Huberman tips for making an amazing new year plan!

Hey ! it’s that time of year. Setting goals isn’t fun. Let’s make it suck less.

Huberman analyzed the science. He found the factors that determine goal success. If you use them, you’ll have a great 2024.

There are 5 main elements related to ‘setting’ the goal. I’m sorry, he didn’t share the mechanism for them - like how they work in the brain. But it’s fine, we can still work around these.

1. Set 1 goal at a time. It’s just easier for your brain to focus. From a cognitive and visual perspective.

2. Be hyper-specific about how you’ll work on that goal. Like, the to-dos you need to do routinely.

3. Check in every week or quarter and assess your progress.

4. Don’t tell people about the goal. Apparently, people get a dopamine hit from people encouraging them. But this makes them feel satisfied with people’s opinions about the goal, instead of the goal itself. So they don’t work harder.

5. Have 1 accountability buddy, who’s only there to keep you accountable - they shouldn’t encourage you either. just reminders

Not another useless list 🥲🥲! Let’s set the goal together. We won’t wait till you have time to work on this. This’ll only take 2 minutes.

Action time

Sitting at a desk and coming up with goals is boring. A blank page and no idea where to start.

So we’ll do this differently. We’ll just set one goal and make a plan for it now

This is a workbook, not an article. You cannot do this by simply reading. But it’s worth it. Your dream goal > 2 minutes of discomfort.

Act #1: Choose one goal. Think about what you care about the most for this year. Health, money, relationships, mindset, whatever.

Don’t worry, you can make other goals later. Now we’re just setting 1 goal together to ensure it succeeds. Okay?

Don’t move to the next step before finishing the first. It’s hard to choose one, I know. It’s not the only goal. Just the first goal.

Choose a goal. — do now

Done?

Alright, wonderful! We move to step 2.

Act 2: Think about the specific traits and habits you need to take to reach that goal. How do you act to get the goal?

Example: So if your goal is to wake up every day full of energy, the habits are sleeping early, not going clubbing, choosing salads over oily burgers, taking vitamins, etc.
If your goal is to launch a business, the habits are spending weekends researching and developing, taking a marketing course, setting up paperwork, etc.

So.

What are the habits and steps needed for your goal?

This is the moment when you stop reading, open your notes, and start writing these habits 🥳🥳.

I’m watching you -_-

write them as a text if that’s easier.

Act 3: 

Send the details to one person. If you don’t know anyone, then text yourself. Put the big goal as a title. And under it, put the to-dos from step 2.

— do now

Then, on a new line or message, write the timeframes you want that person to check in with you. It could be at the 6-month mark, once a month, or even every day.

— do now

The check-ins are so important. I think it’s the biggest reason we’re not consistent. We just forget. Or our environment changes and we don’t adapt.

So that’s all you need.

That’s all the steps!

Honestly, if you did these, you get a huge salute 🫡🫡. But my encouragement is bad for you, so never mind :).

I won’t be proud of you until you hit the goal.

So, if you haven’t already, one last time. Write them down in a list

1. Goal ⭐

2. List of habits and action steps 🔁

3. Timelines for completion and check-ins ⏳

I know it’s hard to write these 3. It needs your effort. But might as well just get it done now, right?

Wonderful. Keep that note saved.

Other goal-setting tips acc. to HL science:

1. Stickers on laptops and fridges are useless. That’s because our eyes adapt and cancel them out after a few days so we don’t notice them.

2. Make the goal moderately difficult

3. Visualize the worst-case scenario to activate your amygdala and trigger a fear response into action

4. Get a dopamine hit, sometimes. Random rewards, like suddenly looking in the mirror and seeing progress are great. Obsessing over everything all the time isn’t.

5. Circadian rhythms are more geared towards action in the early part of the day. So work on the hard stuff in the morning.

6. Stick through the dip. The hardest part is the hardest part. It’s where you know that you’re on the verge of success.