Goal setting works because it taps into our natural evolved tendency to seek a future state that is better than the one we are in now. You get a dopamine hit when in pursuit of a goal. The anticipation of achieving something you desire lights up your brain. It could be your next meal, an attractive mate, or a life or business goal you've been working on patiently for 6 months.
Knowing how to set goals properly is the ultimate bio-hack. When you get it right you'll be using your biology, and hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, to direct your energy and succeed in something important to you. So how do we set goals properly?
STEP 1 - Figure out what you want in life
This is actually harder than it sounds. If you set goals that are too specific then the natural ebb and flow of progress will make it feel like you're moving away from your goals rather than towards them. Try to figure out the direction you want to head in. What will you use as a guide to measure your success as you grow? Why is this important to you? Think about the goals you can set to get what you want.
For example at Project Better we want to inspire purpose in others, and encourage people to live purposefully and reach their full potential. This is our measuring stick and we base our goals on this philosophy.
STEP 2 - Break your goals down
It is easy to dream up big goals based on what we want from life. Big house. Fast car. Lots of money in the bank. Anyone can do this, and most people do. But these are just dreams. What we need now is a plan.
How can you break your big goals and ultimate direction down into a manageable plan? Work back from your big goals, turning them into an acton list of smaller goals that you can complete in one to six months.
STEP 3 - Take action consistently
Taking action is how you make things happen. In fact it is the only way you can make things happen. To reach your goals and be successful you need to start working on your plan and completing your action list of small goals. If these seem daunting and you find you're procrastinating then your goals are still too big. Break them down further.
STEP 4 - Add nootropics to the mix
Through goal setting you can harness your brain chemistry and focus your energy on getting what you want from life. So why wouldn't you add nootropics and keep your brain performing optimally for longer? (Read more about nootropics on our nootropics FAQ page). Goal setting is all about focus and action, two well known benefits of nootropics. So adding nootropics to your goal setting routine will bring you better results in less time.
BONUS STEP - Keep going
Truly successful people understand something that most people don't. They know things don't always go to plan. The key to their success is that they keep going. So if you don't reach your goals straight away, or it takes longer than you planned, that's OK. Just keep going and don't give up. Consistent action is the key to real progress.
