Neuroscientist: Make Hard Work Feel Effortless

Sometimes it's essential to reward yourself, but it's equally important to occasionally withhold that reward. Experiencing a win is crucial for motivation, but there's a common misconception that we should always celebrate our successes. The dopamine system in our brain is excellent at predicting rewards, but when those rewards become predictable and regular, the amount of dopamine released in response to them decreases. This might seem counterintuitive, but it's a principle well understood by casino owners. The most effective pattern of reinforcement for maintaining motivation in both animals and humans is what's known as intermittent random reinforcement.

So, if you're working hard or pushing yourself towards a goal, it's beneficial to sometimes reward yourself, but also to occasionally delete the reward. This concept ties into something called dopamine reward prediction error, which is a complex analysis of what keeps people and animals motivated to continue their pursuits. Essentially, the optimal schedule for maintaining motivation is one where rewards are given intermittently and randomly.

For example, if you're in a 90-minute learning session or work bout, you might occasionally look at the clock and realize you've gone 30 minutes without distractions, which feels good. Other times, you might reach 45 minutes and decide to treat yourself to a nice cup of coffee. However, on other occasions, you might skip the coffee and keep working. By doing this, you're effectively moving the goal line and catching little micro-wins, similar to collecting coins in a video game. Sometimes you pick up the reward, and other times you don't, keeping yourself in pursuit and motivated.

Another important strategy is to avoid layering too many sources of dopamine. For example, you might love the feeling of being well-rested, going for a run after a good cup of coffee, and listening to your favorite music on a sunny day. While this combination can create a highly motivating experience, it can also set unrealistic expectations for future workouts. If you always require all these elements to have a great run or workout, you'll be in trouble when conditions aren't perfect, and your performance might suffer as a result.

To counter this, try occasionally removing some of these dopamine sources. For instance, every third or fourth workout, leave your phone in the car, skip the music, and don't use any pre-workout stimulants. This forces you to generate all the energy and motivation from within. It might seem harsh, but the next time you have all your usual dopamine triggers—like music and stimulants—you'll feel incredibly powerful and motivated. This strategy works because you're creating a contrast, leading to a much stronger dopamine response when you do have those extra sources of motivation. Then, the next time, you can throttle it back again, maintaining a healthy balance and keeping yourself motivated in the long run.