Working without reward is an (almost) impossible task

One of the key principles that drive our behaviour (and habits) is the concept of reinforcement.

When we put in effort towards a task and receive a reward, our brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in motivation, excitement and satisfaction. This positive feeling reinforces our behaviour aka we’re inclined to repeat the behaviour in the future aka a habit is formed.

This process also works in reverse. When we put in effort and are not rewarded, or are punished instead, our brain releases cortisol, a stress hormone associated with negative emotions such as anxiety and frustration. This negative feeling serves as a disincentive, reinforcing that we shouldn’t repeat the behaviour in the future.

When we set ourselves a goal and don’t get the result we are striving for, this is what’s happening in our brain. This is why it can feel so heavy and sluggish to power on when we’re not getting any results. This is why it feels like a constant tug-of-war between how we feel and the actions we know we need to take. Our brain acknowledges that the desired reward wasn’t given and cortisol is released which signals to our body it’s not an action we should take again.

So considering that we all know goals take time (sigh) how can we work with reinforcement to actually motivate us to work on our goals despite not seeing results straight away?

It’s by getting clarity on our real goals. Introducing: Extrinsic vs Intrinsic goals.

We feel demotivated 9.9897/10 times because we haven’t reached our extrinsic goals. These are goals and desires driven by external factors such as money, status and approval.

However, true authenticity and alignment can be found when we draw close to our intrinsic desires. These are things we inherently find rewarding and fulfilling. Things such as creativity, mastery, purpose, autonomy, creativity and learning.

What if part of the reason not reaching your goals feels so frustrating is because deep, deep down our bodies know that the extrinsic goal isn’t the be all, end all and so the fact that you’re putting in all this effort and ignoring your true desires is what’s causing that heavy, demotivated feeling? What if that’s our body (or our higher self) telling us something needs to shift in order to be truly aligned?

When we acknowledge our intrinsic goals, it redefines what counts as a reward in our brain. So when we’re taking the actions and reaching our intrinsic goals (which are much faster to achieve) we can now get the dopamine release needed for our body to be on board.

Just some food for thought.

Stay blessed,

Peace x

Discovery Digest (useful links and resources I’ve found this past week)

Save To Buy Scheme - this is a UK-based scheme to help first time buyers get on the property ladder. You save 1% of the property value and all your “rent” actually goes towards your deposit (which you have up to 2 years to save for via paying “rent”). Apparently a similar thing exists already in the US. As with anything do your own research but just putting it on your radar in case you weren’t aware.

Learning library (some other things you may enjoy)

Self employment: expectations vs reality - If you’d love to work for yourself one day, here’s what I wish I knew before I made the leap (can’t believe it’s been a year since I handed in my notice!)

Making meditation easy - I’m getting back into making meditation a habit. This 5 minute morning gratitude journal has been easing me in. Don’t know if it’s just me but those 30 minute long ones can be hard to focus on when you’re not used to meditating. I’ve also been learning more about the neuroscience of why meditating is so effective (particularly gratitude ones) using Dr Joe Dispenza’s videos.

Let me know (let’s talk)

I’d love to know what your biggest struggle is when it comes to goal-setting/manifestation/productivity. You can reply to this email with what’s on your mind, I’d love to hear from you :)