Wassup guys and girls.
I recently watched a REALLY cool video by Professor Andrew Huberman titled “Goals Toolkit: How to Set & Achieve Your Goals”.
The video was great because Huberman usually gives recommendations that are based on a lot of scientific studies.
The video is also kind of LONG, so I’m going to save you guys the trouble and give you my 3 favorite takeaways.
Let’s goooo!
12-week goals might be better than annual goals.
When you pursue any goal, you have to deal with something called The Middle Problem.
Most of you can relate to this. We are usually the MOST motivated at the beginning and near the end of pursuing a goal. It's the middle part that's hardest.
And because annual goals have a longer middle part than 12-week goals, you're more likely to achieve your 12-week goals.
Now, you might be wondering, "Why not just make my goals even shorter than 12 weeks?" Because you totally can.
But, according to the scientific literature that Andrew Huberman read, he recommends 12-week goals because they're long enough for you to see significant progress and short enough for you to sustain your motivation.
So, if you're struggling with pursuing annual goals, consider pursuing 12-week goals.
What if you have a goal you want to achieve but you’re not feeling motivated?
If that’s the case, spend one to three minutes with your eyes closed and imagine what it would look like if you don't reach your goal.
Visualize the negative consequences and feelings associated with not achieving your goal.
You might feel frustrated or disappointed while doing this, but this exercise should stimulate brain chemicals to kickstart your motivation.
But here's the important part: this isn't about being mean to yourself. It's not about saying, "Hey, you're a failure if you don't reach your goals."
Nope, not at all. Don't make it a personal attack.
Here’s a concrete example: sometimes, I don't want to drive for Uber.
But instead of beating myself up, I think about the consequences.
If I don't drive Uber, I don't make money. If I don't make money, I'm going to be broke. And the feeling of being broke feels kind of like sh#t. Imagining this gives me the motivation to go do the work.
There’s this myth that before you pursue a goal, you should tell other people about it.
Some people would argue that’s a form of accountability.
But when you look at the science, it usually doesn’t work.
When you spill the beans about your goal before taking any action, most people will shower you with positivity. They'll be all like, "You've got this!" and "We believe in you!"
This causes your brain to release some happy chemicals, making it feel like you’ve already accomplished the goal. Therefore, you end up less likely to do the work necessary to achieve the goal.
The exception to this myth is when people give you negative feedback before a goal pursuit.
Oddly enough, it can light a fire under you, especially if you want to prove the other person wrong.
But let's be real, when you share your goal with friends and family, they usually cheer you on. And that's a problem.
All that praise tricks your brain into thinking you've already crossed the finish line.
So, my takeaway?
Take action and get some results first before telling people about it.
If you liked today’s email, leave a comment.
As always, thanks for reading!
-George 🐙