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Using Physical Triggers To Reinforce Your Goals

01.02.2012 · Posted in Communication Articles

Every single year the media goes on a media hype, encouraging the public to set goals or New Years resolutions. Every single show from Breakfast Television to current affairs programs to even radio talk back shows plus the news gets into the act of finding out whether people are setting goals and what they are. In the excitement of being on these shows, people often give some fantastic dreams but the sad reality is that 97% of them will fail in achieving their goals.rnrnResearch from the Ford Foundation found that 67% of people had an idea of what they want to achieve but no clear set goals. They also found that only 10% of the people surveyed actually had clear set goals and yet only 3% of the population ever succeeded and excelled at their goals.rnrnThis begs the question, Why?rnrnThere are in fact many reasons why a goal does not get achieved, from self-sabotage, self-loathing to simply a lack of persistence. However one of the reasons I have found in researching my own students is simple, they just forget about the goal or the goal loses importance due to daily work pressures.rnrnThere was research undertaken at one of the United States Universities that basically found that undergraduates who wrote their goals down had a greater chance of achieving their goals. Those undergraduates who actually wrote them down and carried the goal with them in their wallet and reviewed it daily were 97% more likely to achieve the goal.rnrnThe reason why this last technique is so successful is that the act of reading their goal daily, reinforces their goals onto their subconscious mind and it keeps it front and centre. This means that they are always thinking about it and working towards it.rnrnHowever, one of the other tools which I have found successful is to carry an item on your person that represents a goal. By associating the goal to that item, each time you see it, it will remind you what you are working towards and that you need to focus on the goal.rnrnI personally have been working towards some pretty huge goals and one of the items I now where is a signet ring. I used this because it always on my finger and every time I see it I remember the goal I am working towards.rnrnUsing physical triggers like a signet ring or other physical items does not have to be expensive but you do need to associate it to the goal. I recommend that you write your goal down on a card and then each day, read your goal allowed whilst holding the item in your hand. This will help program your subconscious in associating the goal with the item.rnrnGoals are important to have as they help provide your life with definition and direction. Without goals, too many people simply live their lives day-to-day without ever finding satisfaction or completion. I encourage you to try this technique on just one goal and see if you find that you increase the success of your goals.rnrnRemember what Robert H. Schuller said, “Goals are not only absolutely necessary to motivate us. They are essential to really keep us alive.”

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