3 neuroscience-backed steps for increased motivation ⋆ The art of showing up ⋆ Can you get what you want?

1. 3 neuroscience backed steps for increased motivation
2. The art of showing up
3. Can you get what you want?

Thing 1 - 3 neuroscience-backed steps for increased motivation

1. View morning sunlight ☀️  for 10min
2. Exercise 🏋 for 1hr in the first 3-4 hours of waking
3. Do some hard mental work 🧠 for 60-90min in the first 3-4 hours of waking

Yes, do all three.

Yes, I'm aware this is a cliché morning routine of successful people.

Maybe it's a cliché because it works?

Neural circuits in charge of motivation involve basal ganglia (controls action and prevention of action), dopamine (neuromodulator), and other brain areas.

These three ways are the low-hanging fruit of data-supported ways to set the default of your neural circuits to more “motivated”.

(source)

Thing 2 - The art of showing up

You can't win the lottery if you don't buy the ticket.

To make a permanent change, you need to become a person who does X.

Will that happen if you go all in, and burn out within a week? No.

A habit must be established before it can be improved. If you can’t learn the basic skill of showing up, then you have little hope of mastering the finer details. Master the art of showing up.

- James Clear

James Clear suggests a radical approach along the lines of:

Allow yourself to do only the first 2 min of the habit every day for 6 weeks.

• You'll build a habit you can improve.
• You'll become hungry for more. You've just teased yourself for 6 weeks.

Thing 3 - Can you get what you want?

The world is a malleable place. If you know what you want, and you go for it with maximum energy and passion, the world will often reconfigure itself around you much more quickly and easily than you would think.

- Marc Andreessen

Most people you know live on autopilot. If you go for what you want with a relentless force, they'll move away, or help you be on your way - just so they can get back to their routine.

This works even (especially) in places where you'd expected it to work the least - large organizations. The more mud, the better vigor will work.

In a mud race between a horse and a cow, unexpected things happen - the cow wins.

Did you just call me a cow, Z? I don't know, did I? 😉

This doesn't mean it's easy.

It's easier to wave your arms in the air than underwater.

How do you sustain the maximum energy and passion needed, over a long period of time?

1. Show up
2. Improve 1% every day
3. Set up systems for success

See ya next week,

Cheers, Zvonimir