Don’t tell people your goals…

…apparently it makes you less likely to complete them.

Unknown Image taken from Instagram

Apparently, this is where I’ve been going wrong all this time with this blog and my podcast. I keep telling you all the plans of things I want to do, and because I have said them out loud I feel satisfied with sharing them. But because I’ve already got that “dopamine hit” of satisfaction it makes me less inclined to stick to the plans. Which is nuts, right? 

According to a very brief Ted Talk by Derek Sivers, some research has indicated that if you keep your goals and plans to yourself, you are more likely to stick to them and that telling others (usually in the hopes of accountability). I am not going to repeated everything that Mr Sivers say, but you can watch the three-minute Ted Talk here:

In relation to this account, it now makes some sense as to why I am – to some degree – rubbish at following through with the things I say I will do. I often have a lot of ideas, things I want to write, talk about, and share... but then I say I am going to do it and doesn’t always come to fruition. I have incomplete blogs and podcast transcripts that I have left abandoned, and I think it is because I have already talked about them and got people excited, which in turn has gotten me excited. However, once that initial excitement passes, I have felt less enthusiasm to return to those pieces of writing or content.  

Or, when I think about writing them, I have this urge to find something else to write about 

Or, something else comes along that I find interesting, and then I’m like, “Hey, shall I write about this”, and you all (OK, not all – some of you) go, “Fuck yeah, that sounds great.” And then you never hear about it again. Which is something that annoys me about myself and how I run this account so much.  

I am conscious that this is a very neat explanation. And I know (as a psychologist) that the above theory is one of a multitude of things that could contribute to my lack of ability to finish a task (i.e., I am tired most of the time after work and sometimes can’t be arsed to do anything content wise). At the same time, it is possible that my perpetual state of tiredness could compound the loss of enthusiasm I feel after having shared ideas. 

So, my commitment then, to try and improve content delivery for this account and this blog and my podcast, is to keep things under wraps a little more. I might be less explicit about what I am working on and keep them more as surprises. That way, I can maintain my excitement for the things I want to share, and you lot will be less disappointed (also, how grandiose of me to think that you all even know when I haven’t delivered on a promise – but I am guessing there might be a few who have clocked my failure to deliver). 

Anyway, what are your thoughts about the Ted Talk? Is this something you experience too? Do you feel that you lose motivation and enthusiasm for goals or projects or aspirations when you share them with others? Or do you find that accountability works for you? Because, after all, human beings are not a monolith, and one study alone does not determine the exclusive behaviour of eight billion people on this earth. Therefore, it might be that you thrive on accountability. 

But it has certainly given me something to think about on a random Thursday in January – a month notorious for goal setting (and often failure in maintaining those goals). 

All the best, 

Nice-ish.