To Put your Goals in Writing

“A goal without written documentation  is just a wish.”

You probably already know how much I believe in the importance of setting and writing down your goals. I believe this practice isn’t just important—it’s critical for achieving what you want out of life. Here’s a true story that illustrates why. 

 In 1974, my father was laid off from his job at Boeing, where he worked in the War Defense Industry. With the Vietnam War ending, our future became uncertain, and this experience deeply impacted my feelings about financial security—a concern that stays with me to this day. With my family struggling financially, I was worried about how I would survive in the “real world” after graduation. I had no idea what I wanted to do, what career path to take, or how I would earn enough money to achieve anything significant. However, I did know exactly what I wanted in life, even at a young age—most of which were things I didn’t have at the time. My family couldn’t afford to send me to a four-year college and I had no problem with that, so I attended community college and majored in Retail Management, mainly because I had a part-time job in retail. I liked selling things, enjoyed talking to people and was good with customers. At the time, I was earning $2.35 an hour. My older brother, who had a four-year degree, was a teacher in Philly, and my older sister was a successful programmer working on the MAC ATM project for PNB Bank. My father and most of my extended family discouraged me from pursuing retail, believing I wouldn’t amount to much without a four-year degree. But I wasn’t too worried because one thing I knew how to do was make and save money. Since I was 12, I had been cutting grass, raking leaves, shoveling snow, and doing odd jobs with my best friend, so I always had a lot of money. 

When I was in high school, I enrolled in a brand new course called “American Dream” or “American Studies”—the exact name escapes me. It was a mix of Social Studies and Science, led by two forward-thinking, you know, hippie-like teachers. Early in the course, we were asked to write down our idea of the American Dream. For the homework assignment, I created a very very detailed wish list list of what I wanted in life: marriage, the number of kids (three Boys), food ( all the ice cream I could eat)  job title (vice President), career path (Retail) , the type of car, the size and location of my home, neighborhood type, income level, net worth (one million dollars), and even my retirement age, which I set at 50.

Lexus LS400

It was like a wish list. One of the things on my list was to someday have a pond on my property with an island in the middle.  That was because I always enjoyed visiting and fishing at the home of a friend of my fathers that had one when I was in my teens.    At the time, my interpretation of the assignment was probably very different from most of the other students, who were still processing the end of the Vietnam War and their uncertain futures. All the papers were posted for everyone in the class to read. I was very shy in school.

Marmie 

My paper caught the eye of a pretty girl (Mommy)—who would later become mom mom —who kept coming around my homeroom before classes started to talk to me. At the time, I didn’t know why, but looking back, I joked that she wanted “in on those goals.” but it turned out that after the assignments were posted for everyone to read then, just like the game whisper down the lane, rather than having an island on a pond and having three sons the story it got twisted that I wanted to live on an island with three boys.  Mommy told me she wanted to meet the guy who wrote that. I thought that was funny.   To me, the list was just another dumb homework assignment, nothing more nothing less.  I didn’t put much thought into it because, to be honest, I hated school and couldn’t wait to get out and start earning money.

Back then, I didn’t understand the power of setting and writing down goals, but I did know what I wanted. Years later, while cleaning out old papers from my parents’ boxes, after they passed away I found that homework assignment. To my surprise, I had achieved nearly everything  I had written down, with a few exceptions: I had three daughters instead of three sons, my home had a pond before a hurricane washed away the dam , and I retired at 48 instead of 50. Even the ice cream, when I found out my Griel friend (“Mommy”) worked at a dairy Queen . They all came to pass down to every detail.

Don’t be afraid to write your goals down. The theory that writing down goals programs the subconscious mind to achieve them suggests that the act of articulating our aspirations on paper triggers a series of psychological processes. By clearly defining our objectives and committing them to writing, we engage our subconscious in a structured dialogue about our desires and intentions. This process not only enhances clarity and focus but also fosters a sense of accountability and determination. Proponents of this theory believe it happens without our conscious minds playing any active role, as the subconscious begins to align our behaviors, thoughts, and actions with the written goals automatically. Over time, this repetitive exposure reinforces commitment and encourages proactive steps toward realizing our dreams, making writing down goals a powerful tool for achieving success. It’s powerful because even if you’re not consciously paying attention, your subconscious mind will be and it will guide you through life to achieve them. It’s never too late to start.