Focus.

In this day and age, it’s easy to get distracted. Whether you’re scrolling through social media, watching reruns on Hulu, or taking care of a million other tasks on your to-do list, it’s hard to commit time to learning anything new. Do you know why?

When we learn something new, we feel good about ourselves. The reason for this is that when we learn something new (especially from a book), our brains release dopamine—a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine is responsible for feelings of enjoyment and euphoria; in fact, addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin target the brain’s natural production of it. But rather than killing yourself with drugs or cocaine binges, is there a way you can harness the power of dopamine without becoming a drug dealer?

The answer: focus. By setting aside time each day to focus on learning something new—even if that just means reading an article or two—you can train your brain to produce more dopamine naturally over time. Think of it like working out at the gym; by exercising regularly over time, you’ll be able to build muscle mass over time (and increase your ability to run around trying to collect candy).

Having a sense of control.

Let’s face it: the world is complicated. Between worrying about responsibilities at work and in our personal lives, navigating the twists and turns of life can feel like a game of chance. But one thing that can help shake up your routine? Learning something new! It doesn’t have to be anything life-changing, but learning a new skill can do wonders for your confidence—and for your attitude toward your decisions, too.

Taking time out of your day to learn something new can be an enjoyable experience that allows you to take charge of your life in an indirect way. I took a class on how to make soap last semester and although I’m far from becoming Martha Stewart, I found the process immensely satisfying. Even though it was only a small change in my daily routines, knowing how to make my own soap helped me step back and analyze situations differently. The act of making my own soap makes me more confident in other aspects of my life because I know that if I want to make something happen (such as clearing up extra space in my apartment), working hard is the only way there will be a positive outcome (i.e., no one else will come along and clear that extra space for me).

Curiosity.

You might think it doesn’t matter that you skipped out on half your high school classes, or that you’re generally more interested in reading the news than learning new things. Maybe you don’t care that the majority of Americans are unable to name a single Supreme Court Justice. Maybe those things are just fine with you.

In fact, maybe they make sense. If someone is able to work at a job where they only need to know how to type, then why should they have to know anything more? Or if someone is okay living in an area with little understanding of local politics, why learn more?

Maybe an old man from the 19th century would tell you “because ignorance is not bliss.” After all, he had been around longer than almost anyone else and his words should be listened to by those who didn’t get a chance to live anywhere near as long as he had.

But I would say something else: it feels good to learn about new things, and it feels even better when you realize what other people don’t know about the world around them.

It is important to focus on what you are doing and to do it for your own reasons.

In a society that’s constantly encouraging us to grow and learn, it can be hard to maintain focus on your own goals. It’s easy to feel like you’re wasting your time when you don’t have the external motivation of an assignment or deadline. Perhaps the best answer is to simply allow yourself to get lost in what you’re doing, and do it for your own reasons.

What motivates you? Is it a sense of curiosity? Of pride? If you know what it is that brings out your motivation, chances are you’ll find more success in sticking with projects even after they’ve started dragging on. And if not knowing what drives you is holding you back, maybe all that’s needed is a little self-reflection; maybe all it takes is asking yourself why the things around me matter. Once we see the value in something, we may find that our motivation springs forth naturally without having had to force anything along.

I’m definitely guilty of comparing myself with people who are seen as “gifted” for their ability to accomplish whatever they put their mind to—but I think I’ve found something more powerful than my desire to match up with them: my satisfaction in learning new things because I enjoy learning new things, and not because someone told me I should want those things or I might end up as a failure for not obtaining them now.Focus.

In this day and age, it’s easy to get distracted. Whether you’re scrolling through social media, watching reruns on Hulu, or taking care of a million other tasks on your to-do list, it’s hard to commit time to learning anything new. Do you know why?

When we learn something new, we feel good about ourselves. The reason for this is that when we learn something new (especially from a book), our brains release dopamine—a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine is responsible for feelings of enjoyment and euphoria; in fact, addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin target the brain’s natural production of it. But rather than killing yourself with drugs or cocaine binges, is there a way you can harness the power of dopamine without becoming a drug dealer?

The answer: focus. By setting aside time each day to focus on learning something new—even if that just means reading an article or two—you can train your brain to produce more dopamine naturally over time. Think of it like working out at the gym; by exercising regularly over time, you’ll be able to build muscle mass over time (and increase your ability to run around trying to collect candy).

Having a sense of control.

Let’s face it: the world is complicated. Between worrying about responsibilities at work and in our personal lives, navigating the twists and turns of life can feel like a game of chance. But one thing that can help shake up your routine? Learning something new! It doesn’t have to be anything life-changing, but learning a new skill can do wonders for your confidence—and for your attitude toward your decisions, too.

Taking time out of your day to learn something new can be an enjoyable experience that allows you to take charge of your life in an indirect way. I took a class on how to make soap last semester and although I’m far from becoming Martha Stewart, I found the process immensely satisfying. Even though it was only a small change in my daily routines, knowing how to make my own soap helped me step back and analyze situations differently. The act of making my own soap makes me more confident in other aspects of my life because I know that if I want to make something happen (such as clearing up extra space in my apartment), working hard is the only way there will be a positive outcome (i.e., no one else will come along and clear that extra space for me).

Curiosity.

You might think it doesn’t matter that you skipped out on half your high school classes, or that you’re generally more interested in reading the news than learning new things. Maybe you don’t care that the majority of Americans are unable to name a single Supreme Court Justice. Maybe those things are just fine with you.

In fact, maybe they make sense. If someone is able to work at a job where they only need to know how to type, then why should they have to know anything more? Or if someone is okay living in an area with little understanding of local politics, why learn more?

Maybe an old man from the 19th century would tell you “because ignorance is not bliss.” After all, he had been around longer than almost anyone else and his words should be listened to by those who didn’t get a chance to live anywhere near as long as he had.

But I would say something else: it feels good to learn about new things, and it feels even better when you realize what other people don’t know about the world around them.

It is important to focus on what you are doing and to do it for your own reasons.

In a society that’s constantly encouraging us to grow and learn, it can be hard to maintain focus on your own goals. It’s easy to feel like you’re wasting your time when you don’t have the external motivation of an assignment or deadline. Perhaps the best answer is to simply allow yourself to get lost in what you’re doing, and do it for your own reasons.

What motivates you? Is it a sense of curiosity? Of pride? If you know what it is that brings out your motivation, chances are you’ll find more success in sticking with projects even after they’ve started dragging on. And if not knowing what drives you is holding you back, maybe all that’s needed is a little self-reflection; maybe all it takes is asking yourself why the things around me matter. Once we see the value in something, we may find that our motivation springs forth naturally without having had to force anything along.

I’m definitely guilty of comparing myself with people who are seen as “gifted” for their ability to accomplish whatever they put their mind to—but I think I’ve found something more powerful than my desire to match up with them: my satisfaction in learning new things because I enjoy learning new things, and not because someone told me I should want those things or I might end up as a failure for not obtaining them now.