The new year is here. Many made resolutions to do better and be better. You’ve written goals and shared them with your family and friends so they can hold you accountable, right? Wrong move!
Psychologist know when you tell someone your goals, and it is acknowledged by them, you are more unlikely to do the job to achieve your goals. Why? Your brain can’t tell the difference between talking and doing. When we talk about what we’re going to do (our goals), two things happen:
- Gratification
- Satisfaction
When we share our goals and others acknowledge them, gratification and satisfaction tricks your brain into feeling that the goal has already been accomplished. The satisfaction you experience in the telling removes the motivation to do anything it takes to actually make it occur. Keep working and keep your goals to yourself. It could spur you to work harder to meet them.
“After hitting on a brilliant new life plan, our first instinct is to tell someone” — but Derek Sivers says “it’s better to keep goals secret.” He presents research stretching as far back as the 1920s to show why people who talk about their ambitions may be less likely to achieve them. Check out his TED Talk and discover why keeping your mouth shut may actually help you accomplish your goals.
