I wouldn’t say that this book is enlightening and you get information that is not already available on the internet. Despite that, it is an excellent quick read. It starts with some technicalities and science behind dopamine. Later tells you repetitively to avoid social media to stop procrastinating. Again, not that we don’t know it, but how this book sets the narrative will push you to start disciplining your social media usage.

I have successfully not procrastinated for the whole last week, let’s see how long this book leaves its effect on me.

Some lines that I loved in the book –

1. Dopamine gives us the desire to take action to earn the exciting reward that’s waiting for us. It is the force that makes us act.
2. Contrary to what many people believe, dopamine is not a pleasure chemical. Simply because an event triggers the release of dopamine doesn’t mean it is something we like or get pleasure from. In fact, when you pay close attention, you’ll notice that as soon as you obtain the expected reward, you’ll often feel empty and unfulfilled.
3. Under such a state of stimulation, any task that requires concentration becomes much harder to perform. As a result, you will procrastinate. You delay writing that book you’ve always planned. You put off starting that new venture, or you’ll postpone that key project you’re in charge of.
4. By continuously triggering the release of dopamine through different means—such as drug or alcohol consumption—addicts actually strengthen their tolerance to such stimulation. As a result, they need stronger and stronger stimulus to experience the same sensation of pleasure.
5. Dopamine and constant stimulation can impair your ability to think long term Studies have shown that one of the best predictors of success is the ability to think long term. People who repeatedly focus on where they want to be in the future, make better decisions in the present. They tend to eat healthier food, be more productive at work and save and invest more money than others.
6. Edward Banfield of Harvard University concluded that long-time perspective, “was the most important determinant of financial and personal success in life.” He defined “long-time” as the “ability to think several years into the future while making decisions in the present.”
7. By receiving constant feedback, whether through likes, comments, or immediate replies to our messages, we condition ourselves to expect fast results with everything we do.
8. No, watching motivational videos all day long won’t help you reach your goals. But, performing daily consistent actions, sustained over a long period of time will. Staying calm and focusing on the one task in front of you every day will. The point is, to achieve long-term goals in your personal or professional life, you must regain control of your attention and rewire your brain to focus on the long term. To do so, you should start by staying away from highly stimulating activities.
9. Build the foundations for success one brick at a time. Build them strong so that they won’t collapse at the first obstacle or setback.
10. A dopamine detox helps reduce stimulation, thereby allowing you to revert to a more natural state. When you need less stimulation, seemingly challenging, boring or tedious tasks will become more appealing—and easier to tackle.

Available on Amazon Kindle Edition, Audiobook, and Paperback.