Rule #53 "Get Yourself a Dose of Norepinephrine with a Little Frustration"

Who wants to be frustrated? No one. Well, fortunately, the right kind of frustration can lead to learning. Trust me I know. I’m in the midst of trying to create content around a new brand. I want a podcast that impacts millions, write books that change lives and an income that allows all this to be my full-time vocation. It’s a tall task, requires a great deal of research (which I suck at), technical experience (I’m pretty meh there, too) and money (always in short supply). You add all this up and it’s very frustrating.

However, I can tell you beyond the frustration is a great deal of learning and progress. In Steven Kotler’s book “The Art of Impossible” he explains how the neuroscience around creativity works. We need certain chemicals triggered in our brains to get us to do great thinking. Remember the reason you’re frustrated. It’s because you want to learn and get better at something. You want to learn the new skill. It means something to you. Frustration is good. Push through it. Leverage it. Embrace the suck, as the SEALS say.

Frustration is the action that triggers norepinephrine, the chemical that primes our brain for learning. So the next time you are trying to achieve a goal such a better golf swing, faster reading, how to Polka like a freaking badass and you get frustrated remember this is triggering norepinephrine in your brain, and that’s a good thing. You’re now ready to learn!

You rule!