Why You Shouldn't Tell People About Your Goals - College Info Geek

This partly a video I've wanted to make for a long time, and partly a response to Tom Scott's recent video "Why You Should Write Down Your Goals".
Writing your goals down definitely helps you achieve them. Telling people about them, however, is a bad idea as recent research has shown. Doing so creates a "social reality" - a false sense of accomplishment that can make you less likely to actually put in work.
Watch Tom's video:
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Companion article for this video:
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Videos you might want to watch next:
The Impossible List (my favorite goal-tracking tool): • The Impossible List: M...
Self-Discipline Advice from a Roman Emperor: • Self-Discipline Advice...
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~ created by Thomas Frank

[@brianngugi1057]

"If they don't know your dreams, they can't shoot them down" -J. Cole

[@JoyteeTrixter]

My sentiment exactly.

[@k9dogtraining]

when I saw the title, I thought the video was going to be about that. Not the intention gap thing :)

[@Donnellatilery]

k9dogtraining ewmddfgfdssdufhyggggucbiij

[@JioFreedx]

Donnella tilery my name is Donneal

[@Someone-jf1ei]

Brian Ngugi wow u r definitely right

[@Earth098]

I think the main reason you should not announce you goals, is that there is a big chance others doubt your capability or pass their own personal judgements. That can make yourself doubt your own capability.

[@cjcor4369]

I don't think that's the main reason. I think that once you try to boost your identity and become socially affirmed you're just less likely to take action. (opinion though)

[@smotbutterman1127]

I think the more you talk about it, the less likely you are to do it. It's like when you have this brilliant idea and you talk about it because your subconscious knows you won't ever do it, so now you pass it on so you don't die with it.

[@cjcor4369]

+Christian Rivera That's just ego talk... exactly the reason why you should not be bragging about your goals.

[@kmeda86]

It's all talk until it works !!

[@bennettdejoya2]

Karthik , it's all work until it works.

[@HeartzHugzKissez]

The funny thing about telling people your goals is that you find out how many people really don't give a shit.

[@PsychonauticExplorer]

Well, it's true... and those who do care, only care to hold you down.

[@jannikneuwirth2243]

Which is certainly another reason why motivation and performance drops significantly when telling random people about your aspirations.

[@mariekem.4755]

@@jannikneuwirth2243 True... keeping things for yourself can also work with making good decisions and staying true to yourself. Because sometimes you just need to think about it and you realise you have to say no to it.. but when you already told people they are like 'Oh I thought you wanted to start with this and this' and they see it as a negative thing so it looks like you 'failed' but in fact you just said no what can also be a good thing. So it feels good to keep things for myself so I can make a good decision without people interfering.

[@adamschwartz4221]

😂😂😂

[@recovermylife2976]

Or they copy you're goals

[@thisisthewroten]

Law of power #4 - always say less than what is necessary.

[@thatosegopolo9072]

Booya Aaron love this

[@zardouayassir7359]

@@_blank-_ read them on the book 40 laws of power

[@user-if8pg9om2c]

Yes

[@olivermerivee8653]

LAW 1: NEVER OUTSHINE THE MASTER LAW 2: NEVER PUT TOO MUCH TRUST IN FRIENDS, LEARN HOW TO USE ENEMIES LAW 3: CONCEAL YOUR INTENTIONS LAW 4: ALWAYS SAY LESS THAN NECESSARY LAW 5: SO MUCH DEPENDS ON REPUTATION-GUARD IT WITH YOUR LIFE LAW 6: COURT ATTENTION AT ALL COST LAW 7: GET OTHERS TO DO THE WORK FOR YOU, BUT ALWAYS TAKE THE CREDIT LAW 8: MAKE OTHER PEOPLE COME TO YOU-USE BAIT IF NECESSARY LAW 9: WIN THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS, NEVER THROUGH ARGUMENT LAW 10: INFECTION: AVOID THE UNHAPPY AND UNLUCKY LAW 11: LEARN TO KEEP PEOPLE DEPENDENT ON YOU LAW 12: USE SELECTIVE HONESTY AND GENEROSITY TO DISARM YOUR VICTIM LAW 13: WHEN ASKING FOR HELP, APPEAL TO PEOPLE’S SELF-INTEREST, NEVER TO THEIR MERCY OR GRATITUDE LAW 14: POSE AS A FRIEND, WORK AS A SPY LAW 15: CRUSH YOUR ENEMY TOTALLY LAW 16: USE ABSENCE TO INCREASE RESPECT AND HONOUR LAW 17: KEEP OTHERS IN SUSPENDED TERROR: CULTIVATE AN AIR OF UNPREDICTABILITY LAW 18: DO NOT BUILD FORTRESSES TO PROTECT YOURSELF-ISOLATION IS DANGEROUS LAW 19: KNOW WHO YOU’RE DEALING WITH-DO NOT OFFEND THE WRONG PERSON LAW 20: DO NOT COMMIT TO ANYONE LAW 21: PLAY A SUCKER TO CATCH A SUCKER-SEEM DUMBER THAN YOUR MARK LAW 22: USE THE SURRENDER TACTIC: TRANSFORM WEAKNESS INTO POWER LAW 23: CONCENTRATE YOUR FORCES LAW 24: PLAY THE PERFECT COURTIER LAW 25: RE-CREATE YOURSELF LAW 26: KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN LAW 27: PLAY ON PEOPLE’S NEED TO BELIEVE TO CREATE A CULT-LIKE FOLLOWING LAW 28: ENTER ACTION WITH BOLDNESS LAW 29: PLAN ALL THE WAY TO THE END LAW 30: MAKE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS SEEM EFFORTLESS LAW 31: CONTROL THE OPTIONS: GET OTHERS TO PLAY WITH THE CARDS YOU DEAL LAW 32: PLAY TO PEOPLE’S FANTASIES LAW 33: DISCOVER EACH MAN’S THUMBSCREW LAW 34: BE ROYAL IN YOUR OWN FASHION: ACT LIKE A KING TO BE TREATED LIKE ONE LAW 35: MASTER THE ART OF TIMING LAW 36: DISDAIN THINGS YOU CANNOT HAVE: IGNORING THEM IS THE BEST REVENGE LAW 37: CREATE COMPELLING SPECTACLES LAW 38: THINK AS YOU LIKE BUT BEHAVE LIKE OTHERS LAW 39: STIR UP WATERS TO CATCH FISH LAW 40: DESPISE THE FREE LUNCH LAW 41: AVOID STEPPING INTO A GREAT MAN’S SHOES LAW 42: STRIKE THE SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP WILL SCATTER LAW 43: WORK ON THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF OTHERS LAW 44: DISARM AND INFURIATE WITH THE MIRROR EFFECT LAW 45: PREACH THE NEED FOR CHANGE, BUT NEVER REFORM TOO MUCH AT ONCE LAW 46: NEVER APPEAR TOO PERFECT LAW 47: DO NOT GO PAST THE MARK YOU AIMED FOR; IN VICTORY, LEARN WHEN TO STOP LAW 48: ASSUME FORMLESSNESS

