Blog: The Unexpected Key to Achieving Your Goals

As 2024 enters its final quarter, you’re likely reflecting on your business objectives for the next year. Perhaps you’re aiming to establish a recurring revenue stream, hire a general manager, or start planning for an exit. No matter what your ambitions are, one crucial step to take now is to write down your plan for achieving them.

A Surprising Study

A study published in 2002 in the British Journal of Health Psychology highlights the power of this simple action. The study explored the influence of external stimuli on participants’ exercise habits, dividing them into three groups.

• The first group was asked to monitor how often they exercised after reading an unrelated passage.
• The second group, tasked with tracking their activity as well, was given a motivational passage emphasizing the benefits of exercise for maintaining a healthy weight.
• The third group received the same passage as the second group, ensuring they had the same level of motivation. However, they were also asked to create a specific plan for when and where they would exercise during the upcoming week. Each participant filled in the following sentence: “In the next week, I will engage in at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise on [DAY] at [TIME] in [PLACE].”

The Eye-Opening Results

When analyzing the results, the researchers found something unexpected. In the second group, which received motivation but no specific plan, only 35% exercised once a week—slightly less than the 36% in the first group, who had no motivational stimulus at all.

However, in the third group, a staggering 91% of participants exercised regularly. The only difference between the two motivated groups was that the third group had written down their goals. This small step almost tripled their likelihood of success.

The sentence completed by the third group is known as an implementation intention. This is a pre-planned commitment that specifies when and where you will take action, outlining exactly how you plan to establish a particular habit.

The researchers concluded that motivation had no significant impact on action. Instead, pairing motivation with a clear, written plan makes the most significant difference in achieving your goals.

As you set your sights on 2025, consider the power of writing down your roadmap—it may be the game-changer you’re looking for.