Give yourself a dopamine hit to get motivated

The neurotransmitter dopamine is released when you are rewarded, or when you avoid punishment.

Keep this in mind when you want to get motived. You can stimulate a release of dopamine simply by envisioning a reward—or by envisioning avoiding punishment.

So, if you can’t get motivated on a project, take a moment to envision finishing it. Also, take a moment to envision the consequences for not getting it done.

If it’s hard to envision finishing the project, you probably need to break it down into the next task—even if that task is just “brainstorm about….” It will be easier to give yourself a dopamine hit.