4 Steps To Crush Debt in the Most Pleasurable Way Possible
Paying Off Debt With M&M’s
It is well known that candy and other sugar-saturated foods can stimulate the pleasure center of the brain. Why not use this fact to our advantage?
What I am suggesting is that if we trigger the pleasure center of our brain each time to pay off some debt, we will become debt-killing machines.
Here is just a bit of research I have uncovered:
“On an evolutionary basis, our primitive ancestors were scavengers. Sugary foods are excellent sources of energy, so we have evolved to find sweet foods particularly pleasurable….
When we eat sweet foods the brain’s reward system — called the mesolimbic dopamine system — gets activated. Dopamine is a brain chemical released by neurons and can signal that an event was positive. When the reward system fires, it reinforces behaviours — making it more likely for us to carry out these actions again.”
— source: TheConversation.com
Why Not Grab Some Health Benefits Along the Way?
To also get a few health benefits from our experiment we can use chocolate as a reward. Consider:
Dark chocolate and cacao contain an amino acid called tryptophan that your brain uses to produce the neurotransmitter Serotonin, which can increase feelings of overall happiness. Serotonin is the feel-good chemical and influences your mood. Serotonin levels increase with the amount of cacao, so darker chocolate, or raw cacao gives you the most effect.
Also, cacao causes your brain to release endorphins…. They lower our stress and give us a general sense of wellbeing.
Phenylethylalanine … is the chemical that produces the euphoric feeling of “falling in love” and is found in dark chocolate and cacao. Phenylethylalanine is a natural antidepressant that works with the dopamine in your brain.
— Source Us.Viveve.com
So here is my plan.
Step 1 — Pinpoint The Debt:
Identify the debt you would like to rid yourself of. For our example, I will assume our fictitious subject, Matt, has $5,000 in credit card debt to kill.
Step 2 — Select the Reward:
Matt now must select one of his favorite sugary treats, or perhaps a particular type of chocolate he absolutely loves. If Matt uses dark chocolate, there may even be some health benefits involved.
Step 3 — Set Up the Carefully Measured Reward:
Here is how the reward will work. Once the reward (M&M’s or chocolate for example) has been identified, Matt can no longer eat this food until he makes a payment toward his debt.
The reward also must be small in quantity so Matt will not become accustomed to it. The compensation might be just one M&M, for example.
Also, the reward must be carefully measured. The brain needs to see and feel the same reward for each particular debt payment. Again, M&M’s are all about the same size, so that would be a good choice.
Other good choices would be one, or perhaps two, of:
- Hershy Kiss
- Glosette Raisin
- Glosette Peanut
- Cadbury Mini Egg
- Gummy Bear
- Jelly Bean (your favorite color)
- Salt Water Taffy
I think you get the idea. You may also want to choose another more powerful reward that really floats your boat. But keep it small and carefully measured.
Step 4 — Set Up the Reward System
Now, Matt needs to set up a reward system. I would start with one reward for each $100 payment toward the debt. After the first $1000 is paid off, then one reward for each $200 is paid off. As time passes, Matt needs to reduce the number of rewards per dollar paid off. This will make your brain want to pay off more debt faster.
And Matt is not allowed to cheat here. He can’t just keep wracking up his credit card and then keep getting his reward. If, for example, Matt starts with a $5000 debt and runs the debt to $6000, he would not get his first reward until he gets the debt back to $4900, which would represent $100 below his initial debt.
Matt must be careful how he rewards his brain. The brain will think of ways to short circuit the reward system that has been set up.
Conclusion
If Matt follows the above procedure with some exactness, he will set up a reward system in his brain that will make him want to pay off debt.
Usually, the reverse system is true. That is, rewards are received when we add to our credit card debt.
This system will reverse that mental engram.
All the best and good luck with your debt-killing reward system.
If you try this please give me some feedback and let me know if it worked for you. We all might gain from your experience.
All the best until next time, Max
