To optimize dopamine release from effort, avoid spiking dopamine before or after engaging in effort, and derive dopamine release from the effort itself.

“You do this in those moments of the most intense friction. You tell yourself this is very painful and because it's painful, it will evoke an increase in dopamine release later, meaning it will increase my baseline in dopamine, but you also have to tell yourself that in that moment you are doing it by choice and you're doing it because you love it.”