Want to Stand Out? Write Your Goals Down.
Only 3% of people have written goals
I was shocked to find how out few people set or write goals, especially given the amount of information available on the importance of goals and goal setting. For this article, I want to discuss why writing those goals down will make a difference for your success.
There is a lot of 'talk' about goals, we assume that most people have them and act on them.
Consider these facts:
- A Harvard study suggests 83% of the US population does not have goals
- Only 8% achieve their New Year’s goals and;
- 92% of people who set goals at the start of the year have abandoned them only 15 days later.
Many people believe they should have goals, but few people take action on them. Only 3% of people set, write, and take action on their goals. There is a huge opportunity in terms of what could be accomplished across the collective landscape. This allows you, as a goal writer, to stand out from the rest.
14% of people have a goal plan in mind, but these are unwritten goals
Having goals in mind is not enough. Capture them and write them down to ensure the highest levels of success.
People with written goals are 50% more likely to achieve success than people without goals. In one Harvard study, the 3% of the MBA students that consistently wrote their goals down were earning 10 times more than the 97% without goals a decade later.
The act of writing your goals down will also help in these two ways to maximize the potential for success.
Clarity
You should be crystal clear on what you want to accomplish by reading your goal statement. Writing your goals down initiates that process. Typically, when you write things down you are more likely to remember it later. I know I do. Start simple and then build on your initial thoughts. Make your goal as specific and detailed as possible. Having clarity on what you want to do will make the planning process on how you will achieve your goals much easier.
Goals 'held' in the mind are more likely to be jumbled up with the other 1500 thoughts per minute that the average human being experiences
Our brains are busy and complex places. If we leave our goals - the most important things we want to achieve - in there alone, they are much more likely to get lost and not acted on. Writing your goals down is a brain productivity booster as well. It will free up more energy to act on those goals rather than trying to remember them.
Make It Tangible
Having written goals gives you something to 'see' and 'touch' every day. It is not just 'in your head' or your imagination. Keep your goals someplace you see or check often. It can be on your phone, your computer, written on a piece of paper, or write them on your mirror in your bathroom. (Dry erase markers work great for this.) Seeing your goals regularly, reminds you what to accomplish. It will force you to ask, “am I working towards that in my actions today?”
The world's most successful people agree that what you 'get' by achieving your goal/s is not as important as what you become in the process
Goals are not only about accomplishing things. Goal setting and writing becomes a discipline of how you act and work. This is the ultimate payoff. It will make you better in everything you do every day. Don’t get lost in looking only at the outcomes. Spend time on the steps and processes that will get you there. With clear written goals that you can see every day, you are well ahead of the curve. That is before you even work to accomplish them. So, write those goals down and stand out.Where will you write your goals down to see them every day? Click here or on the comments button above to share your thoughts.