Dopamine is the “feel good” neurotransmitter in your brain.
The phrase “cheap dopamine” alludes to the things we eat and consume which stimulate dopamine but don’t generate positive trend results. This includes things like:
Sugary and salty snacks
Alcohol
Porn
Scrolling social media
Binging videos
Constant task switching
Daydreaming and fantasizing
Leaders have additional forms of cheap dopamine:
Getting to inbox zero every day
Meetings even if you don’t have an agenda
Interrupting people with your stuff because it makes you feel important
Frivilous emails and instant messages
Gossiping about speculations
Set these aside. Real productivity from your leadership work requires focus on the important things, which generally won’t spike your dopamine in the next 4 minutes.
