Umm...you nailed me. I need to write mine down as well. I have always reached the goals I write down, but have lately fallen off the wagon of actually writing them down.
What is it about the human psyche that makes writing goals work?
When I first started my current job, I wrote down the goal of "Being the #1 district manager as measured by ROI by year end." I was the rookie, but I blew everyone else away. I got over-confident (or over-silly!) and didnt' write it down for two years. Then, for some reason, I wrote the same goal down again and BAM, became the #1 district manager again! You'd think I'd learn!
Move To Portugal
· 1 year ago
Great post Steve! We seem to be on the same wave length today, I posted on the same theme about my obsession with my goals.:)
deepali
· 1 year ago
There is a second piece to this, which you mention but I think needs highlghting: periodically reviewing goals. Because I write mine down (on my blog even), and then promptly ignored them. :)
FFB
· 1 year ago
With so much to think about and remember during the day your are absolutely right about writing down goals. That's a good reason to love blogging. If you put a goal out there you can be held accountable. I just got a PDA and I've been using the memo's and task lists lately to keep track of stuff like reading lists. I may have to add in bigger life goals too!
Curmudgeon
· 1 year ago
My only goal for the last 20 years was nailed by a line from a Moody Blues song: "Nothing more than survival." And it's worked. Anything beyond that is gravy. Makes it easy to remember, too.
Steve (Brip Blap)
· 1 year ago
@Ron: I know there are always studies floating around about why writing things down works, but it's one of those things like gravity, I think. I don't need to understand WHY it works, just that it DOES work. :)
@MTP: Hey, I was thinking about Portugal today, so maybe so!
@deepali: Absolutely. I do keep my goals in my face all the time - they are written on the inside front cover of my "capture" notebook so I get reminded every time I open my notebook to write "buy eggs." Great point.
Steve (Brip Blap)
· 1 year ago
@FFB: One of the things that kills me is how much we are expected to take in and remember. I have slipped back into the bad habit of reading presidential political news, for example, and the news and facts and numbers there clutter up my brain and force out "useful" information. I carry my Moleskine around all day and write almost everything I NEED to remember down - or else I'd forget it and remember that Candidate X was in Candyland, New Jersey for a campaign fundraiser. Sports do the same thing, but football season's over...
Steve (Brip Blap)
· 1 year ago
@Curmudgeon: In a sense the continuation of the self would be the highest goal. I would like to visit the Forbidden City at some point, too, but yeah, survival is not a bad primary goal :)
Dividend Growth Investor
· 1 year ago
I usually keep my goals in my head. I discuss them with important people in my life on a daily/weekly basis.. But for some reason i have had a tough time writing goals down..
Mike
· 1 year ago
Writing down goals on your blog is a good way to make them official and to receive some feedback. :)
All Comments
What is it about the human psyche that makes writing goals work?
When I first started my current job, I wrote down the goal of "Being the #1 district manager as measured by ROI by year end." I was the rookie, but I blew everyone else away. I got over-confident (or over-silly!) and didnt' write it down for two years. Then, for some reason, I wrote the same goal down again and BAM, became the #1 district manager again! You'd think I'd learn!
@MTP: Hey, I was thinking about Portugal today, so maybe so!
@deepali: Absolutely. I do keep my goals in my face all the time - they are written on the inside front cover of my "capture" notebook so I get reminded every time I open my notebook to write "buy eggs." Great point.