Ever really enjoy a certain thing so much that you just want to do it all the time?
Then time passes… you’re doing the thing that is so much fun – a lot – then it’s just not as fun as it used to be. You look for ways to spice it up, to add new life to your old source of inspiration and relight the fire… and it works… for a while.
As you single-mindedly focus on this activity that brought you so much pleasure, in the knowledge that participating in it always makes you feel good, you continue to regain those good feelings by doing it more or in different ways.
Disappointment leads to seeking other ways to satisfy one’s need to feel good and you find yourself in search of the services of Miss More. Miss More knows what you want and has the resources to help connect you with that which you seek.
I Need a New Drug
It’s no different than the life lived by a drug addict.
Our brain seeks pleasure; we want to feel good. Participating in an activity that gives our brain a surge of Dopamine gives us the pleasurable response of that feeling great experience that we all desire. If doing something makes us feel good, Miss More assures us that we will feel even better if we do it even more.
The Problem
As we engage in a similar activity over and over again, the neurological connections between the pleasure-seeking system and the Dopamine-producing components of the brain begin to deteriorate.
Just like the recreational user of drugs, like cocaine, who receives a huge surge of Dopamine when they take the drug, needs more and more of the substance over time. In many cases the user becomes increasingly more addicted to the substance, as previous doses achieve less satisfactory levels of joy.
Of course there are other things that spike Dopamine levels that make us feel really good too, like falling in love, longing to be intimate with a particular person, making out, consummating our affection physically, taking a chance with the possibility of great reward or enjoying the most flavorful foods.
All very good activities that create a natural neurotransmission of Dopamine, making us feel so amazingly wonderful. Is it any surprise that we embrace the activities that make us feel so good?
Even though we have access to the very best meal of all time – if it’s all you eat – satisfaction wanes, leaving you wanting more.
‘Ere the things that once brought us great pleasure lead us down a path to lust, infidelity, excessive gambling and other irrational addictive behaviors.
This also applies to other activities, like climbing the corporate ladder, entrepreneurial activities, investment strategies, greater learning and spiritual aspirations.
The Solution
The first rule in sustained joy is to maintain a more consistent level of the Dopamine molecule without running the risk of destroying the connection between the desire and the Dopamine neurotransmitter. So,
Do what you love
Engage in the activities that make you happy. These are good things (as long as they don’t impinge on the rights of others) whatever they are. Just don’t do it obsessively. When Miss More shows up with the answer, kindly acknowledge her affirmation of how wonderful you’re feeling, and
Do it in moderation
It really is as simple as maintaining the connection between what you want and the pay-off of pleasure.
Do something else – in between – and do what brings you the most satisfaction with moderate frequency. Realizing, full well, that Miss More will be somewhat disappointed (something she’s not accustomed to) if you entertain her with moderation.
Use it as a reward
In this manner, you can increase your productivity by engaging in activities that are less satisfying (doing the things that need to be done that have little or no sense of satisfaction) then engaging in the Dopamine-producing activity after completion out of duty.
See, Miss More will still be on-board, just held at bay somewhat (she’ll get used to it) and you’ll be happier and have more satisfaction over time.
Love, love, love.