When reactive temptations arise, you’ll need a reason to remain disciplined. You could try to white-knuckle it, but you can only do that for so long before you wear out your resolve.

You’re much more likely to stay disciplined if you have a compelling reason to do so; a clear and motivating picture of what you’re working towards. That’s where goals come in.

According to research by Harvard (and that of many others), “ … individuals with clear, written goals are significantly more likely to succeed than those without clearly defined goals.”

Think of it this way: If you wanted to travel somewhere new, what’s the first thing you’d do? Probably find it on a map. Then, once you knew where you were heading, you’d develop a plan to get there. And only once you’d done that would you actually start traveling.

In the face of distraction and temptation, goals are a vital tool to stay proactive, disciplined, and on-track to success.