[@yunuscengel5821]

@@olivermerivee8653 legend!! 🤩

[@nemos422s]

I really need to shut my mouth honestly

[@chanuppuluri8726]

nemos422s me too :/

[@RightReverb]

This comment made my day!

[@ingridayarza]

Same. I feel bad lol.

[@saidirey5480]

i accidentally told my friend my goals and i regret it.

[@thedarklrd6714]

nemos422s me too

[@kerbyt2281]

I often see quotes saying stay quiet and let the success make the noise

[@AzariaBell24]

+choppa k thats an awesome quote, really believe in that

[@sarkaskitknight5542]

nice

[@bondymagnomous3544]

I'm stealing this.

[@boptah7489]

The reason you should not talk about your goals is because on a subconscious level you are inviting 'validation' from others. This means you have doubt. And doubt is fear. And this invalidates your power to create what you desire.

[@GarlicGrinder9]

But on the other hand it shows people you're open and is like tip #1 developing relationships with people.

[@oximas]

that's wisdom

[@marianneisafemolde5061]

Love it!

[@anusha6033]

🔥

[@mariekem.4755]

Yes!💯 I am a big believer of not sharing your goals on social media because you make it all about validation/likes etc. For example, going to the gym without posting it and learning to motivate yourself is the only key to success in the long run. I mean people know I go the gym but I always say I want to be stronger mentally when people ask about my goals 😉 but yeah.. I have other goals as well but I keep them for myself 🤐

[@BlaxicanBeautyTV333]

I usually don't tell everyone the full details of my goals. People ask me what I'm majoring in or post college plans, and I say stuff like "Oh, probably something in the fine arts or business or something..." because of the previous negative responses I have gotten before. So I'm keeping all my goals to myself.

[@janethockey9070]

Maryam - Master of Movement Been there too

[@BlaxicanBeautyTV333]

@I'm here It's great to move in silence.

[@Dimasstywan]

i always regret telling my 'friends' what i'm up to sometimes all they do is judge

[@carpy1252]

That's life, it sucks. People are naturally competitive.

[@Dimasstywan]

i'm too young to realised that, it's crazy how being supportive is very expensive these days :)

[@thestrawberryshogun8373]

S Ciprian good luck on your goal man.

[@LORDNAG1]

akadimas those aren't friends dumb was.

[@ninzo3727]

yeah i agree with you, even your closest friends can become envious and will try to hold you back on achieving your goals.. so its good to shut up sometimes.. :)

[@wzupppp]

some people will actually doubt your goals and give negative vibes. Just keep your mouth and show them the end product

[@lavieestbelle3349]

SmirkyRayan, The whole point is to not tell people about your intentions, but sharing your accomplishments is ok. Once you've achieved a goal, you can tell your friends and family about it and celebrate it. I don't see it as depressing video, this is just a strategy.

[@gricius]

that's very true. Imagine you set and announce to everyone a goal to lead a healthy lifestyle and be fit, while your friends are the opposite. What's gonna happen is that people are just going to get jealous because they can't/struggle to do this themselves and many of them will start demotivating you and creating circumstances to deter you from your goal as much as possible. This is not because they have bad purposeful intentions, but simply because there is an inner child inside everyone, which acts unconsciously

[@mrmotivateme5397]

jan jansen couldn't of said it better

[@orla3934]

I know people are the worst sometimes just ignore them and keep going

[@immasoxfanbaby]

Yessssss. Tell them years later over a beer. That u buy for them. Hahahahaha

[@grimreaper5580]

The only time I lost weight was when I started exercising alone without telling anyone. I used to tell people all the time and end up discouraged or unenthusiastic. You wanna do something, do it without announcing it.

[@anusha6033]

yes master!🔥

[@elidvenega3017]

Same for me I lost a lot of weight I never told anyone they people said I was on a diet I never said that and just said it was a lifestyle change

[@elidvenega3017]

Same for me I lost a lot of weight I never told anyone they people said I was on a diet I never said that and just said it was a lifestyle change

[@AvariceOverlord]

I've always been told that the less you reveal about yourself to other people, then the more power you have. Mainly because you have the element of surprise, if/when someone realises that you have a skill or talent in something. Which is obviously waaay better than if they watched you do the same thing over and over again and didn't know how to do it themselves, because that's just boring for anyone. I've learned this the hard way by showing people unfinished projects and then wondering why the impact of my work isn't as effective once it is finished... because people already know what the hell it's going to be.

