Tools for Goal Setting (Andrew Huberman) Link to heading

Pre-Requisite Link to heading

  • Getting adequate sleep
  • Eat good whole food
  • Sunlight
  • Social connection
  • Movement

First question - what goal do I want to pursue? Link to heading

Choose priority goal Link to heading

Pursue Lofty goal Link to heading

  • Many goals simultaneously fail
  • Priority goal (Maybe a priority goal in a phase)
  • Attain one goal for a phase. Spend serious time to define that one goal for a particular pursuit period.
  • How to choose that one goal
    • Write out different things that you want from that one goal
    • Cross off the various things that you are willing to put off for the time being
    • Circle the things that you are willing to focus on
  • Having the one priority will really help in achieving that goal.
  • It’s not that easy goals are easy to achieve, since it doesn’t really challenge you and you are not going to enjoy the small things you are achieving the big goal. But you will have to set time to do other things in life as well.
  • Create a lofty goal than a mundane goal.
    • Set level of progress and track that
    • In doing all of this you will face uncomfortable situations and may face anxiety, It is a gateway to neuroplasticity
    • Tracking progress is very important, keep checking for progress

Define specific verbs (actions) required to achieve that goal Link to heading

  • It’s really important to attach specificity in the goal
  • Define goal and specificity in a piece of paper with pen or pencil. always attaches more to the neural pathway
  • Major block of action that requires you to achieve that goal.
    • for example if running, then I’m going to run x number of miles per week
    • If weight training, then be specific about what you will be doing when going to the gym.
    • Specificity in time and effort that you are willing to dedicate.

Specificity and Measurability are most important Link to heading

  • Being specific helps a lot with achieving the goal
  • Think of spending time in setting specificity of actions and time/duration for the actions

Common myths Link to heading

Sticky note doesn’t work :( Link to heading

  • If set a post-it and put it on anywhere, it increases the probability that you will achieve it. It doesn’t work like that because your visual system adapts to the environment. Anything that shows up regularly gets canceled out.
  • Better approach is to keep writing every day.

Accountability is BS Link to heading

  • If we inform people around us about our goals, then we receive positive feedback from people around us. The data tell us that the positive feedback that we get from people around us activates the reward system around us, which makes us slack off. The positive feedback diminishes the possibility of us actually doing it. Damn, I keep doing this all the time
  • Best thing to do, keep the goal to yourself. Don’t tell the world, instead write it every day
  • The problem with telling people is that telling people gives Dopamine and neurochemical reward when we tell people what we are aiming for.

Intrinsic Motivation Link to heading

  • Learning how to derive pleasure from the pursuit of a goal. Motivation from the act of pursuing the goal is more important than trying to prove someone wrong.

Measurability of the goal Link to heading

  • How long will it take to achieve the goal
  • How much time are you willing to spend trying to achieve the goal? (x amount of hours per day or per week)
  • 12 weeks cycle. One quarter
  • Consistency is very important. Establish a 12-week period of time. If the goal is less than 12 weeks, maybe you can find a level of the goal which might take increase the time you will take to achieve to 12 weeks.
  • Define how many hours/weeks. Define how many hours/day and particular days that you will be spending for the goal.
  • Write it down with pencil on paper

Quantify/Define the goal Link to heading

  • For example, trying to run a sub 5-minute mile. Which is very quantifiable to achieve the goal.
  • But in most of the pursuits, it is very to quantify the goal, it is very difficult to define the goal.
  • Therefore it is very important to define the verb actions, as they are the most quantifiable part of a goal.
  • For example, writing a book.
    • Most experienced writers just set time aside where they will just write x number of pages a day. They aren’t waiting for inspiration to hit them or anything of that sort.
    • The goal cannot be to have a bestseller book. Instead, when setting the verb actions and deciding how much time to set aside for it and being able to do it will be more useful.

Goal pursuit Link to heading

  • Do I want to pursue this goal? Do I want to do the things required to pursue this goal?

2 different strategies If you have set out a plan and have reached the point of starting the pursuit of the goal but can’t feel motivated, can’t get yourself to start it then these 2 strategies might help. Visualize the End If you ask yourself, Do I want to achieve this goal? Do I want to do the things required to