Practice #1 - Effective Dopamine Placement Strategy to Learn to Love Doing Hard Things

1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,560 To start off this video. I want to say real quick that this is gonna be a new thing that I'm doing. I realized that 2 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:15,800 Not doing daily practice for recording has actually hurting me a little while back. I was doing daily one hour 3 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:18,520 uploads on the podcast and 4 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:26,640 Then I stopped doing that and then I stopped practicing before I was practicing one hour every single day practicing my 5 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:32,360 Talking my story telling all this stuff and then I just stopped to improve the quality 6 00:00:32,480 --> 00:00:39,200 Which I'm glad I did that because my the quality of the content I'm producing is a lot better, but I'm missing out on that practice 7 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:46,600 So this is gonna be a new series that I'm doing. It's gonna be just daily practice 8 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:49,840 I'm gonna be posting one thing 9 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:54,800 Every single day and it's gonna be posted onto my podcast as 10 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:57,240 well as on 11 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:03,720 My YouTube channel, but it's gonna be unlisted so it's gonna be on a separate playlist and 12 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:06,920 I just want people to be able to see 13 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:13,120 All the practice that goes in behind the scenes and I'm not doing this to get the 14 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:21,200 Kind of dopamine of it to get the instant gratifier not instant gratification, but I'm not doing this to get the gratification of others 15 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:27,160 I'm not doing this to get the approval of others. I'm doing this because it's good practice just to 16 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:33,320 Practice recording every day and practice talking on the microphone looking at the camera making eye contact 17 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,160 but a 18 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:40,960 little while back actually the other day I realized that I needed to 19 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:47,560 Redo my routine because I kind of threw away my daily routine because I saw a video 20 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:52,240 But I realized that I I don't like being out of shape 21 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:57,880 So I started running again, and I started exercising again, but that's beside the point 22 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:02,800 I also realized that I wasn't getting enough practice on the recording aspect 23 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:09,200 That's the one thing that you can't outsource as being a youtuber recording being on camera 24 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:11,720 That's the only I mean, yes, you can outsource it 25 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:16,920 But not for what I'm trying to do the idea generation and the recording are the two things 26 00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:23,060 That you can't really outsource so that's why I'm practicing idea generating every single day 27 00:02:23,060 --> 00:02:24,360 I always do it in the mornings 28 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:29,840 I just set a timer for 15 minutes, and I just come up with ideas for 15 minutes straight and 29 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:39,320 Now in the afternoons, I'm doing daily recording. So yesterday I recorded a I didn't do this type of practice recording 30 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:45,320 I did a actual video so it's actually it might not actually be daily 31 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:51,840 Recording it might be like six days a week or five days a week. It just I don't know 32 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:54,580 Maybe it will be daily recording. Maybe I'm just coping 33 00:02:55,080 --> 00:03:01,440 But I want to get into what I was taught I wanted to talk in this episode or this daily 34 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:03,080 recording and 35 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:05,080 It's something that I 36 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:10,760 Saw on a YouTube video. It was by Andrew Huberman, and he was basically explaining 37 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:20,200 Don't get a dopamine spike before or after your workout. So or doing the hard things. Let me let me just do a better job explaining this 38 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:21,200 so 39 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:26,500 This is a method to crave doing hard things and it's also a 40 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:28,440 lot of people 41 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:34,640 plan their dopamine spikes or place their dopamine spikes in the wrong time 42 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:39,360 So let me let me get a little bit further. So a lot of people 43 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:45,880 Tell others about their plans before they do it. So for example, you decide you're gonna run a marathon 44 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:49,800 You're gonna start training for a marathon and then you go out and tell your friends 45 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:54,560 You're like, oh, I'm going to run a marathon you tell all your friends and they get super excited for you 46 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:56,560 They're like, oh, yeah, you can do it. You're so awesome 47 00:03:57,320 --> 00:03:59,320 That is a dopamine spike 48 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:03,480 you'll feel good after that response from them and 49 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:13,400 What Andrew Huberman said is you're actually a lot less likely now to actually achieve that goal to actually go out and do that goal 50 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:16,720 So that's a dopamine spike before 51 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:22,200 But then there's also a dopamine spike after like right after doing the hard things 52 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:28,320 Which you should avoid so he said avoid getting a hot fudge sundae right after the marathon and 53 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:33,280 That's because it's basically a reward that you're telling your brain 54 00:04:33,280 --> 00:04:36,840 You're basically saying oh if I do this I get rewarded and 55 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:45,160 He actually mentioned a study that there was a study where researchers gathered a group of kids who actually 56 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:51,920 liked to draw they actually enjoyed drawing and they would draw on their own time without any 57 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:57,480 Kind of push from the parents or anyone else. They just like to draw 58 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:05,840 That's what they chose to do is as a hobby