Rewire your brain for success………..You ever wake up and think, “Man, my brain is not my friend today.” Like, it’s actively sabotaging me. I had one of those mornings last week. Alarm went off, and instead of leaping out of bed like the successful, highly-disciplined adult I pretend to be on Instagram, I hit snooze… four times. By the time I rolled out, I was basically a grumpy burrito in sweatpants.
And here’s the kicker—I’ve been writing about self-development for years. Supposedly, I know the hacks. The neuroscience. The “rewire your brain for success” stuff. But still? My brain sometimes feels like Windows 98 running 40 tabs at once.
The Myth of the “Motivated Brain”
Here’s the thing nobody tells you: your brain is lazy. Like, evolution-level lazy. It loves comfort, routine, and the path of least resistance. Which is why it would much rather scroll TikTok than work on that side hustle or learn Spanish or go to the gym.
But neuroscience (fancy word for brain science) says you can actually rewire this squishy organ. Train it. Nudge it. Basically bribe it like a toddler with Goldfish crackers.
And I’ve accidentally tested this.
That Time I Accidentally Rewired My Brain (Sort Of)
Back in 8th grade, I wore two different shoes to school. Not on purpose. It was a Monday. My mom just shook her head like, “This kid’s hopeless.” But by the end of the day, people started telling me it was “cool” and “different.”
So my brain did this sneaky thing—it linked “mistake” with “positive attention.” And suddenly, instead of cringing at being awkward, I started embracing it. I got bolder. Louder. Wore mismatched socks just for fun. Did it make me popular? Not really. But it rewired my self-image a little. I went from shy kid to “quirky kid.”
Fast forward: same principle works with adult habits. If you pair a “meh” action (say, drinking water) with a “yay” reward (watching a funny cat video), your brain’s like, “Oh, water = joy. Let’s keep this going.”
That’s literally neuroscience meets self-development. Dumbed down.
How to Actually Hack It (Without Pretending to Be Tony Robbins)
Alright, let’s break this down like a pizza slice, because I’m from Queens and everything comes back to food:
1. Tiny Habits = Big Payoff
Your brain doesn’t like huge, dramatic changes. It freaks out. So don’t tell yourself, “I’m gonna wake up at 5 AM and run 10 miles.” Start with, “I’ll put on sneakers and walk to the bodega.” (Bonus: you get a bacon egg & cheese).
2. Trick the Dopamine System
Brains love dopamine. It’s the little chemical party when you check something off a list. Make your goals stupidly easy at first so you can rack up wins. Like, “brush teeth = success.” Boom. Dopamine hit.
3. Repetition, Baby
Neuroscience calls it neuroplasticity, but really it’s just: do something enough times and your brain starts doing it on autopilot. Like how I can still type “google.com” with my eyes closed because middle school me had way too many Neopets tabs open.
4. Surround Sound Influence
Hang with people who are already doing what you wanna do. Not in a creepy way, just… proximity rewires your normal. If everyone around you is talking about books, suddenly you don’t feel weird reading one on the subway.
Is It Magic? Nope: rewire your brain for success
Look, rewiring your brain for success doesn’t mean you wake up one day speaking French and running marathons while running a Fortune 500 company. It’s more like—you slowly stop tripping yourself up. You create new grooves in your brain. And the old “ugh, I can’t” grooves? They get weaker.
Think of it like graffiti on a Queens wall. Spray it over enough times, the old stuff fades. New message stands out. (Also shoutout to that one dude tagging “BIG MIKE” everywhere in Jackson Heights—you’re part of my mental metaphors now).
Real Talk: I Still Screw This Up
I’m not a guru. Half the time, I’m writing these blogs in sweatpants with crumbs on my keyboard. But I’ve seen rewiring work in real life:
- My cousin quit smoking by literally chewing sunflower seeds every time the urge hit. His brain swapped “cigarette = relief” with “seeds = relief.” Now his car just smells like BBQ seeds instead of Marlboros.
- I trained myself to crave morning walks by always blasting the same pump-up song when I stepped outside. Now when I hear it, my brain’s like, “LET’S GO.” Even if it’s raining.
- A friend rewired her procrastination habit by setting a 2-minute rule. “Do something for 2 minutes, then you can quit.” She almost never quits, because starting is the hardest part.
Quick Messy List of Things That Help Me
- Coffee (duh).
- Writing thoughts down before bed, otherwise my brain won’t shut up.
- Celebrating small wins with stupid dances in the kitchen.
- Using alarms like a maniac. (If you’ve ever heard 6 alarms go off in 10 minutes on the 7 train—sorry, that was me).
- Talking to myself. Out loud. Sometimes in the mirror. Yes, neighbors probably think I’m losing it.
Wrapping My Brain Around It about rewire your brain for success
So yeah, you can rewire your brain for success. Not overnight, not perfectly, but little by little. Neuroscience proves the circuits in your head are flexible, and self-development gives us the “how.”
But honestly? I think it’s less about “success” in the flashy sense and more about not letting your brain hold you hostage. Teaching it new tricks. Giving yourself a chance to be you, just… with fewer mental potholes.
And hey, if all else fails, wear mismatched shoes. Worked for me once. Might work again.
Outbound links to Glossier, Makeup & Beauty Blog, Buzzfeed, Skinny Confidential.
You can sprinkle them in where you already mentioned books/blogs or where you’re talking about habit science.
