Accurate assessment of current progress relative to external goals and determining appropriate action steps are key functions of neural circuits in goal pursuit.

“The first is assessing value. Knowing whether or not where one is at one given moment relates to some external thing. Are things going well or are things going poorly? And knowing how to gauge that accurately. And then action steps, goes and no goes. do more of this, do less of that, do this, don't do that, etc.”