Reflection – Joy in Meaning

I notice that I naturally feel strong motivation for the things I love—I can spend hours practicing the activities I’ve committed to daily. I also find it interesting that I can spend 1–2 hours cooking every day simply because I told myself it’s important. But for some tasks my motivation can drops very low. At first this confused me, but then I realized a few things:

• Maybe I’ve trained my brain this way, and if so, I can also retrain it to handle mundane tasks.

• Motivation naturally fluctuates, and it’s normal to feel less drive for routine chores while still committing to the things I value deeply.

• Cooking showed me that effortful tasks can hold intrinsic value. Even when they don’t feel exciting, they can bring motivation and satisfaction when I connect them to a bigger reason—like nourishing myself, creating order, or freeing energy for what matters most.

To help reteach my brain, I can avoid quick dopamine spikes that don’t serve me, like random scrolling or constant notifications. I can use a dopamine sandwich: start with an effortful task, then reward myself with something I enjoy. And I can remind myself that even small daily responsibilities carry meaning—they clear space, restore energy, and support the things I care about most.

I remind myself: Every task, no matter how small or boring, can bring joy if I connect it to its deeper purpose.