Goal Setting Urban Myths

For some years I've quoted a Harvard University study from 1953 about the impact of writing down your goals, namely that the 3% of those who graduated in 1953 and who wrote down their goals were collectively worth more than the remaining 97% of the graduates who didn't set goals and /or write them down. When I've done presentations in recent years on the importance of pro-actively managing your own development, I've used this powerful example as one of the reasons to have a written PDP or a set of goals on paper.

Today, to ensure that I had my facts right, I googled the study and, to my surprise, found conflicting articles on the topic:

http://sidsavara.com/personal-productivity/why-3-of-harvard-mbas-make-ten-times-as-much-as-the-other-97-combined

and then....

http://sidsavara.com/personal-productivity/fact-or-fiction-the-truth-about-the-harvard-written-goal-study

So it appears to be an urban myth - but the under-lying principle for me still stands. But as that would make a very short blog, I pondered some more and flicked back through the past copies of the monthly newsletters I used to write. One started with the headline 'Make it happen' - which is one of my driving force philosophies. On the wall in our self-catering cottage we have a framed quote (because both of us felt it summed up why our business has happened):

Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.

Michael Jordan NBA Basketball player - arguably the world's greatest basket-ball player

Read more of his philosophies at
 http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/10-amazing-success-lessons-from-michael-jordan/


 Formal goal setting at work is commonly done at the beginning of the year and maybe mid-way through the year is a good time to review your progress as well (see second-hand thinking blog) but to really keep things happening day in, day out (or at the very least week in, week out) writing down items on a 'to-do' list (which are still goals you want to achieve) makes it happen.

For months and months we've talked about having a check-list for our B&B and the cottage rooms to ensure we don't miss anything and to keep consistently high standards. When I started supporting Mike in the business for this summer it went on to the 'to-do' list and within a few days that item had been crossed off (there's also something very satisfying about crossing off the items you've done). And at the end of what may feel like a frustrating day in the office, if you can look back at your list and find you have achieved something then you know you've made progress. Just remember there are always more things to keep adding to your 'to-do' list - because that's how you can really make things happen.

 For as Sir Winston Churchill said:

"Every day you make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb."