This is what psychologists at New York University confirmed through four experiments.
Don't you think declaring your goals to others helps you achieve them?
The Declarer:
"I'm going to get that certification this year!"
The Silent Worker:
"(Without saying anything, I'll just do today's part.)"
The Reporter:
"Regarding what I mentioned last week, here is my progress."
The third person was the one who persisted.
Furthermore, experiments have confirmed that "people whose goals were known by others stopped working earlier than those whose goals were unknown."
Before getting to the main topic, a quick announcement.
I share the order in which I started side jobs while continuing my main career, and where I stumbled, in an open chat.
▼ X × Monetization Strategy
You can join with your current name. Now, let's get to the main topic.
1. "Declarers" Quit 11 Minutes Earlier
In 2009, a research team of psychologists from New York University published a study.
A total of "168 people" participated in four experiments. The experiments were conducted at German universities. Here is one of them.
The participants were students aiming to become clinical psychologists.
First, they were asked to write down a goal on paper.
"Watch videos of therapy sessions and study."
Here, the students were divided into two groups:
- The group whose written paper was read and acknowledged by the experimenter on the spot (Goal Known Group).
- The group whose written paper was collected without being read by anyone (Goal Unknown Group).
That was the only difference.
Afterward, they were asked to actually watch the videos. The maximum time allowed was "40 minutes." They could stop whenever they wanted.
The results showed that for students who strongly desired to become clinical psychologists:
- Goal Unknown Group: "39.17 minutes"
- Goal Known Group: "27.95 minutes"
Students whose goals were known to others stopped watching about 11 minutes earlier.
"The Silent Workers" continued almost until the end.
Students who strongly aspired but whose goals were unknown watched for 39 out of 40 minutes, almost to the very end.
The same research team also tested students aiming to become lawyers.
This involved solving legal problems. The available time was 45 minutes. One problem left unsolved could be finished after the time limit.
- Goal Unknown Group: "45.65 minutes"
- Goal Known Group: "41.52 minutes"
Again, the group whose goals were known quit earlier.
They didn't declare it or receive praise. Their goals were simply "seen" by someone else.
And yet, their action decreased.
2. Why Do We Feel Satisfied Just By Saying It?
It's strange. If your goal is known, you'd think you'd work harder because "someone is watching." Why did the opposite happen?
The fourth experiment in the same study provides the answer.
Law-aspiring students were asked to list three things they would do next.
Half of the students said these aloud in front of the experimenter or others. The other half did not say them.
Afterward, they were asked:
"How much do you feel like a lawyer right now?"
Results:
- Students who spoke publicly: "4.19"
- Students who did not speak: "3.10"
Students who spoke publicly felt more like they were "already becoming a lawyer."
Even though they hadn't done anything yet.
"Saying it" counts as "doing it"
The research team explained it this way:
To get closer to the self you want to be, you must accumulate actions.
However, when your goal is known to others, your brain counts it as "progress made."
Just by saying it, you feel slightly accomplished. Consequently, the need to actually take action feels smaller.
Declarers aren't lazy. At the moment they speak, their brain receives the reward prematurely.
3. The Difference Remained After One Week
You might think, "That's just a temporary effect."
The first experiment tracked participants for up to one week.
Participants were "49" psychology students. They wrote down two study-related goals on paper.
For example, "Study statistics more."
Then, as before, they were divided into groups whose papers were read by the experimenter and those whose papers were not.
One week later, they were asked, "On how many days did you act toward that goal?"
Results:
- Goal Unknown Group: "2.70 days"
- Goal Known Group: "1.92 days"
Even after one week, the group whose goals were known took less action.
But it only works for "Aspirational Self" goals
There is an important condition in this research.
The clear difference appeared only among "people seriously pursuing that path."
In the clinical psychologist experiment, the gap was large among students who strongly wanted to become one. For those who weren't that serious, the times were "30.90 minutes" vs "30.68 minutes"—almost identical.
In other words:
- Errands like "Buy milk": Telling others doesn't reduce action.
- Aspirational goals like "Become fluent in English" or "Achieve independence via side job": Telling others tends to reduce action.
The more serious the goal, the easier it is to feel satisfied just by saying it. Ironically.
4. Visualizing Success Also Drains Energy
Another mechanism similar to declaration has been found.
In 2011, a research team from New York University and Hamburg University in Germany published four experiments.
Participants were asked to visualize a "successful future" in the best possible way.
Afterward, their physical energy levels were measured using blood pressure and self-reported vitality.
Results:
People who visualized a successful future had lower physical energy compared to those who imagined other things.
In a one-week follow-up experiment, those with lower energy achieved fewer actual tasks that week.
The same researchers verified this outside the lab:
- A "one-year" survey of women wanting to lose weight: Those who vividly imagined themselves thin lost less actual weight.
- A survey of hip surgery patients: Those who vividly imagined their recovery had lower recovery ratings "two weeks" post-surgery.
In both cases, those who strongly visualized success performed worse.
Visualizing success feels good. But once you feel good, your body accepts it as "done."
Declaration and visualization are the same. If you take the emotional reward upfront, no energy remains for action.
5. But "Who You Tell" Can Reverse the Result
Reading this far, you might think, "Never tell anyone your goals."
Actually, it's not that simple.
