Easy Trick to Achieve All Your Goals
By: Ankesh KothariThe Experiment
Are you up for a personal experiment? Don’t worry; it’s a very easy experiment.
All you have to do is take a look around you and count all the things in blue you can see. Could be the jeans you are wearing, a pen, maybe the colour of your chair, the water cooler… count as many things as you can. Done? Now try to remember them while we take a slight detour…
The Detour
In 1953, a survey was conducted with the graduating class of Yale. The question in the survey?
“Do you write down your goals?”
The response showed that only 4% people wrote down their goals.
In 1973, 20 years after the initial survey, the researchers track down the surviving members of the class of ’53 to see how successful they were. And what they found astounded them. 4% people who wrote down their goals were worth more than the other 96% put together!
The research showed that writing down goals work like magic. But why does it work?
For the answer, let’s get back to our little experiment…
Back to the Experiment
Remember all the blue things you counted around you in your room? Are you ready to narrate them one by one?
Ok – now, without turning around, can you start naming the “brown” things you saw around your room 2 minutes ago?
If you are like most people and don’t have photographic memory, you won’t be able to name more than 2-3 brown things. But you’ll be able to name 8-10 blue things.
How come? Because before you turned around, you had a goal of counting blue things. And your mind was focused on counting blue things – not brown things. It filtered out all the brown things.
Writing down goals is nothing but a filtering device for your brain. You will focus more on the things you’ve written down as your goals. And you will jump on them when they present themselves as opportunities.
Action Summary:
- Write down your goals – monthly as well as long term goals – and you’ll achieve them.
- Read your goals list every day to help your brain focus better.
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Your posts are always very engaging and thought provoking
As a matter of fact, people like me are so filled up with idea and curiosity to do a lot of things in the small time span of 24 hours that we get each day that it is very easy for us to lose focus and get distracted.
I’ve found that a simple note on a post-it pasted on the laptop works wonders
Great post once again…
~Gunjan
Thanks Gunjan
The post-it on a laptop is one of those great simple ideas! I use it too
nice post. hits the nail
Thanks Raul
You did it AGAIN, another wonderful post!! now I know why this is my favourite blog!
Thank You so much for your kind words
Nice post Ankesh. I do write down my goals but forget to review them
Ah – I think reviewing is more important than writing. Hope this post has convinced you to start reviewing your goals too…
Great habit! … now I just need to make it one.
I’ve actually a date scheduled with a friend in a couple weeks where we’re going to do just that! Turning “ideas” into achievable goals. I’m excited about it..
Thats awesome James! Buddying up with someone to make sure you are hold accountable to turn your ideas into reality is brilliant. It’ll improve the odds and the speed of your success tremendously!
U R right…
I too believe that it works
Thank You Bhavya
Intersting point of view. I have to do it now.
Thank You Yann for taking action. I hope you remain persistent with writing down your goals.
Great advice. I think it was Ben Franklin who was famous for reviewing the day before he went to sleep and then outlining what he was going to accomplish the next day. It’s amazing the difference writing things down can make.
Thanks for the post.
Dave,
You’ll like this story about an idea worth $100,000.
Thanks David for that interesting post.
As per my research (online research only) the guy who gave Charles Schwab the idea is Ivy Lee. Schwab had to write 6 most important things – not 5. And Schwab didn’t pay $100,000. He paid $35,000 (and by some accounds $25,000).
But who cares about such details? Thanks for reminding all of us about an excellent tactic!
Ben Franklin has quite a lot of nifty life hack tips! Besides writing down goals, I also like his habit of selecting one adjective – like kindness – and following on it.
Really like the way you explained.. M gonna do all these thing for now..
Thanks a lot
That’s really cool and definately something that I have thuoght about doing. I done it for a little while, sort of failed a little but the inspiration was there. I’ll start doing it for my new blog though! XD
Great article you got there. This is really me you know. Thanks!
Great post..
However, what is the relation between the photographic memory and setting goals?
I remember my goals well.. They are the blue things that I want!
thanks,
Nirav
As always, a very good write Ankesh — Keep doing the good work, we have a lot to learn from you.
I just discovered this site! It is incredible. You have great writing! keep it up, I have it bookmarked.
I loved the experiment
Thanks