[@TommyJereiah]

I appreciate this one

[@rawr1248]

I like your explanation. And I agree with it.

[@muhaiminzulkarnain5628]

To me, I don't tell people my goals because then, after some time, people will ask, "So you're still working on X?" or "Hey, have you actually achieve X?" Then it will demotivate me because it's like I'm wasting a lot of time but still have not achieve anything in life. I keep myself quiet and only tell people once I have achieved something. It's better to come out as a surprise to other people then to appear as a slacking failure in front of everyone.

[@LilianALFAROALFARO]

I agree with you

[@blah914]

Muhaimin Zulkarnain yeah, I feel that one. I've repeatedly told people to stop asking, because it fucks up my focus when I constantly have to 'update' people.

[@improfision]

Muhaimin Zulkarnain I am working on a game and the same is happening to ne

[@Head-or-Dead]

Muhaimin Zulkarnain Great comment. This is how I do things now.

[@julherlab7151]

Muhaimin Zulkarnain, that's the same for me.

[@christianewing1113]

You're right, i should take over the world in silence

[@austinhernandez2716]

Christian Ewing you ruined it

[@christianewing1113]

Austin Hernández shhhh:)

[@waldensiansylph4869]

😂 ^ (then again, you just stated your goal 😜)

[@Kerrviii]

Christian Ewing lmao exactly!

[@moorshound3243]

just what I was gonna say.

[@autocrow]

Makes sense. I also think that people will discourage you. Either on purpose or unintentionally by saying something like, "man! I wish I had your skills and motivation. That's great!!! I could never do something as hard as that!!" (Planting tiny seeds of doubt in your mind.)

[@anusha6033]

Now I understand I'm the one stopping myself from achieving my goals😣

[@onesequentglove]

I regret telling people my goals. They suddenly want to do the same thing I do based off of the fact that I'm doing it. And then they act entitled as if its their own thing. Then I seem petty or like the hater if I don't act happy about it. I'm not selfish but the type of people I deal with are.

[@anjugupta25]

Hifi

[@pretendinnocent3548]

Yes

[@funsize9922]

Right like why wait to I try to do something for you to do it 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@recovermylife2976]

Exactly I hate how people that don't like me always wanna steal my ideas

[@harrylongofficial6248]

i was once asked what i was going to do in college in the next year by a substitute college english teacher. i said i was going to music University in bristol. He said no you wont, they wont except someone who's slow at learning like yourself. i then explained i'd already been and auditioned only to get recommened by the university and the descision was pending. He still looked sternly and said something like they'll never accept you, you'll do another year here first before they even consider someone like you. flash foward and im now already on my second year of University and they did except me that year. So dont let anyones negative or 'realistic' opinions/predictions from others make you loose balance. keep fighting for what you want. just because someone is a teacher or older doesnt mean that what they speak is right. Also great video man!

[@davidjames8814]

way to go man!! :)

[@Imsocool4321]

wow that teacher was a dick

[@alleygh0st]

*accept

[@coolmasterx5707]

the decision was not up to you but the university. you already did the work unlike most ppl who say they want to do something before doing anything.

[@ViolettaVie]

Good for you! I'm glad you're getting to do what you want. 😀

[@armartin0003]

Politicians are so screwed by this.

[@Mario7p]

Lol. Nice one.

[@sagi.f1]

Rofl!! nice catch😂

[@jemuel2315]

"I'm gonna build a wall. the greatest wall you've ever seen. And who's gonna pay for it? Mexico!"

[@dianabrigidafrasiloaia2449]

The Wall! To stop the white walkers for coming trough

[@vidyawitch]

Oh yeah!! :) But do they ever share their true goals?

[@ArattaTube]

"The more you talk about it, the less you do about it."

[@davidlopez-rl4sh]

wrong

[@Cabdirxamaan_Garanwaa252]

very true

[@lightening791]

Yikes

[@ImOutsideTheBox]

you should never tell anyone about your goals because you will get caught monologuing. keep your evil plans super secret guys.

[@anusha6033]

yo :^)

[@Sheeshening]

I thoroughly expected some comment like: "just like you feel better for watching this video, without getting any closer to your goal right now."

[@markb.8460]

:)

[@TheRisingDzn]

finally someone acknowledging this :D

[@7Earthsky]

''It's not who i am underneath but what i do that defines me'' ~ Batman.

[@7Earthsky]

***** Yeh i read all of that...and so have other people ....Honest.

[@7Earthsky]

***** Yeh people did that too...Sure.

[@SkipleReloading]

+Gavin Mai you had to didnt you lol

[@debangsubanerjee2155]

This is true..I've tried it.. It's like when you keep your goals unannounced..It builds a pressure which fuels.. That's what happened for me.. Cheers Tom..

[@anusha6033]

Ikr I experienced it but just for 2 days then I couldn't control spitting it out and it ended a failure:(

[@ashleyhawkins1993]

I've had to learn this too, I would tell ppl my goals and they would shoot it down. So I had to learn to do it not say it

[@stevesperry3008]

Ashley, I can relate. Not saying anything is way better then having someone piss on your goals. We should both have the goal of finding more supportive people in our lives, but don't tell anyone this, just do it!

[@ashleyhawkins1993]

Steve Sperry lol true

[@austinhernandez2716]

ashley hawkins The only people that know my huge goals are my family. They strongly motivate and encourage me(especially my mom).

[@zedanmutlu100]

"J cole"

[@ashleyhawkins1993]

I'm telling no one

[@Sloth7d]

I'm going to be a Pokemon master! *Twenty years later, still using Pikachu*

[@CaptainSoftboy501]

XD

[@markx7139]

+Sloth7d lol

[@groose1918]

+Sloth7d And still 10 years old. Don't forget that.

