we know that play is mostly designed to teach us about social rules and social interaction. When you’re playing with your little brother and Mom screams, “Don’t pick on someone smaller than you,” she’s exactly on message. The point of play is to teach us lessons like: might doesn’t make right. It’s nature’s way of instructing us in morality.

Yet, when we talk about drive—the psychological energy that pushes us forward—we’re really talking about the two final systems: play/social engagement and seeking/desire.

performers describe as their very favorite sensation. “The single biggest motivator,” explains author Dan Pink in Drive, “by far, [is] making progress in meaningful work.”

Dopamine specializes in driving all the various manifestations of desire, from our sexual appetites to our quest for knowledge.

Walk into your neighborhood bar, start chatting with whoever sits next to you, and teach them about the stuff you’ve been teaching yourself.

Third, most critically, always take notes on stuff that gets you excited. If you come across a quote that speaks to your soul, into the notebook it goes. If you come to a fact that makes your jaw drop, save it for later. If a question pops into your head, write it down. Stuff you find curious is stuff with a lot of energy. We’re already primed to

To understand the power of goals, we also need to understand how they impact brain function. The brain is a prediction engine.6 It’s always trying to predict what is about to happen next and how much energy will be required by that situation. To make those predictions, three systems come into play: information acquisition, pattern recognition, and

As far as I can tell, the only thing more difficult than the emotional toil of pursuing true excellence is the emotional toil of not pursuing true excellence.

Purpose shifts our attention off ourselves (internal focus) and puts it onto other people and the task at hand (external focus). In doing this, purpose guards against obsessive self-rumination, which is one of the root causes of anxiety and depression.18 By forcing you to look outside yourself, purpose acts as a force field. It protects you from