Self actualisation through goal setting
Why sharing your progress makes you much more likely to achieve your goals
Sharing your goals massively increases your chance of actually achieving your goals
How often have you told yourself you are going to do something, then simply not done it? Now think about how often you have told someone else you’re going to do something, and then not done it? A lot less, right? Because if you’re like the rest of us, you’re far less likely to flake if you tell someone else you’re going to do something.
This weird and wonderful phenomenon is known as social accountability.
Social Accountability and goal setting
Research has shown that social accountability plays a crucial role in how likely you are to achieve your objective. In one notable study, the American Society of Training and Development found that people are 65 percent more likely to meet a goal after making a commitment to someone else. However, the chances of successfully achieving goals increase by an amazing 95 percent when you set a deadline for the goal, and start to share regular progress on the goal.
Whether it’s wanting to build the perception of being trustworthy, or avoiding the loss of trustworthiness you have already built up, the end result is the same; incentive to stick to your goals and do what you say you will do.
Who you share your goals with matter
In what might seem to some a fairly obvious nuance of peer support frameworks, you can’t share your goals with just anybody, because the person or people you share your goals with need to be invested in you as well.
In a second study, researchers found that peer support — be it social, emotional, or practical — was an amazing (and crucial) source of motivation for goal setters, and was primarily derived through a process of discussion, shared understanding, problem solving and encouragement. If the person you’re speaking with has no understanding of your situation, or no empathy to try and understand it, it’s going to make the process of discussing progress on your goals fairly difficult.
However, if you need any motivation to be the person who supports your friends goals, there’s an upside in it for you as well, with the study reporting that these people experienced increased self confidence and increased feelings of positivity towards the goal setter as a result of helping their friend out. So just good vibes all round.
When it comes time to set some objectives, seriously consider sharing them. If they’re personal, consider sharing them with people you are close to. The benefits of sharing are obvious and well understood. What are you waiting for?!
Elephants is a is a private place where small groups of close friends can set and share meaningful goals, chat freely and celebrate achievements.
