22+ Goal Setting Statistics You Should Know in 2024 (Facts and Studies)

1. People who write their goals are 20% more likely to achieve success.

The simple act of writing down your goals makes you significantly more likely to achieve them. This is because the process of putting your goals into words forces you to clarify your thoughts and better understand what you want to achieve.

2. Goals that are written down increase the chances of achieving them by 42%.

Seeing the specific goals written down in front of you serves as a constant reminder of what you are working towards, keeping you motivated and on track.

3. 13% of all people have some form of goals written, but there is no plan on how to execute them.

Having a written goal is often the first step to achieving it, but without a plan, it reduces the chances of success exponentially.

When individuals fail to take the time to develop a plan to reach their goals, it is difficult to track progress and make necessary adjustments along the way.

Having a plan on the step an individual needs to take in achieving their goal provides a roadmap for action and increases the clarity on what is required to be done to achieve success.

4. 3% of people have written goals with a plan on how to execute them.

With a plan written down, it helps the individual to provide a sense of structure and direction, which can be motivating and help to keep people on track.

A written goal with a plan helps people to better visualize their progress and feel more motivated to continue working towards their goals.

5. 3% of people who have a written goal with a concrete plan are 10 times more likely to achieve success than those who are not.

Individuals who establish written goals and create a comprehensive plan to achieve those objectives tend to be significantly more successful than the 97% of those who do not.

Individuals who take the time to set goals and develop a plan are

• Shows more commitment to achieving what they want, by creating a plan around their goal.
• Have a clear objective in what they want to achieve by writing down their goal.
• Having a written plan allows individuals to track their progress and make necessary adjustments along the way.

6. 45% of people don’t track their goals

45% of people don’t track their goals, and for the 55% of those who does, 27% use a written diary or journal, 19% use a digital app or tool, and the rest 9% rely on regular reflections to stay on track.

9. 84% of all people do not set any goals.

Although goal setting is important, a study conducted by Harvard Business School shows that 84% of all people do not set any goals, which explains why most people are average and only a small percentage are considered high achievers.

10. People are 90% more likely to reach their goals and objectives if it is both relevant and reasonably challenging.

People are more likely to reach their goals if it is relevant and reasonably challenging. This is because if a goal is too easy, people may become complacent and not push themselves.

On the other hand, if a goal is too difficult, people may become discouraged and give up.

Therefore, it is important to find a balance between the two.

13. People who follow a set scheduled action in commitment to the goal are 76% more likely to succeed in their goals.

A higher rate of achieving goals for people who have set a scheduled action because they have the plan to follow. Having a plan helps them to be less likely to get sidetracked or forget what they are supposed to be doing.

Setting a schedule means making a consistent effort to stick to their goals, and setting time available beforehand for them to work towards their goal.

14. Presenting weekly progress reports to a supportive audience increases your success to achieve your goal by 40%.

A study by the Journal of Applied Psychology shows, that presenting weekly progress reports to a supportive audience helps to hold the individual accountable and provides motivation to continue working towards the goal.

Furthermore, presenting a progress report is a way of receiving feedback from others which can help the individual identify areas of improvement.

15. 25% of all New Year’s Resolutions will be given up within a week.

New year resolutions are often broken because they are unrealistic or unattainable. People set resolutions that are too high, and when they don’t meet them, they give up.

These New Year’s Resolutions also tend to be vague, so it’s hard to know when you’ve actually accomplished them.

For example, a resolution to “lose weight” is too general – how much weight? And what does that mean – eating less, working out more?

16. 9% of all people succeed to accomplish their goals set during the New Year Resolution.

1 in 10 people achieve their goals set for their New Year Resolution while the other 9 don’t, the higher rate of success is mainly due to the:

• Setting resolutions at the beginning of the year gives people a fresh start.
• People are more motivated to make changes in their lives when there is a clear distinction between the past and the future.
• People work with others who are committed to achieving their goals.

Likewise, setting career goals at a new job, or setting goals to help you progress in your career during your performance review will let you have a higher chance of success.

17. 35% of all people fail to accomplish their goals set during New Year’s Resolution due to setting unrealistic goals.

Unrealistic goals are goals that are either too ambitious or do not have the plan to achieve them.

Setting unattainable goals can lead to discouragement and a feeling of failure.

Thus, it is important to set smaller goals that can be accomplished over time. This will help to build momentum and lead to larger accomplishments in the future.