Want to achieve a big goal? You need to leverage dopamine

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Want to achieve a big goal? You need to leverage dopamine

By Stephanie Vozza

You know that little jolt of happiness you get when you finally finish a big project or simply check off a task on your to-do list? That feeling comes from dopamine, a neurotransmitter that acts like your brain’s internal reward system by giving you a good feeling.

While dopamine is a natural result of accomplishment, you can harness it for sustained success if you understand how it works, says Molly Fletcher, author of Dynamic Drive: The Purpose-Fueled Formula for Sustainable Success.

“When dopamine levels are low or inconsistent, we experience decreased motivation and reduced pleasure from achievement—this is where physical fatigue and burnout come into play,” she says. “But when we set and achieve goals and dopamine is released, it reinforces our behavior and encourages the further pursuit of that goal, which is integral to sustaining it.”?

Your body releases dopamine in two ways: tonic and phasic. Tonic is your baseline level. It’s the amount always circulating in the brain. Phasic releases peak above your baseline.?

“These two things interact, and our goal is to keep our dopamine at the right levels consistently,” Fletcher says. “Dopamine influences how motivated and capable we feel. If all we do is focus on the linear pursuit of an outcome or achievement, though, it can become a grueling road toward a goal.”

How to leverage dopamine

Fletcher saw the impact of dopamine during her 20-plus years as a sports agent, representing athletes and coaches including NFL quarterback Drew Brees, Michigan State University basketball coach Tom Izzo, and golfer Phil Mickelson.

“The world sees all the achievements, the trophies, the accolades, and the contracts,” she says. “But what I saw is what high performers focus on to achieve and, more importantly, to do again and again.”?

Fletcher calls this attitude “dynamic drive.” It’s the spark that ignites the pursuit of better by unlocking achievement, fulfillment, and joy. Dopamine levels play a role because they affect how capable we perceive ourselves to be. When we’re pursuing something hard, like a big goal, we need dopamine drips throughout the day to continue the effort and to overcome the obstacles and challenges that are inevitable.

The moment of an achievement is one way to get dopamine, but you should also celebrate milestones and breakthroughs. Reflect on your past efforts as well, giving yourself positive feedback to sustain your energy. These actions will help boost your dopamine levels and provide a sense of progress.?

“You can be intentional with dopamine,” says Fletcher. “It’s a tool that’s available to anyone. Every time we take a moment and acknowledge our effort, we realize that we’re laying a bit of a foundation toward achieving a bigger goal.”

Align dopamine with your values

While dopamine can keep you motivated, sustained success takes something more, Fletcher says, noting that high-performing athletes and coaches anchor their goals in their values, which creates the dynamic drive process.?

“Sadly, when we don’t anchor our pursuit of better with something bigger and broader in our purpose and in our values, the result is often regret and unintentional misalignment with the things in our lives that matter most,” she says. “I’ll ask folks, ‘What are you chasing?’ Because if a sole focus is on achievement, it leaves people feeling empty.”

How to do an “alignment audit”

Fletcher recommends doing a regular alignment audit to make sure what you’re pursuing is anchored in your values. Identify the things that are most important in your life, physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. Rate those things on a scale of 1 to 10 relative to how important they are. Then rate them on a scale of 1 to 10 relative to how much time, attention, and energy that you’re investing in those things.?

“You’ll quickly recognize where there may be gaps,” she says. “We live in a world where it’s really easy to not take the time to stop and acknowledge your effort. Pull in the dopamine effect, but also pause to make sure that you are aligned with intention and clarity. If not, reset yourself in honor of your purpose and values.”

Alignment audits should be done at least once a year (or even more often, depending on where you are in your life). For example, two working parents might want to conduct an audit together on a monthly or quarterly basis, while someone who is retired or has a less demanding schedule could hold an audit on an annual or biannual basis.?

The dangers of complacency

“I know too many people who are crushing it relative to achievement in their professional lives, but unintentionally they’ve become complacent in certain relationships in their lives,” Fletcher says. “Complacency creeps in like an invasive weed and takes root in your life. Alignment keeps you in check.”?

The combination of dopamine and value-driven goals is a recipe for sustained achievement.?“There’s a high level of misunderstanding around the pursuit of achievement and what’s at risk if you solely focus on achievement,” Fletcher says. “People assume athletes, coaches, high performers, and leaders are simply driven to achieve. The ones who stay there and sustain it understand it’s a dynamic process.”

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