How I Re-Wired My Brain to Enjoy Doing Hard Things
How to create effortless momentum
I’ve always been a hard worker.
But, despite my hardest efforts, I’ve never been able to realize the success I felt I deserved.
Be it financially, fitness-related, or figuring out what I truly wanted out of life, forcing myself to work harder never yielded better results.
Success in life comes when you stop trying.
So, stop trying so darn hard. And instead, re-wire your brain to let success roll in, effortlessly.
Here’s how I re-wired my brain to enjoy doing hard things. And, how you can too — to create the success you know you deserve.
There are no rewards in life.
Most of life’s greatest questions were answered hundreds if not thousands of years ago.
But, modern life remains a mystery because each of us needs to be in the right place at the right time for the right words to speak to us.
For example, you may understand the importance of enjoying the moment or embracing the grind. But, until you experience them for yourself, their wisdom is wasted.
It’s for this reason, that the same stories will be told and re-told until the end of time. With each new wave of humans comes the necessity for new renditions.
Personally, the best piece of advice I’ve heard in recent years came from the internet’s favorite neuroscientist, Dr. Andrew Huberman. On his podcast, he explained a known cliche, with a scientific twist:
“Don’t spike dopamine prior to engaging in effort. Don’t spike dopamine after engaging in effort. Learn to spike your dopamine from effort itself.”
Although embracing the grind isn’t new advice, hearing these words made everything click.
Instead of engaging in difficult tasks merely to receive a reward, make the task the reward.
Here’s how…
Easy is relative. So is hard.
This year, I turned 31.
And, one of the most interesting things about getting older is how relative age becomes. When I was a teenager, the idea of being 31 meant… well, being old.
But today, I feel as though my adult life has only just begun. And, can’t imagine going back in time to when I knew so little.
Humans can only discern reality through comparison:
- We fear the dark only through living in light
- Pain and pleasure are judged only by our past experiences
- We see color and shapes only by their contrasting surroundings
Without experience we’re clueless. And, by manipulating your experiences, you can learn to control your reality.
At the end of the day, success in life boils down to one thing — doing the things you know you should but don’t want to do.
So, stop forcing yourself to do hard things.
Instead, re-wire your brain to enjoy doing the things you know you should… and inherently, want to do.
You can do this by re-arranging your reality…
1. Replenish your dopamine.
In 2017, I decided this: to be happy, I needed to work for myself.
I had recently quit my job and spent 2.5 years soul-searching to discover what I wanted out of life. Although I succeeded in re-kindling my creative passions, I had also worked myself into sizeable debt.
To dig myself out, I had to face my harsh reality — getting another soul-destroying 9–5.
While I worked myself out of debt (moonlighting as a creative writer), I became obsessed with productivity hacks:
- Pomodoro cycling
- Bullet journaling
- Time blocking
- Meditating
Anything that could help me win back time and expedite financial security. But, none of it worked — because it was missing one key ingredient.
Pleasure.
As much as I was determined to make a living writing, I wasn’t enjoying the process. And, only when I was ready to hear it, did I stumble upon another life-changing piece of advice.
While listening to an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Ben Patrick (a.k.a “Kneesovertoesguy”), described how he grew his social media following from 0 to millions of followers in one year.
“I’ve gone multiple years without any form of entertainment… and no cheat meals either.”
The key to Ben’s success was so simple. He delayed gratification to keep himself motivated. And, re-wired his brain to derive pleasure from his work.
Instead of replenishing his dopamine levels with a cold beer, Netflix, or a warm slice of pizza, he sought pleasure from building his business. This not only allowed him more time to craft the best possible content but to enjoy the process as well.
It was an instant epiphany for me.
If you were stranded on a desert island with no entertainment, watching the sun rise each morning would be as captivating as watching a blockbuster movie.
So, instead of drooling at the idea of naughty food and relaxation, re-wire your brain to become hungry for momentum.
2. Re-discover the pleasure of pain.
Cold showers are a staple in the productivity world.
But, despite a litany of health benefits, most people find them too mentally taxing to do consistently. Personally, I attempted the conventional wisdom of embracing the suck for years.
But, inevitably, my willpower would fizzle out and I’d give up.
That is, until I mashed 2 pieces of wisdom together, to find a mindset that worked for me. The first came from Dr. Andrew Huberman on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, where he said,
“I think of it as facing mental walls. I aim for 3 walls.”
The second was from an undisclosed YouTube video [paraphrasing],
“Don’t resist the cold, embrace it. Know that it’s doing you good.”
With these simple words, I’ve been able to embrace the painful feelings of turning my shower cold each morning or submerging myself in a cold tub. Instead of facing the pain to reap the benefits, I’m slowly re-wiring my brain to enjoy the process, knowing the good the pain is doing me.
Although these quotes may have no positive effect on you at all, just know there is a combination of words out there that will.
Open yourself up to hearing them.
3. Revitalize your idea of struggle.
I’ve always struggled with money.
Not necessarily with making it but feeling guilty about having it. My parents bestowed a feeling of privilege onto me at a young age.
They’d tell me to clear my plate at dinner as starving kids existed around the world. And, anytime I became too confident about my place in life, I was quickly reminded of how many advantages I had.
Anytime I achieved anything, I felt guilty.
So, at 25, during a very cliche quarter-life crisis, I sold all of my worldly possessions to travel the world and find my place in it.
Over the span of 6 years, I dug myself into a hole of debt, climbed out, and gained a newfound perspective on life.
Struggle, just like trauma, is entirely subjective.
And, it’s never constructive to judge anyone else’s struggle. Yes, there will always be those who have it worse. But, there will always be others who have it easier.
Instead of comparing your experiences to those around you, compare them to your own:
- Learn from your past to improve your present
- Lean on what you know to uncover what you don’t
And, when facing difficult times, know you’re creating a stronger, wiser you. Experience has the highest return of any investment you can imagine.
So, invest in experiences — painful, pleasurable, and everything in between.
Final thoughts: pain, pleasure, it’s all subjective.
As Theodore Roosevelt famously said,
“Comparison is the thief of joy.”
If you spend your life pursuing someone else’s dream, you’re in for an arduous road ahead. And, if you face life’s challenges only to get through them, you’ll be dragging your feet for a lifetime.
Instead, follow your own path and embrace each twist, turn, peak, and valley. Know that each misstep, stumble, and fall adds to the excitement of the journey.
As cliche as it is to say, if you can learn to enjoy the journey, you’ll never worry about reaching your destination again.
Hi, I’m Hudson. I write about living healthier, happier, and more mindfully. To see my stories pop up on your feed, I’d love for you to follow me (Hudson Rennie). And, to have stories sent directly to you, subscribe to my newsletter.👇
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