The Most Critical Factor in Achieving Your Goals May Surprise You
As we enter the final quarter of the year, it’s time to start thinking about your business goals for 2025.
Given the challenges of recent years, your main objective for next year might be to continue thriving amidst uncertainty. You may want to establish a recurring revenue stream, hire a key team member, or even begin planning your exit strategy..
Whatever your goals are, the most crucial step you can take right now is to write down your plan for achieving them.
A Revealing Study
This point was reinforced by a study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology. The study was designed to explore how different stimuli impacted participants' exercise habits. Researchers divided a random sample of participants into three groups.
In the first group, participants were asked to track how often they exercised. Before starting, they read an unrelated book passage.
For the second group, researchers wanted to measure the effect of motivation. This group also tracked their activity but was given a motivational passage outlining the benefits of exercise for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The third group read the same motivational passage as the second group but also had to write down their exercise goals for the upcoming week.
The Results
When the results came in, researchers were surprised. Only 35% of the motivated second group exercised once a week, which was even slightly lower than the first group, where 36% exercised. Motivation alone didn’t seem to make much of a difference.
But in the third group, where participants wrote down their goals, 91% exercised. The simple act of writing down their objectives nearly tripled their likelihood of success.
The conclusion? Motivation alone doesn't drive action. Instead, motivation combined with a written plan significantly increases the chance of achieving your goals.
As you prepare for 2025, this study serves as a powerful reminder: writing down your plan can be the key to making it your best year yet.
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