Questionnaire

Thank you for participating in a brief study on motivation and goals. We aim to understand what you personally value in your work and life in general, how you view motivation and what types of goals you are currently focusing on.

Confidentiality and anonymity

This survey is anonymous. No personally identifying information will not be collected or stored, and it is impossible to identify you from your responses.

Use of responses

At the end of the questions, your responses will generate a short results page comparing your answers to those of the average person. Save this URL if you want to keep your results.

The aggregate results will be published in a subsequent article on BBC.com later in the year. No individual results will be published.

Informed consent

By proceeding with the study, you acknowledge and agree to these conditions. If you have read this information are happy to continue, please proceed to the next page.

Please indicate how much you value the following factors when you make decisions or set goals. Give higher ratings to factors that are more important to you and lower ratings to factors that are less important to you. There are no right or wrong answers – we are interested in your personal opinions.

Based on the past year, how do you feel about the tasks required to accomplish your goals?

Rate how important each of the following goals is to you in work and your life

Please rate how much progress do you think you have made on the following goals this year

Think about one of your close friends or immediate peers. How much progress do you think they have made on their goals so far this year?

All of these questions are completely optional. If you do not feel comfortable completing any or all of these questions, please feel free to leave them blank.

This background information is used only for research purposes. It will not be used to identify you, and this information is confidential and never transferred or sold.

	Least important	Most important
Financial Benefits – Extras beyond basic compensation	1 2 3 4 5
Financial Opportunities – New chances for financial gain	1 2 3 4 5
Structure – Clear definitions and boundaries	1 2 3 4 5
Physical Comfort – Well-designed physical environments	1 2 3 4 5
Supportive Environment – Physical and psychological surroundings that promote well-being, comfort, and security	1 2 3 4 5

	Least important	Most important
Creativity – Opportunities for creative expression	1 2 3 4 5
Ease – Tasks and activities that are not too difficult or stressful	1 2 3 4 5
Prominence – Being widely appreciated, known or recognized	1 2 3 4 5
Flexibility – Adaptable schedules and approaches	1 2 3 4 5
Financial Security – Valuing a financial buffer against future risks	1 2 3 4 5

	Least important	Most important
Intellectual Stimulation – Opportunities for challenge, learning, or critical thinking	1 2 3 4 5
Location – Places that are conveniently located or easily accessible	1 2 3 4 5
Financial Compensation – Salary, wages, or other forms of income and monetary rewards for your work	1 2 3 4 5
Access to Resources – Opportunities to obtain access to useful tools, assets, information	1 2 3 4 5
Personal Development – Opportunities to learn, improve skills, and grow	1 2 3 4 5

	Least important	Most important
Skill Utilisation – Opportunities to use of personal talents and abilities	1 2 3 4 5
Power – The capacity to shape outcomes	1 2 3 4 5
Advancement – Opportunities for progress	1 2 3 4 5
Acknowledgment – Recognition of achievements	1 2 3 4 5
Predictability – Consistency and stability	1 2 3 4 5

	Least important	Most important
Responsibility – The capacity to make decisions and be accountable	1 2 3 4 5
Safety – Protection from physical and psychological harm, minimizing exposure to danger or risk	1 2 3 4 5
Authenticity – Genuine self-expression	1 2 3 4 5
Simplicity – Straightforward, clear, or uncomplicated tasks	1 2 3 4 5
Connection – Meaningful social interaction	1 2 3 4 5

	Least important	Most important
Prestige – Socially or culturally respected activities	1 2 3 4 5
Mentoring – Sharing expertise with others	1 2 3 4 5
Collaboration – Valuing cooperative activities or shared responsibilities	1 2 3 4 5
Peace of Mind – Tranquillity or lack of stress.	1 2 3 4 5
Public Recognition – Positive public attention	1 2 3 4 5

	Least important	Most important
Autonomy – Independent decision-making	1 2 3 4 5
Ethics – Moral integrity	1 2 3 4 5

	Strongly Disagree	Strongly Agree
I have trouble making plans to help me reach my goals	1 2 3 4 5
I give up quickly	1 2 3 4 5
I set goals for myself and keep track of my progress	1 2 3 4 5
When I’m trying to change something, I pay attention to how I’m doing	1 2 3 4 5
I tend to keep doing the same thing, even when it doesn’t work	1 2 3 4 5

	Strongly Disagree	Strongly Agree
I have a lot of willpower	1 2 3 4 5
If I don’t feel like doing a task, there is nothing I can do about it.	1 2 3 4 5
I cannot influence how exciting a task is.	1 2 3 4 5
I can influence how much I enjoy a task.	1 2 3 4 5
I can change how interesting a task is.	1 2 3 4 5

	Strongly Disagree	Strongly Agree
I cannot influence how useful a task is for my life.	1 2 3 4 5
I can’t change anything about how important a task is to me personally.	1 2 3 4 5
I can influence how much the task is meaningful to me personally.	1 2 3 4 5
I can change something about whether the task will benefit me later.	1 2 3 4 5

	Least Important	Most Important
Save more/spend less	1 2 3 4 5
Exercise more	1 2 3 4 5
Lose weight	1 2 3 4 5
Gain new skills and knowledge	1 2 3 4 5
Eat more healthily	1 2 3 4 5

	Least Important	Most Important
Be a better person	1 2 3 4 5
Improve relationship with friends and family	1 2 3 4 5
Make more money	1 2 3 4 5
Be happier	1 2 3 4 5
Find a new job	1 2 3 4 5
Other	1 2 3 4 5

	Least Progress	Most Progress
Save more/spend less	1 2 3 4 5
Exercise more	1 2 3 4 5
Lose weight	1 2 3 4 5
Gain new skills and knowledge	1 2 3 4 5
Eat more healthily	1 2 3 4 5