[@rickl9437]

+Sloth7d de-evolves to pichu lmao

[@nikunjmajithia1113]

+Sloth7d fyi pikachu is the best pokemon so get rekt 360 no scoped

[@Thomasfrank]

Now the real question is: Can I use this to my advantage? BRB, telling all my friends that my goal is to constantly eat pizza and procrastinate on all my work

[@myloujoores2724]

that's clever lol, thanks for the great video!

[@jibreelahmed6503]

Lol it's an advantage to me aswell

[@SpiritsofCreativity]

I think that's like saying my goal is to be 6feet tall (my height) it's already achieved and it didn't require me to do anything! :b

[@TheQsanity]

Oops, this is kinda long, feel free to respond to just a part of it: Hey, Tom. I remember hearing this from my communication professor. He did site who he got it from, I wonder if it's the same guy you sited.. I'm too lazy to grab my notes, but he also mentioned that your friends giving you crap for not doing what you promised could discourage you. I wonder if this feature (or phenomenon) is common among all people or a certain majority. I mean, I see a good amount of people who bank their success on the image of their accomplishments or greatness. I mean, more opportunities may arise for those who can speak about their goals (possibly because by conveying goals, they'd be seen as more motivated and competent) and some may be more motivated to accomplish goals if it were to maintain their bolstered image of success. I guess I'm wondering if humility or pride leads to greatness. Change of topic: I recently took a Myers-Briggs personality test online. I'm equally intrigued and bothered by my results (INTP T). Do you happen to have a video regarding personality tests? Specifically, of it's benefits and detriments? I would think the detriments include being prone to confirmation bias (regarding traits) and creation of mental boundaries (within the "predictions"). The benefits would be understanding career goals and interpersonal roles, strength and weaknesses.

[@vvhambr2328]

+Thomas Frank Please fix the audio quality. Painful to listen!

[@KavitaRaju]

I've learned to keep my goals to myself after experiencing tremendous competition and envy from friends who say "that's wonderful" and then copy what I plan to create.

[@jimdaniel4412]

Yep shoplift your identity, the parts to create the attraction you acquire...is sad to watch adults still have identity issues

[@MagicalFishy]

So I take it Luffy won't become king of the pirates? :-(

[@NarutoUzumaki-dy1wu]

MagicalFishy HAHAHA I'M DEAD

[@ari_jm]

Loooooool

[@andrecarter2358]

And Ash will never be a Pokemon master, then again Naruto became Hokage.

[@wafrikano]

Andre Carter exactly, anime has taught us that you should tell the whole world your goal and scream it out at the top of your lungs whenever that chance to arises. But this is reality and most people aren't as motivated as fictional characters lol

[@sweetprincess2990]

U idiot he is hella committed

[@AskPolymathGeddy]

This video is spot-on. How many people get so much gratification from announcing their goals that they act like they already achieved them and therefore do nothing?

[@codyh9408]

Ask Polymath Geddy me, it's so true

[@bimplizkit2044]

me in a nutshell indeed lol

[@RanjithVj404]

So true! I've been there a 1000 times

[@anusha6033]

Been there mate!! Trying to get rid of it🥴

[@stevegwizzle3560]

Exactly why I just keep quiet, do my own thang, in my own little world. If people don't know, they don't care, they can't judge, they can't opinion or anything.

[@gergthebarbarian1003]

I have a fortune cookie fortune taped under my monitor that reads “ Well done is better than well said.”

[@Popopatop]

i told my friend my goals and now she's trying to steal my life lol

[@sohailalexander4681]

How?

[@kvvlavanya7226]

Omg same 😭

[@DarkLordAli95]

not only write down your goals, but also try to go over them twice or three times a day, and take a few minutes to think about them. Overtime, this should help to keep your brain on track, and work to achieve them. Source: personal experience.

[@stevepolychronopolous6093]

I don't ever tell people my goals simply for the fact that when I do, it jinxes them.

[@BIGGELATO]

What sucks is everytime i get super pumped about something and have clarity, goals, ready to conquer and take all sorts of risks; i would tell close ones what i want to do and even though they show 'passive' excitement, i would go back on my computer and feel this heavy feeling as if i just deflated all my energy out, as if what got me pump like helium got leaked out and now I'm back to ground zero. This is why i decided to never tell a soul anything i do or want to do, and let achievements speak for themselves. it feels like a false feeling of achievement...

[@kaleidojess]

In my experience telling people your goals hardly ever really helps. I've always been successful when I keep my goals to myself and only unleash them once the goal is already achieved.

[@VivekTheOriginator]

my dad always told me to write down my goals in a notebook before I went to sleep and I did and now I'm doing exactly what I wrote in it

[@KhavandMaharaj]

That's great. I think it's worth giving a shot. I'll try it

[@AzariaBell24]

+Vivek Kaushal congrats dude, thats awesome

[@ArsyadKamili]

Why am I reading this with Forrest Gump's voice and accent?

[@Someone-jf1ei]

Vivek Kaushal what a great advice what a great dad ^^

[@anusha6033]

@@KhavandMaharaj shhhh don't say it loud!! 😂

[@MrCuk97]

The level of knowledge i acquired since i subscribed to you is astonishing. You are a motivation person, not only do you teach us how to study, but you show us how to focus on it, to set goals. I am taking my imaginary hat of my head, and thanking you.

[@didar6588]

best profile pic dude^^

[@jls0037cslewis1]

Usually people will try to sabotage you from accomplishing your goal

[@irimiar]

Yes , indeed.

