The claim that a survey of Yale graduates found that only 3% set goals and that this 3% was more successful than the other 97% combined is a widely circulated myth. There is no evidence of such a study ever being conducted at Yale or Harvard. The story has been debunked by various sources, including Yale University itself, which has confirmed that no such study took place12.

References: = The information can be verified by the articles that discuss the myth and its origins, such as the one from beyondtherut.com1 and the Yale University Library’s FAQ section2.

This statement, often cited in motivational speeches and personal development literature, lacks solid empirical evidence to back it up. The story about the Yale study on goal setting and the success of its graduates has been widely circulated but has been debunked as an urban legend. There's no denying that goal setting is an important aspect of personal and professional development, but this specific claim regarding the Yale study is not supported by documented research.