t just about outcomes — it’s about ownership. When we’ve put in the effort, success feels earned. And that makes it more meaningful.

Positive feedback fuels our fire

Effort is powerful. But when left unnoticed, it can leave people feeling unmotivated.

That’s where positive reinforcement comes in. Think fitness apps tracking streaks, savings tools celebrating deposits, or language platforms cheering progress – all delivering those subtle “you’re on the right track” nudges. These aren’t gimmicks, they’re behaviour change principles in action.

Organisations put a lot of focus on capturing attention and driving sign-ups – sometimes overlooking the power of recognising existing behaviours and celebrating milestones once people are on board.

Positive reinforcement – rewarding a behaviour to encourage its repetition – is critical to building and maintaining habitual behaviour. When people receive encouraging feedback, particularly in small and frequent doses, they form stronger associations between effort and reward. And that’s what brings them back.

If progress is a journey, feedback is the fuel that keeps the engine running.

Organisations can make progress visible – and celebrated

Organisations don’t have to sit on the sidelines hoping that people will feel good about progress made. They can design for it.

Below are a few examples of how organisations have created moments that can help people reflect, take action, and feel proud.  

Forest App
Forest helps people reduce screen time by turning focus into something tangible. For every distraction-free session, Forest plants a tree. Over time, a forest forms creating a visual record of self-control and consistency.  

Strava’s Annual Recap
Strava’s personalised end-of-year recap transforms raw data into an emotional checkpoint. It’s more than kilometres and elevation – it’s creating both a reflective moment and a visual narrative of effort, consistency, momentum and pride. And better still, users love sharing it.

OVO Energy
OVO Energy shows customers their real-time electricity use and carbon impact, including how much is renewable. While solar customers can see how much energy they’ve generated and shared back to the grid, making abstract sustainability goals personal, measurable and motivating.

1Password Watchtower
1Password turns the often-invisible act of digital safety into a tangible, rewarding goal. Its Watchtower feature scans for weak passwords, flags risks, and boosts your “security score” each time you take action. As users improve their credentials, they see a clear link between effort and outcome.

Loop by TerraCycle
Loop tracks how many single-use containers customers have avoided by using its reusable packaging system. By visualising personal impact, it makes the circular economy feel like a lived, everyday win.

Don’t just track – celebrate the moments that matter

While ongoing feedback matters, some moments carry extra emotional weight such as finishing a course, hitting an anniversary or restarting after a break. In behavioural science, these moments are prime opportunities for timely interventions – when people are most receptive to reflection, motivation, and change.

Some of these especially powerful moments include:

• Post-break or seasonal resets: After holidays, people have had the down time to pause and reflect and often return with renewed motivation. It’s a prime moment to reconnect with goals.
• Scheduled reviews or anniversaries: the six-month or one-year mark is a natural point to invite reflection and set new intentions.
• Social check-ins: A nudge from a friend or question from a family member can prompt reflection. “How’s the house saving going?” or “Still doing that course?” These relational nudges aren’t just timely, they’re personal.

The messenger matters too. Friends, family, trusted advisors or community figures can all serve as effective prompts, depending on the audience and goal.

Designing for human progress

In summary, behaviour is driven by emotion. Progress isn’t just about where we end up, it’s about how we feel along the way. That means designing experiences that:

• Make effort visible through trackers, dashboards or visual cues.
• Offer positive reinforcement, not just at the finish line, but along the way.
• Show up in the right moments with the right message, tone, and messenger.

Because the most meaningful progress isn’t just measured, it’s felt. And when people feel seen, supported and celebrated, that’s when progress truly sticks.

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