The Power of Writing Your Goals

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Ever felt like your dreams are constantly playing a game of hide-and-seek? You know they’re there, but somehow they slip away before you can grab hold of them. We’ve all been there. Welcome to the rollercoaster ride called life, where goals remain mere wishes until they find their way onto paper.

Imagine this: You’re aboard a ship sailing through life’s ocean but without a destination in sight. It sounds aimless, doesn’t it? That’s precisely why setting goals and writing them down is like charting a course on a map. It’s the compass that guides you through the fog, making the journey purposeful, measurable, and, most importantly, achievable.

Curious why jotting down your aspirations can be a game-changer? Let’s embark on a voyage together to uncover the superpower behind penning your dreams into reality. Get ready to discover how transforming a mere thought into written words can catapult you toward the life you’ve always envisioned.

Goals are very important for anybody who wants to be a product of success. It is so bad that people have goals, but only a few write them down.

In Habakkuk 2:2, God says, Write your vision down and make it plain. Not just have the vision but write it down. Writing your goals down is essential if you want to achieve them.

Research shows that only 3 percent of adults have written goals and plans and this 3 percent earns more than all the other 97 percent put together. And the shocking part is that the 97 percent work for the 3 percent.

I hope you can now see the significance of written goals. When you have your goal down, it sends a message to your subconscious mind that you mean such a goal and your mind will be open to finding ways to achieve the goals.

“Write it down. Written goals have a way of transforming wishes into wants; cant’s into cans; dreams into plans; and plans into reality. Don’t just think it — ink it!” ~ Michael Korda

Writing down your goals is very powerful, and you will be surprised at how much it will contribute to your achievement of the goals.

Research shows that people who write down their goals are 42 percent more likely to achieve them than those who don’t.

How should you write your goals?

You should smartly write down your goals. What I am saying is that when setting a goal, set a SMART goal. Two different people could set the same goal, but one should end up achieving it before the other, or the other might not even achieve it. How does the one who achieves his goal faster set his goals? This is where SMART goals come in.

What are SMART goals?

SMART goals are the types of goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. If a goal has all these qualities, it increases its chances of achievement. What do I mean by a goal being specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound?

• Specific: Your goals should always be specific to what you want to achieve, e.g., instead of saying “I want to increase my annual salary,” you say “I want to increase my annual salary by 20%.” The 20% there specifies the action increment you want. Setting specific goals like this helps you know when you are close to achieving them and when you have even achieved them.
• Measurable: Goals are meant to be measurable. When your goals are measurable, you will be able to track your progress through the process of achieving them. An example of a measurable goal is that instead of saying, “I will lose weight in the next 3 months,” you say, “I will lose 20 pounds in the next 3 months.” If you are running a race and you don’t know how many meters you have to run, there is no checkpoint and no way to know how far you are from the end. You will get tired of the race because it will indeed look like an endless one. That is what a goal that is not measurable looks like. The journey to achieving our goals will look endless when it is not measurable. So make your goals measurable and be comfortable working towards them.
• Achievable: Setting achievable goals means setting realistic and achievable goals, e.g., not achievable goals. “I will become a professional concert pianist before this year’s end.” The more achievable version is “I will learn to play piano before this year’s end.” It takes years of dedication to be at a very high professional level, but trying to achieve that in just a year might not be achievable.
• Relevant: A relevant goal is useful to your dream; e.g., if your dream is to be the best student of the year in your school, goals like watching five episodes of The Flash (DC Series) every day are not relevant to you.
• Time-Bond: Scientists discover that those who set goals with deadlines achieve their goals better than those who don’t, so putting a deadline on your goals will increase the chance that you will achieve such a goal. “I write 40 articles before the 31st of December” instead of “I will write 40 articles.” The deadline will push me to work harder to meet up. But without a deadline, I can keep pushing it to tomorrow.

Setting SMART goals will indeed increase the probability of you achieving your goals. Write your goals down, make them smart, and you are halfway to the top.

More Examples of a SMART goal

Here are more examples of SMART goal

Specific: “I will read 20 books by the end of the year to broaden my knowledge.”

Measurable: “I will set aside $500 from each paycheck into a dedicated savings account.”

Achievable: “I will enroll in an online course and dedicate focused time after work.”

Relevant: “Reading will enhance my understanding in various fields and improve my critical thinking.”

Time-bound: “I will achieve the 5-mile goal within two months, starting next week.”

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