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3 Easy Steps to Achieving Your Goals According to Science

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Many people are living in mediocrity and most don’t seem to get anywhere worthwhile because they lack direction. They have no idea what they want out of their lives. One of the most important keys to success and living a fulfilling life is to know what you want and work relentlessly toward that worthy ideal. The problem is that most people have no idea what they want. Or in other words, they don’t set goals for themselves.

If you think about extraordinary people who went on to accomplish amazing success in life such as top-level athletes Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, and successful entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Mark Cuban, you will notice that they all shared a common trait – they know what they want, they set goals, and they are making progress towards reaching their goals every day.

When you set goals, it gives you a long-term vision to focus on and at the same time, it also provides you the short-term motivation you need to work through each day. Dr. Gail Matthews, a professor at the Dominican University, once conducted a study on how writing down goals, committing to action, and being accountable, can influence the achievement of the goal.

Dr. Gail Matthews recruited 267 participants from various groups ranging from age 23 to 72, and they were all from different countries including the United States. England, Japan, and Australia.

The participants were then randomly divided into 5 groups:

Group 1 – Participants were simply asked to think about their goals (what they wanted to achieve over the next 4 weeks) and rate the goals according to their difficulties, importance, motivation, and more.

Group 2 – Participants were asked to write down their goals and rate them.

Group 3 – Participants were asked to follow Group 2 and also to formulate action commitments.

Group 4 – Participants were asked to follow Group 3 and also send their goals and action commitments to a supportive friend.

Group 5 – Participants were asked to follow Group 4 and also send a weekly progress report to a supportive friend.

Guess what happened at the end of the 4 weeks?

Results grew from a 43 percent success rate in Group 1 and increased to 76 percent success rate in Group 5.

This means when you write down your goals, make actionable commitments, and send a weekly progress report to a supportive friend, you are 76% more likely to achieve the goal.

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” – Norman Vincent Peale

Therefore, to achieve outstanding success and reach your goals, you need to focus on these 3 easy steps:

1. Write down your goals

First, you have to identify what you want to achieve, and then you will have to write it down. Many personal development coaches like Jack Canfield, John Assaraf, and Robin Sharma suggest their students write down their goals because when you do so, you increase your commitment to your goals.

After all, you will never bother writing something down if it is not important to you, right? Hence, make it a habit to write down your goals and constantly review them.

Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert comic strip and one of the most successful cartoonists in the world, said that he wrote down his goal 15 times a day. He wrote down, “I, Scott Adams, will become a syndicated cartoonist.” And he continued to do so day-in and day-out, for 15 times a day.

Eventually, his dreams came true. He became the world’s most syndicated cartoonist. In the year 2000, Dilbert was featured in 2,000 newspapers in 57 countries and 19 languages. The comic strip also spawned dozens of television series, books, and themed merchandise items.

Therefore, if you are serious about achieving your goals, write them down. In fact, do it like how Scott Adams did, write down your goals every day so you condition your goals to your subconscious mind.

2. Create action commitments

Writing down your goals is the first step. The second step you need to take is to create action commitments. In other words, you need to come up with a plan of what you need to do to reach your goals.

You can’t just think or write down what you want and hope that things will magically appear in front of you. No, goal setting is not a magic lamp, it is a technique that helps you identify specifically what you want so you can formulate a plan to achieve it.

Most people don’t make plans for their goals. They just think of their goals and nothing more. Remember you need to make a plan if you are truly committed to your goals.

Write down all the specific action steps you can take to accomplish your goals. If you have no idea what you can do to achieve your goals, your action commitment is to do just that.

There are plenty of books and courses you can learn from. For instance, if your goal is to set up an e-commerce website, but you have no idea how to do that, your action commitment is to learn how to do it.

List down all the possible action commitments you need to take. Lastly, work on each of them one-by-one because that’s how you make progress.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

3. Get an accountability partner and send your weekly progress report

Finally, to make sure you stick to your plan, you need to be accountable for it. Thus, get an accountability partner who supports your work. Commit to sending your partner a weekly progress report each week.

You want to get an accountability partner because if you don’t, you will never hold yourself accountable. However, when you know someone is watching and monitoring your work, you become more committed to working on your plan.

Plus, when you commit to sending a weekly progress report, it creates a deadline and urgency to get the action commitment done.

Getting an accountability partner doesn’t need to be difficult. You just need to get someone who supports and is willing to keep an eye on your progress. Your job is to send your progress report to him or her each week.

When you do this, you will make sure you are making progress toward your goals every week.

Conclusion

These are the 3 easy steps on how you can achieve your goals. Remember, according to research, you can greatly improve your success rate by as much as 76% when you follow the 3 simple steps above.

So, identify your goals, write them down, create action commitments to achieve them, and get a supportive partner to hold you accountable for your progress.

What’s one goal you’re looking to accomplish this year? Share it with us below so we can help keep you accountable!

Shawn Lim is the creator of StunningMotivation.com (https://StunningMotivation.com) and he’s a passionate blogger in the personal development industry who has inspired thousands to pursue their dreams and follow their passions. You can learn more about him plus download a free copy of his guidebook, Reach Your Goals on his website.

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Success Advice

Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)

The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

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Why one-size-fits-all leadership doesn’t work
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Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)

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What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)

Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

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The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators

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