“You may have heard about a study of alumni 10 years out of Harvard. An astonishing eighty three percent left with their degrees and had no goals at all. Fourteen percent had defined, specific objectives for themselves, but they never wrote them down. The group with goals earned an average of three times the income of the group without them. Now the blow away: The remaining three percent of graduates who had specific goals and wrote them down, earned an average of 10 times what the 83 percent group did.

It’s a story that’s been circulating in the personal development community for so long that it’s become something of an urban legend. Although I have been unable to personally verify the study, it certainly makes a point that I know is true without question. Setting goals hones our focus, gives us direction, and makes it far more likely that we’ll actually live the life of our dreams rather than just drift along on whatever whim our circumstances present.

I know it’s been one of the most powerful tools in my life…This goal-setting principle is true for all of us–not just those who go to Harvard. You have the chance right now to multiply your earning power, not to mention your ability to create anything else in your life that you desire.

Today we know that a couple of things happen when you write your goals down. When you write your goals in clear, precise terms, you activate your reticular activating system. This powerful tool filters out all the distractions and information you do want. By eliminating the unnecessary 98 percent–including all the information that tries to get your attention every moment of every day through billboards, TV, radio and the Internet–you can zero in on the important 2 percent and become absolutely mega-productive. There are opportunities around you right now to solve every challenge you have, but you may not see them until you condition your brain to look for, accept, and apply them in your life.

Your brain is connected to powerful forces you cannot see, which scientists call the quantum field. We exist in two universes, but we’re really only taught to play in one: the world we can see, hear, smell, taste and touch. As soon as you know clearly and specifically what you want to create, you start invoking the laws of quantum physics and the unseen laws of the universe.

Setting goals is not about hard work. It’s about surrendering to the universe and allowing it to bring what you want by setting up your brain and behaviors in alignment with your goals.

One great way to create your goals is to look at your life and ask: What has to happen personally and professionally for me to feel totally satisfied with my life? Divide your list into two categories, personal and professional and list as many things in each category as it will take to reach fulfillment.

Make a list. If it helps inspire you, here are some of the things on my list, things that are important to me:

* Success means being a great dad and a great partner to my wife
* Building my company with my partner
* Contributing to society
* Giving to people

Depending on the length of your list, it’s unlikely that you will be able to accomplish all of them in 12 months, so the most important thing is to take the most important things from your list and focus on those things first.

High achievers are not ten to twenty times more intelligent than other people; their power comes from the methods, resources and focus they use. By setting clear goals and writing them down, they’ve set their brains to achieve those goals. How it happens is absolutely miraculous and beautiful to observe.