Comparing people who declare their goals (I am going to lose 20 pounds by the end of the year) with people who keep their goal as an open questions (will i be able to lose 20 pound this year?). The research finds that the declaration decreases the chances of accomplishment. A potential explanation might be the loss sense of autonomy and freedom of choice once the declaration occurs. From an entrepreneurship perspective i find this correlates well with difference between declaring a solution/idea as the goal of company to setting out to solve an open problem (without committing to a specific solution / technology). Setting the problem at the center gives you the freedom to learn and maneuver in search of a solution.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-willpower-paradox
Declaring your goals actually decreases your chances of achieving them – new research
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If you’d like a tool for setting your goals, you can use this web application:
Gtdagenda.com
You can use it to manage your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, schedules and a calendar.
A Vision Wall (inspiring images attached to your goals) is available too.
Works also on mobile, and syncs with Evernote.
Starting Up (and getting somewhere) 
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