Working Hard with Grace Beverley Why You're Addicted To Starting But Never Finishing
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Sep 29, 2025 
Nir Eyal, a behavior design expert and author of 'Indistractable,' dives into the neuroscience behind why we love starting projects but often abandon them. He reveals that dopamine spikes when anticipating rewards, making new beginnings addictive yet fleeting. Listeners learn practical strategies like setting minimum milestones, visualizing progress, and using the 10-minute rule to manage distractions. Nir emphasizes that overcoming impulsiveness lies in forethought and reframing one’s identity towards being a finisher, not just a starter.
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Anticipation, Not Achievement, Drives Dopamine
- Dopamine spikes when we anticipate rewards, not when we achieve them.
- This explains why beginnings feel thrilling while the boring middle loses appeal.
Unfinished Tasks Hang On Mentally
- The Zeigarnik effect makes brains remember unfinished tasks more vividly than completed ones.
- Abandoned projects linger mentally and drain focus until resolved.
Unpredictability Fuels Habit Loops
- Unpredictable rewards (like social feeds) create especially strong habit loops.
- Novelty keeps you hooked until predictability makes the activity boring.
