There have been a number of studies conducted that suggest the path to success stems from recognizing your own strength of mind. Believing in your own capability can actually boost testosterone levels in the short-term, and in turn increase your dopamine levels. This can potentially improve your performance, whether that be at the gym, at your workplace or within a personal relationship. This boost in testosterone and dopamine is more substantial when you actually do succeed at your goal. In biology, it is understood that when an animal succeeds in competition, their levels of testosterone and dopamine are boosted further. In the long run, this increase can in fact alter their brains, allowing them to gradually become more intelligent, more confident and able to take on greater challenges. This is commonly known as “the winner effect”.
Our Brains Remember How To Win
A study led by Earl Miller, found that success is highly informative for our brains. If we achieve an award, say a promotion at work or we finally reach our fitness goal, the brain remembers what it did right to achieve that success. Therefore, one success is likely to result in another. Failure, on the other hand, tends to have very little impact on our brains in the long-run.
Are Successful People Happy?
It is an age old myth that people who achieve success are happy. Whilst the rush of dopamine that comes with winning is often referred to as the “feel good” neurotransmitter, studies have actually suggested a stronger link between happiness leading to success, than success leading to happiness. It has been suggested that people who are happy proactively seek out new goals and aspirations, which reinforce their positive emotions. This infographic by Best New Bingo Sites nicely illustrates the impact that winning has on both our body and our brains.
How To Apply The Winner Effect
The winner effect can be applied to many aspects of day to day life. It’s something that video games like Candy Crush and Skyrim tap into to keep us eagerly playing, and something that some employers tap into to keep their team motivated and productive in the workplace. The dopamine rush that comes with success makes us feel motivated and wanting more, but repeated successes can quickly lose their impact. For the winner effect to function at its maximum, new challenges need to be set. If you achieve your initial goal of saving £300 in a month, then you need to set the bar slightly higher for the next month, rather than keeping it the same.
Recognizing your own strength of mind is the first crucial step when it comes to achieving a string of successes. Once you believe in your own capabilities, you will be far more likely to win, and then far more likely to win once again. Positive mentality is key when it comes to achieving your personal goals and thus long-term success.
