About this episode
This episode discusses why most New Year’s resolutions fail by February due to predictable brain chemistry and offers strategies to build effective routines.
Most New Year’s resolutions fail by February. Not because people are lazy but because brains are predictable. So if your motivation is already slipping, don’t feel bad. It’s just chemistry. When you set a big goal, your brain releases dopamine in anticipation of the big reward. But then, when the work to get there turns repetitive or boring, the dopamine drops. Researchers call this a dopamine prediction error because the reward didn’t feel as good as expected, so the brain pulled fuel. That’s why willpower feels unreliable. Instead of pushing harder, go smaller. Build a routine so easy your brain won’t resist it. And make sure you’re subscribed because on Saturday I’ll go deep into this topic and you won’t want to miss it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kayrubacek.substack.com/subscribe
People in this episode
Host: Kay Rubacek
Topics covered
- New Year’s resolutions
- motivation
- dopamine
- goal setting
- routine building
Keywords
- February
- goals
- dopamine prediction error
- willpower
- routine
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