The video explores the neuroscience of goals, highlighting the role of a single neural circuit in pursuing all goals. It provides four protocols for ongoing goal setting, assessment, and execution. The most profound aspect is the 85% Rule, which suggests setting the difficulty level of what you're trying to learn at around 85% for optimal learning. The video also discusses the brain circuits involved in setting and pursuing goals, the value of goals, and the psychology of goal setting. It introduces tools such as using focal vision to initiate goal pursuit, using aged self-images to self-motivate, and visualizing failure as an ongoing motivator. The video emphasizes the importance of setting moderately lofty goals, avoiding goal distraction, and ensuring specificity of goals. It also discusses the role of dopamine in motivation and pleasure, as well as how vision improves performance and influences dopamine levels. The video concludes with the concept of space-time bridging, which involves shifting focus from internal to external awareness to enhance goal-directed behaviors and thoughts.
The Neuroscience of Goals
The neuroscience of goals is explored in this video, which highlights the role of a single neural circuit in pursuing all goals. The video emphasizes the lack of public knowledge on the neuroscience aspect of goal setting and achievement. It offers four protocols for ongoing goal setting, assessment, and execution.
Key points:
- One neural circuit in the brain is responsible for pursuing all goals
- The circuit involves various brain areas and neurochemical mechanisms
- Limited public knowledge about the neuroscience aspect of goal setting and achievement
- Four protocols are provided for ongoing goal setting, assessment, and execution.
Tool 1: Learn Fast(er) by the 85% Rule
The most profound aspect of the text is the 85% Rule, which suggests that setting the difficulty level of what you're trying to learn at around 85% is optimal for learning.
- Neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to change in response to experience, is crucial for learning.
- Making errors while learning enhances neuroplasticity and increases focus and the likelihood of learning.
- Embracing errors as a part of the learning process is important.
- The 85% Rule suggests setting the level of difficulty of a task such that errors are made about 15% of the time.
- The goal should be challenging enough to promote growth, but not so difficult that progress becomes impossible.
- The 85% Rule applies to various domains, including sports, language, and math.
- Understanding this principle is important for both learners and teachers to achieve optimal learning outcomes.
- The 85% Rule is a metric that can be used to enhance learning and teaching.
- It takes into account factors such as sleep quality and clear instructions.
- The 85% Rule is beneficial for both students and teachers.
Brain Circuits for Setting & Pursuing Goals
The brain circuits involved in setting and pursuing goals include the amygdala, basal ganglia, lateral prefrontal cortex, and orbitofrontal cortex. These circuits are responsible for directing our thinking and actions towards specific goals. Humans have the unique ability to have multiple goals simultaneously, which poses a challenge in goal pursuit. The amygdala helps us avoid punishments and motivates us to pursue goals. The basal ganglia has circuits for initiating action and preventing action. The lateral prefrontal cortex is involved in planning and considering goals in different timeframes. The orbitofrontal cortex compares current and future emotionality when closer to a goal. These circuits are involved in decision-making processes and assess progress towards goals.
Determining the Value of Goals
- The video discusses the neural circuit involved in assessing the value of a goal and deciding whether or not to take action.
- Dopamine, a neuromodulator, plays a crucial role in assessing the value of pursuits.
- Understanding the underlying neurobiology can help set and pursue goals more effectively.
- The video promises to provide four practices to assess the value of specific actions in achieving goals.
Psychology of Goal Setting: Assessing Value, Action Steps
The psychology of goal setting involves assessing value and action steps. Key points include:
- Goal setting has been studied extensively, with common themes and elements identified.
- Acronyms like ABC and SMART are used in the psychology literature to guide goal setting.
- Key elements of goal setting include measurability, attainability, realism, and time-boundness.
- The SMARTER approach adds ethical and rewarding aspects to goal setting.
- Goal pursuit engages neural circuits in the brain and body.
- Effective goal setting requires concrete, action-oriented, inspirational, and time-bound goals.
- Breaking down big goals, visualizing the end result, and assessing progress are important.
- Neural circuits involved in goal setting include the amygdala, striatum, orbitofrontal cortex, and prefrontal cortex.
- Goal setting involves assessing value and taking action steps.
- Practical applications of this information can improve goal achievement protocols.
Peripersonal Space vs. Extrapersonal Space
Peripersonal Space vs. Extrapersonal Space: A Summary
Peripersonal space refers to the immediate space within and around our body, where consummatory behaviors occur, regulated by neurochemicals like serotonin. Extrapersonal space, on the other hand, encompasses everything beyond our immediate reach and involves different neuromodulators and neurochemicals.
Key Points:
- Peripersonal space includes our internal body sensations and objects easily accessible and interactable.
- Consuming things in peripersonal space is regulated by serotonin.
- Extrapersonal space refers to objects in another room or location.
- Thinking about things in extrapersonal space involves different neuromodulators and neurochemicals.
