The Willpower Paradox

Here is a report about something startling. A psychological study that shows setting goals can be harmful to the goals themselves. I have a feeling this is deeply connected to the problems that things like Epic Win, Mindbloom, and Chore Wars face... I don't quite see how it all fits together yet, but more and more, I find this is the puzzle I want to solve most.

Thanks to Jesse Farmer for the tip.