In this post, we’ll unpack all you need to know about goal setting, defining exactly what it is, the purpose of it, how it primes the brain, how to go about it and more.
What Is Goal Setting?
Goal setting is the process of consciously identifying specific outcomes that you wish to achieve in the future and then establishing a system which will help you achieve those outcomes.
The Purpose Of Setting Goals
Goals work like magnets ― they pull us in their direction. They provide focus and create fuel that compels us to take action. They help us grow and transform in ways that we may never have thought were possible.
Research shows that people who set and track the progress of their goals not only live happier lives, but longer lives too.
Why Goals Make Us Happy
When you set a goal, your brain perceives it as a potential for a “reward” (defined as anything that will enhance your survival) so it releases dopamine (a pleasure hormone) to motivate you to pursue the reward.
As you make progress towards your objective, your brain continues to release dopamine to continue motivating you to continue pursuing the reward.
However, once you have achieved your goal, the brain stops releasing dopamine and so you stop experiencing feelings of pleasure.
Thus, it is essential to always have goals you are working towards and do whatever you can to move closer to them ― even if it’s the smallest thing.
“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.” ― Albert Einstein
How Goals Prime The Brain
The human brain is a goal-seeking machine. However, in order for our brains to figure out how to achieve an outcome, first we must decide what that outcome is.
The moment we get clear on what we want, the brain (via the Reticular Activating System) immediately goes to work by noticing anything (information, recourses and opportunities) related to your outcome and creating a blueprint for you achieve it.
In other words, your brain is designed to create the outcome of whatever you program it with.
“Man is by nature a goal striving being…he is not happy unless he is functioning as he was made to function ― as a goal striver.” ― Maxwell Maltz
How To Set Them
The right goals create emotion and drive. However, for this to happen, you must set goals that are compelling enough to unlock these emotions.
For effective goal setting, we can apply the SMART strategy which consists of 5 elements:
- Specific: Ensure they are clear and precise.
- Measurable: Ensure you can measure progress.
- Achievable: Ensure you have the necessary recourses.
- Relevant: Ensure they are aligned with your life.
- Time: Ensure you set a start and end date.
Goals & Systems
In order to achieve a specific result, you need two things; a goal and a system.
Goals are about the results you want. Systems are about the processes that lead to the results you want.
Goals determine where you’re going. Systems determine how you’re getting there.
Goals create direction. Systems create progress.
Goals create ceilings. Systems create floors.
Goals determine how high you can rise. Systems determine how low you can fall.
Results are never the problem. It’s the system that you need to change.
Needs Versus Wants
Goals must be needs, not wants. Wants are luxuries. Needs are necessities. You’re going to work exponentially harder for something you need as opposed to something you want.
Break Down Your Goals
Always break down long-term goals into short-term goals, with multiple measurable steps. This sets up a regular reward system of dopamine-induced motivation.
The Power Of Visualisation
How you visualise an objective in your mind dictates how motivated you are to pursue it, your ability to achieve it, how you feel after you have achieved it and your capacity to tackle larger objectives.
Additionally, proximity to an objective determines the amount of investment and resources that people use to achieve it. In other words, the closer you feel to an objective, the more motivated you will be to pursue it.
Maximise the tangibility of your goals.
Know Your Why
You must create reasons for why you must achieve your goals so that your brain can connect your actions with rewards. In turn, you will be more motivated to pursue them and therefore more likely to achieve them.
The Power Of Documenting
Writing out your goals is one of the most effective ways to embed knowledge in your nervous system.
In a study conducted at Dominican University in California, researchers found that people who wrote their goals down were 42% more likely to achieve them.
In another study conducted by Harvard Business, researchers found that graduates who documented their goals earned 10 times as much as those who either had no goals or had goals but didn’t document them.
Writing our objectives down is strongly associated with increased success for a number of reasons.
Documenting our objectives allows us to tap into the power of mental visualisation, ensures we clearly define them, forces us to plan how to achieve them and primes the brain to notice anything that will help us achieve them.
Summary (TL;DR)
Goal setting is the process of consciously identifying a specific future desired outcome and then establishing a system that will help you achieve that outcome.
When you set an objective, the brain begins to look for anything that will help you achieve it.
The more we understand the science of goal setting, the more we increase our chances of success.