and so the research you the researchers gathered these groups of this group of kids and 59 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:09,280 After they finished drawing their pictures 60 00:05:09,280 --> 00:05:15,920 They started giving them gold stars and the kids started feeling good about this because they were getting rewarded like you're a kid 61 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:18,560 And you receive a golden star you feel good about yourself 62 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:25,000 but what they found is after they stopped they all of a sudden stopped giving the kids gold stars and 63 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:29,960 What they found after that was the kids actually stopped drawing 64 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:35,360 They stopped doing the very thing they actually enjoyed and did for free 65 00:05:36,280 --> 00:05:41,880 Beforehand they did it on their own with no expectation of reward, but now that they got rewards 66 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:46,320 They got that dopamine spike after doing that task 67 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:53,280 They stopped doing it and so what this kind of this brought a lot of clarity because 68 00:05:53,280 --> 00:05:56,000 If you look back on the podcast, I have 69 00:05:57,200 --> 00:05:59,200 episode I'm pretty sure was called 70 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:06,000 Don't tell people your plans or something like that and I kind of understood not to tell people your plans 71 00:06:06,280 --> 00:06:11,760 But I didn't really know the science and I didn't really know the correct formula behind it 72 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:15,560 I kind of just avoided telling everyone my plans no matter what and 73 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:20,880 That was good because I was avoiding that early dopamine spike 74 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:24,800 But after listening to this watching this Andrew Humberman video 75 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:29,400 It really brought a lot of clarity because now I know that I can tell people 76 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:35,840 About what I'm doing, but I have to be very careful with it and and make sure I don't get a dopamine spike 77 00:06:35,840 --> 00:06:38,520 and this is actually very 78 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:41,760 Beneficial because you can use this to your advantage 79 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:49,600 you can tell a very specific person your plans and that person will become 80 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:53,240 Someone who keeps you on track or someone who? 81 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:56,320 What's the word? I'm blanking on the word. I 82 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:01,520 Don't there's a word for it and it's a very obvious word, but I forgot what it is 83 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:08,080 It's pretty much someone who like keeps you accountable. Okay. It's accountability partner 84 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:14,880 This person will become your accountability partner and having an accountability partner is actually very good 85 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:22,240 And I've never really had an accountability power an accountability partner and so this is why this is actually very good because 86 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:28,560 You can tell your friend someone who is on the same path as you 87 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:35,320 Which I have someone in mind who I would tell and then you will keep them accountable 88 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:39,560 If that's what they want also and then they'll keep you accountable as well 89 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:42,400 And so this is a very good tool to have 90 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:47,920 And so that but you have to make sure that when you tell them they don't applaud you 91 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:52,640 they don't and you have to make that clear early on so tell them the story that I just told you and 92 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:58,360 Make sure they know not to applaud you but make sure they know what their role is now 93 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:01,080 accountability partner 94 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:05,040 So that is one method and then he also said of 95 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:11,080 So make sure you avoid getting a reward right after and then a reward before 96 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:17,360 So I touched on the before and a little bit on the after but I want to talk about the after a little bit more 97 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:20,800 Now I'm making sure that I don't 98 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:27,520 Right away tell someone that I did something and get approval from them 99 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:33,520 So let's say I went out for a run today. I went out for a run. I don't tell 100 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:37,320 people I don't I don't tell my like parents or my friends 101 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:42,360 Right after that I went on a run because that gets that 102 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:43,880 that 103 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:50,120 Dopamine spike and it makes it so now I get a dopamine spike after so I'm expecting a reward 104 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:56,600 So now I'm only doing the run for the reward instead of for the sake of the run and for the benefits of the run and 105 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:59,700 This is also a good tool to use beforehand 106 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:05,160 Yes, there are instances where you kind of have to say where you're going for example this morning 107 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:07,400 I went out for a run and 108 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:12,800 Like I can't just leave the house without saying anything so I I 109 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:17,640 Like my dad asked where you're going and I said I'm going for a run 110 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:23,480 So but you have to be careful you have to make sure that you don't get like 111 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:26,040 applause from them and 112 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:27,960 You can anticipate it 113 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:32,440 so in a moment where you may actually receive 114 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:34,440 dopamine or receive like 115 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:40,120 gratification or a reward from someone you can anticipate it and 116 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:45,360 Be prepared for when that starts to happen and then immediately cut them off 117 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:53,200 So what I usually do is whenever I hear it's usually like my parents whenever I hear my dad say 118 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:55,720 Start to give me 119 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:57,720 like