Beyond the To-Do List - Productivity for Work and Life18 Aug 2025

Dopamine and Focus: How to Tame Your Brain for Better Productivity with Michael Long

Michael Long is a bestselling author and speechwriter who co-wrote Taming the Molecule of More, the follow-up to the hit book The Molecule of More. In this conversation, we dive into how dopamine—the brain’s “molecule of more”—drives distraction, craving, creativity, and productivity, and how we can train it to serve us instead of sabotage us.

In this episode, we cover:

What Dopamine Actually Does: Michael explains the two dopamine systems—desire and control—and how they influence everything from addiction to ambition.
Why Modern Life Overstimulates Us: From doomscrolling to shopping, we unpack why the digital world hijacks our dopamine and attention.
How to Tame Your Dopamine Urges: Michael offers realistic, science-based ways to break the cycle of overstimulation—including dopamine fasting and behavioral resets.
The Power of Presence: We discuss how returning to the “here and now” neurotransmitters (like through music, sunshine, or human connection) can help balance the dopamine system.
Why Meaning Matters: Michael shares how understanding your values and aligning your work with them can bring lasting motivation and joy—not just temporary dopamine hits.
Tools and Therapies That Help: From CBT and ACT to promising medical treatments like GLP-1 drugs, Michael explores practical supports for change.

Michael’s insights offer a fascinating look at how your brain’s reward system can either keep you stuck in distraction or fuel your best creative work—depending on how you manage it.

Learn more at TamingTheMolecule.com

Connect with Erik:

This Podcast is Powered By:

Make sure to grab Shortcasts from Beyond The To-Do List by Blinkist. A Shortcast is a 7-10 min version of a podcast where you get the core takeaways.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(603)

Self-Awareness: The Birkman Method and Working With How You're Wired with Lisa Marker-Robbins

Self-awareness, mindset, and personal productivity are at the center of this conversation with Lisa Marker-Robbins, a Master Certified Birkman Method coach — one of the roughly 3% of consultants at th...

7 Sep 57min

Mindset: Why Fixing Your Habits Won't Fix Your Self-Trust with Lester Clowes

Self-trust and identity are at the center of this conversation with Lester Clowes, executive coach and author of Stop Lying to Yourself.Lester Clowes spent a decade running a school system before buil...

17 Aug 46min

Burnout: Why Thought Load, Not Workload, Is Draining You with Liane Davey

Burnout, energy management, and decision fatigue are at the center of this conversation with Liane Davey, organizational psychologist and the "teamwork doctor."Liane Davey is a New York Times bestsell...

6 Aug 52min

Creativity: How Rest, Wonder, and AI Redefine Productivity with Natalie Nixon

Creativity, rest, and mindset are at the center of this conversation with Natalie Nixon, author of The Creativity Leap and Move, Think, Rest.Natalie Nixon has spent two decades as a creativity strateg...

3 Aug 53min

Energy Management: What Johnny Carson Knew About Saying No with Mark Malkoff

Energy management, decision making, and knowing when to walk away are at the center of this conversation with Mark Malkoff, author of Love Johnny Carson.Mark Malkoff is a comedian, filmmaker, and inte...

27 Juli 47min

Time Management: Trading Time Scarcity for Abundance with Laura Vanderkam

Time management and time abundance are at the center of this conversation with Laura Vanderkam, bestselling author and time-use researcher.Laura Vanderkam has spent over a decade studying how people a...

6 Juli 45min

Team Habits: How Small Actions Create Better Teams and Better Work with Charlie Gilkey

I’m excited to revisit this conversation with Charlie Gilkey on his book, Team Habits: How Small Actions Lead to Extraordinary Results. Charlie is the founder of Productive Flourishing, a company that...

3 Juni 46min

Mentoring: What Most People Get Wrong and How to Do It Right with Claire Diaz-Ortiz

I'm excited to revisit this conversation with Claire Diaz-Ortiz discussing her book, One Minute Mentoring, co-authored with legendary leadership expert Ken Blanchard. Claire is a keynote speaker, auth...

19 Maj 36min