It's 9 AM.

You have a simple task that would take 5 minutes, but it feels impossible. Instead, you've just spent 45 minutes scrolling Instagram, somehow more drained than when you started.

Sound familiar?

A realization I recently had:

Progress is made when the pain of staying the same is stronger than the fear of jumping.

But how does it come that most people are suffering staying in the same place, watching their goals and desires die, put them off?

Even though the pain is strong enough to create an internal hell.

The answer is: dopamine.

You've a goal or desire.

You spend time in excitement:

• Planning.
• Collected information.
• Created a stable plan.
• Told your friends about it.

You start the project, feeling the rush of hitting those goals.

But along the way something happens.

You tend to loose interest. Fall behind. Miss your deadlines.

Suddenly, you postpone it all, one task at a time.

In some cases, start something else. A new idea or task that doesn't make sense at that moment.

Why is that?

Why do we seem to never make progress and reach the final goal?

Why do we postpone things to Monday and don't execute immediately?

Here's why:

Most people's reward systems are hijacked.

If you are reading this, yours is probably too. To some degree.

And it's not your fault.

I've been there.

Staring at a simple task that should take 5 minutes, feeling like it requires climbing Mount Everest.

But I found a way to fix it. In only 7 days.

If you stick around for the rest of this newsletter, I'll show you.

The Problem

We live in a world where everything is fast.

• Fast food
• Fast entertainment (Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts)
• Fast dating (swipe, ghost, repeat)
• Fast validation (likes, views, fake praise)

Here’s what “hijacked reward system” really means:

Your brain's reward center is like a bank account, but instead of money, it deals in motivation currency. Every time you get a quick dopamine hit from scrolling, checking notifications, or consuming fast content, you're making a withdrawal from tomorrow's motivation account.

This means if you scroll social media for hours, you're using up currency mean for:

• Working on goals.
• Exercise and eating healthy.
• Building your dream life.
• Take care of daily chores.

You know the feeling when you want to go the gym, start that task, write that post, but your body and mind feel tired and all clouded?

Thats's not laziness.

That's motivation bankruptcy.

Unlike money, you can't just earn more tomorrow.

Your brain's bank has a daily limit, and every meaningless scroll is like buying expensive junk with money meant for your dreams.

But here's where it gets worse.

The Vicious Cycle

You're not just emptying your bank account.

You're going into debt.

Every time you scroll your phone, watching TikTok reels, or eat junk food to escape your boring lifestyle, you're not just spending your motivation currency, you're borrowing more to numb the pain that comes as a result of draining yourself today.

You’re trapped in a vicious cycle:

Each day you postpone your goals pushes them further away. The gap between where you are and where you want to be grows longer. Simple 5-minute tasks become mountains, and you’re stuck watching others do what you dream of through the very tool that keeps you drained.

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I’ve lived this cycle. The habit of watching 1-2 episodes before sleep. Checking my phone every 5 minutes while working. Eating sugar too often.

You know you could do more. You know what’s stopping you. But it’s like a hidden force holding you back in chains, numbing the pain with more comfort:

• One last scroll.
• One last episode.
• One last chocolate bar.

Most of the time, balance isn't enough to get you on the other side of the spiral, but a complete reset.

The Hidden Truth About Pleasure

A few years ago, I read Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke. It opened my eyes to how dopamine, motivation, and pleasure actually work, and showed me the way out of this cycle.

The most profound insight: the solution isn’t avoiding pain, it’s embracing it.

And thats what I did.

All it required to make a complete shift was some willpower and 7 days.

Thats it.

No 6 months protocol.

No medication.

No guru or health coach.

Just 7 days of endurance, going through dark moments only to end up at the other side of light and clarity.

Before I show you the exact protocol, you need to understand why most people fail at this, and it's not what you think.

Understanding the Pendulum

Lembke explains something called homeostasis.

When we reduce or stop a pleasurable activity, we experience withdrawal, discomfort that motivates us to seek pleasure again.

For instance, after binge-watching TV, we may feel restless or "down," which makes us want to watch more.

The brain creates this sensation as a counterbalance to pleasure.

This cycle can lead to compulsive behaviors, as we continually seek pleasure to escape the pain of withdrawal.