- Dopamine is associated with thinking about and orienting towards extrapersonal space.
- To be successful in goal setting and achievement, we need to switch between evaluating progress in peripersonal space and moving towards goals in extrapersonal space.
- Humans have the ability to evaluate progress over different timescales, not just in the immediate present.
- The video introduces a neuroscience-based tool to improve goal seeking and facilitate the transition between peripersonal and extrapersonal space.
- The speaker challenges the idea that visualization of a big goal is the best approach to achieving goals, suggesting an alternative method.
- Mistakes and misinformation exist in the literature and on the internet, particularly in the wellness, fitness, and cognitive fitness space.
Visually Focusing on a Goal Line Improves Performance
Focusing visually on a goal line improves performance and increases the likelihood of achieving goals. Research has shown that when individuals concentrate their visual attention on a specific location, such as a goal line, they are more successful in reaching their objectives and perceive that they exerted less effort. This finding applies to various tasks, including physical exercise.
Key points:
- Multitasking can be effective in achieving goals when done strategically
- Visual focus and narrowing the visual window to a fine point can increase clarity and the likelihood of achieving goals
- Looking at a dot or line for 30 to 60 seconds before engaging in dedicated work increases cognitive attention and the ability to stay focused
- Focusing visually on a goal line reduces perceived effort and increases speed
- Changes in the autonomic nervous system prepare us for action and enhance performance when we change where we look.
How Vision Improves Performance: Blood Pressure
Focusing our vision on a particular location increases our level of alertness, which in turn affects our circulatory system and blood flow. This connection between vision and blood pressure can be leveraged to improve performance and effectively move towards goals.
- The visual system has two branches: one for fine detail and one for global information.
- Focusing our visual attention on a particular point increases systolic blood pressure, activating neural circuits and releasing adrenaline.
- The visual system plays a crucial role in coupling the imagination of a goal with the physical pursuit of that goal.
- When our visual system is broad and not focused on anything in particular, our goal-directed behavior and blood pressure decrease.
Tool 2: Use Focal Vision to Initiate Goal Pursuit
Using focal vision, or directing your visual attention to a specific point, is the most effective way to initiate goal pursuit. This practice is more effective than multitasking, as it brings your brain and body into a state of readiness and action. Leveraging your visual system in this way can help you achieve your goals.
- Focusing on a specific point beyond one's peripersonal space enhances the effectiveness of pursuing goals.
- Holding visual attention on this point for 30 to 60 seconds improves focus and readiness for goal achievement.
- This technique is beneficial for individuals with ADHD and those without attentional issues.
Tool 3: Use Aged Self-Images to Self-Motivate
The ability to set and stick to long-term goals can be challenging due to variations in concern for the future and the phenomenon of delay discounting. However, goals that are personally rewarding tend to be more effective in motivating behavior in the long term. The use of aged self-images to self-motivate has been studied, showing that visualizing our future selves can impact our goal-directed behaviors. This concept can be applied to various scenarios, such as deterring unhealthy habits. Studies have shown that seeing images of our future selves can influence decisions regarding exercise and healthy eating. These findings highlight the power of visualization in goal-seeking.
Tool 4: Visualization of Goals is Only Helpful at the Start
Visualization of goals is only helpful at the start, as it can initiate pursuit but not maintain motivation or action. Scientific studies show that visualizing the end goal initially increases excitement, but this effect diminishes over time. Relying solely on visualization is not a reliable method for goal achievement. Instead, visualization should focus on visualizing failure.
Tool 5: Visualizing Failure is the Best Ongoing Motivator
Visualizing failure is an effective motivator for achieving goals, as it doubles the likelihood of success. By considering potential failures and obstacles, individuals can take proactive actions to prevent failure and increase their chances of success. This approach can be applied to various goals, such as fitness goals, by envisioning the negative outcomes of not taking action.
- Visualizing failure significantly increases the likelihood of achieving goals.
- Thinking about the negative consequences of not reaching a goal can motivate individuals to take action.
- The brain and body are wired to move away from fearful things, making the avoidance of failure a powerful motivator.
- Foreshadowing failure and focusing on avoiding it is more effective than solely focusing on positive outcomes.
Tool 6: Make Goals Moderately Lofty
Setting moderately lofty goals is important for achieving success.
- Research shows that setting goals at a moderate difficulty level increases the probability of achieving them.
- Goals should be realistic and attainable, but also inspirational and exciting.
- Moderately challenging goals foster motivation and commitment.
- Goals that are too easy or too difficult do not effectively engage the brain and body.
- It is crucial to strike a balance between ambition and feasibility for long-term success.
Tool 7: Avoid Goal Distraction; Focus on 1-2 Major Goals Per Year
Setting and achieving goals requires avoiding goal distraction and focusing on 1-2 major goals per year.
Key points:
- Pursuing too many goals at once can be counterproductive, so it is important to limit options and not get distracted by other goals.
