Major goals may be daunting, even stressful at times. They can cost many individuals the chance to even consider advancing towards their goals. However, that is all in your head, literally! If everyone put their ideas, plans, goals, and ambitions on something as simple as a sticky note, it could undoubtedly benefit them.

It all has to do with how our brains work. Writing things down activates the right and left hemispheres of the brain. With the right being responsible for your imagination and the left, logic. The brain can release, Dopamine, a chemical that is delivered to your body when you are happy, which is labeled the “Reward Chemical”. When you feel accomplished you can thank Dopamine. Simply writing down plans is a big step for many people and the body can reward you for this. “Writing down my plans made me feel more accountable and, in the process, want to make an effort to get it done,” says Ester Frias.

Gail Matthews from Dominican University conducted a study with 267 participants. With the obvious question in the air, does writing your goal down benefit you by achieving them? Based on his research Matthews states, “Writing down your goals makes you 42% more likely to achieve them.” More studies by Harvard also found that people with written goals are three times more successful when compared to those who don’t. This is due to how your brain prioritizes things. When you enable your brain by writing things down it promotes a higher level of thinking, resulting in an individual being more focused to execute their goal.

Detailing your goal down can also be helpful with your mental and emotional health. Big goals in our head tend to get overwhelming so it isn’t surprising to hear that when you write them down it can reduce stress levels. Any burden from keeping things inside can be eliminated. Some say they have a positive emotional reaction when writing down said goals Whitney Gibbons states, “Maybe not helping immediately but I do think writing down help, it’s relaxing.”

Now pick your phone and search for the nearest Staples, you’re going to need a pencil and a bunch of sticky notes!