Came across an interesting post today that puts into question the merit of publicising my list of goals onto a public forum.

The post was about how announcing your plans to other people,  before actually achieving them, can actually hinder the chances of achieving the objective of the plan. Or ‘keep quiet til the job is done’.

Here is a small excerpt:

”

Tests done since 1933 show that people who talk about their intentions are less likely to make them happen.

Announcing your plans to others satisfies your self-identity just enough that you’re less motivated to do the hard work needed.

In 1933, W. Mahler found that if a person announced the solution to a problem, and was acknowledged by others, it was now in the brain as a “social reality”, even if the solution hadn’t actually been achieved.

“

You can read the full post here.

So, according to this theory, creating Project 183 is a good idea, but creating a website dedicated to the listing, and ongoing accomplishment of the goals in Project 183 is a bad idea…

…not in my opinion!

From my experience, putting my goals into a website has had the opposite effect.

As well as the feeling of pride when I write a ‘completed goal’ post, it has given me a feeling of accountability, because I know that there are readers who have followed the project for a while, and the occasional reader who has been inspired as a result. To not do everything possible to complete the project would not just disappoint me, but potentially it could be a bit disheartening for other people too.

Of course, every case is different, and it is up to the individual to decide for themselves whether to talk plans before or after they are achieved. But for me, telling people early is great motivation to get things done.

For a few days last week, the London Underground train network went on strike.

Mass chaos and confusion among Londoners followed. People couldn’t get in to London and had to work from home, and the roads were jampacked with cars. A long walk was the only option for a lot of people.

That was until Paul Clarke came along.

On the night before the strike, he declared his motorbike available as a mode of transport for anyone willing to jump on the back with him. Calling it the Tweetbike, he publicised his service on his website and Twitter account.

And I am proud to say that I took him up on the offer, and got a free lift into work last week. Was officially the first person to ride the tweetbike too!

The concept ended up proving so popular, the BBC even wrote about it.

When I arrived into work, most people raised their eyebrows that I had jumped on the back of a motorbike, let alone with someone I had never met or spoken to before.

But I survived, and had a great time, from start to end. And thank you Paul, for the great, and at times exhilarating start to my day.

Often it is when you go into the unknown or risky that you end up with the most memorable experiences. Never let uncertainty get in the way of a great opportunity.

You can read all about Paul’s tweetbike here, and the BBC article here.

Sean has written a post about ten tips for creating a useful bucket list.

Great reading for anyone about to start.

If this is you, check out the post here.