“Do one thing every day that scares you.” These famous words come to us from former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. While the sentiment may seem simply like a random quote you learned in elementary school or a saying that is said solely for the purpose of being said, its meaning runs deep into the fabric of our society. While having a routine and growing within comfortable boundaries is important, there is certainly something to be said for expanding our horizons no matter their size. To explain this, though, one thing we must first understand are the principles of hormones and one specifically called dopamine.
Hormones are molecules in our bodies that send signals to other parts to execute essential functions. One of these hormones is called dopamine, which releases a relaxing and happy emotion in our bodies. Most people can simply stimulate this hormone by getting regular exercise and sunlight, but there are greater efforts one can do to reap greater rewards. One of these activities is trying something new. When you ascend upon a new and unwanted challenge, your body is immediately jolted with a strike of dopamine. Not only does testing out new waters help brighten brain chemicals, but our bodies are addicted to this sensation, so then we are automatically tempted to want to try more things. Not only does this make us happier, but trying new things almost always leads to a new favorite activity. Whether it is a hobby, academic or even a simple task, it is always good to take control of your hormones and mood.
Additionally, doing unwanted things teaches us discipline. If you have ever been in Mr. Richmond’s room, you will have noticed a big poster on the wall reading, “Discipline Beats Motivation.” While I used to hate this idea, there is some truth to it. Numerous studies have shown that making your bed, while a trivial and sometimes annoying habit, makes you more likely to become a millionaire. This is because doing things that we would rather not do, like homework, for example, teaches us how to be consistent and disciplined. However, most humans, myself included, do not like this idea as humans more than almost anything else like to have control. So, they believe that their own internal motivation to do a thing will trump days on days of practice. Unfortunately, though, these tendencies of wishful thinking are often beaten by those that get the job done no matter the circumstances. Plus, our bodies love routines so once you do that frustrating thing once, it will get easier and easier until it is simply just a thing you do.
So the next time you are thinking about doing something you desperately want to avoid, just remember that doing it not only helps with the “two d’s,” dopamine and discipline, but also with having commitment to our own goals and hobbies of things we actually do enjoy.
