Welcome back,

Last week I started a new thread about the new year approaching, and setting new year’s goals and resolutions. The discussion started with the dopamine loop. Dopamine is a pleasure chemical, and more or less, it is not necessarily released with a reward.

Dopamine is released in "anticipation" of a reward. Anytime we set a goal or make a decision, the anticipation of achieving the goal or decision floods the body with a rush of dopamine. That rush can feel oh so pleasant and euphoric, like flying on cloud nine. Again, the feelings arises not from achieving the said goal, but just from the "thought" of achieving it. So, not from having taken a single step, but from only from the mere thought. To catch the full post, click here or the link in the description.

The point is, action is not what releases the reward chemical In fact, once we take action, the opposite usually occurs. A barrage of chemicals that resist action are released, like fear, anxiety, and doubt about whether this is going to work. Taking action actually makes much of the positive feelings go away. What’s more…

Most dopamine rushes are released for immediate results Since we come from hunter gatherer times, majority of our inspiration are for immediate action. Catch a prey. Escape a threat. Chop down a coconut. Therefore, dopamine rushes don't last long.

Modern day goals and resolutions take much more time and effort to achieve. Usually weeks, months, and even years. It’s nearly impossible for the brain to keep you in the inspired state for that long - minute after minute, day in and day out, week after week, month after month, until you achieve the goal. Eventually the inspired feelings fade. And once the feelings fade, so does our motivation to act. 

This is another reason we don’t stick with new year’s resolutions. We are relying on feelings to carry us through. But, there is a mechanical limit to how long the feelings will last. And those feelings are not necessarily refilled by acting. Again, action often depletes those feelings further! Therefore…

It’s important to not rely on the feelings that got you initially excited. Know most of the journey, it’s not going to feel as it did when you set or decided on the goal. It just won’t. It’s not how the mind and body are built. Once it’s time to take action, a different set of chemicals are released. Often, those chemicals are not as enjoyable as the one that got you inspired in the first place. I’ll continue the thread next episode…so hope you are finding this interesting. Hit like and subscribe to be notified.