Closet goal setting

In this morning’s comic strip, Dennis the Menace said, “The best thing about the New Year, Joey, is we can all just start over.”

It is time for me to start over and to renew my commitment to write a blog post at least once a month. One of the SMART goal elements states that a goal is more achievable if we set a time frame. The SMART goal formula also states that missing a deadline is not an excuse to abandon important goals.  See more about SMART goals in my October 9, 2013 post, “Some things bear repeating.”

I have missed some of my self-imposed deadlines over the past few months, but will not use that as an excuse to abandon by goals. 

Here is my first blog post for 2014:

Many goal-setting experts contend that sharing a goal or making it public makes it easier to achieve. I have NOT found that to be true in my own life. I have had more success as a closet goal setter. The goals I have kept private or partially private have been more successful for me. For instance, I kept my doctoral program progress private from my family and friends until I was at least half way completed. At that point I told my parents but refused to let my mother tell extended family members until I had positively defended my dissertation. Of course, sometimes I have been forced to set goals in a semi-public format such as an annual work review or a team wellness challenge. I always set those goals on the low end and privately challenge myself to supersede the goal. For instance, if I set my team wellness goal to walk five miles a week, I privately set a goal to walk eight miles.

This closet goal setting has worked well for me in the past. I have not seen this method published anywhere. Has anyone else? Has there been research done? Are any of you closet goal setters? If you have had trouble keeping goals in the past, try closet setting. Share your experiences here.