The Goldilocks Principle is derived from the children’s story Goldilocks and The Three Bears. Goldilocks is a little girl who finds a house in which three bears, Daddy Bear, Mommy Bear, and Baby Bear, live. Each bear has its own preference for food, chairs, and beds. Testing all items, Goldilocks decides that

one is always too much in one extreme (too cold, too soft, or too small); another is too much in the opposite extreme (too hot, too hard, or too large); and then there is that one which is “just right.

The primary goal of finding “just right” has been applied across a variety of disciplines such as economics, psychology, biology, engineering, and the medical field to some extent. The principle describes achieving something (a goal or value) that falls within certain margins as opposed to reaching the extremes—targeting the “just right” amount rather than “too little” or “too much.”

The human brain loves a challenge, but only if it is within an optimal zone of difficulty. If you love tennis and try to play a serious match against a four-year-old, you will quickly become bored. It’s too easy. You’ll win every point. In contrast, if you play with a professional tennis player you will quickly lose motivation because the match is too difficult. Now consider playing tennis against someone who is your equal. As the game progresses, you win a few points and you lose a few. You have a good chance of 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.

In this case the Goldilocks Rule would be that humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities. Not too hard. Not too easy. Just right.

If we are occasionally stressed out or worry prior to a big presentation, we are well within the healthy levels of anxiety and it can be our motivation as well. If we are unable to sleep at night, have constant health issues or are unable to eat, then we are in the unhealthy stress/anxiety territory and need to take corrective action.

Whether it is the stress that is taken by schoolchildren or workplace challenges, we have to find an optimal level where there is just the right amount of pressure. There is a balance that has to be achieved for stress levels (which comes from external factors) and anxiety.

Therefore, just like the fairy tale we have to find our sweet spot which has the right amount of stress, anxiety, challenge and thrill, while not being paralyzing or life-sucking. Demanding jobs carry with them worry, stress and anxiety, but not having anything to worry about in a job is also detrimental to our well-being.

(This article first appeared on the WiP page on May 2nd, 2022. I am the founder of WiP which is a cohort of like minded talented women who help each other grow in a fun filled, judgement free manner!)