How to Set & Achieve Goals: 2 Surprising Science-Backed Steps You Must Follow

Do you want to know how to set your goals so you can easily achieve them?

Do you want the only 2 science-backed steps you need to hit your goals?

Have no idea what your goals are or where to even start?

This episode is a comprehensive toolkit that will help you set the goals that inspire you. You’ll feel excited about what’s ahead and what you need to do to achieve it. You’ll not only learn the correct way to set goals according to research, but by the end of the episode, you will have even taken the first steps toward your goal.

The companion workbook to this episode can be found at melrobbins.com/bestyear. 

In this episode, Mel covers:

• How to set goals the right way and get incredible results
• Why goal-setting is so important, based on decades of research
• The most exciting new research on goals will change how you approach the new year or any new project you want to tackle.
• The 3 goals for 2024 that Mel highlights as the most important
• The 4 science-backed hacks to use when you’re not sure what your goals should be
• The 3 things all successful goals should have
• 2 components of a goal that almost guarantee you will achieve it
• Why neuroscience says your brain needs these 2 components of a goal
• The 5 mistakes you (and everyone else) make when you set goals
• A powerful question about goals from Columbia University researchers
• The most important thing you should do as soon as you set your goal

This episode comes with a 29-page companion workbook. This workbook is designed using the latest research to help you get clear about what you want and empower you to take the next step forward in your life. And the cool part? It takes less than a minute for you to get your hands on it.

Just sign up at melrobbins.com/bestyear.

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In this episode, you'll learn:

• 04:57: How to set goals the right way and get incredible results
• 07:51: Why goal setting is so important, based on decades of research
• 11:29: The most exciting new research on goals that will change how you approach the new year or any new project you want to tackle
• 14:34: The 3 goals for 2024 that Mel highlights as the most important
• 17:49: The 4 science-backed hacks to use when you’re not sure what your goals should be
• 26:57: 2 components of a goal that almost guarantees you will achieve it 
• 29:07: The 3 things all successful goals should have 
• 36:23: The 5 mistakes you (and everyone else) make when you set goals 
• 46:56: Why neuroscience says your brain needs these 2 components of a goal
• 51:07: A powerful question about goals from Columbia University researchers 
• 56:47: The most important thing you should do as soon as you set your goal

Resources and go deeper:

• National Library of Medicine: The Neuroscience of Goals and Behavior Change
• Journal of Substance Abuse: The resolution solution: Longitudinal examination of New Year's change attempts
• Journal of Happiness Studies: Increasing well-being through teaching goal-setting and planning skills: results of a brief intervention
• Dr. Richard Davidson’s Book: Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body
• Engineering Happiness: A New Approach for Building a Joyful Life 
• Science Direct: Attainment versus maintenance goals: Perceived difficulty and impact on goal choice
• Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Coherence and Congruence: Two Aspects of Personality Integration
• Sage Journals: When Death is Good for Life: Considering the Positive Trajectories of Terror Management
• Science Direct: Do mindful people set better goals? Investigating the relation between trait mindfulness, self-concordance, and goal progress
• Science Daily: Third-person Perspective Is Helpful In Meeting Goals
• Dr. Richard Wiseman: How To Keep Your New Year’s Resolution
• Roy Baumeiste: Rediscovering your willpower 
• Journal of Consumer Research: The Effect of Goal Specificity on Consumer Goal Reengagement
• Journal of Consumer Research: The Unexpected Positive Impact of Fixed Structures on Goal Completion
• American Psychological Association: When goals are known: The effects of audience relative status on goal commitment and performance
• University of Chicago: The Goal-Gradient Hypothesis Resurrected: Purchase Acceleration, Illusionary Goal Progress, and Customer Retention
• New York Times: The Arrival Fallacy