Welcome to the Mind Fuzz newsletter, a recap of three things that are on my mind this week.
1. Keeping Your Goals Secret
Did you know that telling people your goals can actually make you less likely to achieve them?
I was listening to Andrew Huberman talk about this and, on a personal level, it makes complete sense.
Apparently your dopamine spikes when you tell someone about something you’re going to achieve, and the reward becomes less desirable.
I used to always tell people my plans, and I hardly ever followed through.
Recently I’ve just been putting in the work, letting the results speak for themselves.
Working in silence, and enjoying the journey, is infinitely more rewarding.
Sometimes secrets work in your favour.
2. Nothing But Floating Atoms
Everything that happened to you today, either good or bad, was made up of atoms floating through space.
What perceptions did you attach to them?
Neuroscientist (and creator of the most incredible meditation app – Waking Up) Sam Harris always mentions ‘colours and light’ during his guided meditations.
“Stare at the object in front of you,” he says, before making you remember that all you’re seeing is colour and light.
I’ve been trying to extend this practice to my daily life, and when it works it’s quite profound.
Strip everything back, what do you see?
3. Wanting What You’ve Already Got
“The trick is to learn how to want the things you already have” – William B Irvine.
Why is this so hard?
You and I both have everything we really need, but I guess the human brain is wired to always crave more.
I feel like our human nature coupled with the billions of dollars of advertising we’re subjected to is a bit unfair, don’t you think?
When these corporate giants tell us we’re not enough, then market a product that will make us so.
I think this is one of the biggest problems we’re facing, and I can’t see how we’re going to fix it.
I mean – the Earth is literally falling apart because it can’t keep up with our demand for the junk we continually buy.
A closing question for you
Are you getting cheap dopamine from telling people your grand ideas instead of actually doing them?
