Goal Setting Toolkit

Sponsors: Eight Sleep & Maui Nui

Biology of Goal Setting & Pursuit

Tool 1: Choose a Priority Goal

Tool 2: Pursue Lofty Goals

Tool 3: Define Verb Actions, Measurability & Specificity; Writing vs. Typing

Tool 4: Visual Reminder Myth; “Post-It Fallacy”

Tool 5: Accountability Myth, “Don’t Tell the World” Rule

Intrinsic Motivation & Goal Achievement

Sponsor: AG1

Tool 6: Measurable Goal; Quarterly Cycle

Tool 7: Quantifiable Goals; Book Writing

Tool 8: Visualization of End; Motivation & Negative Thinking

Sponsor: InsideTracker

Tool 9: Visual Target/Finish Line Training & Perceived Effort

Tool 10: Distance from Phone

Tool 11: Random, Intermittent Reinforcement; Cognitive Rewards

Tool 12: “Middle Problem”; Time Chunking

Tool 13: Circadian Rhythm & Attention

Tool 14: Protocol Flexibility, Subjective Feelings

Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Momentous, Neural Network Newsletter, Social Media

- The Huberman Lab Podcast discusses science and science-based tools for everyday life.
- The episode focuses on goal-setting and achieving goals.
- The podcast aims to provide free information about science and science-related tools to the general public.
- The episode will cover selecting goals, measuring progress, sustaining motivation, and dispelling myths about goal-setting.
- The neural circuitry involved in goal setting and pursuit consists of four major stations in the brain: the amygdala, the basal ganglia, the lateral prefrontal cortex, and the orbitofrontal cortex.
- Focusing on tools and protocols based on the biology of goal setting increases the likelihood of achieving goals.
- It is important to select one specific goal to pursue, as trying to achieve multiple goals simultaneously often leads to failure.
- The process of selecting a goal should reflect personal values, motivation, and resources.

- The Huberman Lab Podcast discusses science and science-based tools for everyday life.
- The episode focuses on goal-setting and achieving goals, incorporating information from previous episodes and new scientific literature.
- The episode covers selecting goals, measuring progress, sustaining motivation, and dispelling myths about goal-setting.

- The podcast is separate from the speaker's teaching and research roles at Stanford.
- The podcast is aimed at providing free science-related information to the general public.
- The podcast is sponsored by Eight Sleep and Maui Nui Venison, offering products related to sleep and high-quality protein respectively.

- The final protocol for goal setting is to make the goal measurable by defining the overall time frame and the amount of time spent each week or day.
- It is recommended to establish a 12-week cycle to focus on the goal, with specific hours per week and per day, and designated days for pursuing the goal.
- Writing down the goal and the specific actions with a pen or pencil reinforces the goal setting process and increases the likelihood of achieving the goals.

- Goals can be quantifiable or more loosely defined, depending on the endeavor.
- For quantifiable goals, breaking them down into smaller milestones can help track progress.
- For goals that are not easily quantifiable, it is important to be precise about the amount of time spent on specific actions to make progress.

- The best protocol for initiating goal pursuit depends on whether you are motivated or unmotivated.
- If you are motivated, spend 1-3 minutes visualizing the positive outcomes of achieving the goal.
- If you are unmotivated, spend 1-3 minutes visualizing the negative consequences of not achieving the goal.

- InsideTracker is a personalized nutrition platform that analyzes blood and DNA data to help users understand their bodies and meet health goals.
- Regular blood work is important for understanding factors that impact immediate and long-term health.
- InsideTracker provides a personalized platform to easily understand blood test results and offers protocols to adjust numbers for optimal health.

- Consider the specific time domain to sustain effort during goal pursuit.
- Use tools, such as visualization techniques, to stay motivated within a training or practice block.
- Maintaining focus is crucial during a learning block, and visual focus can be used to increase or maintain motivation.
- Incorporating visual target training into learning bouts can enhance focus, motivation, and goal achievement.

