Last year, I realized that I had the pyramid of conscious nourishment completely inverted. I was constantly consuming low-quality, reactive content, scrolling aimlessly, overloading on shallow inputs, and wondering why I felt anxious, unfocused, and creatively drained. That’s when I started treating my mind like something sacred and decided to completely redesign my information diet and daily habits.
What helped me shift was applying a system I now call the “3-Month Quest Framework.” This method has become the backbone of how I stay hungry for high-quality inputs and intentional living. Here are the three steps that helped me flip the pyramid:
1. Build a daily compass through journaling and scheduling. I started each day by journaling and scheduling my time intentionally. This daily “compass” gave me the structure to stay aware of where my attention was going and ensured that my actions reflected the kind of person I wanted to become. It became a daily check-in to course-correct and prioritize what truly matters.
2. Track progress weekly and monthly. I implemented weekly and monthly reviews where I evaluated what nourished me mentally and emotionally, what drained me, and how aligned I was with my larger goals. These reviews made patterns visible, like when I was slipping into low-value content or losing momentum, and helped me adjust before things went off track.
3. Create 3-month quests with built-in rewards. I gamified my life by breaking it into quests—three-month challenges tied to specific goals. Each quest had a roadmap and rewards that tapped into my brain’s craving for gratification. By doing this, I replaced the hit of cheap dopamine with the fulfillment that comes from progress, learning, and staying committed to a purpose.
This framework has helped me hack my own reward system in a conscious and sustainable way. It’s allowed me to stay invested in my goals, remain focused, and avoid slipping into the trap of reactive consumption.
Excellent analysis and great advice. Curating inputs to influence outcomes based on neuroscience. I've read about this binary using a dopamine/serotonin distinction: dopamine being the molecule of more and serotonin being the molecule of contentment.
Without question, the online information ecosystem is excessively dopaminergic, using reward prediction error to drive consumption that spikes dopamine production repeatedly to promote compulsive overconsumption. After binging on whatever it is that floats your boat, you fall into the trough. I don't have enough energy to do what really matters to me, so I will reach for another quick fix in a different form: sugar, caffeine, gaming, porn, whatever. At the end of the roller coaster ride, you might feel like shit without knowing exactly why. Rinse and repeat often enough, and you'll become depressed.
Reducing the low-return dopamine spikes is crucial, and curating your inputs is essential.
I would also add that the flip side of the strategy involves optimizing your serotonin levels, especially since elevated cortisol associated with chronic stress so prevalent in the USA today downregulates serotonin, which also leads to anxiety and depression, the scourge of millennials and zillennials.
Engaging in intrinsically meaningful creative activities reduces the effects of cortisol upon serotonin production and sensitivity. No wonder we feel better after doing so.
Also, lifestyle can make a huge difference, in particular, exercise, diet, and meditative practices. Just 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise (30 minutes of brisk walking five times a week) increases both serotonin and dopamine production. So does ten minutes of daily meditative practice, but to a lesser degree. Presently, Americans consume on average 60% of their calories from ultraprocessed food, which is calorie-dense but nutritionally poor, notably in tryptophan, which is an essential amino acid and a precursor in the production of serotonin.
I'm about a year into making these brain hacks part of my daily routine, and I feel great, and I'm more productive than ever doing the things that are important to me.
Thanks for sharing your journey. I find it comforting to learn that I am not alone on this pilgrimage. Cheers. bg
Last year, I realized that I had the pyramid of conscious nourishment completely inverted. I was constantly consuming low-quality, reactive content, scrolling aimlessly, overloading on shallow inputs, and wondering why I felt anxious, unfocused, and creatively drained. That’s when I started treating my mind like something sacred and decided to completely redesign my information diet and daily habits.
What helped me shift was applying a system I now call the “3-Month Quest Framework.” This method has become the backbone of how I stay hungry for high-quality inputs and intentional living. Here are the three steps that helped me flip the pyramid:
1. Build a daily compass through journaling and scheduling. I started each day by journaling and scheduling my time intentionally. This daily “compass” gave me the structure to stay aware of where my attention was going and ensured that my actions reflected the kind of person I wanted to become. It became a daily check-in to course-correct and prioritize what truly matters.
2. Track progress weekly and monthly. I implemented weekly and monthly reviews where I evaluated what nourished me mentally and emotionally, what drained me, and how aligned I was with my larger goals. These reviews made patterns visible, like when I was slipping into low-value content or losing momentum, and helped me adjust before things went off track.
3. Create 3-month quests with built-in rewards. I gamified my life by breaking it into quests—three-month challenges tied to specific goals. Each quest had a roadmap and rewards that tapped into my brain’s craving for gratification. By doing this, I replaced the hit of cheap dopamine with the fulfillment that comes from progress, learning, and staying committed to a purpose.
This framework has helped me hack my own reward system in a conscious and sustainable way. It’s allowed me to stay invested in my goals, remain focused, and avoid slipping into the trap of reactive consumption.
Excellent analysis and great advice. Curating inputs to influence outcomes based on neuroscience. I've read about this binary using a dopamine/serotonin distinction: dopamine being the molecule of more and serotonin being the molecule of contentment.
Without question, the online information ecosystem is excessively dopaminergic, using reward prediction error to drive consumption that spikes dopamine production repeatedly to promote compulsive overconsumption. After binging on whatever it is that floats your boat, you fall into the trough. I don't have enough energy to do what really matters to me, so I will reach for another quick fix in a different form: sugar, caffeine, gaming, porn, whatever. At the end of the roller coaster ride, you might feel like shit without knowing exactly why. Rinse and repeat often enough, and you'll become depressed.
Reducing the low-return dopamine spikes is crucial, and curating your inputs is essential.
I would also add that the flip side of the strategy involves optimizing your serotonin levels, especially since elevated cortisol associated with chronic stress so prevalent in the USA today downregulates serotonin, which also leads to anxiety and depression, the scourge of millennials and zillennials.
Engaging in intrinsically meaningful creative activities reduces the effects of cortisol upon serotonin production and sensitivity. No wonder we feel better after doing so.
Also, lifestyle can make a huge difference, in particular, exercise, diet, and meditative practices. Just 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise (30 minutes of brisk walking five times a week) increases both serotonin and dopamine production. So does ten minutes of daily meditative practice, but to a lesser degree. Presently, Americans consume on average 60% of their calories from ultraprocessed food, which is calorie-dense but nutritionally poor, notably in tryptophan, which is an essential amino acid and a precursor in the production of serotonin.
I'm about a year into making these brain hacks part of my daily routine, and I feel great, and I'm more productive than ever doing the things that are important to me.
Thanks for sharing your journey. I find it comforting to learn that I am not alone on this pilgrimage. Cheers. bg