The Trap of Visualization

The Trap of Visualization

Or: The Problem with New Year’s Resolutions 😕

We start with excitement and pride:

"This is the year I’ll do things differently!"

But within weeks—or even days—we let it go.

💢 “Too hard, too much, not now… maybe tomorrow…”

💢 The excuses pile up, even though deep down, we know this change would be good for us.

Why does this happen?

It all comes down to dopamine. 🧠

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of reward—a little “high.”

But here’s where it gets interesting:

Most people think dopamine spikes when you achieve a goal.

Think of:

🔸 Scoring a goal (or watching your team do it).

🔹 Jumping off the high dive.

🔸 Perfectly executing a new recipe.

But dopamine also surges when you:

🔹 Anticipate a reward, or

🔸 Achieve small milestones on the way to a goal.

And this is the trap of resolutions:

The path to real change is filled with obstacles.

You’ll face setbacks and challenges—things you don’t experience when you’re just daydreaming about “how great life will be once...”

When those small wins are missing, dopamine drops.

Low dopamine = low motivation. 🆘

Suddenly, the cigarette, Big Mac, or remote control starts calling your name. 👎

The Good News?

You can hack this system by:

✅ Celebrating daily wins (no matter how small).

✅ Clarifying your “why”—the reason behind your goal.

✅ Consistently taking action toward it.

✅ Having accountability partners to hold you to your promises.

This is exactly how I approach coaching:

✔ Defining clear goals.

✔ Mapping actionable steps to reach them.

✔ Staying in daily motion toward progress.

✔ And me, as your accountability partner, to keep you on track.

And yes, that means I’ll call you out on your behavior when needed.

Because growth isn’t always comfortable...

But it does move you closer to the life you want. 🏁

Ready to take the next step and stay in motion?

Want to dive deeper into dopamine?

Check out Liu et al., 2021.

https://lnkd.in/eyHzMkBh

Photo credit: www.Loesje.nl