When the dopamine is high those amazing super awesome biz ideas start flying–amiright. Whether it’s daydreaming while cooking risotto–damn that takes a lot of time 🙄–folding laundry, or driving down the road–don’t judge, you know it’s true– the daydreams come and the brain gets flooded with all the biz ideas.
I have learned over the years that those are the ideas that are diamonds in the rough. I’m talking better than three wishes and a lamp good–sorry Genie!😬 Not the case for most people–the daydreams disappear with the dopamine, nothing happens and that amazing idea ceases to exist–BUT you are coming up with amazing ideas–why not make them real.
Always follow dopamine–it’s where the good stuff lives.
Many times creatives need the dopamine to be creative, or get past scrolling TikTok–which is a great source of ideas, and inspires a lot of self-reflection. When you avoid the dopamine wave–you are partially ignoring your instincts to create–which feels sucky. Most people think that by doing this they are sabotaging their business they have already built. BUT A lot of neurodiverse folx are actually multi-passionate entrepreneurs and having just one biz won’t ever really fuel the fire–so that’s imposter syndrome sneaking in with some more lies for you.
for one if you have passion for something do it, for another it’s a really fucking amazing brilliant idea–you just need some intention. That’s one of the things that is great about having consistent accountability you can rely on–the ideas make it past the dream stage.
So how do you make your awesome idea a reality?
WHEN THE DOPAMINE WAVE HITS–MAKE NOTE OF EVERYTHING
I am not joking. Who knows how long this idea train is going to last and you want to keep every ounce of this idea alive. So however you want to keep track of things–do it! I find that a lot of times the easiest thing is to record my outward verbal processing. Although if the family is asleep and it’s 3am–google docs works just as well. Sometimes Marco Polo is also a great option for things I need my assistant to be in the know about. That also allows her to keep me on top of the idea post dopamine drop.
KEEP GOING WITH THE GROWING DOPAMINE WAVE
If the dopamine rush is a longer one and has you excited and creative–ride the wave. Whether designing T-shirts, making spreadsheets, building a course, whatever the inspiration is–do as much as you can. That creativity in the moment is where you shine and you want to harness that. Do your best not to reign yourself in during these waves.
The exception to the harnessing rule is when it comes to purchasing–don’t actually purchase anything. Impulse control is a real thing and in the event there is a hiccup that doesn’t pop up until rabbit hole 4,569–you want to keep the bank account safe😅 . But by all means research the fuck out of supplies you will need. Once you find all the info and the full plan is in place you can take action without delay.
WHEN THE DOPAMINE WAVE SETTLES–FIND THE SHELLS
Okay we’re evidently going with the ocean metaphor, so stay with me. Once that wave of creativity dissipates it’s time to survey what you accomplished and organize your notes. Categorize everything in columns of need to be done, kinda done, and completed. With the flood of dopamine more regulated–or receding all together–this is where the ideas tend to turn stagnant.
With the remaining bit of creativity left–it’s time to assess and prioritize what’s left. Many times if the majority is done and it’s for the most part cohesive–I tell people to put it into the world. Done is better than perfect, and feedback from real people is way better than that bitchy voice inside your head.
If there is A LOT to still do–that’s okay–it’s time to make a plan. THIS my friend, is typically where we need to start gaining accountability. Get a hold of your biz buddy and tell them about the wave of creativity. See if they can do a call and talk through what still needs to be done. Together rack and stack the next steps and break down things that are more complicated. Create a plan to touch base on things–and tell them how you want them to keep you accountable. For me that means I tell Sabra or Angela to yell at me when I’m not getting my shit done.
If you don’t have a biz bud, consider finding a strategist who can help you map things out and build a plan that will work for how your brain works. Sometimes that extra 1:1 support is just what you need to find yourself making that idea a reality. Group strategy and masterminds are also great ways to have built in support systems for when the waves hit. We are currently developing a ride the dopamine wave guide to help you actually make your idea a reality–so if you’re interested join our waitlist here.
Wondering how my dopamine waves manifest themselves?
Ideas flow in a few places for me–but most come from the Shower. Give me a metric fuck ton of hot water, beautiful essential oils (my fave is AirX from doTerra), a good chunk of time and I’m leaving with a whole new fully fleshed out idea and the inspiration to get it done. The important part for me is to make sure I take notes on my thoughts and have a place I can look to for reference. I also like to keep myself accountable so I usually tell a friend to make the thing a reality and so they can ask me for updates. Marco Polo is great for this!
If the ideas and the flow hit at night–sorry body we aren’t sleeping. Well technically that’s my brain saying those things. Trying to force myself to sleep doesn’t work and I have found that getting up and letting my body and brain do it’s thing means I actually get more sleep than if I had tried to ignore it. So if this happens I get up, head to the office and let the ideas flow. Build this thing, design that thing, flesh out whatever this is–until it fades and I can sleep. These waves typically last 3-4 hours and I get SOOOO much done. This also tends to become a coping mechanism when my life is getting out of my control–thanks anxiety. 🙄
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We’d love to hear about your big ideas that came from dopamine waves–did you start a TikTok account that went viral or maybe created a T-Shirt shop that is funding your love of all things geeky? Comment below with your stories!