- Having too many goals in our visual attention can draw our attention away from our main pursuits.
- Department stores have found that stocking shelves with many options leads to people buying more, as people are prone to orienting their attention to whatever is in front of them.
- Designing a workspace with fewer distractions can help optimize goal achievement.
- To avoid goal distraction, it is recommended to focus on 1-2 major goals per year.
- Having too many goals can lead to cognitive overload and hinder progress.
- By isolating and prioritizing goals, individuals can use their visual system to align and sequentially work towards each goal, increasing the likelihood of achievement.
Tool 8: Ensure Specificity of Goals, Weekly Assessment
Setting specific goals and having a concrete plan is crucial for achieving success. This involves detailing specific actions needed to achieve the desired outcome and regularly assessing progress. A study on recycling showed that when people were given a general call to recycle more, there was only a modest improvement. However, when a specific plan was provided, there was a significant and lasting improvement in recycling behavior. By constantly updating and refining action plans, individuals increase their chances of meeting their goals.
Dopamine, Motivation & Pleasure in Seeking Goals
Dopamine is the molecule of motivation, not pleasure. It is essential for our ability to seek out and achieve goals. Studies show that when dopamine is depleted or blocked, the motivation to pursue pleasure is greatly reduced.
Key points:
- Dopamine plays a role in goal-seeking behavior and is the common currency by which we pursue our goals.
- Dopamine is released in our brain when something positive and novel happens, leading to a greater state of motivation.
- This release of dopamine is known as reward prediction error.
Dopamine Reward Prediction Error, Controlling Dopamine
Dopamine reward prediction error is the concept that dopamine is released differently based on our anticipation of a reward. Understanding this concept can help us set milestones and goals effectively. Here are the key points:
- Dopamine is released in different ways depending on our anticipation of a reward.
- Unexpected positive events trigger a lot of dopamine release.
- Anticipated positive events lead to an increase in dopamine, but not as much as unexpected events.
- Predicted positive events that don't happen result in a drop in dopamine, leading to disappointment.
- Understanding reward prediction error can help in making better choices about where to place milestones and how far out in the future to place them.
- Subjective understanding of why we are pursuing a goal is crucial for its effects on us.
- Assessing progress on a weekly basis is important.
- Cognitive control and self-reward can amplify the dopamine system and set us up for positive unexpected rewards.
- Cold showers, cold water exposure, L-Tyrosine supplementation, and caffeine can increase dopamine levels and activate motivational states effectively.
- Consistent and high-amplitude waves of dopamine sustain motivation, while sudden surges can deplete the dopamine pool and require time to reset.
- Achieving self-set milestones and receiving positive feedback are key to generating dopamine waves and enhancing motivation.
How Dopamine Influences Vision & Vice Versa
Dopamine plays a crucial role in how our visual system interacts with our goals. Normal levels of dopamine lead to focused visual search, while low dopamine levels result in limited eye movement and lack of focus on future goals. Restoring dopamine levels can enhance visual focus. The relationship between dopamine and vision is reciprocal, with our visual system influencing dopamine levels and vice versa.
Key points:
- Dopamine influences how our visual system interacts with our goals
- Normal dopamine levels lead to focused visual search
- Low dopamine levels result in limited eye movement and lack of focus on future goals
- Restoring dopamine levels can enhance visual focus
- The relationship between dopamine and vision is reciprocal
Interim Summary of Goal-Pursuit Steps
The science of setting and achieving goals emphasizes the importance of moderately challenging goals that are possible to achieve. Effective strategies include concrete planning, foreshadowing failure, and removing distractions. Visual attention and activating the brain and body towards goal pursuit are key. The dopamine system and subjective top-down control play a role.
Tool 9: Space-Time Bridging
Tool 9: Space-Time Bridging is a technique that involves shifting focus from internal to external awareness to enhance goal-directed behaviors and thoughts. This can be done by using the visual system to gradually shift attention from peripersonal space to extra personal space. The technique provides flexibility and control over cognitive abilities.
Key points:
- Start by focusing on internal awareness before gradually shifting to external awareness
- Use the visual system to shift attention from peripersonal space to extra personal space
- Practice by closing eyes and directing visual attention internally, then gradually shifting it externally
- Enhances goal-directed behaviors and thoughts
- Provides flexibility and control over cognitive abilities
Summary
The most profound aspect of the video is the science of setting and achieving goals, with a focus on using the visual system to improve goal achievement.
Key points from the video include:
- Emily Balcetis' work on utilizing the visual system for goal attainment
- Emphasizing the importance of visualizing and forecasting failure rather than success
- Concrete planning and regular assessment of progress and rewards
- The practice of space-time bridging, connecting vision, space, time, and reward systems
- Identifying the basic steps for accomplishing goals, such as clearly defining the ultimate goal, setting milestones, and establishing a reward schedule
By incorporating these tools, viewers can enhance their pursuit of goals.