In 2019, a research team from Ohio State University found the opposite result.
In an experiment with "171" students performing repetitive tasks, they set personal goals beforehand.
They were divided into three groups based on who they told their goals to:
- Someone perceived as higher status.
- Someone perceived as lower status.
- No one.
Results:
Students who told someone of higher status became more committed to their goals and their performance "improved."
Students who told someone of lower status showed "no difference" from those who told no one.
In another survey tracking "292" students over one semester:
Students who shared academic goals with someone they respected maintained higher commitment and achieved better grades.
The reason is the desire to avoid disappointing that person.
Telling someone you respect strengthens the resolve to "not fail," rather than providing premature satisfaction.
Opposing results exist in this field
Let me be honest about one more thing.
In 2025, a study was published showing that "sharing goals increases support from others, making it easier to pursue them."
So, "telling others always leads to failure" isn't accurate. Combining all research:
- Tell and feel satisfied → Action decreases.
- Tell someone you respect and feel accountable → Action increases.
- Tell to get help → Action increases.
Talking itself isn't bad. "Talking and stopping" is bad.
6. "Reporters" Persist the Most
So, how should we change our communication style?
A hint comes from a major analysis published in 2016.
Researchers from Sheffield University in the UK and others analyzed data from "138 studies involving 19,951 people."
They investigated whether "tracking progress makes goal achievement easier."
Results:
People who tracked their progress achieved their goals more often than those who didn't.
Two conditions amplified the effect:
- Reporting or publishing the tracked results to others.
- Writing it down on paper or apps, not just keeping it in mind.
This is the key difference from declaration.
- Declaration: "I will do it."
- Report: "I have done this much."
Both involve "speaking to others," but the content is reversed.
Declaration takes the reward before doing. Reports can only discuss what has already been done.
The third person from the beginning, "The Reporter," persists most for this reason.
7. "If-Then" Planners Follow Through
Finally, here is one method to use instead of declaration.
In 2006, a research team including NYU analyzed "94 studies" comparing two ways of setting goals:
- Deciding "I will exercise."
- Deciding "If I arrive home at 7 PM, I will change clothes and walk for 10 minutes."
Those who used the "If [situation], then [action]" format followed through more often.
The effect size was "0.65," considered medium-to-large for this type of research.
The reason is that decision-making isn't required "in the moment."
With just "I will exercise," you must decide when to do it every time. On tired days, you skip it.
With "If I arrive home at 7 PM," once that happens, there is no need to hesitate.
Making detailed promises to yourself is more effective than declaring to others.
What You Can Do Tomorrow
① Don't state goals before acting. Speak only about what you've done.
Instead of "I'll start next month," say "I did it 3 times this week." If you feel like talking, do one task first.
② If you speak, tell only one person you respect.
Rather than announcing to everyone on SNS, tell one person you don't want to disappoint. Research shows effectiveness only with higher-status individuals.
③ Rewrite "I will do X" to "If Y, then I will do X."
Change "I will study" to "If I make morning coffee, I will open my textbook for one page." Anchor triggers to daily routines.
④ Send numerical progress reports weekly.
Instead of "I'm trying hard," send "I completed it 4 days this week." Tracking plus reporting yields the biggest effect.
⑤ When tempted to speak, ask: "Is this a declaration or a report?"
Future talk = Declaration. Past talk = Report. If unsure, stick to reports.
Summary: Reporters Persist
Many believe declaring goals helps achievement.
But research shows: "Saying it gives the brain premature reward."
Declarers aren't sloppy.
The more serious you are, the easier it is to feel satisfied by speaking. That's the mechanism.
Those who persisted weren't declarers, but reporters.
October is a time when people are forced to write and announce second-half goals.
Forced announcements are unavoidable.
But adding "Here is what I did" afterward is within your control.
One last note:
Silent workers appear inactive to others. Since they don't declare, they receive no praise.
Yet, they kept working for 39 out of 40 minutes.
Progress made without praise still remains.
Start with today's one silent action.
Final | Let's Think About Next Steps Together
Side jobs are the same.
The day you say "I'm starting a side job" feels best. Many stop there.
Successful people do one thing before speaking. And they only talk about what they've done.
I personally started selling goods while continuing my SE career and sustained it for 5 years.
I share how I created time for side jobs alongside my main career and early stumbling blocks in an open chat. Reading is free, and you can join with your current name.
▼ X × Monetization Strategy
I write articles daily here.
▼ Follow me on X
No need to declare. Do one thing, then talk. That's enough.
References
- NYU et al. (Psychological Science, 2009 / Action when goals are known, 4 experiments, 168 people, conducted in Germany)
- NYU, Hamburg Univ. (Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2011 / Visualization and physical energy)
- Cognitive Therapy and Research (1991 / Weight loss and positive imagery), JPSP (2002 / Post-surgery recovery and positive imagery)
- Ohio State Univ. (Journal of Applied Psychology, 2019 / Status of listener and goal commitment)
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (2025 / Sharing goals increases support)
- Sheffield Univ. et al. (Psychological Bulletin, 2016 / Progress tracking meta-analysis, 138 studies, 19,951 people)
- NYU et al. (Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 2006 / If-then planning, 94 studies)
*Note: Numbers indicate group trends.
