Dr. Emily Balcetis

Dr. Emily Balcetis

2 episodes on Huberman Lab

Dr. Emily Balcetis is a professor of psychology at New York University who specializes in the intersection of visual perception, motivation, and goal pursuit. Her research examines how the way people see the world influences their ability to set and achieve physical and cognitive goals, with particular focus on how perception can be optimized to enhance motivation and performance.


All Episodes with Dr. Emily Balcetis

Essentials: Tools for Setting & Achieving Goals | Dr. Emily Balcetis
neurosciencepsychologyperformance

Essentials: Tools for Setting & Achieving Goals | Dr. Emily Balcetis

In this ⁠Huberman Lab Essentials⁠ episode, my guest is ⁠Dr. Emily Balcetis, PhD⁠, a professor of psychology at New York University who studies how visual perception influences motivation and goal pursuit. She explains how to better visualize and overcome challenges to achieve physical or cognitive goals. We also explore the science of setting goals, measuring progress effectively and research showing how fitness level and energy state can shape how difficult the world appears. Show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/IoZCSSi Watch more Huberman Lab Essentials: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPNW_gerXa4OGNy1yE-W9IX-tPu-tJa7S&si=a1_sA7rUT-fE0OM5 *Huberman Lab* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://x.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter *Timestamps* 00:00:00 Emily Balcetis 00:00:21 Adjusting Vision to Meet Goals, Exercise, Tool: Narrow Visual Target 00:07:39 Goal Setting, Do Vision Boards Work? 00:11:16 Tool: Effectively Plan Goals, Plan for Obstacles 00:16:40 How Fitness Shapes the Way People See the World 00:22:03 Visual Spotlight, Exercise & Physical Fitness Level 00:23:02 Stimulants & Motivation 00:24:24 Cognitive Goals, Tools: Overcoming Bad Memories; Deadlines 00:31:34 Acknowledgements #HubermanLab #Science Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Dr. Emily BalcetisMarch 19, 2026
Tools for Setting & Achieving Goals | Dr. Emily Balcetis
neurosciencepsychologyperformance

Tools for Setting & Achieving Goals | Dr. Emily Balcetis

Visual perception directly influences motivation levels and persistence in goal pursuit through mechanisms studied in neuroscience and psychology

Dr. Emily BalcetisAugust 1, 2022