Writing Goals Down

When you study works on achieving goals, over and over again you will run into the statement that you should write your goals down. By this, the authors of these works mean to physically hand-write the goals out, with all their properties; typing them into a computer screen is simply not as effective. Why does this statement occur so many times?

Empirical Evidence

The evidence, both statistical and anecdotal, is very clear on this matter. Those who write goals down are much more likely to achieve their goals. Even when someone writes down some of their goals and not others, the written goals are much more likely to be achieved. While it is helpful to understand why this is so, it is not required. The data from all the sources is very clear. Written goals are much more likely to be achieved; Brian Tracey says that written goals are 1000% more likely to be achieved, and many others (like Vic Johnson) agree with Brian.

Reasons for Achievement

Events and results do not often happen by chance, and when it comes to something as critical as achieving goals, chance plays an even smaller part in the final results. As the saying goes, success leaves clues. If written goals are more likely to be achieved than unwritten goals, there has to be one or more reasons why. And there are.

First, writing a goal down involves not just your mental capabilities but also your physical abilities. The act of writing involves sight (reading the goal as you write it), muscles (the movement of the hand), and touch (the feel of the pencil and paper). All of these physical sensations make a stronger impression upon your conscious mind, and your subconscious mind, than just thoughts. Teachers use this fact all the time; we tell students not just to think of the answer but to write it down because we know that students learn better when they write. By involving multiple aspects of your body, your goals become much stronger.

Second, the act of writing forces you to clarify the precise nature of your goal. You cannot write down a mere sensation or emotion (except maybe in poetry); you need to specify what causes that sensation or emotion. You must be clear about what is part of your goal and what is not; the act of writing forces you to put into words what you mean by the goal and its properties. By being clear, you provide details which can be used to make the achievement of your goal more likely.

Third, the act of writing your goal is a stronger invocation of the Law of Attraction . By writing your goal, and its properties, you make a stronger impression upon the Universal Mind (whatever you call it), which then goes about satisfying your goal with more vigor and vitality. So writing a goal makes a stronger use of the Law of Attraction .

Finally, writing a goal makes it more durable, more permanent. It is harder and more painful to modify a written goal than a mental one. While I can easily modify my thoughts to adapt to a change in circumstances, often without being aware of the modification, it is much more work to modify a written statement. A written goal is a stronger standard, provides a stronger resistance to change, than a mental goal. Thus, a written goal is more likely to be achieved.

Written goals work. They are much stronger, clearer, and durable than mental goals. Writing makes a stronger impression upon you, in all your aspects, than thought. Goals start with thoughts, yes, but they get a major power boost when they are written down. And that power boost often is what is needed to reach their achievement .