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25.02.2015 Opinion

Despite Optimism, Most Are Doomed Not to Reach 2015 Goals

Survey Predicts More Than 70% Of Goal-Setters Will Fail To Reach Their Goals This Year.....
By Zoe Davies
Despite Optimism, Most Are Doomed Not to Reach 2015 Goals
25.02.2015 LISTEN

Sunnyvale, CA -- February 25, 2015 - The New Year is synonymous with setting resolutions and goals. Whether we pledge to adopt better habits to eat healthier, exercise, save money, take a trip or get a promotion at work, most of us are highly unlikely to ever reach these goals. In fact, a recent survey commissioned by goal-based social network, Linkagoal, revealed that as many as 74% of those who set any goals in 2014 failed to reach all of them, and despite the early optimism, just as many are unlikely to reach their 2015 goals - if last year is any indication.

The research, conducted by YouGov in January 2015 on behalf of Linkagoal, surveyed 1,171 U.S. adults, revealed that 87% of respondents who set goals in 2015 said they were optimistic about achieving them. However, only a meager 7% of U.S. adults reported they achieved all of their goals the year before. What were the main reasons why so many had trouble reaching their goals in 2014? The biggest factor was lack of motivation with 41% admitting they struggled to stay on track. Lack of time (32%) and not knowing where to start (19%) were two other major factors in falling short in 2014.

Looking at the year ahead, while optimism may be high for those setting goals, surprisingly 50% neglected to even make a resolution for 2015. However, when setting goals the survey revealed most people (34%) tend to set just one or two goals, with 12% setting three to five goals, while a small portion of highly motivated people (3%) setting more than five. In terms of the nature of the goals, health and fitness (56%) were found to be the most prevalent, followed by financial and self-improvement oriented goals both with 36% of respondents.

Key survey findings overall:
· Lack of time, motivation and support – Those who have set goals for 2015 said they need more time (29%), motivation from like-minded individuals (28%) and support (42%) overall to achieve their 2015 goals.

· Majority go solo - 38% of those surveyed are not seeking support, whereas those that are, said they were likely to turn to family (30%), significant other (25%) and friends (23%).

· Most lack goals - Most surveyed didn't set goals in 2014, with as much as 53% admitting they neglected to set goals last year.

· Age is a factor - Older responders were found less likely to set goals, with 58% of Baby Boomers, 53% of Gen Xers and 37% of Millennials admitting to not setting goals for 2015.

Across the pond:
· Cultural differences - Compared to the U.S., the UK was found to be even less likely to set goals, with 63% admitting they didn't set a goal in 2014 and were even less optimistic on achieving them, while 20% of those who set goals for 2015 said they were unlikely to reach their goals.

· U.S. more health conscious - American goal-setters were found to be much more mindful of their health than their UK counterparts with 56% setting health-related goals in comparison to only 33% in the UK.

· Facebook not considered a helpful tool: In general, both the U.S. (51%) and UK (52%) respondents agreed that Facebook was not considered a helpful tool for reaching goals.

“The survey illustrates the problem we aimed to solve when we created Linkagoal, helping people to build and reach their goals,” said Mohsin Shafique, CEO and founder of Linkagoal. “Everyone has a goal but most haven't realized it yet. We know reaching a goal means first defining a manageable goal. Also, it is important to have a community of like-minded individuals that provides support, motivation and guidance on how goals can be best achieved with resources and tips that may not always be clear from the start.”

“Those that don't have goals either lack desire or have failed so many times that they've given up. What has become clear to me after hundreds of success stories in my practice is that accountability, support from like-minded folks and new ideas on how to accomplish the goal, make all the difference to creating a significant positive outcome,” said Laura Berman-Fortgang, author of Now What? 90 Days to a New Life Direction and a pioneer in the life coaching field. “Social networking has tremendous capacity to create positive change, that's why we need better tools, like Linkagoal, to help individuals achieve richer connections through shared goals or purpose, and enable those individuals to better support one another through the entire goal making process, irrespective of borders, culture or position.”

As a goal-based social network, Linkagoal connects like-minded individuals globally to help inspire each other to set goals and the actions needed to accomplish them. Join Linkagoal today to achieve your goals and foster impactful relationships along the way. https://www.linkagoal.com.

About Linkagoal
Linkagoal is the first and only global, goal-based social network that enables people to create, link and contribute through a strong community of like-minded individuals. Linkagoal addresses the gap between personal and professional social networking allowing users to create and share goals, while enabling them to tap into a worldwide community to encourage collaboration, knowledge sharing and mentoring to help others realize their own aspirations. Linkagoal is also the only social network platform with the ability to predict future user insights and behaviors, making it a powerful tool for brands and advertisers to match goals and even help individuals reach their goals through synergistic services and tailor products. For more information about how Linkagoal is changing the social landscape for good, please visit: www.linkagoal.com.

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,171 adults in the US and 2,216 adults in the UK. Fieldwork was undertaken between January 6, 2015 to January 7, 2015. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US and UK adults (aged 18+).

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