How to Overcome Cheap Dopamine by Doing Nothing

Silent Reading Time: 1 mins 34 secs

Morning 6am crew!

Todays question: Do you chase quick wins to hide the lack of real progress in your business?

It’s weird, building a business it’s easy to look around and see other people succeeding. Enough to believe solopreneurship guarantees easy success. Well that’s a load of 💩 that only breeds a feeling of inadequacy. And we turn to cheap dopamine for a quick fix. Let's break this cycle, shall we?

Dopamine is a ‘feel good’ chemical in the brain that plays a role in your reward and pleasure centers.

Welcome to Dopamine Anonymous, where we discuss our shared addiction and its nasty habits:

• Compulsively checking notifications

• Morning scrolls on the porcelain throne

• Lying to ourselves about stopping "whenever we want" 🤥

But here's the inconvenient truth: dopamine is an addiction, and boredom is the cure.

Let's address the myths we've been telling ourselves:

1. "I can stop when I want to." Then why are we scrolling when we should be working, or procrastinating until "tomorrow" (code for "never")?

2. "It's fun!" Until it isn't. How much did that fleeting high actually help you?

3. "FOMO is real." But if you truly believed opportunities were everywhere, you wouldn't treat each one like the end of the world.

Here's a simple recipe for long-term success: Embrace boredom.

Boredom sparks creativity and focus, helping you find calm in the chaos.

So, instead of suggesting a ‘detox’ (because let's face it, those are short-lived), here's a more realistic approach:

1. Schedule boredom: Carve out 1-2 hours of "boredom breaks" to manage burnout and recharge.

2. Reinforce your new habits: Create gaps between dopamine hits (e.g., an hour in the morning and an hour before bed) to build self-control.

3. Make it hard to indulge: We’re all lazy creatures. Turn off notifications, delete apps, and put barriers between you and your vices.

4. Plan your day: Grab a pen, paper, and outline 3-4 deep-work tasks. No fancy tools or moleskins needed.

5. Have a contingency plan: Doing nothing is hard, so find an accountability partner or step away from your computer when the urge arises.

Pro Tip: Focus on long term goals. It keeps you from needing dopamine hits and focus on future success.

To a more boring (and successful) future,

Nichole Morris