[@helenamoniqueclarke8135]

And then there's the very real possibility that you have enemies who would love to sabotage those goals in any case...

[@amythanina8986]

in in some parts of the world it could attract "evil eye" :D

[@ViolettaVie]

Amy Thanina, that's what I learned the evil eye means. I was advised to keep my plans to myself if I wanted things to go well.

[@Cache-Money-Sectors]

I think the fact that Naruto became hokage completely disproves this video.

[@xgiselle-xf6kb]

lmao u right

[@ryeofoatmeal]

Cache-Money-Sectors hahahahah cant stop laughing on this 😂

[@mortvald]

I don't "believe it"

[@sikijackson1831]

w8 to see what hapens with luffy tho

[@arthurmallmann5768]

If he just hadn't said that, he would be Hokage way sooner. Maby replacing that bizzare multiple-sharingan man :)

[@RamiroLeiva]

holy shit no wonder I'm a failure I'm always announcing my goals.

[@RamiroLeiva]

Everyone asks me what the fuck am I doing or what I have planned. So I tell them they say "how long you been doing it" I say about a week and then I drop it. But then they steal my idea and quietly do what I said I would do.

[@Agent1W]

+Ramiro Leiva Just do the things you do and your actions will announce themselves.

[@RamiroLeiva]

Yep it does lol

[@TheTricky411]

Oh no should have never said it

[@ShoutsWillEcho1]

U FUCKIN FAILURE!

[@fiona1407]

Yeah don't tell people your goals go and do it, half the time some people don't want to see you win in life anyways.

[@whoisfiel]

For me it's because once someone else knows about my goals or ambitions, I'd feel like I'll need to meet their expectations. But when I'm the only one. I can work on my own pace. "Be like a duck. Be calm and serene on the surface but paddle like hell underwater."

[@jonnykahle525]

You are talking pure gold. Worst people are those who sabotage you everytime because they want you to tell them you'r goals otherwise they will be mad. Damn motivation thiefs, i feel it al the time.

[@Thomasfrank]

Some additional thoughts and responses to questions I've been getting! - "Does this mean you should always be secretive about your goals, and refuse to ever tell anyone even if they ask about them?" My friend Martin had a great response to this: "If people ask me, I just try to remain humble about the goal instead of painting it as this big, grand thing." I think the way you frame the goal is very important. You don't have to make a big point of being secret about your goals; just be humble about them if asked. - "Doesn't this conflict with your Impossible List?" This was an immediate thought of mine when I was reading the research. While my Impossible List is a way of announcing my goals in public, I do think it's a bit different. The biggest difference is that I'm not having an in-person interaction with someone where I tell them my goal and get a positive response. Instead, I'm taking the list of goals I've written down for myself and simply making it public. Because the entire point of the Impossible List is to constantly be crossing things off the list and iterating by adding more difficult/ambitious subgoals, I found it motivating to make the list public. I feel accountable to my audience by doing it. There are several goals on the list that are crossed off *because* I knew they were public, and I was incredibly excited to finally cross them off. To me, the Impossible List is less an announcement of the things I *will* do, and more a record of the things I *have* done and a commitment to do more. One improvement I've wanted to make to the Impossible List concept for a while would be a specific page for each goal that lists out the steps I need to take along with time frame commitments. This is something my friend Matt is doing with his project Money Lab right now; he publicly commits to a challenge, and then updates that challenge's blog post daily with his progress/victories/setbacks. I think I should probably take this approach with my next big project. That being said, perhaps a private goal list would be more effective than a public one! I'm honestly not sure; it'd be cool to see research done on it. The research in this video specifically looked at the announcement of goals in-person, to people in the same room. For now, my chosen strategy will be to keep my goals on my Impossible List, to keep quiet/humble about them in my in-person interactions, and to seek out accountability partners who I trust to hold my feet to the fire. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts :)

[@hotface17]

Well said

[@AnshumanKumar007]

So do parents count?

[@FrodeOsen]

The idea of remaining humble instead of painting the goal as a "big, grand thing" resonnated well with me, and I'll definitely use it. Thank you for providing these extra answers, Thomas! :)

[@marcio_souza007]

You shouldn´t tell your parents ESPECIALLY.

[@redvanderbilt289]

Can I tell my goal to my mastermind group? There are only 2 people in it.

[@santakivleniece8711]

What if I did that already? Actually, for about week ago I told my closest ones about my vision make business.. and they really acepted my "big" idea, I heard really great comments from them (that was surprising, because I did't expect that) and now.. this week I haven't done anything.. like NOTHING. All this week I was sitting and watching KZbin videos and haven't done anything! Actually, I'm glad, that I found this video, because now I know the real reason of my lazyness. And, yes, needless to say, that before I told everyone about my goals, every day, from morning to evening I was doing a lot of researches about prices, documentation, etc. I'm still little bit stuck in my lazy mood, but I think that get out will be so much easier when real reason is known. So, Thomas thank you for a video! :)

[@remotegod255]

So true. I can't add much to this. Keep your goals private. Let your work speak for itself.

[@tlh1981]

What if my goal is to tell everyone my goal?

[@jeffc5974]

Then you just did.

[@36424567254]

you wanted to make a joke, but that's actually the point of this research, imo. Our mind associates actually accomplishing the goal with the moment we tell our friends we accomplished the goal, and thus telling them earlier than we should confuses it by giving us much of the satisfaction it expects from the accomplishment. So, in a way, our mind does indeed believe that our goal is telling everyone our goal.

[@austinhernandez2716]

tlh1981 well you just accomplished it. Move on.

