It seems counterintuitive, but keeping your goals to yourself increases your chances of actually achieving them. So, do not follow the trend of #goals.
If you watched some videos about productivity online, you may learned the notation that you need accountability. Telling people about your goals is a great way to get that accountability.
However, it is well know that most people do not want you to go way beyond their current abilities so, they are more invested in you not achieving your goals. Of course, this is an unconscious bias, and a great accountability parter will cheer you on towards the finish line.
This is not the main argument behind this article. The main argument is that keeping your goals to yourself comes with a nice performance boost. If you care about actually achieving your goals this should be important to you.
How to make your goals happen
University of Toronto psychologist Gary Latham and University of Maryland psychologist Edwin Locke originally believed that making your goal public increased motivation.
But a series of additional studies by NYU psychologist Peter Gollwitzer showed that talking about a goal significantly lessens your chances of achieving it.
By giving voice to an aim, you’re creating what’s called a “social reality,” and this has negative consequences for real reality.
The act of telling someone about your goal gives you the feeling that the goal’s already been achieved.
It releases the dopamine you’re supposed to get afterward, prematurely.
And with that neurochemistry comes the feeling of satisfaction.
Satisfaction that makes you stop.
This is the issue.
Once you’ve already felt that high, it’s difficult to get back up for the struggle required to actually earn it.
The most import thing
Most importantly, momentum matters.
High, hard goals need to be challenging but attainable.
If you’re chronically stressed out about how hard your goal is to achieve, then you’ll wear yourself out long before you can achieve it.
Plus, the real aim is self-efficacy, that fundamental increase in capability and possibility, the new and improved version of yourself you get to become after achieving your goals.
So if you’ve got epic goals, try keeping them sustainable in the long run.
It’ll be your little secret, keeping you in motion.
The exception to the rule
The exception to the rule of keeping your goals to yourself is to share your goals with a silent collaborator who can legitimately hold you towards the vision you set for yourself.
A tip for the people that are real serious about their goals
The best way to achieve your goals most efficiently is to build a habit around it. Look at this blog post where we tell the secrets around building smart and sustainable goals. Link to the article.
Still curious? Learn more about our Platform Growth By Curiosity and discover more.
Last modified: July 5, 2021
