Work in Silence. Let Success Make the Noise.

twilightletters
Aug 7
2 min read

Updated: Aug 15

Dear Reader,

I’ve often said to keep on dreaming. Aspirations are wonderful things because they give our goals deeper meaning. Sometimes goals are about stopping something rather than creating something. But in a sense, you are still creating a better identity for yourself.

It’s fun to share our dreams with others, especially those we feel closest to. But when it comes to goals, sometimes it’s best to work in silence.

Social media can be helpful and inspiring, but in my opinion it often makes things worse. Derek Sivers noted in his TED Talk: “You can delay the gratification that the social acknowledgment brings!” Don’t post it. Don’t pitch it at the party. Let your results be your announcement. Some of my readers agree. Others are not quite convinced. So allow me to expand.

A revealing study from New York University found that people who kept their goals private worked for an average of 45 minutes on a task, while those who announced them quit after just 33 minutes.¹

Why? There are several reasons.

The Psychological Trap

When you tell someone your goal and they acknowledge it, your brain gets a premature hit of dopamine. It tricks you into feeling as if you’ve already accomplished something, satisfying the identity goal before you’ve done the hard work. The result? Your motivation to actually execute drops significantly.

This phenomenon, known as “social reality,” suggests that the more we talk about our goals, the less likely we are to achieve them.²

Avoiding External Noise

Some people believe that sharing your goals with others is helpful because it creates accountability. This idea never worked for me. Positive reinforcement—rewards, kind words, or others building you up—is great. But accountability can feel a little like shaming when you need to adjust your goal, strategy, or timeline. Even if people aren’t openly criticizing you or rolling their eyes, you can still feel obligated to meet their expectations, which increases anxiety. Unsolicited opinions, skepticism, discouragement, or simple pressure from others is negativity we need to avoid in order to accomplish our goals. Keeping things to yourself also allows your ideas to take root without being confused by public opinion.

Self-Reliance

Self-reliance encourages us to rely on our own abilities and resources rather than seek validation from others. Yes, we all need a little help sometimes, but overcoming obstacles on our own can give us a great sense of confidence. This personal satisfaction of achieving something meaningful increases our chances of success and makes the journey more enjoyable.

Internal Motivation is strong when working in silence

Internal motivation is more powerful than external motivation because it gives us drive and sharpens focus. We are driven by the intrinsic reward of accomplishing something. Silence allows us to concentrate and builds the resilience we need to achieve.

Work in silence. Let success make the noise.

Thank you for reading.

Love,

Twilight

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