A New Year’s Resolution
Change your motivational system
What is a Dopamine Fast?
Technically there is no such thing. Dopamine is responsible for motivation and is always in action, even when you successfully tie your shoes. The real name should be the super stimuli fast.
Super stimuli are modern day inventions that hijack the dopamine system. These are things like TV, Processed Foods, Porn, Alcohol, Cigarettes, Refined Sugar, Unnatural Fats, and even Social Media.
The ’40 Day Dopamine Fast’ is going 40 days with only natural sources of dopamine stimulation.
Warning: I am not a doctor. I have done this fast before, but I cannot be held responsible for the results of anyone else trying it.
Why would you do a Dopamine Fast?
There is more to life than going from one pleasure to the next. Instead of constantly looking to the next thing, there is peace and satisfaction here and now.
The hard part is finding that window on life.
When I learned about how our brains start building up a tolerance to dopamine through too much exposure, I figured I would try and reset my numbed out dopamine system and learn about what life looked like when you are not a slave to pleasure.
Does it work?
It is impossible for an action like this not to change your life. However, I am a perfectionist, and I have to say that it did not give me the character of a million dollar CEO.
At the end of the fast I realized that conscientiousness/having an awareness of your existence, is the key. Super stimuli numb this awareness, but just fasting for 40 days is not enough. You need some way of practicing awareness.
Using some of the techniques I developed while I did the fast, I invented a simple system for building conscientiousness, and I am excited to try version 2.0 of The Dopamine Challenge!
How will this New Year’s Resolution work?
I am really excited about the idea of doing a Dopamine Fast with other people. The last time I did it I kept a journal (which will be available to everyone in the New Year), and I thought if everyone who does the Fast keeps a journal, we could not only keep each other accountable, but learn tips and tricks from one another!
Everyone’s fast can be a little different. I have a big list of things that could be considered super stimuli and everyone can pick what they think would be suitable for them. You may end up adding things over the 40 days. For example, after the first 10 days I added controls on shopping, social media and day dreaming.
What you get and what you pay
I will provide a private online space on the dopamine challenge website with a discussion board, chat space, and accounts for everyone to keep a journal. To join will cost $6.
I will also provide my journal and research from the first time I did the fast. This will be an eBook that costs $4.
Finally, I will provide the 5 Tool System I devised to work on conscientiousness. This will be free and included in your welcome email when you sign up below!
So, the total cost will be $10 and we will be starting on January 5th, 2017 (there is a reason we aren’t starting on the first that I will explain later.) If you have any questions, just reply to the welcome email!