Why humans dream remains one of behavioral science's great unanswered questions. Dreams have a purpose but it may not be to send us messages about self-improvement or the future, as many believe. Instead, many researchers now believe that dreaming mediates memory consolidation and mood regulation, a process a little like overnight therapy. But it's not a benefit all share equally: People who are sleep deprived also tend to be dream deprived, spending less time dreaming and perhaps not remembering dreams as well.



Dreams are the stories the brain tells during the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep. People typically have multiple dreams each night that grow longer as sleep draws to a close. Over a lifetime, a person may dream for five or six full years. How best to examine all that content remains a source of debate.



Dreams typically involve elements from waking life, such as known people or familiar locations, but they also often have a fantastical feel. In dreams, people may live out scenarios that would never be possible in real life, although they aren't always positive.

People have always tried to figure out the meaning of their dreams, but dream interpretation as a field of psychological study emerged in 1899, when Sigmund Freud published The Interpretation of Dreams. Today, most experts disagree with Freud's conclusions, and some don't believe dreams signify anything at all. But people continue to mine them for clues to their inner lives, creative insight, and even hints of the future.

Lucid Dreams

During lucid dreaming, which most commonly occurs during late-stage REM sleep, a dreamer is aware that they're asleep, but is able to control events within their dreams, to some extent. Lucid dreamers report willing themselves to fly, fight, or act out sexual fantasies. There are communities dedicated to learning how to lucid dream at will, although evidence that this is possible remains inconclusive.



Research suggests that the brain undergoes a physiological change during lucid dreaming. In fMRI studies, the prefrontal cortex and a cortical network including the frontal, parietal, and temporal zones have been shown to activate when the brain begins lucid dreaming. This appears related to the "waking consciousness" that characterizes lucidity.



Most people do not typically experience lucid dreaming, or do not realize they do, and those who do tend to experience it in a limited way, without full agency. But some experts, and advocates of the potential benefits of lucid dreaming for boosting creativity and confidence, and reducing stress, believe most people can train themselves to experience lucid dreams.



Advocates of lucid-dream training suggest starting with dedicated recording of one's dreams to gain a greater awareness of the conscious roles they may already play in common scenarios. Another approach is waking up two hours earlier than normal, staying awake for a short time, and then going back to bed, with the goal of increasing awareness of fresh late-stage REM sleep dreams and eventually directing them.

What is Goal Achievement? A Psychological Definition

Goal setting in psychology refers to a successful plan of action that we set for ourselves. It guides us to choose the right moves, at the right time, and in the right way. In a study conducted on working professionals, Edwin A. Locke, a pioneer in the field of Goal-Achievement, found that individuals who had highly ambitious goals had a better performance and output rate than those who didn't.



Frank L. Smoll, a Ph.D. and a working psychologist at the University of Washington emphasized on three essential features of Goal-Achievement, which he called the A-B-C of goals. Although his studies focused more on athletic and sports-oriented Goal-Achievement, the findings held for peak performers across all professions.

ABC of Goals

Smoll said that effective goals are ones that are:
A - Achievable
B - Believable
C - Committed Goal-Achievement as a psychological tool for increasing productivity involves five rules or criterion, known as the S-M-A-R-T rule. George T. Doran coined this rule in 1981 in a management research paper of the Washington Power Company and it is by far one of the most popular propositions of the psychology of goals.

SMART Goals

S-M-A-R-T goals stand for: S (Specific) - They target a particular area of functioning and focus on building it.
M (Measurable) -The results can be gauged quantitatively or at least indicated by some qualitative attributes. This helps in monitoring the progress after executing the plans.
A (Attainable/Achievable) - The goals are targeted to suitable people and are individualized. They take into account the fact that no single rule suits all, and are flexible in that regard.
R (Realistic) - They are practical and planned in a way that would be easy to implement in real life. The purpose of a smart goal is not just providing the plan, but also helping the person execute it.
T (Time-bound) - An element of time makes the goal more focused. It also provides a time frame about task achievement.

SmartER Goals

While this was the golden rule of Goal-Achievement, researchers have also added two more constituents to it, and call it the S-M-A-R-T-E-R rule. The adjacents include:
E (Evaluative/ethical) - The interventions and execution follow professional and personal ethics.
R (Rewarding) - The end-results of the Goal-Achievement comes with a positive reward and brings a feeling of accomplishment to the user.


Cecil Alec Mace was the first person to carry out empirical studies on Goal-Achievement. His work emphasized the importance of willingness to work and indicated that the right plans could be a sure shot predictor of professional success (Mace, 1935). Locke continued his research on Goal-Achievement from there, and in the 1960s, came up with the explanation of the usefulness of goals for a happier and more content life. Today, planning goals is an essential part of educational and organizational psychology. Many organizations encourage employees to undergo screening for Goal-Achievement and use the resources to measure their productivity at work (Kleingeld et al., 2011).

The Psychology Of Goal Achievement

Goals play a dominant role in shaping the way we see ourselves and others. A person who is focused and goal-oriented is likely to have a more positive approach towards life and perceive failures as temporary setbacks, rather than personal shortcomings.
Tony Robbins, a world-famous motivational speaker, and coach had said that "Setting goals is the first step from turning the invisible to visible."


