Does writing down have positive impact on achieving goals and building new habits?

Yes! Unlike popular belief referring to Harvard or Yale study's, there is a research called Written Goal Study by Gail Matthews, Ph.D., the Dominican University.

Habitsky ✩ Writing Down has Positive Impact on Achieving Goals and Building New Habits

The positive effect of written goals was supported

According to the Goals Research summary by Gail Matthews, Ph.D., the Dominican University, those who wrote their goals accomplished significantly more than those who did not write their goals. Not only writing helps but also the positive effect of the accountability and public commitment on achieving goals is demonstrated by the same research. Here are the top three bullets of the conclusion of this study:

1. The positive effect of accountability was supported: those who sent weekly progress reports to their friend accomplished significantly more than those who had unwritten goals, wrote their goals, formulated action commitments or sent those action commitments to a friend.

2. There was support for the role of public commitment: those who sent their commitments to a friend accomplished significantly more than those who wrote action commitments or did not write their goals.

3. The positive effect of written goals was supported: Those who wrote their goals accomplished significantly more than those who did not write their goals.

For further details about the research you can read the summary here.

If your goal is to build a new habit...

... And you want to achieve this time follow these 3 steps:

1. WRITE on a paper

2. TRACK regularly

3. SHARE you commitment

Now, you can start with the Habitsky printable templates.

P.S: If you are interested more in the Goals Study of Harvard or Yale which has become an urban legend you can visit the Harvard Library's response.