Goals to Go

The Goals to Go

Long and short-term goals are critical to business success. Goals focus and guide you. They give you stepping-stones to success. Likewise, when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Plan your course of action, then readjust your plan regularly.

In 1953 Yale University surveyed its graduating class and found that only 3% had written out their life and career goals. Another 10% of the class had goals in mind that weren’t committed to paper. The balance of the class, 87%, had not taken a single step to establish what they intended to do after their graduation. They had no plan.

Twenty years later the same class was interviewed.

The original 3% who had committed their goals to paper had a combined wealth that exceeded the balance of the 97% of the other students.

What I found particularly impressive about this study that is very rarely discussed is that the same 3% had 80% who were still married to their first spouse and considered their married life happy and fulfilled.

Even if you’ve heard stories like this before, it is difficult to relate to the importance of goals. When I worked for a Fortune 500 company, I had to make five calls every day. I didn’t see this requirement as a short-term goal that could help me reach a bigger goal. I misinterpreted the idea of making goals as being the measure of what I didn’t to the importance of goals. When I worked for a Fortune 500 company, I had to make five calls every day. I didn’t see this requirement as a short-term goal that could help me reach a bigger goal. I misinterpreted the idea of making goals as being the measure of what I didn’t end up accomplishing.