Why You Shouldn’t Tell People Your Goals
Saturday thoughts
Welcome to the PATHWAY — Edition #035
👋 Welcome to a 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of my 2x weekly newsletter. Each week, I share practical insights at the intersection of curiosity, growth, and AI to help you build a healthier, more productive, and wealthier life.
I recently wrote the following article, which resonated well with the audience. It may be the right time to write more on this topic.
If You Want To Stay Happy — Don’t Share These Things With People
It’s not all about these four things; there is more to the story. In this story, I will try to convince you why you should not share your goals.
I used to share my fitness, career, and relationship goals in social gatherings, but this practice has only caused me embarrassment.
Many times, I forget or do not practice the long-term goal, and then, in the next social gathering, people will ask, “Hey, how’s it going?”
How’s your fitness goal going on?
Are the abs on the way?
Did you go on that trip?
Did you read that book?
Were you able to switch your job or make a big move?
Many times, I tried to avoid this, smile, and move on to the next topic. But deep down, I thought it was not the right way. Being me, I started to dig deep into this topic.
Do successful people share their goals?
What about the ultra-successful people?
Many successful people don’t even know how many income sources they have.
Some people may disagree with this story, but I’m gonna tell you why you should not tell people your goals.
Well, I want you to read the full story and let it inspire you to make changes in private, and let success make the noise.
I’m Sufyan Maan, your personal growth and entrepreneurship author. I have completed many 30-plus-day challenges, many of which were successful.
Many times, my challenge did not work, or I wasn’t able to complete it on time because I had already shared it with my cousins or friends.
Science
Research says that telling people your goals signals the brain, which causes a premature spike of dopamine to be released.
It acts in a way that you have already achieved your goal.
Since you feel like you have already achieved it, your motivation drops, and you don’t even care about the goal.
Do not tell people your goals. period
Today, I will try my best to convince you why you shouldn’t tell people your goals.
I just say, keep your goals, new resolutions, and your new habits to yourself.
For background, I lost my job post-COVID because the company was restructuring and decided to lay off employees to control expenses. I was one of them. My mortgage application was in process. I did not share this with anyone, but I felt like everything was falling apart.
That day, in September 2022, I decided that I was not going to give anyone such power to control my financial health.
I want to create something that I have 100% control.
I want to create multiple sources of income.
I do not want to depend on a single source of income.
I do not want to depend on an employer but on myself.
Why do I have to share with the world?
I want to make it lucrative.
I want to make sure my skills are up-to-date and monetizable in the long run.
And guess what?
Since then, I have never worked full-time for any employer. I am making way more than I was making on a full-time job, and the best part is that it’s increasing each year.
It would have never worked if I had shared it with anyone who said, “Oh, I got laid off.”
I want to create my own financial freedom.
Here is the plan, and I am going to do it.
No, no, it doesn’t work that way.
You need to have a vision and big goals, followed by tiny quarterly or even weekly goals.
It will take a lot of time, and I must say that in the first 1–2 years, it’s going to be way more hard work and dedication than your job.
There is no good boss or colleague to push you; it’s you vs. you.
But if you share with people, they might push you back.