Write and Share
Writing down your goal:
-
can indicate what is important to you, which will help you prioritise your actions.
-
on your bedroom wall (or somewhere where they can be easily seen) will act as a constant reminder, and keep them fresh in your memory.
-
and sharing it with supportive others is likely to enhance your commitment.
Dr Gail Matthews from the Dominican University of California completed a study which highlighted the benefits of writing down and sharing your goals. Participants were asked to generate a goal for something they wanted to achieve within the following 4 weeks, and were randomly assigned to one of the following groups:
-
Group 1 - didn't write down their goal.
-
Group 2 - wrote down their goal.
-
Group 3 - wrote down their goal, and action commitments.
-
Group 4 - wrote down their goal, action commitments, and sent these to a friend.
-
Group 5 - wrote down and sent their their goal, action commitments, and weekly feedback to a friend.
Note: action commitments are a list of strategies that you plan to implement, to help you achieve your goal.
At the completion of the 4 weeks, 149 participants who completed the study were asked to rate their progress. The results showed that the groups (2-5) who wrote down their goals achieved significantly more than the group (1) who had not. Group 5 achieved the most of any group. Group 4 was next highest. These results suggests that sharing your goals is beneficial to the goal setting process. So don't be shy - choose a supportive friend and get sharing!
