Just think about my next sentence for a moment before proceeding further.
When we write down something, we are doing the following:
- Thinking
- Reading
- Writing
About the text, you have just written down. So by a single action of writing down something, you are doing 3 things at once. Now with experience, we know that our brain remembers something better when is done more times. Hence, writing things down helps it remember them more clearly.
Having established that writing helps remember things better, let’s get on with our topic.
How can writing help in achieving your goals?
1. Clarity
Writing down your goals brings about clarity on what you are trying to do. Let me explain. We human beings are distracted ones. In fact, we have more experience of being distracted than being focused. At the start of this article, I reinforced that writing involves three kinds of activities – thinking, reading and writing. When a goal is put in writing the following happens
- Visualisation – Your brain goes on autopilot every time you write a goal you want to achieve. It starts dreaming about how you would feel on accomplishing it and the path you choose to do it.
- Effort – Your brain is very good at estimating things. Writing down things helps you in knowing the efforts required. For example, it is difficult to program a robot to pick and place an object. The robot requires a lot of programming to understand how much force it needs to pick and place an object. We, humans, do that intuitively due to our brain and its calculating power.
- Blocks – The focus of the brain during writing is enough to identify blocks in our plan. Such identified problems can be sorted.
- End – Writing puts things in perspective. With such clear guidelines, the end goal can be easily determined and adhered to.
2. Record
We have powerful brains. There are instances we forget. Or do not remember clearly. Writing things down helps create a record of all the observations. These can be referred to at a later stage if required.
3. Prioritisation
The next step is to work on an execution plan for the goals. For this step, you need to prioritise based on need and requirement. For example, if writing a blog was your goal, then you need to look at finalising the topic first. Then, it is necessary to research the subject thoroughly. Post this proper time and effort has to be allocated for developing the content. This content then needs to be reviewed or proofread before being published.
Once published, it should be review by a third person to catch missed out errors.
4. Motivation
Most people do follow their dreams and desires due to lack of motivation. A motivated person can achieve anything they want. Writing down the goals and regularly reviewing them motivates us. This is due to our brain’s subconscious processing of our progress and confidence in completing the tasks. For example, if you want to become a blogger and would like to write one blog every two days. Now, if you write this down and keep at a place where you look at daily, for example, the mirror, then it will help reinforce your goal. It reminds you of your goal. And with every such reminder, you are motivated as well as guilt-driven to achieve your goals.Don’t believe me? Well, you have to try it at least once to understand what I’m saying.
5. Helps in forming new Habits
Having good habits can help you reach all your dreams faster and in an efficient manner. For example, regularly exercising to be fit is a good habit. Being fit makes you more active, let’s you focus better. With better focus, you tend to complete your tasks better.
This is a habit cycle, the reason why habits stick.
Now, we just saw a great example of the benefits of habits.But to cultivate such good habits, goals and writing down these goals is essential. I recently listened to this audiobook called Atomic Habits. It’s such an excellent book that you have to definitely read or listen to it to understand the point I’m trying to convey.
Writing down your reminders to help form a new habit in your daily routine can go a long way. And if you give yourself a good reward for every successful activity, then half the work is done. The rest is to follow this sequence for 40 days to help make it a habit.
6. Feedback
All good sportsmen get feedback from their coach and teammates. The best sportsmen take action on the feedback given to them. And the best form of getting feedback is in writing. The right person to give feedback on your goal progress is You. Yes, you are the right person. You know your strengths and weaknesses. When you analyse your progress from a third person’s point of view. You will be able to provide useful feedback.
I would recommend doing it using a fishbone diagram based root cause analysis method explained in the link.
7. Thinking
With regular writing practice of goals and delivering on them, there would be consistent growth in your thought process.You would become a person who has trained his mind to think with focus and clarity.
Trust me, in this world, where, people are experts in being distracted, a person with focus becomes invaluable.
8. Gratitude & Self-respect
With each accomplishment, feedback and improvement, you would be developing a sense of gratitude.This would soon evolve into self-respect. Respect for the person you have become with dedication and hard work.
Conclusion
Writing and tracking down your goals is one of the most systematic ways in uplifting yourself. But for this to work, please remember the below points.
- You have to motivate yourself to get started and continue in your goal.
- You have to do everything you ever wanted to do, Now!
- Not many people get saviours in their life to come and help them.
- You have to help yourself at every step of the way.
Learn the things you always wanted to explore.
Become a better person with every passing day.
Do not wait for a miracle to happen in your life. Be the miracle yourself!