Here’s why you can’t succeed in today’s world without understanding your dopamine system

🕘 It was 9:45 on a Friday morning.

The alarm hit me like a hammer to the back of the head.

The house was a total mess. My mouth was drier than the desert.

I had been drinking all night. Again.

💸 My bank account was down another $200 — bringing my total debt to a new record of $10,000.

😞 It was one of those mornings where you'd rather die than get out of bed and go to work.

I bet you've had a few of those too, right?

After what was probably the most dopamine-packed year of my life,

2024 felt like I was dying on the inside.

I wasn’t just paying for the overspending of the previous year — I had to rebuild my life from scratch.

🧨 The plan?

No more parties.

No more alcohol, drugs, or even dating.

Just train, run, improve at my job, and launch my business — all on a tight budget.

📆 The year started off decent.

I lost some weight. I felt a little better…

But I was basically a robot:

Wake up → gym → work → more work → Netflix → scroll → sleep.

I kept waiting for the energy, the fire, the drive I remembered from the last time I had my life in order.

But instead, I just felt like hell.

📺 Then I saw Iman Gadzhi ranting about dopamine detox.

Even though I was spaced out, something sparked.

I started reading more about dopamine — 🧠 the chemical of anticipation and motivation

the one that makes us want things.

The more I read, the more it made sense.

My dopamine system was fried.

And if you're physically healthy but still feel depressed, unmotivated, or like you're constantly giving up… yours probably is too.

🧬 What Is Dopamine?

Dopamine is your brain’s way of motivating you to chase what feels good:

🍕 food, 🏆 success, 🧡 validation, even 🛟 survival.

🔄 How it works:

  1. You encounter a trigger (food, a text, a win, a like).
  2. Your brain predicts a reward and releases dopamine.
  3. You feel excited, motivated to act.
  4. You get (or don’t get) the reward — and your brain adjusts for next time.

⚠️ Why Instant Gratification Destroys Discipline

  1. You train your brain for cheap hits.

    2. Social media, porn, junk food, alcohol — easy dopamine.

    Your brain says:

    🧠 “This is fast and feels good. Let’s do more.”

  2. Hard things feel boring.

    3. Building a business or a better body takes time and effort.

    After binge dopamine, effort feels wrong — like a waste.

  3. Your reward system gets numb.

    4. You stop feeling joy from the things that used to excite you.

    You lose focus. You lose energy. You lose belief.

🎯 This is the loop that kills discipline, productivity, and dreams.

✅ It's Action Time

Let’s hit the reset button.

Before anything else, take this quick test.

📊 Instant Gratification Self-Assessment

Part 1: Your Habits

(Answer with: Often / Sometimes / Rarely)

  • Do you check your phone first thing in the morning?
  • Do you scroll social media for more than 30 minutes/day?
  • Do you binge YouTube, TikTok, or Netflix when bored?
  • Do you procrastinate by doing easy/fun tasks?
  • Do you snack from boredom, not hunger?

Part 2: Your Mindset

(Answer with: Yes / Somewhat / No)

  • Is it hard to focus for more than 20 minutes?
  • Do your goals feel less exciting than they used to?
  • Do you feel drained or anxious after scrolling?
  • Do you chase quick wins instead of long-term goals?
  • Do you feel busy but not fulfilled?

🧮 Score Yourself:

  • 0–3: You’re doing okay. A few small tweaks will help.
  • 4–6: 🚨 Warning signs — time to realign.
  • 7–10: 🧯 Red alert — your dopamine system is running on fumes.

If you have your score click here for next step