Increasing Motivation & Drive

Dopamine takes center stage in the intricate dance of motivation and productivity. This neurotransmitter fuels our drive, pushing us to pursue goals and seek rewards. Yet, like a double-edged sword, it also holds the potential for addiction, and getting levels too high leads to an inevitable crash.

So, how do we harness its power without succumbing to its pitfalls? Let's delve into the art of dopamine management and unlock the secrets to sustained motivation.

Understanding the Peaks and Valleys

Dopamine levels fluctuate in response to various stimuli, from mundane daily activities to exhilarating experiences. Consider this: a hearty meal boosts dopamine by 50%, while the thrill of sex skyrockets it by 100%. Nicotine cranks it up by 150%, and the notorious cocaine sends it soaring a staggering 1000 times above baseline.

Once you understand that your body always seeks to average around a bassline, you can start to understand why the highest highs lead to the lowest lows. For this reason, I want to give you some tools to leverage dopamine's power responsibly.

Tools for Sustained Motivation

1. Gratitude
While dopamine fuels our pursuit of goals, serotonin reminds us to appreciate the present. Balancing these two neurotransmitters is critical to holistic well-being and sustained motivation. The key to increasing serotonin is finding pleasure in where you are currently. Focus on all the blessings in your life you currently already have. The most powerful ones are those that money can’t buy.

2. Meditation
Meditation can be a potent tool in this life of instant gratification and everything trying to catch your attention. This short detox of the external world has been shown to increase serotonin and reset your dopamine levels.

3. Intermittent Rewards
Unlike predictable rewards, intermittent rewards create a sense of anticipation and excitement, keeping individuals engaged and motivated. The power of this is often used against us in various aspects of life, from gambling to social media apps, but once you understand this, you can leverage it to your benefit. The way to do this is to reward yourself only after some achievements. This keeps you hungry and more motivated to continue towards the larger overall goal while increasing dopamine when you choose to reward yourself. This can also be used to improve a desirable behavior from someone else.

4. Don’t Dopamine Stack
Before we get into the different ways to increase dopamine and motivation, the last point is to be careful not to combine too many of these tools simultaneouslyd. If you stack the power of a lot of these tools together, you will increase dopamine too far above baseline, causing you to fall too far below after.

How to increase dopamine

Now, let’s finally get into how to increase dopamine! Let’s start with a place we might not expect any wisdom about motivation: Procrastination.

People often procrastinate because they want and need a bit of adrenaline to get the work done. They unconsciously delay working on a certain project until the deadline gets so close that their adrenaline starts to increase. Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, can stimulate dopamine release in certain parts of the brain. This release often occurs in response to stress or excitement, contributing to heightened arousal and motivation.

A better way to get your adrenaline up without having to wait for a deadline to creep closer is Wim Hof Breathing. This is basically cyclical hyperventilation followed by long breath holds. This gets your adrenaline up very easily.

Another practice Wim Hof is famous for is ice baths. Cold exposure of a couple of minutes can get your dopamine up as high as cocaine but in a healthy and more lasting way.

Another prominent tool is caffeine; as discussed previously, this gets your adrenaline up quite effectively.

Keeping your tank FULL

On the nutritional side, L-tyrosine is the precursor of dopamine, while Zinc and Vitamin B6 help inhibit prolactin release. Prolactin causes post-high crashes. You don’t have to order these in supplements. The best source of all 3 of these is red meat.

Sleep on all fronts is the most important thing you can do to ensure you stay balanced and fully charged mentally and physically.

Remember, the journey towards peak performance is not a sprint but a marathon. With strategic guidance and mindful practices, you can navigate the twists and turns of the dopamine dance, leading you toward sustained success in your professional endeavors.