#803 drugged

If you asked author Simon Sinek* where all my energy came from on Saturday, he would say that it wasn't from getting started or getting in the zone, rather that it came from dopamine.  Dopamine is the biological chemical inherent in our bodies that releases when we achieve a goal.  Sinek calls it "an incentive for progress" or how the body is wired to keep us working toward tasks.  When each step of a project is completed, we get a "hit" of dopamine; when something difficult is accomplished, we get a noticeable physical reaction to the triumph.

So as the theory goes, you need to get started to get a chemical release to get you the energy and motivation to get finished.  It sounds like a vicious circle, but can actually function as a motivating cycle.  Even if you don't feel like you can finish something -- whether that be writing a report, running the last mile, losing ten pounds or saving for a cruise -- you may, in fact, be able to do so if you factor in the additional boost that you'll get from achieving incremental steps along the way.  It is the biology behind why self-help experts encourage you to write down your tasks and to break them into manageable, tangible mileposts.  Think of watering stations along a run; incremental action steps are like little dopamine-fix stations where you get an equivalent Dixie cup of energy to push you along.

So the next time you're tempted to reach for a Mountain Dew or Red Bull, try letting Mother Nature add the boost -- simply by starting what you need to finish anyway.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

*Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek, 2014