The Science Of Setting Goals You Actually Achieve with Emily Balcetis | 141

Send us Fan MailIn the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Michael Phelps dove into the pool for his eighth gold medal race, the race that would make him the greatest Olympian in history. Then his goggles started leaking. He couldn't see the wall. He couldn't see the finish. He won anyway. NYU psychologist Dr. Emily Balcetis explains what he did, why it worked, and how the same mental mechanism is what separates elite performers from everyone else.Emily is one of the world's leading researchers on how what we want changes what we see. Her TED talk has nearly 4 million views. She has spent twenty years studying Olympic athletes, marathon runners, and highly ambitious people, and she has found something most of us get backwards: elite performers are not seeing more. They are seeing less, on purpose.In this conversation we cover the science of narrow focus, why vision boards fail without an action plan, the Steve Jobs "reality distortion field" through the lens of behavioral psychology, why ambitious people who never savor a win eventually burn out, and the one question every high performer should ask before they set the next goal.If you have ever set a mark, hit it, reset it higher, and wondered why nothing lands, this one is for you..⏰ TIMESTAMPS00:00 The Cold Open01:08 Meet Dr. Emily Balcetis01:45 The Leader In Your Head (And Why It Isn't You)04:38 What Olympic Athletes Do That The Rest Of Us Don't07:48 The Gorilla Your Eyes Refuse To See11:18 Why Evolution Built Us To Miss Things On Purpose13:07 Attention Addiction Machines15:44 The Real Reason To Keep Your Phone Out Of Your Bedroom19:14 Why Highly Ambitious People Almost Never Do This24:03 Steve Jobs, The Reality Distortion Field, And What The Science Says29:16 The Planning Fallacy32:32 The Microsoft Study That Should Change How You Work36:06 The Vision Board Lie37:15 She Played Warp Tour At 1840:53 The One Thing Michael Phelps Did That Nobody Else Did44:30 Where To Find Emily🔗 GUEST LINKSDr. Emily Balcetis:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilybalcetis/NYU Faculty Page: https://as.nyu.edu/faculty/emily-balcetis.htmlSPAM Lab (Social Perception Action and Motivation Lab): https://www.spamlabresearch.com/Book, Clearer, Closer, Better: How Successful People See the World: https://www.amazon.com/Clearer-Closer-Better-Successful-People/dp/1524796468TED Talk, "Why some people find exercise harder than others": https://www.ted.com/talks/emily_balcetis_why_some_people_find_exercise_harder_than_others⸻Support the showInnerVue — a complete self-awareness tool→ yourinnervue.comUse code GRATEFUL20 to receive 20% off a Tier 1 InnerVue, along with a complimentary coach-led debrief of your report☕ Magic Mind — My daily performance shot:→ https://magicmind.com/wagoner20Use code WAGONER20 for 20% off a package or 48% off a subscription.🧠 More from Jack:► Website: https://jackwagoner.co► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/► 1:1 Coaching: [email protected]📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jack_Wagoner⸻🎙️ About Jack:I moved to France alone at 16, started my first business at 17, and launched this podcast because I kept meeting people who had the answers to questions I didn't even know I was asking.  My philosophy: you can set massive goals while being deeply fulfilled right now. That's the duality of gratitude and ambition.Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode.Stay grateful, stay hungry.