I see you shiver with...

I just saw an advert for the Rocky Horror Show tour 2026, which feels both comforting and slightly alarming.

I first saw it at 15 and then again at 50, with the same friend. I’m Janet in the picture below. I don’t have the leg requirement for the other costume. My lovely friend Karen is clearly ROCKING it!.

I think we looked forward to it even more the second time.
We did go to a much fancier restaurant beforehand, to be fair.

If you know the show, you’ll know the callback.

“I see you shiver with, antici…”

everyone:

“…PATION!”

And that is dopamine in a nutshell.

Despite what a lot of people say online,
(and living with a neurologist, you can imagine the importance of getting these things right)

Dopamine is not pleasure, not happiness, or actually even excitement.

It’s 'the thing before the thing'.

The delicious brain fizz that says  “oh, this is going to be good”  long before anything actually happens.

Once you know dopamine drives anticipation and not satisfaction, you can work with your brain instead of fighting it. Instead of waiting to feel motivated, you create tiny bits of momentum that generate their own motivation.

A small “I’ll just do this” moment leads naturally into the next one.


But you have to take charge of it,  because it’s the same process behind:

• checking your phone even though you know it’s only going to be another delivery notification

• thinking about biscuits when you’re not hungry

• starting a fresh task instead of finishing the one you’re meant to be doing

• refreshing email even though you checked it four minutes ago

• googling holidays you’ve no intention of booking

• choosing that exact moment to reorganise a cupboard
  
  (fun fact: I did something completely different before I wrote this. This was meant to be first on my list. Guilty, your honour.)
  

Dopamine is a prediction system.

It’s the little voice that says “go on” rather than the reward itself. That’s a completely different set of chemicals.

Helpfully, dopamine loves progress. It loves finishing a task.

A quick win.

Something, anything, complete.

In other words, your brain quite likes it when you “give yourself over to absolute pleasure”… and by pleasure, I mean the satisfaction of ticking something off.

So if today feels a bit flat, don’t go hunting for motivation.

Give your brain something to anticipate.

Pick one small thing.
Make it finishable.
Start it.

Dopamine will meet you halfway and bring you over the finish line.

It likes the feeling and wants more of it.

If you’re flagging today, pick something simple and just get it done.

Your brain will take the hint, and you’ll be up and running.