The Science Behind SMART Goals & Accountability Partners

Research shows that setting and achieving goals is linked to higher levels of success, optimism, and overall happiness(1). However, studies also suggest that only 19% of people who set goals achieve them over the long-term(2). Key reasons why people do not achieve their goals:
 

• They don’t create specific or SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-based) goal;

• They don’t break the goal down into a specific plan to achieve it;

• They don’t utilize a feedback mechanism to determine if they’re making progress; and

• They don’t incorporate accountability partners as part of their goal process(3,4,5).

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ONTrac is a SMART Goal Accountability platform that aims to improve these goal achievement outcomes by empowering accountability partners such as coaches, therapists, mentors, educators and advisors to create content utilizing our innovative, proprietary new content medium called SMARTracs.

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Learn more about the features behind the ONTrac platform and what makes it such a unique and powerful tool.

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1. Importance of Progress Tracking: Harkin, B., Webb, T. L., Chang, B. P. I., Prestwich, A., Conner, M., Kellar, I., Benn, Y., & Sheeran, P. (2016). Does monitoring goal progress promote goal attainment? A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 142(2), 198–229.

2. SMART goals, Breaking goals down: Edwin A. Locke, G. P. (1985). The Application of Goal Setting in Sport. Human Kinetics , 205-222.,

3. Breaking goals down: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10413209608406308

4. Accountability Partners: https://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/this-study-found-1-simple-step-to-practically-guarantee-youll-achieve-your-goals-for-real.html

5. Accountability Partners: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/310062