Whether it be work or play, most of us set goals that we want to achieve in life.  The idea that you should make your goals public knowledge has become almost sacrasanct.  The thinking goes that if you make your goals public then you are more likely to achieve them as you have other people to police you in your endeavours.  You become accountable to your confidents and are thus more committed to the task.

In addition people generally like to be consistent, so if they say they'll do something then they like to follow that through and be true to their word.  It's good for our self image.

All of which is great in theory, but does it work in practice?  Research suggests it isn't so straight forward as all that, with the suggestion that rather than helping our goals, sharing our ambitions with others can hinder rather than help.

Three experiments were conducted linking public declerations with the outcome of our attempts.  The study found that when we shared our goals with others it actually lessened our commitment rather than increasing it.  For instance if they stated to friends that they wished to get good grades, they actually studied less than if they kept their aims to themselves.

The researchers suggest that this happens because the act of sharing our goal with others creates the illusion that we are well on the way already.  Research has shown that public declerations give us a false sense of progress.  We literally think we're further along than we are.

So the next time you read this widespread advice about publicly committing to a personal goal, ignore it. Not only does it not work, it may well harm your chances of successfully reaching your goal. If you're really committed to them, it's probably better to keep your goals private.