[@kavishsingh960]

+Vision logic :)

[@Bullzeye211]

tlh1981 classic conditioning Fraued

[@ArAlsulaiti]

Growing up around people who are usually negative, or just don't have high hopes for me, I got accustomed to keeping my goals to myself. The more I tell people what I want to do, the more they try to drag me down. I guess I just got used to showing them what I achieved after I achieve it instead of telling them what I want to achieve. Works better for me personally and adds the element of surprise too :D

[@maximus9402]

There's so much comfort in finding that all these papers I have stacked mean something. That there are other people out there striving to improve in every way. Thanks for this video. Instant sub, I will check out the rest of the videos whenever I get some time.

[@hackeronte7970]

In the esoteric world keeping a goal for yourself simply means holding "that energy" in you without letting it go outside. That's why you feel you can achieve better results than if you just told everybody about it. You just have more energy inside.

[@FlOwGeTiCsPoEtRy]

I like this bruh.

[@davidlopez-rl4sh]

i agree but things can still work if you do. there is more than one way to skin a pig

[@IronFist2508]

@@davidlopez-rl4sh you think -so bro? im scared, i told my family my dreams of being a poker player but they dont belive in me

[@goduxunike]

Totally agree. A friend told me this 6 years ago and nowadays I avoid it as much as I can, so much that people think that I don't have any goals and therefore, I lack interest in anything. Nowadays, people only know about my achievements when they're done, if possible. Yes, it feels good to tell people about what you want to achieve and do in life, as if you've already done it. But the shame when/if they asked about later it and being aware that it was something I failed feels so bad.... I don't want to be known as the girl who only talks and never achieves anything.

[@you2449]

I also wouldn't want to be known as the girl who only talks, but doesn't achieve... Maybe cause I'm a dude.

[@Ocinematique]

I agree with you: It can make people think that I lack interest. However, now that I look back, I think I was very extreme by hiding my goals, kinda paranoid. Now I am starting to tell my goals again but only to people that I trust and that I know that are able to help me somehow (with their intelligence or constructive critics to my project).

[@DontYouSay]

A few months ago I told to a lot of people that I would find a job, and felt so good pronouncing those words... It's almost 2017 and I still need a job. '-'

[@dalesyp01]

Everytime I try to quit smoking I announce it to everyone, then start smoking again within a week. Also I've been looking for a job for well over a year, I feel for you dude. Life is shiiiiit :)

[@johna3072]

Jønathan Silva lol

[@OriginalTheElsonMr]

Jønathan Silva Funny same for me...

[@anusha6033]

:'(:'(:'(

[@NickMichalak]

I ABSOLUTELY subscribe to this train of thought. I do find that if I go on social media and just announce whatever creative thing I'm working on before it's really gone anywhere, it tends to dissolve fairly quickly. If I keep it pent up inside me, let it simmer in my mind, not letting that excited OUT, I can use that to fuel finishing said project.

[@amralimedicine]

So true,... Until at least u achieve it. Envy is real. We have a saying: " keep your candle a way to light". No shame after success to brag.

[@dalesyp01]

What black magic is this?! I only just randomly came across this video, found it spookily relevant to my current situation, and then noticed it was uploaded on my birthday.

[@luticia]

Talking w my own experience, this man is right.

[@sentient.ball.of.stardust]

Thank you for confirming something i've instinctively known my whole life but never put it into words. I believe this also applies to visualise your success, as by imagining it you get the sense of accomplishment thus you're less likely to put real effort into it. As a day-dreamer, this has affected me all through my life and even now it's hard to combat.

[@HighestRank]

Luna Sedai you won’t get many nods from the many people without the lucid imaginations, like the kind you describe.

[@chrisginoc]

Respect brother. I've had some great mentors in my life and never heard this before. I know that goal writing is important, but I always thought I was missing a piece of the puzzle by not sharing them with someone. Good info. I've tried sharing them with about 8 good friends and none of them have followed through. They are usually all about it at first and excited then start coming up with excuses as to why they can't continue meeting or forget about the accountability thing. What I am trying to say is that it's very rare and hard to find like minded and goal oriented people.... I guess that's why the 1% remains ths smaller part of our society. Otherwise, everyone would be rich.

[@annavk7672]

I definitely agree with this. A few years ago, I told my friends that I was going to do this one thing (long term goal) and on the first day, I got some encouragements and compliments. But by the end of the week, that goal had completely left my mind, and oddly enough I felt satisfied though I'd made no progress. I didn't know the psychology behind it then, but I realized after a while that I did much better when I kept my goals to myself. I also really hated it when people complimented me. I didn't know why, thinking it was a little odd, as people are usually thrilled to get compliments, but now I figure it's because people tend to compliment me on unfinished goals, like (random example) "You're so good at Spanish!" when I've only been studying for a few months and can construct no more than basic phrases. Maybe that ties into the goal thing, or maybe not. In any case, I prefer secrecy when it comes to aspirations.

[@Pixelynx]

I have always believed something like this. Makes it hard when you have family members constantly asking you what your plans are, thought. -_- Though...Probably makes it worse when those people are negative individuals that always seem to be _trying_ to bring you down...

[@mikemansour4634]

Thomas I can never thank you enough you save me tons of time researching about productivity stuff and you share it here on the channel keep up the good work

[@catchingmotivation2944]

Real talk. 100% agree. When I was younger and had a goal, I didn't really have anyone to talk about it to and didn't want to talk about it. I accomplished so much more then. After the big trend of announcing your goal publicly came around - I tried that and every time failed and it was definitely because of the motivation dropping to zero after announcing it. No matter whether you keep your goals to yourself or not - being aware of this is a huge advantage. Know that when you share it, you're going to feel less enthused. Recommit and go go go!

[@DonJuanRicoSuave]

through my life I have always felt a greater fire within me if I kept my goals to myself. Its been exactly as you state...if I speak on my goals then its like I'm drowning that flame with buckets of water.

