The Power of Written Goals + Accountability

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

You might have heard of the famous Harvard/Yale study where the alumni who wrote down their goals achieved far more than the alumni who didn’t.

Well, that “study” turns out to be an urban myth.

However, there is a real research study — from Dr. Gail Matthews of Dominican University — that did show actual benefits.

The summary:

Those who wrote goals down achieved 42% more than those who merely thought about (but didn’t write) their goals.

Those who wrote their goals as well as their action commitments, and then sent those to an accountability partner each week, along with a report on how they did with their goals/commitments the past week, achieved 77% more than those who merely thought about their goals.

Imagine achieving 77% more than what you’re accomplishing now!

That’s the power of written goals + accountability.

Here’s the official 3-page summary of the study: Summary of Goals Research by Gail Matthews of Dominican University

5 steps you can use to apply this research: