Vision takes up more real estate & visual processing in the brain as compared to any of the other senses. We prioritise what we see because we believe what we see.Narrowing our visual aperture changes the way we perceive time:<ul><li>Seeing the world through narrowed focus or spotlight is helpful when we need an extra push to get us to the finish line.</li><li>When we are stressed or aroused in any way, pupils enlarge which equates to a narrowing of the visual aperture.</li></ul>People with anxiety or depression have more attention captured by negative things or reinforcing of world view.

What Makes Visual Field Unique?

If you have more energy, the world looks easier; the distance to the finish line doesn’t look as far.

Tying vision to the process of learning a language helps enhance outcomes.<ul><li>Don’t count on your memory alone, write down your progress or record on your phone to accurately track</li><li>Use tools for progress tracking.</li></ul>

Approaching Cognitive, Non-Physical Goals

Proximity to a goal increases the investment and resources that people use to meet that goal.

Visual experiences change in relation to different states of our body - people who experience chronic fatigue, elderly, and overweight perceive distances as farther, hills steeper.Study findings: people when given a sugary energy drink, perceived their space as more constricted and the finish line was closer to them.How to overcome: narrowing the visual field will help allocate resources in the right direction.

How Motivated Versus Unmotivated People View The World

How you visualise a goal or problem in your mind dictates how well you lean into that goal: whether you will be able to meet the goal, how you feel after & your capacity to tackle larger goals.Do you have trouble finishing your run? Focus on intermediate targets along the way which makes the goal feel closer and you push harder.

Set goals that are challenging but not impossible.

Goals most people struggle with are usually related to health, exercise, diet. Runners who use a narrowed scope of vision/attention in races have better outcomes than those who don’t.Strategies to focus visual field:<ul><li>Look straight ahead at the goal/finish line;</li><li>Set a target at some marker of significance;</li><li>And move to the next as you hit.</li></ul>Goal-gradient hypothesis: the closer you get to the goal, the harder you work to finish that goal.Tip: induce an illusion of proximity that makes the goal look closer and keeps you pushing harder.

Relationship Between Visual Field, Exercise, & Goal Setting

Creating a visual manifestation (e.g., vision board, lists) of your goal is effective for identifying what you want, but not necessarily effective in actually meeting the goal.To put vizualization into action:<ol><li>Plan - break into down into practical day-to-day;</li><li>Think about obstacles that stand in the way of success so they don’t surprise you along the way.</li></ol>Foreshadow failure and plan solutions to set yourself up for success.

Using Visualisation To Start

The process of goal setting shouldn’t stop at articulating what the goal is.

For a lot of people, it’s not about getting from start to finish, it’s about getting to start.

In this episode of Huberman Lab, Andrew Huberman & Dr. Emily Balcetis explain how to best visualise and overcome challenges in pursuit of larger, complex goals. They also discuss the science of defining goals, setting milestones, overcoming obstacles, and tracking progress.

My guest this episode is Dr. Emily Balcetis, PhD, Professor of Psychology at New York University (NYU). Dr. Balcetis’ research focuses on how our perception of the world, particularly our visual perceptions, influences our level and persistence of motivation, how we conceptualize goals, actual goal achievement, and our emotional state as we pursue goals. Dr. Balcetis explains how to best visualize and overcome challenges in pursuit of larger, complex goals. We also discuss the science of how to define goals and intermediate milestones, overcome obstacles, and effectively track progress. This episode highlights science-based, immediately actionable tools that anyone can use to set and achieve physical and/or cognitive goals more effectively. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman  Thesis: https://takethesis.com/huberman Levels: https://levels.link/huberman ROKA: https://roka.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com Timestamps (00:00:00) Dr. Emily Balcetis, Visualization of Goals & Motivation (00:03:24) Momentous Supplements (00:04:38) Thesis, Levels, ROKA (00:08:08) Vision & Motivation (00:11:37) Tool: Narrowing Visual Focus & Improving Exercise (00:21:39) Adjusting Visual Attention & Perceived Fatigue (00:25:14) Tool: Visual Focus “Spotlight” (00:27:57) Tool: Goal Gradient Hypothesis, Visual Spotlight to Increase Effort (00:33:38) AG1 (Athletic Greens) (00:35:00) Defining Goals vs. Accomplishing Goals, Dream Boards & Goal Lists  (00:41:28) Tool: How to Setting Better Goals & Identify Obstacles (00:46:38) Vision is Unique, Challenging the Visual System, Realistic Goals & Micro-Goals (00:57:12) Do Fit People View the World Differently?, States of Body & Visual Experiences (01:05:54) Caffeine, Stimulants, Visual Windows & Motivation (01:10:13) Tools: Goal Setting & Cognitive (Non-Physical) Goals, Data Collection (01:21:54) Year in Review & Memory (01:26:32) Visual Tools & Mental Health, Depression & Visual Priming (01:31:33) Focusing Attention & Increasing Visual Detail/Resolution (01:36:12) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Neural Network Newsletter, Instagram, Twitter, Momentous Supplements Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

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Productivity

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Personal Development

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Health

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Problem Solving

My guest this episode is Dr. Emily Balcetis, PhD, Professor of Psychology at New York University (NYU). Dr. Balcetis’ research focuses on how our perception of the world, particularly our visual perceptions, influences our level and persistence of motivation, how we conceptualize goals, actual goal achievement, and our emotional state as we pursue goals. Dr. Balcetis explains how to best visualize and overcome challenges in pursuit of larger, complex goals. We also discuss the science of how to define goals and intermediate milestones, overcome obstacles, and effectively track progress. This episode highlights science-based, immediately actionable tools that anyone can use to set and achieve physical and/or cognitive goals more effectively. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Dr. Emily Balcetis, Visualization of Goals & Motivation (00:03:41) Sponsors: LMNT (00:08:08) Vision & Motivation (00:11:37) Tool: Narrowing Visual Focus & Improving Exercise (00:21:39) Adjusting Visual Attention & Perceived Fatigue (00:25:14) Tool: Visual Focus “Spotlight” (00:27:57) Tool: Goal Gradient Hypothesis, Visual Spotlight to Increase Effort (00:32:23) Sponsor: AG1 (00:35:00) Defining Goals vs. Accomplishing Goals, Dream Boards & Goal Lists  (00:41:28) Tool: How to Setting Better Goals & Identify Obstacles (00:46:38) Vision is Unique, Challenging the Visual System, Realistic Goals & Micro-Goals (00:57:12) Do Fit People View the World Differently?, States of Body & Visual Experiences (01:05:54) Caffeine, Stimulants, Visual Windows & Motivation (01:10:13) Tools: Goal Setting & Cognitive (Non-Physical) Goals, Data Collection (01:21:54) Year in Review & Memory (01:26:32) Visual Tools & Mental Health, Depression & Visual Priming (01:31:33) Focusing Attention & Increasing Visual Detail/Resolution (01:36:12) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Neural Network Newsletter, Instagram, Twitter, Momentous Supplements Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

Huberman Lab discusses neuroscience: how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health. We also discuss existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works. Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. His laboratory studies neural regeneration, neuroplasticity, and brain states such as stress, focus, fear, and optimal performance. For more than 20 years, Dr. Huberman has consistently published original research findings and review articles in top-level peer-reviewed journals, including Nature, Science, Cell, Neuron, and Current Biology. He is a regular member of several National Institutes of Health review panels and a Fellow of the McKnight Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts. Dr. Huberman regularly consults for technology development companies, professional athletic organizations, and various units of U.S. and Canadian Special Operations.