Successful behavior change often includes deliberate and strategic goal-setting. Research suggests that people are most likely to achieve their goals that are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound), that they write down, and if they have created some sort of commitment and accountability for themselves, for example, by telling others about their goals.
Recently I was going through old photos from my cell phone and found a few I had snapped at my local Lululemon store a few years ago:
These “vision boards” depict Lululemon employees’ and brand ambassadors’ vision for their personal futures in both the long and short term. The boards mix words and visuals to both communicate the goals outwardly to shoppers, and help the people creating them firmly articulate their desires. This is an excellent example of one way to set goals clearly and publicly to help enhance success.
I decided to visit the store again to see if the vision boards were still here. They were no longer on the same wall, but I found them, tucked away near the fitting room:
I would love to see if the Lululemon employees and brand ambassadors who go through this visioning activity and bare their dreams to store customers actually wind up being more successful with their goals. There’s the added benefit that seeing the aspirations of other people might inspire Lululemon customers to approach something in their own lives differently.
What do you think? Does the Lululemon model of articulating goals and dreams work for you?