So 2014 is quickly approaching, so what better time to do some serious Goal Setting?
For some, setting goals is a huge part of their vision in moving their work, relationships, health, diet, fitness and even spirituality forward. The question is, does it really work?
Well it depends on who you are and what you believe doesn’t it?
I am a big believer in setting goals, but for me it doesn’t have to be just as we hit a new year. I often find myself reviewing my goals and adding to them. Setting goals gives me a focus and motivates me to work towards something, but this is not for everyone of course. Some people prefer living for today and not thinking about the future- everyone is different.
I remember about 7 years ago writing a list of goals and some were incredibly specific. I then managed to misplace the notebook and totally forgot about it, only to come across it about two years later. I had recently bought my first house which was something I was determined to do as soon as I could. In the notebook I had written down what my goals were to do with my house. You could call these visions, wants, images….whatever word works for you. When I re-read through the goals, I was blown away by how many I had managed to achieve. It reminded me just how important it was to ‘put it out there’ and set down in writing desires for the future.
I am sure a number of you have read or heard about the Harvard Written Goal Study, but for those who haven’t here it is in a nutshell:
In 1979 new graduates from the Harvard’s MBA Program were interviewed. It was found that 84% had no specific goals at all, 13% had goals but they hadn’t written them down and 3% had clear goals that were written down.
10 years later the same graduates were interviewed again and the results were:
The 13% who had thought about their goals but hadn’t written them down were earning, on average, twice as much as the 84% who had had no goals at all. Even more interesting were the 3% who had written down clear goals- they were earning, on average, ten times as much as the other 97% put together.
Now I am not suggesting that earning money needs to be our main goal or even an important focus- again every single person is different. What I am suggesting is that the research shows a very clear result in how effective writing down goals really can be.
Why not give it a try?
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year.
