Huberman Lab

Goals Toolkit: How to Set & Achieve Your Goals

Aug 28, 2023

Learn science-based protocols for setting and achieving goals, including prioritizing goals, measuring progress, and dispelling myths. Discover the importance of sleep and nutrition, optimizing focus and motivation through visual techniques, and maintaining motivation with dopamine and rewards. Explore the neural circuitry involved in goal pursuit and the benefits of setting specific and measurable goals. Gain insights into the biology of goal setting, the role of positive and negative thinking, and science-based protocols for goal pursuit.

01:32:16

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Quick takeaways

Select one specific and challenging goal to focus on for maximum motivation and success.

Quantify the amount of time spent on goal pursuit and set specific verb actions to enhance measurability and progress.

Utilize visualization techniques to boost motivation by envisioning positive outcomes or negative consequences of goal achievement or failure.

Maintain motivation and focus during goal pursuit by incorporating visual focus techniques and implementing random intermittent reinforcement for rewards.

Deep dives

Goal setting and pursuing goals

This podcast episode discusses the importance of goal setting and provides a toolkit for achieving goals. The speaker emphasizes the need to select one specific goal to focus on, rather than pursuing multiple goals simultaneously. It is recommended to set a challenging goal that feels slightly out of reach, as easy goals may not generate enough motivation. Measurability is key in goal pursuit, with the importance of defining specific verb actions and quantifying the amount of time spent on each action each day and week. The episode also dispels common myths about goal setting and accountability.

How to Motivate Yourself When You're Not Motivated

01:04

Continually write out goals each day to remind yourself

02:09

The 12 Week Cycle of Goal Pursuit

03:08

The Properties of Dopamine and its Effects on Motivation

01:30

Introduction

2min

The Importance of Sleep, Introduction to 8 Sleep and Maui Nui Venison

3min

Neural Circuitry and Goal Pursuit

12min

Setting Specific and Measurable Goals

16min

Optimizing Nutrition and Setting Measurable Goals

2min

Setting and Achieving Goals

15min

The Role of Positive and Negative Thinking in Goal Setting

2min

Enhancing Focus and Motivation through Visual Techniques

16min

Maintaining Motivation: Understanding Dopamine and Reward

23min

10.

Setting and Pursuing Goals: Science-Based Protocols

3min

In this episode, I describe science-based protocols to set and achieve your goals in a way that maximizes the likelihood of reaching them. I explain how to define a priority and reach a specific goal by systematically assessing the challenge level, measurability, milestones, and action states needed to make progress from start to finish. I also explain research-supported tools to improve your performance during cognitive or physical goal work — including directed visualization, variable reward timing, and optimizing your physical environment. I also dispel common myths about goal setting and achievement. This episode provides a science-supported toolkit of zero-cost strategies for goal-setting, goal-pursuit, and goal-completion that can be applied to any physical or cognitive endeavor.

For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com.

Use Ask Huberman Lab, our new AI-powered platform, for a summary, clips, and insights from this episode.

Thank you to our sponsors

AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman

Timestamps

(00:00:00) Goal Setting Toolkit

(00:02:26) Sponsors: LMNT & Waking Up

(00:04:43) Biology of Goal Setting & Pursuit

(00:08:50) Tool 1: Choose a Priority Goal

(00:12:04) Tool 2: Pursue Lofty Goals

(00:17:23) Tool 3: Define Verb Actions, Measurability & Specificity; Writing vs. Typing

(00:24:06) Tool 4: Visual Reminder Myth; “Post-It Fallacy”

(00:26:44) Tool 5: Accountability Myth, “Don’t Tell the World” Rule

(00:31:35) Intrinsic Motivation & Goal Achievement

(00:33:22) Sponsor: AG1

(00:33:54) Tool 6: Measurable Goal; Quarterly Cycle

(00:37:35) Tool 7: Quantifiable Goals; Book Writing

(00:43:34) Tool 8: Visualization of End; Motivation & Negative Thinking

(00:50:38) Sponsor: InsideTracker

(00:51:44) Tool 9: Visual Target/Finish Line Training & Perceived Effort

(01:05:50) Tool 10: Distance from Phone

(01:08:31) Tool 11: Random, Intermittent Reinforcement; Cognitive Rewards

(01:17:11) Tool 12: “Middle Problem”; Time Chunking

(01:23:16) Tool 13: Circadian Rhythm & Attention

(01:30:09) Tool 14: Protocol Flexibility, Subjective Feelings

(01:32:13) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Momentous, Neural Network Newsletter, Social Media

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Huberman Lab

Goals Toolkit: How to Set & Achieve Your Goals

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Goal setting and pursuing goals

Motivation and visualization

Tools for goal pursuit

Goal initiation and overcoming resistance

The Power of Visual Focus in Increasing Motivation

Random Intermittent Reinforcement for Sustained Motivation

Overcoming the 'Middle Problem' and Optimizing Focus

How to Motivate Yourself When You're Not Motivated

Continually write out goals each day to remind yourself

The 12 Week Cycle of Goal Pursuit

The Properties of Dopamine and its Effects on Motivation

Thank you to our sponsors

Timestamps

Get the Snipd
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Huberman Lab

Goals Toolkit: How to Set & Achieve Your Goals

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Goal setting and pursuing goals

Motivation and visualization

Tools for goal pursuit

Goal initiation and overcoming resistance

The Power of Visual Focus in Increasing Motivation

Random Intermittent Reinforcement for Sustained Motivation

Overcoming the 'Middle Problem' and Optimizing Focus

How to Motivate Yourself When You're Not Motivated

Continually write out goals each day to remind yourself

The 12 Week Cycle of Goal Pursuit

The Properties of Dopamine and its Effects on Motivation

Thank you to our sponsors

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