How queues and dopamine levels affect our pursuit of goals

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Our brain processes queues and signals that determine the likelihood of a reward. These queues, both conscious and subconscious, adjust our baseline level of dopamine as we pursue our goals. The dopamine system takes into account all the events that happen between wanting and getting, serving as cues for the eventual reward. It also learns the contingencies of what led up to a reward or what didn't, through reward contingent learning. In parallel, there is an ongoing release of dopamine that acts as a propeller driving our motivation. The brain compares what we wanted to what we got, and this comparison, along with the motivation signal initiated by dopamine, guides us throughout our pursuit. The entire process results in a learning experience, where the brain learns the contingencies between stimuli, desires, and rewards.

In this episode, I explain how dopamine dynamics — meaning changes and interactions between our baseline and peak levels of dopamine drive our cravings and sense of motivation. I also explain how to leverage dopamine dynamics to overcome procrastination. I cover behavioral, cognitive, nutrition-based and supplementation-based tools to optimize baseline and peak dopamine levels to ensure a persistently motivated state. I also discuss how to boost motivation when you are in a rut, why you might not want to stack behaviors/substances that spike dopamine and how to build and maintain a “growth mindset” for pursuing goals of any kind. Dopamine is an incredibly powerful neuromodulator involved in basic functions (e.g., hunger, romantic attraction, etc.) and feats of cognitive and physical performance; by understanding the dynamics of dopamine, listeners ought to be better positioned to overcome procrastination, maintain motivation, and improve confidence.

For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com.