We all have things we want to accomplish in life, but having goals or knowing we should be doing something is often not nearly enough to get us to actually sustain our efforts in getting where we want to go.Today on Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson explore how to optimize our motivation. They discuss the brain's dopamine system, and distinguish motivation from discipline and liking from wanting. They then explore how we can align the brain's underlying biological circuitry with our desires, so we can stay relaxed and engaged while achieving our goals.Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.Key Topics:0:00: Introduction2:05: Motivation vs. Discipline5:30: Why don't we just want the things we know are good for us?11:00: Creating unity between our biology and cognitive processing15:50: Dopamine: An Overview21:30: Distinguishing liking from wanting25:35: Natural variations in dopamine metabolism28:55: How people with lower levels of dopamine can stay motivated33:35: Updating the reward value of your experiences37:20: Being, doing, and having43:05: What has helped Rick stay diligent and let go of resistance46:40: Practical how-tos for interacting with the dopaminergic system 50:35: Letting fish be fish52:30: RecapSupport the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.Sponsors:Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!Want to sleep better? Try the Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.Try Splendid Spoon today and take meal-planning off your plate. Just go to SplendidSpoon.com/BEINGWELL for $50 off your first boxConnect with the show:Subscribe on iTunesFollow Forrest on YouTubeFollow us on InstagramFollow Forrest on InstagramFollow Rick on FacebookFollow Forrest on FacebookVisit Forrest's website