EVERYONE HAS DREAMS and goals, and the rise of the self-made entrepreneur. I am a big believer in pursuing your goals. But what do the statistics say about how many people actually achieve their dreams? How many people even set goals? And how many fail, never making their dreams come true?
What Percentage of People Achieve Their Goals?
Do you feel like everyone has big plans for their future? The truth is, the majority of people don’t even set goals, and even fewer stick to them. Only 20% of people set goals for themselves, meaning 80% don’t. What’s more unfortunate is that out of the 20% who do set goals, only about 30% succeed. This means only a third of goal-setters achieve their goals, which translates to just 6% of all people. However, setting goals is a powerful tool for improving your life: people who set goals are 10 times more likely to succeed.
Writing Down Goals: What Percentage of Goals Are Achieved When Written Down?
Not all goals are created equal. Simply telling yourself you want to become a therapist isn’t enough. Writing your goal down is where things start to happen. Planning well is key to reaching your goals. Yet, most people don’t do this. Less than 3% of Brits write down their goals, and less than 1% work on their goals daily by reviewing and, if necessary, rewriting them.
A study we conducted showed that people who write down their goals are more likely to achieve them. In fact, you are 42% more likely to reach your goals if you write them down. In our study, 61% of written-down goals were achieved. Taking extra action, such as sharing your goals with a friend, increases this number. Additionally, in 90% of studies, setting specific and challenging goals led to significantly better results. This makes sense, as it’s hard to take action on vague goals or those set on a whim.
What Percentage of People Meet Their New Year’s Resolutions?
New Year’s resolutions are a common way people set goals, but most either don’t take them seriously or give up quickly. Only 8% of people who set New Year’s resolutions actually achieve them, meaning 92% fail. In fact, 62% of people abandon their resolutions within a month. This is why New Year’s resolutions often have a bad reputation. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Setting the right, achievable goals can significantly increase your chances of success.
Sharing Goals: Does Sharing Your Goals Increase Your Chances?
As mentioned earlier, writing down your goals increases your likelihood of achieving them. While 43% of people who simply think about their goals reach them, writing them down increases this to 61%. In our study, people who wrote down their goals, formulated action commitments, and shared their goals with friends had a 64% chance of success. This shows that sharing your goals helps, especially when combined with other techniques like creating detailed plans.
One group in the study performed exceptionally well: those who wrote down their goals, formulated action commitments, and sent weekly progress reports to friends achieved 76% of their goals. This highlights the power of accountability and consistent effort.
Visualising Goals: Does Visualising Help You Achieve Them?
Yes, it does! According to a survey, visualising your goals and keeping images or vision boards handy makes you twice as confident about achieving them. Only 31% of those who don’t visualise their goals feel confident, compared to 59% of those who do. People who visualise their financial goals are also less likely to feel anxious about budgeting (16% vs. 29%) and feel more accomplished overall (73% vs. 50%).
What Percentage of People Fail to Achieve Their Goals?
Despite the benefits of writing down, sharing, and visualising goals, 70% of people still fail to achieve their goals. This doesn’t mean you should feel discouraged or think pursuing your dreams is naïve. Success requires a solid, actionable plan and consistent effort. The harder you work, the higher your chances of success.
What Are the Most Common Goals?
Many people share similar goals, often revolving around finances and health. Some of the most common goals in the UK include getting out of debt (35%) and becoming more organised (34%). New Year’s resolutions provide a clear indicator of common goals. For example, plans for 2025 included:
- Improving physical health (50%)
- Saving more money (49%)
- Learning a new skill (32%)
- Spending more time with family (28%)
These statistics show that while many people aspire to improve their lives, only a small percentage take the necessary steps to turn their dreams into reality. By setting specific, written goals, sharing them with others, and visualising success, you can significantly increase your chances of joining the minority who achieve their goals.
