🧭 What Stops You From Achieving Your Goals

Good Day, and welcome to The Growth Compass. We are that feeling on January 1st when you feel the excitement and possibility of what a new year will bring you, while filled with gratitude for a great year that just ended.

Here's Where We Are Headed Today:

• James Clear on Goals

  • Why to Choose Systems with Goals

  • Andrew Huberman’s Goal Toolkit

  • Naval Ravikant and Others on Goals

    • Free Mental Fitness Links from the Week

Why to Choose Systems with Goals

Everyone is going to be setting their New Year’s Resolutions into place today so we wanted to talk to you about systems with your goals. Have you ever set a goal, only to find yourself veering off the path not long after? Whether it's a New Year's resolution, a fitness goal, or a professional ambition, we've all been there. The secret to overcoming these hurdles lies in one word: systems. Let's dive into why having a system is crucial when setting goals, the science behind it, and what experts have to say.

What is it: A system, in the context of goal setting, is a structured plan or method designed to guide you towards your goal. It's not just about the end result, but rather about the process, habits, and steps you take to get there.

Why it matters: Systems matter because they provide consistency and clarity. They help transform lofty ambitions into achievable steps, making the journey less daunting and more manageable.

Without a system, goals can feel overwhelming, leading to procrastination or abandonment of the goal entirely. A system acts as a daily guide, keeping you focused and on track, making the process of achieving your goals more systematic and less reliant on fleeting motivation or willpower.

What the science and experts have to say:

1. Dr. Gail Matthews’ Research on Goal Achievement: Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at the Dominican University in California, conducted a study on goal-setting strategies. Her research found that participants who wrote down their goals, shared them with a friend, and sent weekly updates were on average 33% more successful in accomplishing their stated goals than those who merely formulated goals.

2. Kaizen and Lean Manufacturing Studies: Kaizen is a cornerstone of lean manufacturing principles and focuses on continuous, incremental improvement. Research in this area shows that implementing Kaizen leads to significant enhancements in productivity, quality, and employee satisfaction. These improvements are often achieved through regular, small changes rather than large, infrequent overhauls or the setting of goals. This example highlights the effect of looking towards a system of continuous improvements with habits and slight changes instead of setting one goal and moving on to the next one.

Andrew Huberman’s Goal Toolkit

Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist and author of the Huberman Lab podcast. In this episode, he details science-based protocols to set and achieve your goals in a way that maximizes the likelihood of reaching them. The entire podcast is a great listen, but I have done the hard work and broken down some of the key components for you.

Set Goal Intervals of 12 Weeks - The recommendation here for 12-week intervals is rooted in the concept of periodization. Periodization is a well-established strategy in sports science and athletic training, where an athlete's training program is divided into specific, structured time periods or phases, each with distinct goals and approaches. The idea is to optimize performance, prevent overtraining, and prepare the athlete for peak performance at the right time.

This methodical approach helps athletes develop and progress in a controlled, systematic way. It avoids the pitfalls of monotony and overtraining, while continually adapting to the evolving needs of the athlete.

The rationale is that 12 weeks, or roughly three months, is a significant enough period to see meaningful progress in a goal, yet it's short enough to maintain focus and motivation. Within these intervals, goals can be broken down into smaller, more manageable tasks, allowing for steady progress and regular assessment. This approach also provides flexibility, enabling adjustments based on performance and feedback, similar to how training regimens are adjusted for athletes.

How should you interact with your goals on a daily basis?

• Make them visible: Print and visibly place goals where you can see them. This is based on the principle of environmental cues influencing behavior, as discussed in various psychological studies. However, Huberman advises altering their location frequently to prevent habituation.

• Hand-Write Them: Writing goals by hand for better memory and reinforcement is supported by a study published in Psychological Science, which found that students who took notes by hand had a better understanding of the material.

• Keep Goals Private: Sharing goals can create a premature sense of accomplishment, as per research by Peter Gollwitzer in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. It's suggested that keeping goals private until substantial progress is made can be more beneficial.

What about other topics that help with goals like visualization, rewards, and tough patches?

• Use WHOOP and Visualization for Motivation: Visualizing both success and failure, depending on motivation levels, is a technique grounded in sports psychology. Athletes use the WHOOP technique to better overcome those challenging moments. Studies have shown that athletes who visualize both successful and challenging scenarios perform better.

• Use Rewards Unpredictably: The Random Rewards System, a key concept in behavioral psychology, suggests that behaviors are reinforced and more likely to be repeated when rewards are given at unpredictable intervals, rather than in a predictable pattern. This can help with maintaining long-term motivation and commitment to the task. For instance, if you're working towards a fitness goal, you might choose to reward yourself at random intervals – sometimes after one session, other times after three. This unpredictability keeps the reward system more engaging and can prevent habituation, where the individual no longer finds the reward motivating.

• Set Intermediate Goals to Avoid Slumps - The gradient theory originating from the field of behavioral economics and psychology, suggests that an individual's motivation to reach a goal increases progressively as they get closer to the goal. In terms of goal setting, when a task is broken into smaller segments, each mini-goal achieved brings a sense of progress and a boost in motivation By subdividing tasks and setting intermediate milestones, you can leverage the goal gradient effect to maintain motivation throughout the journey, especially during periods where it tends to wane.

Anything else that I should know?

• Identifying Your Peak Motivation Times: Recognizing peak motivation times aligns with circadian rhythm research, indicating that our energy and focus fluctuate at different times of the day.

• Employ Time Blocks Strategically: The strategy of using time blocks is based on time management research, which suggests that dedicated time periods for specific tasks can enhance focus and productivity.

• Embrace Being Flexible: Finally, the emphasis on flexibility over rigid adherence to routines is supported by psychological research indicating that well-being is more influenced by adaptive behavior and positive self-perception.

The implementation of systematic approaches in goal setting and pursuit is crucial for achieving success. Understanding and being specific about your goals, and measuring progress against clearly defined criteria, are fundamental in ensuring that efforts are directed effectively.

The goal is to find and set up a system that works for you. The system should be designed for you to review and reflect on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.

Taking time each day or week to reflect and evaluate progress ensures consistent engagement with your goals, reinforcing commitment and focus. By continually monitoring and adjusting your course, you maintain alignment with your overarching ambitions, ensuring that each step taken is a meaningful stride towards your desired outcomes.

Naval Ravikant and Others on Goals

That's a wrap for today. If you want to spread the joy, make sure to refer the newsletter to someone you think would benefit!