[@chrisreidentertainment2440]

Vegan Beef And plus they will be disappointed if you decide to abandon a particular goal.

[@anusha6033]

Loved your comment:-)

[@dockeryz]

I've been preaching this concept for years. Don't tell people your plans for accomplishment. Like, I quit smoking easily without even having told everyone I know about it. There was no peer pressure that way and it was purely just me quitting smoking. When I was confident that I had completely quit, then I told everyone that I had quit.

[@puseletsomalike2377]

I just love how you think Thomas!!! The best part is I actually do try most of the things you post about and they ACTUALLY WORK!! kings to you!!

[@LuckyStarr22]

My grandmother always said "Don't talk away your blessings" meaning stop telling "others" your goals and it's very true.We live in a very fast pace world so the first thing we do when we want to achieve something is seek approval by Announcing it on social media & watch your "followers" come and laugh, cry, & love your failed missions. 😂 😢 ❤

[@zachcam1918]

The problem is not telling people, but who you tell.

[@TommyJereiah]

I agree. Real friends want to see you win

[@alien-hs1zn]

Nah most people in general are going to put doubt in you it best to tell them after you accomplish it

[@angelflora8468]

@@alien-hs1zn agree

[@zerrinay5163]

This is so true---at least for me. Whenever I tell people what I am going to do, it never gets done. On the other hand, if I just start doing it without telling others, it gets done and I don't feel stressed.

[@sf5823]

I totally agree with this! Keep your goals and dreams to yourself until you've achieved it!

[@j-xl6258]

This makes complete sense. Im glad I cut the people closest to me out of my goals. All they do is judge or put you down.

[@JCATG]

I honestly agree with this so much.

[@robsonalexandre602]

my Goal is understand 100% what you are saying, i am Brazilian!

[@yanefatima1818]

ele fala muito rápido kkkkkk

[@robsonalexandre602]

Yane Fatima sim, na verdade eu entendo o que ele fala, o meu Goal mesmo é reproduzir é falar um inglês de maneira semelhante a dele;)

[@campelady4576]

robson, o negócio é simplesmente ouvir muito e tentar conversar com alguém o máximo possível :) Mas o mais importante é: não fique tentando falar com essa fluência DURANTE uma conversa. Simplesmente fale, fale fale, do jeito que conseguir, mesmo que seja cheio de sotaque e com certa dificuldade. A prática vai te fazendo perder medo até que se torna algo natural :) Espero que o meu comentário tenha servido de alguma coisa hahaha xD Grande abraço, continue na prática ;)

[@molinzinho]

Ele e alguns outros youtubers disponibilizam legendas em inglês que ajudam muito a desenvolver o ouvido na minha opinião, sempre q vc perder algo lê na legenda, jaja vc ta entendendo tudo. Abraços. Edit: Não é a gerada automaticamente. É a legenda feita mesmo.

[@robsonalexandre602]

Lucas Molin Valeu Lucas, na verdade eu estudo mesmo é pelo site ororo.tv, eu meio que cai de para quedas nesse vídeo.

[@oscarfernandez2437]

I had a kind of feeling to this. Every since I tell something I'm gonna do went worse than the things I shut my mouth up and doing it. Now I'm totally convinced that it's not a good idea to tell your goals. Thanks for your video!

[@BrokenSymetry]

That's a solid, straight to the point piece of advice: write down your goals, resist talking about them (too much). Short, concise and effective, here's a thumb up!

[@jonatanguitar]

Great concept. For me it worked big time when I realized that it's way better to tell people about what you have already done, than it is to tell them what you will do. Like any other person I have ideas/dreams/goals and I play them around in my head but I choose not to put them out there in public until I've actually gotten there. It's just like telling a joke, it's much funnier to say "there's this man who walks into a bar and orders a pizza" than it would be to say "there's this man who might sometime in the future enter a bar and then if we're lucky he might order a pizza". That's not very funny at all, and it doesn't add up much in an arguement either.

[@Synth2000]

Absolutely right - that's the way to go.

[@ConciousConstruct]

Great video. I knew that fantasizing about what it would be like to achieve your goal was detrimental, but it makes sense that telling people is also detrimental. The advice about framing goals into small actionable steps is great since those are the things we least like doing, but are most important to achieve our goal.

[@JayDee5290]

This is pretty eye opening actually. More true than I expected (or wanted) it to be after reflecting on my own life. Thank you for this video, it allowed me to take a different perspective on my actions.

[@krittikapaul355]

I totally agree with the part, where he said "Your mind mistakes talking for doing." I think we, after reaching the milestone of laying out our goals, get so tempted to tell everyone about them ,and them appreciating us even before we do it makes us feel...fulfilled.

[@angreeee]

i also noticed that. Also it seems better to withhold information about progress that you are doing. As soon as I tell about my progress on something to the person I want to impress, I lose a chunk of my motivation, since potentially impressing that X was part of what motivated me.

[@you2449]

Also telling people your goal is likely to cause their doubt to rub off on you. I've found it's only helpful to tell the one person who both believes in you and wants to keep you accountable. And even then, you don't have to share every little detail.

[@binmattshorts]

I feel constant regret of telling my goals and aspirations to people, and especially dealing with the intention behaviour gap, of actually doing things. Thanks it helped me a lot.

[@DoctorComedy365]

If your acutely want to meet your goal it shouldn't matter who you tell you'll work hard either way

[@ozzyfromspace]

yeah, it shouldn't. but it does.

[@angelstarfire]

Flowered Sentiments yea

[@kdfooaijfea3asdf]

Whether you tell someone your goal is completely irrelevant and honestly I wouldn't waste time even thinking about it. I always tell people about my goals when they ask, and I almost always reach my goals. Before I tell or not tell, I had already made up my mind to do it. External forces become unimportant.

