Happy New Year! You have probably had a lot of messages in your inbox about goals. Goals are what we think about this time of year. Is it really worth our attention? A ten year Harvard study and neuroscience tell us it is.
Of all the Harvard MBA graduates one year, 3% had written goals, 13% had goals but didn’t write them down, and 84% set no specific goals at all. Ten years later, the 3% who had clear written goals achieved 10 times more than the other 97% of their class!
Need another reason? Neuroscience tells us our brains work to align our outer world with our inner world. When you focus your brain on your goals, it searches for ways to align your outer world with that reality.
Here are 5 tips to make sure the goals you set work for you:
1. Write them down!
2. Make them crystal clear.
3. Create your roadmap. If you don’t know how you’ll get there start with small steps.
4. Set up a system for tracking your progress and measuring results. Celebrate small successes.
5. Get support to stay on track. An example is enlisting an accountability buddy. Someone who will help you follow through and support you along the way.
Set your direction. Where are you aiming your arrows this year?
Please comment here and share with others what you do (or don’t) about setting goals each year. Is there something that works well for you that others would benefit from knowing!