It was 7 pm on a Monday, and my to-do list was just as long as it had been that morning.
The day had gone nothing like I planned.
I thought I’d pack up the family, head home from our stay in the mountains, and get a solid afternoon of work done.
Instead, I found myself laying on the bathroom floor at 9:17 am with my back throbbing in that “omg is this really happening” kind of way that seems more appropriate for a sitcom than my actual life.
I had officially earned another badge of middle age: Throwing Out Your Back Doing Something Totally Ordinary. My plans were toast.
I made it home and into bed with my laptop.
Perhaps some productivity could still be salvaged, powered by Advil and a heating pad?
No. No it couldn’t.
Instead of focusing on meaningful, important tasks…
Or giving myself permission to truly rest …
I got stuck in a series of series of Dopamine Eddies.
What’s a Dopamine Eddy? (You haven’t heard the term because I just made it up.)
If you’ve ever been rafting, you know an eddy is a place where the water slows down and circles backward instead of flowing downstream.
They’re great because you can pull your kayak over and take a rest. But they’re not great when you’re trying to get anywhere.
A Dopamine Eddy is a distraction that feeds your brain dopamine but doesn’t feed your life meaning.
Those swirling, detoured tasks that feel satisfyingly productive but don’t actually move the ball forward on the core things you truly care about.
They’re not bad, exactly. In fact, they’re usually justifiable activities with some amount of virtue in them.
But they’re not the fuel for a meaningful life.
My Dopamine Eddies for the day included:
- Finding and downloading 7 years of medical records
- Reading 60% of my inbox
- Paying some bills
- Filling out forms for an upcoming appointment
- Scrolling social media
By 7:00 p.m., I’d been busy.
But I hadn’t been meaningfully productive.
That’s because what’s MOST satisfying to our brains and our hearts (and our souls) is making meaningful progress on a meaningful task.
With my body hurting, my emotions raw from needing so much help, and my schedule flexible, I spent that Monday parked in an eddy. I was still in the river, but I wasn’t in the current.
This is a familiar pattern for me when life hands me an unexpected twist that takes me off my game.
But here’s the good part:
I bounced back quickly.
And I was kind to myself in the meantime.
THIS is the work of finding high alignment.
Life will throw out backs.
Plans will fall apart.
My nervous system will reach for the easiest source of relief.
The skill is noticing.
"Oh."
"I’m circling."
"I know where the current is."
Then choosing, as many times as it takes, to paddle back toward what matters.
That’s one of the biggest gifts coaching has given me.
Not a perfect life with no setbacks.
Not a superhuman brain with no maladaptive tendencies.
A shorter distance between getting knocked off course and finding my way back.
Because the quality of our lives isn’t determined by whether we drift.
It’s determined by how quickly—and how kindly—we return to the current.
I hope you make meaningful progress on something that matters to you this week.
And if life has other plans, I hope you’re gentle with yourself until you find your way back.
Aquatically yours,
Rachel
PS – Your brain will always offer you another Dopamine Eddy. Your Wild Genius will keep inviting you back to the current. The question isn’t which voice exists. It’s which one you practice following. Every day you delay, the old grooves get a little deeper. Every day you choose differently, you begin creating a new future. If you’re ready to stop circling and start creating the life you know you’re capable of, let’s talk. Book a free consultation here: https://tidycal.com/magicwords/wildgenius-consult If you decide to join my six-month coaching program by August 8, I’ll also include a complimentary Zone of Genius Mapping Session , where we’ll identify the unique thread running through your gifts, experiences, values, and deepest desires—and use it to build a life and business that feel deeply aligned with who you really are.
PPS – If you missed my recent workshop, How to Have More Pleasure (Without Being Selfish or Irresponsible) , the replay will be available until 9:00 AM MT on Monday, July 6. One attendee shared: "I really loved the session today… I realized I was constantly waiting and building for some future state of joy. Why not today?" — Brian
I think it’s some of my best teaching yet, and I’d love for you to experience it. Watch the replay here: wildgenius.com/masterclass
