Yes, this seems like just another “new goals for the new year” blog post, but it isn’t.

Everyone thinks of benchmarks they want to try to complete in the new year.

But that is the problem, they only think about these goals for a brief time before they become distracted by the busyness of life.

Did you know that you can do one game-changing thing to achieve the success you desire?

Dr. Gail Matthews, professor at the Dominican University in California, tested 267 people and found there is a 42% greater chance to accomplish your goals if you write them down.

This research finding is huge. Taking a couple of minutes of your time can increase the likelihood of success by almost 50%!

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Why Does Writing Goals Help?

First, unwritten goals are often general ideas like “I want to get healthier” or “I want to read more.”

While this is a start, the act of writing forces you to specify what you want to accomplish.

Instead of dreaming about getting healthy, write exactly what weight you want to lose or gain. Instead of wanting to read more, write an exact number of books to read every month.

Second, writing goals down and being visually reminded is motivating. If you are skipping the steps required for achievement, and you don’t write the goal down, then you are likely to forget about it to comfort yourself.

But, if you have a reminder post-it on your door and a list on your phone’s lock-screen, then you will stay focused.

Finally, this process lets you see growth during and after the journey. It’s encouraging when you reflect back to the day you set your goals and you can measure your progress.

This is also necessary in overcoming resistance and critics, and can push you forward to greater accomplishments that you never considered.

It’s Application For Take Your Success

If you want to make the President’s List or Dean’s List this semester, write down the necessary GPA.

Desire acceptance into a prestigious grad school? Write down the year you want to attend and the name of the school. Repeat the same process if your goal is to get an offer from an employer.

Go old-school; grab a pen and notebook to literally write down on a piece of paper what you want to accomplish in the next year.

For even better results, make several copies of these goals for daily reminders. Tape copies to your desk, front door, and car. You can even make this list your phone’s home- or lock-screen.

What are some goals you want to accomplish? Comment with your goal (I read all comments), and help yourself achieve it.

Now What?

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Related: The 10X Rule

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