The Pen is Mightier than the (Spoken) Word
I’ve been reading Influence: Science and Practice which is a more formal and textbook-like version of Robert Cialdini’s excellent Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. The chapter on Commitment and Consistency is very interesting. One of the tricks of getting people (including yourself) to believe in something is to get them to write a written statement of the behavior you desire. Apparently, the Amway Corporation uses this technique. The following statement is given to it’s members:
One final tip before you get started: Set a goal and write it down. Whatever the goal, the important thing is that you set it, so you’ve got something for which to aim - and that you write it down. There is something magical about writing things down. So set a goal and write it down. When you reach that goal, set another and write that down. You’ll be off and running.
If you really want to make sure that the goal is achieved, make it known to as many people as possible. Having other people know that you are trying to achieve a goal brings pride into the equation, which is a very powerful force.
I’ve always had this feeling about the effect of writing things down, but now I see that there is scientific proof of it. I find that I achieve tasks much faster if I have a hand-written to-do list. I guess I need to start applying the “write it down” method to some bigger parts of my life.
