#41 | Work hit pause. Where’s play again?

TL;DR: How to know if it’s time to double down or switch paths when life turns everything upside down.

👋 Hey there,

Hi there,

Four weeks ago, my world shifted. Yeah!

As you might know, we had a newborn.

With that came the realization that all my carefully pre-planned preps were still useless.

And suddenly, sitting down to write this newsletter—something I’d done consistently for months—felt, well, somehow daunting.

My brain kept whispering: “Does this topic even matter? Are you wasting your time? Maybe you should just quit. Or at least skip this week… and maybe next week too.” (Hello, procrastination!)

Sound familiar?

Maybe your disruption wasn’t a baby. Maybe it was just a bad cold. A work project that consumed all your mental energy. Moving apartments. A relationship that ended. Fighting with your business partner. A broken laptop. Or just a few bad nights sleep that left you questioning everything.

You don’t need life-changing events to get thrown out of your rhythm.

But that voice? The one questioning everything you’ve built?

That’s your brain doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.

I spent some time figuring out why my motivation had vanished completely.

But once you understand why, you can stop fighting yourself and start working with your biology instead. It applies to many things, so keep reading.

Why your motivation vanishes (it’s not personal)

When life hits you sideways, your brain doesn’t just get “stressed.” It activates what researchers call the General Adaptation Syndrome.

Fancy name. Simple process.

First comes alarm—your stress response kicks in. Then resistance—you try to push through using willpower. Finally, if nothing changes, exhaustion sets in.

But here’s the part that blew my mind: During this process, specific brain regions literally shut down your motivation circuits.

The pathway connecting your brain’s alarm center (amygdala) to your reward system (nucleus accumbens) gets hijacked by stress hormones.

Your brain starts devaluing activities that used to excite you, not because they’re worthless, but because it’s conserving energy for survival.

Evolution in action. (Thanks for nothing, ancient brain.)

This happens whether you’re dealing with new parenthood, a demanding project deadline, relationship stress, or just being completely exhausted.

The trigger doesn’t matter. The brain response is identical.

Translation: You’re not lazy. You’re not uncommitted. Your motivation system is running a software update. (And like most software updates, it takes longer than promised.)

The crucial question: Stick or pivot?

So, how do you know if this is temporary (push through) or permanent (time to change direction)?

Many people (myself included) get this spectacularly wrong. They either abandon good projects during temporary rough patches or waste months grinding on something that’s genuinely misaligned.

The research reveals a simple way to cut through the confusion:

Ask yourself: “If I had to explain this project to my most respected mentor right now, would I feel energized or deflated?”

That’s it—one question.

If you feel energized—even while exhausted—you’re dealing with temporary disruption. The core drive is still there. (Your brain is just being dramatic.)

If you feel deflated or have to justify why you’re doing it, you may be experiencing genuine misalignment.

Your gut knows the difference between “I’m tired but this matters” and “I’m questioning whether this was ever the right path.”

Trust it. (Even when it’s inconvenient.)

The two-week comeback rule

Once you’ve determined you’re dealing with temporary disruption rather than permanent misalignment, the comeback approach is surprisingly simple.

The Two-Week Rule: Never break your streak for more than two weeks.

That’s it. One strategy. Easy to remember. (Which is important when your brain feels like mush.)

Whether it’s writing, working out, calling clients, or any habit that matters to your goals, you can skip days, you can do minimal versions, you can phone it in completely.

But you don’t break the streak for more than two weeks.

For me, that meant telling myself: “I have to write this edition and will judge later, but I will not break my streak of publishing weekly.”

Okay, we can discuss the quality (text me). But not about the consistency.

Here’s what the research shows: Maintaining minimal engagement preserves neural pathways and professional identity while accommodating your current reality.

We’re not trying to maintain peak performance during disruption. We’re trying to maintain connection to what matters.

When our capacity returns—and it will—we’re still in the game instead of starting from zero. (Thank you, future self.)

Disruption is the start of growth.

Here’s what surprises me again and again: People who successfully navigate major life disruptions don’t just return to their previous performance levels—they typically exceed them.

The integration of new perspectives, enhanced resilience, and forced efficiency often leads to breakthrough innovations and career acceleration.

Thus, I’m very excited, particularly as I finish this edition.

If you’re also in the middle of questioning everything—whether it’s a creative project, career direction, or business venture—you’re not alone 👋.

Your brain is doing exactly what it should during periods of significant change. The key is working with your biology rather than against it.

Use the simple mentor test to gain clarity on whether to stick or pivot.

Then apply the Two-Week Rule to maintain momentum without burning out.

Or give yourself permission to rest/chill for a bit longer. Sometimes that’s the best move. (No judgment here.)

But if you’re ready to get back on track or should (without burning out), the framework above might help to kick yourself forward.

Stay steady,

Mark
The AI Learning Guy
👋⚡😎

Sources and books

1. ​The Behavioral Neuroscience of Motivation​
2. ​General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS): Reacting to Stress​
3. ​How to Know When to Pivot and When to Persevere​
4. ​Emotionally Intelligent People Use the 2-Week Rule​
5. ​The Neuroscience of Motivation​

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