The Harvard Study

Back when I started my 2nd painting business I started reading and listening to books about goal setting.

And while they all made sense logically, it wasn’t until I read this Harvard Study from Brian Tracy’s Book “Goals” that finally convinced myself to start writing my goals, and it’s made a dramatic impact in my life so I’d like to share it with you also…

This Harvard Study was conducted between 1979 and 1989.

In 1979, the graduates of the MBA program at Harvard were asked,

“Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?”

3% of the graduates had written goals and plans.
13% had goals, but they were not in writing.
84% had no specific goals at all, aside from graduating and enjoying the summer.

Ten years later, in 1989, the researchers interviewed the members of that class again.

They found that the 13% who had goals that were not in writing were earning on average, twice as much as the 84% who had no goals at all.

But most surprisingly, they found that the 3% who had clear, written goals when they left Harvard were earning, on average, 10 times as much as the other 97% of graduates.

The only difference was the clarity of the goals they had for themselves when they graduated.

To recap:

  • 3% of the graduates had written goals and plans. = 10X $
  • 13% had goals, but they were not in writing. = 2X $
  • 84% had no specific goals at all = avg $

Writing goals has changed my life and it can for you too 🙂

Steve

About the Author

As many of you know, my journey has been one of grit, grace, and transformation. At 19, I was a high school dropout, single father, and struggling paint contractor in Michigan. I later moved to Florida, where I faced both personal and professional hardships. With nothing left to lose, I turned to prayer—and was blessed with a relentless hunger to learn. I devoured books, attended seminars, and discovered better ways to streamline and grow my business—even through the Great Recession (and yes, I did hit the wife lottery along the way!). In 2014, I published How To Double Your Business and later sold the painting business, launching a new chapter: coaching others to grow their businesses. For the past 10 years, I’ve dedicated myself to helping business owners scale through the DYB System, while also drawing from frameworks like EOS, Scaling Up, and The Four Disciplines of Execution. Yet something was still missing—something more adaptive, integrated, and complete. Then I found Pinnacle. After months of research and interviews with other Guides, I joined Pinnacle. Their tools and strategies have exceeded every expectation. Now, as a Pinnacle Business Guide, I help leadership teams implement a custom-tailored operating system that draws from the best in the industry—but flexes with your unique business. It’s a dynamic, proven approach to achieve clarity, momentum, and lasting growth. I’m no longer taking on any more 1:1 coaching clients… Instead, I now specialize in working with visionary business owners who are ready to get their leadership teams aligned—around a clear vision, a focused strategy, and an actionable execution plan. With the tools and process I now have as a Pinnacle Business Guide, I help turn alignment into momentum, and momentum into results. If your business is growing—but your leadership team isn’t fully rowing in the same direction—let’s talk.