Leadership IQ conducted an international goal-setting study of 4,690 individuals: 2,506 women and 2,184 men to see if men are better than women at goal setting.   They looked at emotional connection, visualization, urgency, and levels of challenge. Some key differences in how men and women approach and achieve their goals were found.

#1: Women care about their goals more than men

Women are more emotionally attached to their goals.  This means that when things get tough women will tend to stick to their goals. Men can improve their emotional attachment to their goals by asking “Why do I care about this goal?”  Looking at this answer will help men to determine if the goal is

#2: Men visualize their goals better than women

The better you are at visualizing your goals the more focus you will have when it comes to achieving those goals.  Women can better visualize their goals by drawing them out, creating vision boards, or collages.  Envisioning the results of achieving your goal will motivate you to complete the next step and continue forward momentum.

#3: Women are more likely to procrastinate than men

Women do not assign as much urgency to their goals as men.  Setting deadlines will help in creating a sense of urgency.  Setting a deadline at the time of goal creation will fend off procrastination.

#4: Women set tougher goals than men

With goal setting, there is a sweet spot in the amount of challenge you take on.  Setting a goal that doesn’t challenge you can make you lose interest in the goal.  It’s too easy, so why bother.  On the other end of the spectrum, if a goal is too hard then you may lose interest because you don’t feel your effort will help you reach your goal.  To find your sweet spot takes planning.  Write down the steps to achieving your goal and determine if you are up to the challenge. Can you tweak the goal to make it more achievable, but still provide a challenge?

And the winner is…

There is no clear winner.  Women and men approach goals differently, but one is not better than the other at setting goals.  No matter your gender there are things you can do to improve your goal setting.  How will you make your goals better?  Let us know in the comments.