Studies have shown that when we train our mind to think about what we want in life and work towards reaching it, the brain automatically rewires itself to acquire the ideal self-image and makes it an essential part of our identity. If we achieve the goal, we achieve fulfillment, and if we don't, our brain keeps nudging us until we achieve it.
Psychologists and mental health researchers associate goals with a higher predictability of success, the reasons being:

Goals involve values

Effective goals base themselves on high values and ethics. Just like the S-M-A-R-T-E-R goals, they guide the person to understand his core values before embarking upon setting goals for success. Studies have shown that the more we align our core values and principles, the more likely we are to benefit from our goal plans. (Kearns) Goals bind us to reality
A practical goal plan calls for a reality check. We become aware of our strengths and weaknesses and choose actions that are in line with our potentials. For example, a good orator should set goals to flourish as a speaker, while an expressive writer must aim to succeed as an author.


Realizing our abilities and accepting them is a vital aspect of Goal-Achievement as it makes room for introspection and helps in setting realistic expectations from ourselves.
Goals call for self-evaluation
Successful accomplishment of goals is a clear indicator of our success. We don't need validation from others once we have achieved the goals we set for ourselves. The scope of self-evaluation boosts self-confidence, efficacy, self-reliance, and gives us the motivation to continue setting practical goals in all subsequent stages of life.


4 Steps To Successful Goal-Achievement
1. Make a plan
The first step to successful Goal-Achievement is a brilliant plan. Chalking out our goals by our strengths, aspirations, and affinities is an excellent way to build a working program. The plan makes habit formation easier - we know where to focus and how to implement the actions.
2. Explore resources
The more we educate ourselves about Goal-Achievement and its benefits, the easier it becomes for us to stick to it. We can start building our knowledge base by taking expert advice, talking to supervisors at the workplace, or participating in self-assessments.
Assessments and interactions help us realize the knowledge gaps and educate ourselves in the areas concerned.


3. Be accountable
A crucial requisite of Goal-Achievement is accountability. We tend to perform better when someone is watching over us, for example, it is easier to cheat on a diet or skip the gym when we are doing it alone.
But the moment we pair up with others or have a trainer to guide us through the process, there are increased chances of us sticking to the goals and succeeding in them.
4. Use rewards and feedbacks
Rewarding ourselves for our efforts and achievements makes sticking to the plan more comfortable for us. Managers who regularly provide feedback to their employees and teammates have better performance in their teams than ones who don't interact with employees about their progress.


How is Goal Achievement Used in Psychology?
Setting goals gives our mind the power to imagine our ideal future, the way we want to see ourselves in years to come. By gaining insight into our wants and needs, we become aware of our reality and can set reasonable expectations.
Goal-Achievement impacts both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and this is why most successful athletes and business professionals rely on a sound plan of action before diving into any work.
There are many instances of how Goal-Achievement is effectively used as a psychological intervention.


For example:
Popular therapeutic practices like the CBT or Anger Management often use weekly goal planners or charts to record the progress of the clients and help them keep track of the exercises they are supposed to practice at home. Even in child therapies, counselors often use mood charts or set weekly exercises for the kid, and provide positive reinforcements to the child on accomplishing them.


Almost all educational institutions today agree that setting clear goals makes it easier for the students to realize their strengths and work on building them. It boosts their self-confidence and lets them identify the broader targets in life.
Goal-Achievement as a personal habit is also beneficial to hold ourselves in perspective. Personal Goal-Achievement may be as simple as maintaining a daily to-do list or planning our career moves beforehand. As we have a clear vision of the end-goals, it becomes easier for us to advance towards them.


Types Of Goals
There are three main types of goals in psychology:
The Process Goals:
These are the ones involving the execution of plans. For example, going to the gym in the morning or taking the health supplements on time, and repeating the same action every day is a process goal. The focus is to form the habit that will ultimately lead to achievement.
The Performance Goals:
These goals help in tracking progress and give us a reason for continuing the hard work. For example, studying for no less than 6 hours a day or working out for at least 30 minutes per day can help us in quantifying our efforts and measuring the progress.


The Outcome Goals
Outcome goals are the successful implementations of process and performance goals. They keep us in perspective and help to stay focused on the bigger picture. Examples of outcome goals may include winning a sport, losing the desired amount of weight, or scoring a top rank in school.



The E-E-E Model Of Goal-Achievement
The E-E-E Model of Goal-Achievement was mentioned in a journal published by the American Psychological Association (APA). It is a person-centered approach that describes the way a successful roadmap contributes to bringing about the change.
Author Nowack K. stated that Goal-Achievement ensures success by serving three purposes:
Enlightening Us
Providing meaningful insight into our abilities and weaknesses, and by helping us prioritize our goals depending on our needs.


Encouraging Us
It provides the motivation and courage to implement the goals and execute the plans efficiently.
Enabling Us
Goal-Achievement enables us to achieve the balance between our real and ideal self. By implementing the goals and succeeding from it, we regain self-confidence, social support, and can evaluate our achievements.