If you’re like me, you’ve felt the rush of dopamine when you think you’ve accomplished something.
When you open a fresh document and suddenly your brain lights up like a slot machine hitting the jackpot.
You have yet another great idea!!
The buzz of possibility, the rush of finally being organized and on track. For a brief moment, you feel like finally this is the one.
Except it’s not!
The Illusion of Progress
Here’s the thing that took me far too long to work out.
Planning feels like progress because your brain can’t tell the difference between thinking about doing something and actually doing it.
When you’re mapping out your strategy, making lists, color-coding categories, your mind is in the project.
You’re making decisions, solving problems, visualizing success.
It feels productive because it literally is a form of mental work. But it’s the wrong kind of work.
I would spend days coming up with some new project plan.
I’d create timelines, break everything down into phases, research the tools I would need and on and on it would go.
I’d feel a sense of accomplishment, I would get the dopamine hit.
And after all that the plan would sit there, while I would move on and start to plan the next thing!
The Dopamine Trap
Your brain releases dopamine when it anticipates a reward, not just when you actually get it.
So when you start planning something exciting, your brain floods you with feel-good chemicals based on the possibility of success.
It’s a sneaky cycle – planning feels good, so you plan more.
Each new planning session gives you another hit, another rush of potential.
Before you know it, you’re addicted to the feeling of starting things, not finishing them.
You become addicted to this pattern because the dopamine reward is immediate and certain, while the reward from actually executing your plan is delayed and uncertain.
So guess which one your brain prefers?
The Cost of the Hit
Here’s what the dopamine hit doesn’t tell you.
While you’re busy planning, time is passing. Opportunities are slipping by. You’re still taken up with the “brilliant idea”, but guess what?
Someone else just launched their imperfect version 1.0 and is already learning from real users.
The worst part isn’t even the lack of progress – it’s the inevitable crash.
When the planning high wears off and you’re staring at yet another untouched plan, the self-blame kicks in hard.
“Why can’t I just execute?” “What’s wrong with me?” “Maybe I’m just not cut out for this.”
If you’re dealing with depression or anxiety the crash hits even harder!
It feeds into every negative story your brain wants to tell you about your capabilities.
The Alternative
Real progress doesn’t come from perfect plans – it comes from imperfect action.
Instead of chasing the planning dopamine hit, you need to train your brain to crave the action dopamine hit instead.
The secret?
Start with something so small it feels almost silly not to do it.
Call it your Minimum Viable Action.
Instead of planning the entire landing page, write one headline. Instead of designing the full course module, record one 3-minute video explaining a single concept.
That tiny action will give you real dopamine – the kind that comes from actual progress, not just the illusion of it.
The Dopamine Hit Detector
Next time you feel that familiar rush of excitement from opening a new planning document, take a moment and ask yourself these three questions:
Am I feeling a disproportionate sense of accomplishment just from planning?
Does this plan have a clear, immediate Minimum Viable Action step defined?
Have I delayed starting a previous action step by engaging in this planning?
If you answered yes to #1 or #3, or no to #2, you might be chasing the planning high instead of making real progress.
Forget the planning – do one tiny thing instead.
Your brain will thank you for the real dopamine hit that comes from actually making real progress, no matter how small!