- Tim Ferriss' list of 30 things he wished he knew when he was 20 is impressive and relevant.
- The best productivity app is already on your phone - put it on airplane mode or turn it off to remove distractions.
- Don't have your phone facing up with wifi and cellular service on if you want to be productive. Turn it over, turn it off, or put it in another room.

- Dopamine is the molecule of motivation and plays a role in goal pursuit and wellbeing.
- Rewarding yourself every time you reach a milestone diminishes the potency of the reward and reduces motivation over time.
- Incorporating random intermittent reinforcement, like flipping a coin to decide whether to reward yourself, helps maintain ongoing motivation.

- The "middle problem" refers to a decrease in motivation and focus during the middle of pursuing a goal.
- Acknowledging the middle problem and breaking up the middle section into smaller chunks can help overcome it.
- This approach can be applied to both short learning bouts and longer periods of effort, such as weekly training sessions.

- There are three times during the day when focus and attention are highest: 30 minutes, three hours, and 11 hours after waking up.
- These times are related to circadian rhythms and shifts in body temperature and neurochemical release.
- While it's valuable to schedule goal pursuit during these times, it's important to be flexible and prioritize actually engaging in the pursuit.

- Our subjective feelings of energy and wellbeing during the day are influenced by how positively we view our previous day's experiences and how positively we view our next day's pursuits and experiences.
- Completing tasks we set for ourselves leaves us with a feeling of accomplishment, which can increase our energy levels.
- It is important to set specific, quantifiable goals and take action to achieve them.

- Goal setting and pursuit involve neural circuitry in the brain, including the amygdala, basal ganglia, lateral prefrontal cortex, and orbitofrontal cortex.
- The amygdala is involved in arousal, fear, anxiety, and positive valence experiences.
- The basal ganglia has pathways for generating actions (go pathway) and withholding actions (no-go pathway).
- The lateral prefrontal cortex is involved in planning, and the orbitofrontal cortex evaluates emotional and arousal states related to goal pursuit.

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- All humans have the same neural circuitry for goal setting and pursuit, regardless of the type of goal.
- Trying to achieve multiple goals simultaneously often leads to failure.
- It is important to select one priority goal and focus on it, while still maintaining engagement with other aspects of life.

- Setting a challenging goal that feels slightly out of reach is more likely to lead to success than setting an easy goal.
- Discomfort, frustration, and anxiety are necessary for neuroplasticity and learning.
- Deep sleep and rest are important for the rewiring of neural circuits that lead to improved performance.

- Before pursuing a goal, it is important to define specific verbs or actions involved in achieving that goal.
- Writing down goals and actions on paper is more effective than typing on a phone.
- Setting specific and measurable goals, along with defining the actions and time commitment, significantly increases the probability of success.

- Setting a Post-it note with a goal and leaving it in the same place every day diminishes the likelihood of progress because our visual system adapts to regular stimuli.
- To effectively use visual reminders, change them daily and place them in different locations.
- The common myth of the "post-it fallacy" suggests that writing down a goal on a post-it and leaving it in a frequented area increases adherence, but this is not true.

- The myth of accountability suggests that telling others about your goals can actually decrease your motivation and likelihood of achieving them.
- Positive feedback from others activates reward systems in the brain, but this quickly diminishes, reducing the probability of taking action towards the goal.
- Instead, it is better to keep your goals to yourself or share them with someone who doubts you, as this activates the friction circuitry and can increase motivation.

- The friction model of achieving goals can be effective in motivating oneself.
- However, there is a danger in approaching goals with the intention of proving someone else wrong, as it can shift the focus away from achieving the goal itself.
- Intrinsic motivation, which is directly attached to the task at hand, is the most powerful and sustainable source of motivation.

- The speaker has been taking AG1 daily since 2012 and is happy that they are sponsoring the podcast.
- AG1 is a vitamin mineral probiotic drink that provides foundational nutrition and helps meet the speaker's vitamin and mineral needs.
- AG1 also contains adaptogens to help with stress, improves focus and energy, and tastes great. Listeners can get a special offer at drinkag1.com/huberman.

Goals Toolkit: How to Set & Achieve Your Goals | Huberman Lab Podcast