Yet to increase your chances of making those connections, pay attention to two sets of details: both the history of the subject and the technical language used to describe that subject.

Evolution shaped the brain to enable survival. But evolution itself is driven forward by the availability of resources. Scarcity of resources is always the largest threat to our survival, making it the largest driver of evolution. And there are only two possible responses to this threat. You can fight over dwindling resources, or you can go

By stacking motivations, that is, layering curiosity atop curiosity atop curiosity, we’re increasing drive but not effort. This is what happens when our own internal biology does the heavy lifting for us. You’ll work harder, but you won’t notice the work. Also, because dopamine provides a host of additional cognitive benefits—amplified focus,

More important, Zlotoff also discovered that you can program the subconscious ahead of time. You can give the brain a problem to solve consciously, then use lightly stimulating activity to activate the subconscious, then reengage the conscious mind on the backside of that activity to retrieve your answer. Zlotoff calls it the MacGyver method.

Start by writing down twenty-five things you’re curious about. And by curious, all I mean is that if you had a spare weekend, you’d be interested in reading a couple of books on the topic, attending a few lectures, and maybe having a conversation or two with an expert.

“Big goals work best when there’s an alignment between an individual’s values and the desired outcome of the goal. When everything lines up, we’re totally committed—meaning we’re paying even more attention, are even more resilient, and are way more productive as a result.”

and today I’ll try to ski it in four turns. By doing either, I’ve upped the challenge level a little bit, and my brain rewards that risk-taking effort with even more dopamine.

To make things more manageable, scientists split our psychological drivers into two categories: extrinsic and intrinsic.3 Extrinsic drivers are rewards that are external to ourselves. These are things like money, fame, and sex, and they’re definitely potent. Money translates into food, clothing, and shelter, so the brain treats our desire for it as

So there’s our answer. To get the boost in drive that autonomy provides, you need the freedom to control your sleep, work, and exercise schedule. You also need the autonomy to chase flow via an activity of your own choosing on a regular basis. Ideally, your work time will be devoted to activities that further your purpose, and the flow-producing