Announcing your goals publicly can give you a premature sense of completion this actually makes you less likely to achieve them

Announcing Your Goals Publicly Can Give You a Premature Sense of Completion. This Actually Makes You Less Likely to Achieve Them.

Setting goals and sharing them with others can be an exciting and motivating experience. It allows us to feel accountable and provides a sense of commitment towards achieving our aspirations. However, research suggests that announcing our goals publicly may actually hinder our ability to accomplish them. In fact, it can give us a premature sense of completion, making us less likely to follow through with our intentions.

According to a study conducted by Peter M. Gollwitzer, professor of psychology at New York University, publicly declaring our goals can trick our minds into feeling as if we have already accomplished them. The study, titled “When Intentions Go Public: Does Social Reality Widen the Intention-Behavior Gap?,” delves into the psychological phenomenon known as the “social reality effect.”

Gollwitzer and his team conducted several experiments involving participants who publicly announced their goals related to academic achievements, health, and environmental conservation. The results consistently demonstrated that publicly voicing our intentions can provide a premature sense of goal accomplishment, leading to reduced effort and motivation towards actually achieving the desired outcome.

So, why does this happen? The social reality effect stems from the positive social feedback we receive when we share our goals. The supportive comments, likes, and encouragement from others activate our reward centers, triggering feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment. Consequently, we may be less driven to put in the necessary effort towards achieving our goals.

Moreover, announcing our goals publicly creates a sense of identity inconsistency. Once we declare our intentions to others, we may experience a self-concept discrepancy between what we have declared and the reality of our current progress. This discrepancy adds psychological tension and discomfort, which our minds attempt to resolve by diminishing the importance of the goal itself.

Interestingly, the negative impact of public goal announcement is more significant for goals that depend on individual action rather than external factors. When our goals rely solely on our personal efforts and perseverance, declaring them publicly can be especially counterproductive. It diminishes our internal motivation and replaces it with external validation, making us less likely to follow through.

To optimize our chances of goal achievement, Gollwitzer suggests keeping our intentions private or only sharing them selectively with a supportive and trusted few. By doing so, we can maintain our internal motivation, avoid premature feelings of completion, and remain dedicated to the necessary actions for successful goal attainment.

In conclusion, while the act of sharing our goals publicly may seem like a natural way to solidify our commitment, research shows that it can actually hinder our chances of achieving them. By avoiding the premature sense of completion that comes with public declaration, we can maintain our focus, motivation, and drive towards accomplishing our aspirations.