Goal setting is one of those hoary old business subjects that seemingly everyone pays lip service to but very few people actually take action on. Several classic studies over the last five decades have consistently show that, when questioned, around 70% of people have literally no defined goals at all. Out of the remaining 30%, an equally shocking 27% have only gone as far as verbalising their goals.
The sad truth is that if you poll an average group of people, only something like 3-5% of them will have any kind of concrete written goals in place for either their life or business. An equally large amount of studies over the years have conclusively shown that it’s precisely that 5% of people who tend to rise to the top across all sectors of business and society.
If you haven’t yet committed to have written goals, today is as good a day as any to start significantly improving your life with this simple technique. Let’s take a quick look at five key reasons you should start unlocking the power of written goals as soon as possible.
- Written Goals Enforce Clarity
The simple act of getting those nebulous hopes and dreams down on paper naturally enforces clarity and drives you towards actionable detail. Get a rough first draft down on paper, start digging into the nitty-gritty of how you can break your goals into achievable stages, and even the loftiest of aspirations will start looking like real possibilities.
- Written Goals Give You A Powerful Weapon Against Resistance
Half the battle with working towards any goal on a daily basis is overcoming your in-built resistance towards taking the next obvious step. Having written goals on your side gives you powerful external motivation to push through temporary setbacks and drive on towards your long-term aims.
- Having Written Goals Frees Up Your Creative Engine To Concentrate On Other Things
Getting your main goals down on paper frees up a critical part of your consciousness for concentrating on new projects and problems. Rather than spinning your internal wheels on projects that never quite get going, you’re now free to conceptually break new ground on future projects, secure in the knowledge that your current goals have been properly captured.
- Having Written Goals Gives You A Yardstick For Other Decisions
Along with giving your current projects a kickstart, written goals provide you with an excellent reference point for examining other potential decisions. As the set of actions you’ve formally committed to, your written goals give you a star to sail your ship by. If other possible projects could potentially interfere with your predefined goals, you can turn them down with confidence rather than wasting time worrying about them.
- Written Goals Give You A Clear Finishing Line To Aim For
Most of us are starved for wins in today’s hectic world. Written goals give you both a clear definition of success and let you know when it’s time to celebrate a job well done. This might sound like a minor point, but being able to tick off a series of planned achievements is an incredibly motivating force for long-term success.
Even taking the trouble to actually write down your goals rockets you to the top of the queue worldwide. Add in the tangible benefits we’ve outlined above and it’s easy to see why this should be the year you finally commit to harnessing the power of written goals!