applaud or 120 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:05,520 Approval right after I do something or before I do something I always say okay, and I just immediately end it like I always am like 121 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:07,520 Oh, okay, like I I just 122 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:09,720 say 123 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,600 Something to get the person to stop talking and that always works 124 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:17,960 So that's a good a good tip and tactic to use 125 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:21,320 Now let's get into the important 126 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:25,040 Honestly, one of the import most important parts of this whole 127 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:27,040 conversation he said 128 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:29,240 don't 129 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:32,320 avoid getting dopamine spikes before and after 130 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:36,320 But then you have to ask yourself when should you get the dopamine spike? 131 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:40,440 He said the best time to get a dopamine spike is the moments of highest tension 132 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:43,840 So when you're doing the work try and get a dopamine spike 133 00:10:44,560 --> 00:10:49,880 But especially in the moment of highest tension. So for example the example he gave was 134 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:57,880 When he was in college studying he would sit at his desk for hours studying and then there were moments where he was like 135 00:10:57,880 --> 00:10:59,880 Why am I even doing this? This is terrible 136 00:10:59,960 --> 00:11:05,400 But that is the moment of highest tension when he's about to get up and give up and stop for the day 137 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:09,700 That is when you have to insert this affirmation. He said 138 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,000 He said teach yourself 139 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:14,320 to 140 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:17,280 crave or love doing hard things 141 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:20,120 by inserting an affirmation 142 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:24,120 right at the moment of highest tension 143 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:28,360 So he would insert it right when he's about to stop studying 144 00:11:28,680 --> 00:11:36,160 like based off of when he's about to stop studying because of like he just didn't want to do it anymore and 145 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:43,680 Then for me, there's a lot of times where I sit down and start editing like a thumbnail or a video 146 00:11:43,680 --> 00:11:46,240 And that's a moment of high tension 147 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:48,240 and so 148 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:55,360 I'm thinking to myself. I don't want to do this. It's so easy to go on YouTube and start watching YouTube 149 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:59,120 That's a moment of high tension. That's when I insert 150 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:03,120 This kind of affirmation and let me tell you what the affirmation is 151 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:06,440 I don't remember the exact affirmation word for word 152 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:11,000 But it goes as long as you have these two main 153 00:12:11,560 --> 00:12:13,560 aspects these two key 154 00:12:13,560 --> 00:12:19,960 features of the affirmation and it's I am doing this by choice and I am doing this because I love it 155 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:28,160 so you have to have the choice and the love aspect and it actually makes a lot of sense because a couple actually 156 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:33,200 All the time when I'm biking in the rain, especially when I'm biking 157 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:38,040 Every once while I just get really hype and just be like let's go and 158 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:44,840 And this is especially in the rain. This always happens when it rains out or snows or hails 159 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:47,840 When when it gets difficult 160 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:54,680 I always just get really hype while I'm biking and I didn't know about this trick 161 00:12:54,680 --> 00:12:59,640 I just kind of did it and it was just a habit that I developed to get really excited about 162 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:02,240 biking in the rain and 163 00:13:02,560 --> 00:13:06,640 I did that while I was biking in the rain instead of before or after and 164 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:08,640 And so that is a 165 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:12,200 Very good tip and make sure now 166 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:18,040 I also take it another way I take advantage of this kind of tip is 167 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:20,160 while I'm 168 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:26,200 bike or while I'm doing hard things or even while I'm doing tedious or difficult stuff that I 169 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:30,120 Could give up early or could just stop doing it 170 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:34,360 For example when I'm in the middle of a set in the gym lifting weights. I 171 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:38,240 I always I I've made it a habit to 172 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:46,600 Not every time but a lot of times during specific exercises that I feel I might want to cut short 173 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:49,400 For example, my shoulder press 174 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:57,560 Exercise is the one that I always like to or I always cut short a lot of the times and so I've made it a habit to 175 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:00,280 Just get excited 176 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:09,560 While I'm doing the lift so that that's the dopamine placement tips that I learned and that was probably one of the better 177 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:14,280 Pieces of advice that I've learned over the past couple weeks 178 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:18,540 so look out for the daily uploads and 179 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:26,360 It's these uploads are only gonna be public on the podcast and if you want to watch the video version of these videos 180 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:31,280 then go on my youtube channel James Radzinski and 181 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:36,440 Go on the playlists. There will be a playlist. I haven't figured out what it was 182 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:42,000 What's it's gonna be called is probably me called daily practice or something like that 183 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:46,960 And it's gonna be a public playlist, but it's gonna have unlisted videos inside of it. So 184 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:55,760 Keep an eye out for the next one, which will come out tomorrow. You