Repeated psychology tests have proven that telling someone your goal makes it less likely to happen.

The remark cautions against “socially rewarding” a goal before doing the work. Publicly announcing an intention can produce a premature sense of accomplishment—through praise, attention, or self-image reinforcement—reducing the internal pressure to follow through. The quote also gestures toward a broader distinction between identity-signaling (“I’m going to write a book”) and process commitment (actually writing). Its significance lies in reframing motivation as fragile and easily satisfied by substitutes for progress, implying that discretion can protect focus and persistence until concrete steps are taken.