Think of your brain like a pendulum.

The further you swing toward pleasure, the harder it swings back toward pain.

You know that heavy, hollow feeling after a Netflix binge?

That's not laziness.

That's your brain swinging hard toward the pain side, demanding more stimulation to swing back.

The only way to stop the wild swinging is to keep the pendulum closer to center.

I've been there.

Going to the movies, ordering snacks, popcorn and an ice-cold coke. By the end, I felt I was in a coma, so I "topped it off" with a nicotine pouch that felt like heaven.

But I was avoiding the natural comedown, stacking pleasure on pleasure, making tomorrow’s withdrawal even worse.

The alternative? Embrace the pain.

When you stop running from discomfort, it stops chasing you. You sit with the comedown. You let the pendulum slow. And gradually, motivation returns. Clarity returns.

You stop living for the next hit and start living again.

You stop living for the next hit… and start living again.

The 7-Day Reset That Changed Everything

I was tired, bored, lonely. Even staying home to be productive, I couldn’t focus. I felt trapped between four walls with panic building inside.

I tried covering the mess with scrolling—social media, YouTube, Reddit. It made everything worse.

The solution wasn’t more. It was less.

I’d done dopamine resets before and knew what was waiting. That’s why I’d postponed it. I knew the cost.

But the cost compared to the reward isn’t high.

Just 7 days of boredom and discomfort to come out like a fresh MacBook Pro, superfast, clean, and ready for anything.

The benefits are always the same:

• Wake up excited to tackle goals
• Easier focus and concentration
• Stronger motivation to pursue dreams
• Small tasks feel natural, not like chores
• Mental clarity and flowing ideas
• More positive, happy, and peaceful

These benefits can be yours in just 7 days. Here’s exactly how:

The 7-Day Protocol

Step 1: The Foundation

When you start, you go all in.

No cheating, no “just peeking.”

If you’re fasting from Instagram, you can’t log in to “check messages.”

It’s only 7 days.

One peek can lead to a downward spiral.

I know., I’ve done it. Don’t be like me.

Step 2: Choose Your Battles

List everything that gives you short-term pleasure:

• Social media scrolling
• YouTube/Netflix binging
• Junk food and sugar
• Porn/masturbation
• Alcohol/nicotine
• Video games
• Mindless internet browsing

Then choose which ones feel manageable to quit for a week.

The more, the better, but start where you can succeed.

For example:

Delete apps from your phone to minimize temptation. You can reinstall them after the reset.

Step 3: Navigate the Withdrawal

Expect these symptoms, especially early on:

• Boredom (mind craving constant input)
• Emptiness (feeling like something’s missing)
• Fatigue (brain recalibrating)
• Cravings (strong urges to scroll/snack/check notifications)
• Poor focus (brain adjusting to stillness)

This is normal. Your brain is rebalancing. The pain you feel means it’s working.

Step 4: Smart Substitution

Replace old habits with better ones:

• Socialize with friends
• Daily walks and exercise
• Breathing/meditation
• Reading books
• Time in nature

The first few days are hardest, but it gets easier. It’s like walking through a long tunnel, at first everything is dark, but day by day you see light on the other side.

I gave myself permission to do only necessary work and spent the rest of the time walking, exercising, or doing anything not on my to-do list.

When I felt scattered, meditation brought me back to center.

If you're new to meditation and need help getting starting, check out this newsletter and guide: Why Most People Fail at Meditation (And How To Fix It In 5 Minutes a Day)​
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Step 5: Life After Reset

After the reset, keep everything balanced and minimal:

• Movies only on weekends
• Junk food maybe once a week
• Social media only after completing important work

This keeps the pendulum closer to center.

When that “muddy” feeling returns, when simple tasks feel impossible again, that’s your signal for another reset.

It doesn’t always need to be 7 days; sometimes 3-4 days works.

You now have a roadmap to reclaim your motivation and clarity.

The choice is yours: stay in the cycle of borrowed pleasure and compounded pain, or invest 7 days in breaking free.

I’ve walked this path multiple times.

Each reset reminds me what it feels like to be truly alive, motivated by purpose instead of enslaved by the next hit.

The discomfort is temporary. The clarity is transformative.

What will you choose to fast from?

— Tomas