To speak or not to speak . . .

Apparently there is a substantial body of research which indicates that if you talk about a goal — finishing your novel, climbing a mountain, eating all two dozen fresh-baked cookies in one sitting — you are LESS likely to achieve it. Whoa, that's not been my experience, just the opposite. Then again, I'm often deluded. What about you out there in the big wide world? To speak or not to speak, that is the question.