In this edition, I’m breaking down the basics of the Unpredictability flow trigger, what it has to do with cocaine, and real world examples of it being applied.
Connect with me on LinkedIn so we can keep the conversation going.
Last week we covered Novelty, one of the the three flow triggers that make up a rich environment.
This week we’re diving into Unpredictability.
Next week we’ll tackle Complexity.
Remember, all three drive dopamine into our systems and, as a result, catch and hold our attention much like risk.
Let’s get right to it shall we…
Unpredictability
Unpredictability means that we don’t know what happens next. So we pay extra attention to the next.
It’s really that straight forward.
How I Use Unpredictability 😎
The day-to-day aspects of a sales organization were bizarre to me, when I first joined one in 2013, because no two days were the same. I was used to working 9-5 jobs where the monotony and repetition were miserable. In sales, you had to stay on your toes because you had no idea what was going to happen or from what direction it was going to hit you.
I immediately rose up the ranks in sales and went from being a rep to an Assistant Manager In Training after my first two weeks. When my District Manger wasn’t showing me around the office and teaching me the operational aspects of the organization, the main Assistant Manager was filling me in on all the chaos that came with the gig. Then the random day came when I had to fill in for the AM.
It was in the middle of the week so it wasn’t too hectic. Something came up that caused her to not be able to make it and run her group interview. The DM had his duties to do so he couldn’t step in. Which left me to do it. While I was seconding manning—which means welcoming applicants and keeping them preoccupied before the manager was ready to run the group interview—he came storming in and I’ll never forget these words. He simply said, “Morgan can’t make it, you’re running this interview.”
A part of me wanted to run and a part of me wanted to cry, but I rose to the challenge and ran the interview. I sucked and completely bombed! But I showed the DM that through the unpredictable, he could depend on me. And the experience taught me so much about presenting and public speaking that I still use today.
How The Greats Use Unpredictability 🤌🏾
If Chris Paul is dubbed “The Point God”, then Sue Bird has to be “The Point Goddess.” Both floor generals had a huge influence on me growing up—for obvious reasons with Chris. Before being the first pick in the 2002 WNBA draft—that began a storied WNBA career—Sue had a historic career at UConn. But things got tricky following her Sophomore year.
There was an incoming recruiting class featuring Diana Taurasi, and she had to figure out what kind of leader she would be. The opportunity to be the next starting point for the USA team was for the taking, and being able to go straight from college to play a full WNBA career was now a reality for women. You see the layers of unpredictability?
Recently, during a sit down with Bleacher Report, the topic of her retirement came up and she shared, “I’m in a real weird place…there are moments where this feels right, this could be the last year…I explained to you [Taylor Rooks] how the season ended and I was tired. But the way I’m feeling now, I’m not so tired.” And later in the interview, she ponders on what’s next after retirement and how she can make sure the WNBA isn’t just good, but thriving.
You’d think with a nickname like “Sweetness”, the NFL legend was highly sought after going into college. Even though Payton had established himself as one of Mississippi’s best running back prospects, he received no invitations from SEC schools.
After originally committing to Kansas State University, he decided to pursue his collegiate career at Jackson State University, an HBCU where his older brother played football.
Not knowing what would happen next—by playing for a school he didn’t envision himself attending— zeroed in his focus. Based on the historic college career he accumulated with record-breaking performances; it’s safe to say the unpredictability was bitter-sweet.
During the Inaugural WNBA draft, Leslie was drafted to the LA Sparks as part of the Initial Allocation phase of the draft—in which 16 players were assigned to each team in no particular order.
There was a lot of unpredictability about the WNBA at this time. But this just fueled Leslie and lead to her becoming an all-time great.
And now that same unpredictability fuels her to have a successful all-black-owned national real estate brokerage—one of the few in the country.
This Week’s Book Recommendation📖
Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn, but in a rapidly changing world, there's another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn.
With bold ideas and rigorous evidence, Adam Grant investigates how we can embrace the joy of being wrong, harness the advantages of impostor syndrome, bring nuance into charged conversations, and build schools, workplaces, and communities of lifelong learners. Think Again reveals that we don't have to believe all our thoughts or internalize all our emotions. It's an invitation to let go of views that are no longer serving us well and prize mental flexibility, humility, and curiosity over consistency.
Last Words…
Work done by Robert Sapolsky at Stanford shows that the dopamine spike produced by unpredictability, especially when coupled with novelty, comes very close in size to the spike produced by substances such as cocaine.
Dopamine is one of the top reward/feel good chemicals our brain produces to drive behavior. Emphasis on the feel good part because dopamine feels really good!
Cocaine is widely considered the most addictive drug on earth, yet all that cocaine does is cause the brain to release large quantities of dopamine, then block it’s reuptake. And the pleasure produced by this chemical is key to passion.
The more dopamine you get, the more fun and addictive the experience; the more fun and addictive the experience, the more you can’t wait to do it again.
This is a misnomer people have about “adrenaline rushes”. Very few people actually like the feeling of adrenaline, which is an anxious and jittery feeling. But damn near all of us will line up for dopamine and norepinephrine.
The spike from unpredictability is nearly a 700 percent boost in dopamine, which leads to a huge boost in focus, which tends to drive us right into flow.
Keep this is mind when it comes to going into uncharted territory.
Your biology craves this and your success could depend on this.
We’ll cover ways to do just that next week.
Hope this added the fuel to ferociously launch your week! ♾️🔥🚀
See you next Monday! 😎
And when it comes to the infinite game of life…
Choose Flow.
Be Brilliant.
Ball Out.
Ready to invest in you?
Here are ways I can help:
Looking for the physical fuel to help implement the psychological fuel I’m providing you? Use my discount code, “CRC”, with The Ambrosia Collective to save on premium supplementation and make sure everything with nutrition is taken care of.
Are you a true high performer who wants to be coached? Click here to check out my coaching services and reach out so we can get the process started.
I spend my time speaking, coaching, writing, reading/researching, and thinking (and moving some major weight…as a powerlifter).
This newsletter is a completely reader-supported publication. If you love it and want to support it, the best way is to buy my book. Or if you want to donate to me directly using Cash App or your debit/credit card, that support will be immensely appreciated.
*By making a purchase through any of my affiliate links, I receive a very small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support this publication and mission to provide high value to you. Thank you.