[@chanceussery4090]

Don't tell others your goals because they will work extra hard to make them not happen.

[@777BTC]

Love your videos man. Precise nd packed with information

[@Fengtos]

I fully agree and it's been a real eye opener. I would also like to add that the goal of running a marathon is usually to big for most people and they would give up. Breaking a goal down into smaller parts makes it much easier to achieve.

[@WolfyGreen]

There is a very old story that goes like this: "I'm writing a novel!" - "Neither am I......."

[@loganstone8205]

I'm guilty of this. Thanks for the advice!

[@ContinualImprovement]

The title of this video confused me a bit, but your explanation was great and actually made a lot of sense. Good work and keep making great content :)

[@KeriKavali]

wow. i literally needed to watch this. you spoke life to me. i wish i would have watched this BEFORE i told the world about my ebook that i'm writing. I gave a date on when it would be out .............and I'm THREE MONTHS behind schedule. WHY? Because I RANDOMLY lost motivation to finish it. Ugh, I despise saying that but this is true. And now it makes sense, the SOCIAL APPROVAL gave me a sense of FALSE ACCOMPLISHMENT. Ew. I'm totally embarrassed, but since this is my first ebook ....better to learn now rather than later. These are the mistakes we have to make in order to do better. Thank you, thank you, thank youuuuuu for this!

[@96Wadooha]

Amazing video! Helpful as always! Btw, It reminded me by a quote of the prophet Mohammad "peace be upon him" when he said : استعينوا على قضاء حوائجكم بالكتمان , which means: "keeping your goals as a personal secret (not telling others) will help you in achieving them" ! It's amazing how he gave this wise advice in more than 1400 years ago!

[@manelumi3985]

true ☺️

[@shruthibaskar1647]

that's amazing!

[@Shivoox]

Yeah, that quote came right into my mind as soon as I saw the video title... pretty amazing.

[@PrimiusLovin]

It shouldn't be this way, there's nothing wrong in telling your goals and then not reaching them, especially if your goals don't depend solely on your ambition. For example, I once wanted to be an airline pilot, that was my dream. The national airline carrier, TAP, told me I needed to finish my secondary studies to have a chance, and that's what I did. I finished secondary school as the best student! Then I even made a 300km to deliver my CV and motivation letter personally when I could have just sent a letter or mail but in the end they told me I needed to send my application by courier! That's what I did too, but in the end they didn't even gave me an answer: no no, no yes, no maybe, nothing! Some people are just like that, they enjoy destroying or denying someone else's goals/dreams. I mean, what was I supposed to do, enter the place, break everything and force them to offer me a job as an airline pilot? Beg them?! No way!! If I'm not an airline pilot for TAP that's because they didn't want me there back then! What this taught me is that some companies just aren't a good place to work in the first place, they'll probably just use some silly test to see your true motivation when the son's of the current workers get a job in the company without any problem, no test, and no formal application whatsoever, you just need to know the right people inside. Unfortunately that's the way some companies work.

[@homeschoolsquad7431]

I heard this at Ted and it is very true. Set goals, strive for the milestones and share positive vibes as you make it closer to your new reality.

[@MarkCensky]

In my experience, there seems to be a difference between telling your goals to the general public, and confiding in someone some of the hurdles you are facing in achieving a goal. I like the video explaining about breaking goals into small, doable chunks.

[@chaostoorder8736]

I can't believe I just found this channel. Very well put together, thought out and articulated. I just uploaded a video where I DO write down my goals and in a way tell someone about them (you). I would argue, however, in my case this video's message does not apply. Thomas Frank argued that when you tell people your goal you fool your brain into thinking you actually took a step closer to your goal without doing so. Correct in most cases, but in mine I want to bring daily content to the platform for an entire year. Telling you about my goal is a direct step to fulfilling that goal. You, sir, have earned my sub and bell :)

[@Thomasfrank]

Thanks! And I agree with you - this is a nuanced issue. As some people have brought up, there are certain people out there (like Connor McGregor) who can boast about their goals and then go and achieve them without a problem. However, we don't see all the aspects of McGregor's life - I'm certain he has people around him who keep him accountable to those goals (coaches, trainers, etc). For the rest of us, accountability is key. If we tell others about a goal in a way that creates true accountability, the effect is the opposite. We're more motivated to achieve it. My aim with this video was to discourage people from simply boasting about their goals to people who will only give them positive feedback and congratulations, instead of holding their feet to the fire and checking in later on.

[@chaostoorder8736]

Yes, Thomas, it is a nuanced issue. It is very hard to treat nuance with the respect it deserves, I struggle with it myself and I am very aware of it. It seems that the more you say things like "however" and "on the other hand" the less people want to pay attention. In the extreme you will continue to talk further and further from the original point. In that way, I understand why you conveyed this message the way you did. It has a focused thesis and wraps up nicely in the end (the hallmark of an experienced story teller).

[@Nathan-bj6mr]

I too am interested in seeing your sources for your video if you don't mind.

[@JohnnysCoolStuff]

What's more rewarding : tell everyone you're going to learn to play the guitar, or just whip it out one day and play the hell out of it?

[@ConestogaCreek]

You totally validated me, I have been saying this for years. Talk is cheap; only action gets results.

[@alanl.4252]

I had a goal I told myself that I would draw something a friend of mine recommended I do a couple of months ago. I drew what they recommended without telling them and felt proud of myself after seeing the finished results, but when I showed them the piece they didn't react to it like I hoped and basically killed the sense of accomplishment I felt inside lol. But everything you said in the video is so true.