What is Focus on past success?
Focus on past success is a technique that directs attention to previous occasions when the person successfully performed the target behavior or overcame similar challenges. It builds self-efficacy by providing evidence from the person’s own experience.
How it works
Self-efficacy (the belief that you can succeed at a specific task) is the strongest predictor of behavior change, and mastery experiences are the most powerful source of self-efficacy. When people feel they cannot change, recalling times they did change (even in different domains) activates the belief that change is possible. The technique is especially effective for people stuck in a helplessness mindset who have generalized from recent failures.
Applied example
A person who believes they ‘cannot stick with exercise’ is asked to recall a time they successfully maintained any habit: daily flossing, a regular reading routine, or learning to cook. Remembering that success shows them they have the capability for sustained behavior change, even if the domain was different.
Why it matters
Focus on past success combats learned helplessness by providing counter-evidence from the person’s own life, which is more persuasive than external encouragement.
