The Mindset Mentor with Rob Dial

Episode: How to Build Systems to Actually Achieve Your Goals
Date: September 29, 2025
Host: Rob Dial

Episode Overview

In this episode, Rob Dial dives deep into what truly separates those who achieve their goals from those who fall short. Rather than focusing solely on outcome-based goals, Rob explains the critical importance of daily, action-based systems—and reveals a brain hack rooted in neuroscience to make progress easier and more enjoyable. Drawing from psychology, neurology, and real-world examples, Rob teaches listeners how to use the dopamine reward system to fall in love with the process, not just the outcome.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Problem with Traditional Goal-Setting

• Overwhelm by Long-Term Vision:
  Rob highlights how creating big, long-term goals can incite “paralysis by analysis.” The journey seems so daunting that people get discouraged before taking action.

  • Quote:

    “It can be exciting in the moment, but then... you start thinking, here I am today and that’s where I want to be in 10 years. And your mind can immediately go to processes and all of the things that you need to get done... that can actually be demotivating.” (04:35)

• The Focus Shift:
  Most people fixate on result-based goals (e.g., “I want to lose 10 pounds”), which provide satisfaction only upon completion, leading to a lack of immediate gratification and, ultimately, a lack of motivation.

The Solution: Action-Based, Daily Systems

• Outcome vs. Process:
  The key is to shift from focusing on the desired outcome to focusing on the process—specifically, the actions you can take today.

  • Quote:

    “What we need to focus on is... what it is that we need to do every single day. And not just every single day, each moment. What’s the best thing for me to do right now?” (06:08)

• Daily Action-Based Goals:
  Instead of only setting results-based goals, transition into actionable, repeatable daily goals (e.g., “Today, I will go to the gym” or “Today, I will make five sales calls”).

Understanding and Harnessing the Dopamine Reward System

• Dopamine: The Motivation Chemical:
  Rob breaks down the science of dopamine, highlighting its vital role in motivation and positive reinforcement.

  • Quote:

    “Dopamine is a chemical of motivation... It is completely subjective, which means that you can literally be in this moment right now and you can just decide, you know what, I’m going to try to fill my body up with as many good feelings as possible.” (08:45)

• How to Use Dopamine for Goal Achievement:
  By celebrating small wins and consistently rewarding yourself for taking the right action (not just achieving the result), you train your brain to crave positive habits.

  • Quote:

    “The release of dopamine signals to the brain that the behavior that led to the reward—the celebration—should be repeated in the future.” (10:56)

• Example in Practice:
  For someone aiming to lose 10 pounds, rather than only feeling good once the total weight is lost, celebrate every healthy meal or gym visit:

  • “I’m so proud of you for showing up at the gym even when you didn’t want to.” (12:45)
  • “You said no to that bag of Skittles. Hell yeah, so proud of you for this.” (13:17)

Learning from High Performers: Kobe Bryant and the Power of Systems

• The Secret of Elite Achievers:
  Icons like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and top CEOs fall in love with the process—they unconsciously build dopamine reward systems. Kobe started every morning’s workout with celebration and self-praise, fueling his legendary work ethic.

  • Quote:

    “Kobe Bryant... would tell himself how amazing it is, how proud of himself he was that he was working out while everyone else was sleeping. And he would do it over and over and over.” (15:42)

• Building Habits through Joy, Not Shame:
  Rather than focusing on how far you are from your goal (which releases discouraging emotions), focus on progress and effort.

  • “Habits become easier when you find pleasure in doing them, not when you talk shit to yourself during it because you don’t look the way you want to look.” (20:12)

How to Apply This System in Your Life

• Set the Long-Term Vision, but Focus on the Daily Actions:
  Make goals, but then ask, “Who do I need to be and what do I need to do today to move in that direction?”

• Immediate and Frequent Self-Praise:
  Use positive self-talk and conscious celebration after every small win to release dopamine and reinforce desired behaviors.

  • “We need to get better at celebrating ourself the same way that we would celebrate someone that we truly love.” (21:46)

• Rob’s Own Example:
  Rob shares that for years he focused on outcome-based gym goals, but saw the most sustainable success after shifting to movement-based action (“I’m just going to show up and move my body today, however I can.”), rewarding himself even for minimal effort.

  • “...I am looking and I’m going, this is actually pretty crazy. I’m in one of the best shapes of my life and I haven’t been focusing on the outcome at all. All I’ve been focusing on is what do I need to do today?” (23:11)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the Futility of Delayed Self-Approval:

  “If you set a 10 year goal and you’re only going to be proud of yourself when you hit that 10 year goal... that’s not motivating you to do it that way.” (13:53)

• On the True Function of Goals:

  “Achieving the goals is the byproduct of the process. Achieving the goals is the byproduct of stepping into being that person every single day.” (16:38)

• On Instant vs. Delayed Gratification:

  “Can we hijack our system and give ourselves instant gratification now for the things that won’t happen for a while?” (18:23)

• On Self-Celebration:

  “Can we feel the progress? Can we feel the feelings of how proud we are of ourselves for showing up and doing what we need to do?” (21:11)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:30 — Why big goals can overwhelm and demotivate
• 05:45 — Shifting from results-based to action-based goals
• 08:10 — Understanding dopamine and its role in motivation
• 10:56 — Celebrating action to train your brain
• 12:45 — Practical examples: rewarding yourself for positive actions
• 14:45 — The flaw in results-based goals: delayed dopamine
• 15:42 — Kobe Bryant: loving the process, not just the outcome
• 17:58 — Instant gratification vs. delayed gratification and how to hack it
• 20:12 — Habits: why positive reinforcement is crucial
• 21:46 — The power of celebrating yourself
• 23:11 — Rob’s personal switch to action-based, celebration-focused systems
• 24:48 — Closing thoughts, calls to action

Final Takeaways

• Set inspiring, long-term goals, but then focus on the daily process.
• Reward yourself for consistent, aligned action to “hack” your motivation.
• Reframe self-talk: celebrate effort and progress, not just end results.
• The brain’s reward system (dopamine) can create sustainable progress—if you use it consciously.
• Make goal achievement joyful and repeatable by building systems, not just dreaming of outcomes.

For More:
Share this episode, tag Rob on Instagram (@robdialjr), or visit coachwithrob.com for more coaching resources.

“Make it your mission to make somebody else’s day better. I appreciate you and I hope that you have an amazing day.”
— Rob Dial (24:41)