My guest this episode is Dr. Emily Balcetis, PhD, Professor of Psychology at New York University (NYU). Dr. Balcetis’ research focuses on how our perception of the world, particularly our visual perceptions, influences our level and persistence of motivation, how we conceptualize goals, actual goal achievement, and our emotional state as we pursue goals. Dr. Balcetis explains how to best visualize and overcome challenges in pursuit of larger, complex goals. We also discuss the science of how to define goals and intermediate milestones, overcome obstacles, and effectively track progress. This episode highlights science-based, immediately actionable tools that anyone can use to set and achieve physical and/or cognitive goals more effectively.For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.comThank you to our sponsorsAG1: https://athleticgreens.com/hubermanLMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlabWaking Up: https://wakingup.com/hubermanMomentous: https://livemomentous.com/hubermanTimestamps(00:00:00) Dr. Emily Balcetis, Visualization of Goals & Motivation(00:03:41) Sponsors: LMNT(00:08:08) Vision & Motivation(00:11:37) Tool: Narrowing Visual Focus & Improving Exercise(00:21:39) Adjusting Visual Attention & Perceived Fatigue(00:25:14) Tool: Visual Focus “Spotlight”(00:27:57) Tool: Goal Gradient Hypothesis, Visual Spotlight to Increase Effort(00:32:23) Sponsor: AG1(00:35:00) Defining Goals vs. Accomplishing Goals, Dream Boards & Goal Lists (00:41:28) Tool: How to Setting Better Goals & Identify Obstacles(00:46:38) Vision is Unique, Challenging the Visual System, Realistic Goals & Micro-Goals(00:57:12) Do Fit People View the World Differently?, States of Body & Visual Experiences(01:05:54) Caffeine, Stimulants, Visual Windows & Motivation(01:10:13) Tools: Goal Setting & Cognitive (Non-Physical) Goals, Data Collection(01:21:54) Year in Review & Memory(01:26:32) Visual Tools & Mental Health, Depression & Visual Priming(01:31:33) Focusing Attention & Increasing Visual Detail/Resolution(01:36:12) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Neural Network Newsletter, Instagram, Twitter, Momentous SupplementsDisclaimer

Social psychologist Emily Balcetis has devoted her career to understanding how people’s perceptions of the world fuel their motivations and life goals. In this episode she goes in-depth on that wealth of research, what she’s learned from studying some of the world’s most successful people and how they set goals, and how you can get better results in life if you change the way you see the world and where you place your focus.   Balcetis is an Associate Professor of Psychology at New York University (NYU), focused on how the motivations, emotions, needs, and goals people hold impact the basic ways people perceive, interpret, and ultimately react to information around them. She is also the author of the book Clearer, Closer, Better: How Successful People See the World, which was released in 2020. -- Want even more? Members get early access, hand-edited transcripts, member-only episodes, and so much more. Learn more here: https://fs.blog/membership/ Every Sunday our Brain Food newsletter shares timeless insights and ideas that you can use at work and home. Add it to your inbox: https://fs.blog/newsletter/ Follow Shane on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/ShaneAParrish Our Sponsors: MetaLab: Helping the world’s top companies design, build, and ship amazing products and services. https://www.metalab.com Aeropress: Press your perfect cup, every time. https://aeropress.com House of Macadamias: Nourish your daily routine, and nurture your lifestyle. https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/TKP

Dr. Emily Balcetis, an associate professor at NYU and author of "Clearer, Closer," dives into the fascinating interplay between vision and motivation. She discusses how visual perception shapes our goals and decisions, emphasizing the importance of focused visual stimuli for success. Through social experiments, she explores women’s aspirations and the impact of supportive relationships. Balcetis also tackles the societal pressures on women to 'have it all,' underscoring how these dynamics affect personal and professional choices.

Author Emily Balcetis discusses trust in the world, navigating failure, and the journey versus the reward. They also explore how optimism and pessimism impact goal pursuit and discuss the fresh start effect in setting new goals and overcoming failures.

Emily Balcetis is an Associate Professor of Psychology at New York University. She is the author of more than 70 scientific publications and her work has been covered in Forbes, Newsweek, Time, National Public Radio, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and many others. She has also received numerous awards for her work.  Eric and Emily discuss her book, Clearer, Closer, Better: How Successful People See the WorldBut wait – there’s more! The episode is not quite over!! We continue the conversation and you can access this exclusive content right in your podcast player feed. Head over to our Patreon page and pledge to donate just $10 a month. It’s that simple and we’ll give you good stuff as a thank you!Emily Balcetis and I Discuss How to Focus and Accomplish Goals and…Her book, Clearer, Closer, Better: How Successful People See the WorldHer decision to tackle learning to play drumsThe four tools of accomplishing a goalWhat it means to materialize a goalHow our brains can’t be trusted to accurately assess our progress toward our goalThe importance of writing down and tracking progress Figuring out what we want to accomplish AND creating a plan of actionForeshadowing obstacles that might get in our way and how you’ll deal with them increases your chances of successThe value of narrowing your focus of attentionHow time is a big determinant of what goals we set and whether we reach those goalsFinding ways to connect your current self with your future self can make it easier to make tougher choices that lead to better outcomes laterHow it sometimes makes sense to have a “wide bracket” or broader perspectiveThe power of framing and how what we see predicts what we doEmily Balcetis Links:Emily BalcetisTwitterWhen you purchase products and/or services from the sponsors of this episode, you help support The One You Feed. Your support is greatly appreciated, thank you!If you enjoyed this conversation with Emily Balcetis, you might also enjoy these other episodes:How to Change with Katy MilkmanBehavior Change with John NorcrossSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.