It’s becoming easier to live an unfulfilling life.

The amount of external short-term dopamine-producing escapes from reality is increasing, and the existing platforms are becoming more effective in sucking us in.

The algorithms are designed to keep us connected to whatever we’re doing for as long as possible, showing us more of what we’re drawn to and confirming our existing beliefs through confirmation bias.

Things like social media, porn, 24 news cycles, video games, binging shows, food and alcohol delivery to our doorstep, and the world of information available on our phones.

Couple this ease with being dissatisfied with work (a recent study by the Conference Board states only 51% of US employees report feeling satisfied), and it’s a recipe for an empty life.

After a long day at a job that drains us, it’s natural to seek the quickest way to fill the void.

So we reach for convenience and choose our poison.

Poison isn’t an over-exaggeration; chasing short-term dopamine hits degrades our quality of life and cultivates the seeds of regret.

No one on their deathbed has said,

“I’m so happy I spent 5 hours a day on Instagram.”

The primary issue with short-term hits is quick highs fade quickly, so being the dopamine junkies we are, we’re off to the races to seek our next fix and attempt to fill the void in our lives.

We chase high after high and get nowhere other than the temporary satiation that keeps us chasing.

We’re throwing sand in a sieve and settling for the superficial.    

Externals will never fill that void, no matter how hard we strive.

What is that void?

A lack of meaning.

We have an intrinsic desire to live meaningful lives; humans are drawn to meaning like the waves are drawn to the shore.

It’s ok if our work doesn’t provide meaning; we have financial and familial obligations; what’s not ok is to do nothing about it.

If work doesn’t provide meaning, it’s incumbent on us to seek it.

Creating a meaningful life isn’t complex, but it does require conscious effort.

The issue that keeps most people stuck is:

While creating a meaningful life may not be difficult, it’s slightly more challenging than a numb, superficial life on autopilot.

Meaning isn’t chased; it’s created.

We must eschew some of our short-term hits in favor of long-term fulfillment.

It requires that we break free from numb, superficial lives set to autopilot.

It doesn’t have to be difficult, and here are three simple steps to begin the journey to meaning.

Together, they will take no more than an hour and will create an outsized ROI.

One hour is enough time that it requires a commitment; it stands out on your calendar.

One hour embodies the saying, “Sawdust makes a pile.” An hour a day stretched throughout a life equals thousands of hours.

When used correctly, an hour is enough to create a massive change in your life.

Here’s the thing:

Pursuing a meaningful life doesn’t require 100% of your time.

However, it requires 100% of your effort for the time you commit to it.

Here are your 3 simple tips for creating meaning in your life:

1. Ask, “Who can I help today?”

Think about who you can help; it doesn’t have to be a significant act of service; it can be as simple as writing a podcast or book review or taking something off the plate of a co-worker who’s overwhelmed because of issues at home, checking in on an elderly neighbor.

The list is only limited to your creativity.

Consistent acts of service are guaranteed to create meaning.

2. Sit in Stillness and Observe (10–20 minutes)

We’re constantly in motion, scrolling, rushing, checking, seeking distraction.

Stillness feels foreign because it threatens the identities we’ve built through busyness.

But stillness is where awareness is born, and awareness is the birthplace of reinvention.

Here’s the practice:

• Set a timer for 10–20 minutes.
• Sit in a quiet space. No phone. No book. No music.
• Don’t try to “meditate” perfectly—just notice.
• Notice what arises.
• Notice the itch to reach for something.
• Notice the stories your mind wants to tell.

Stillness won’t give you dopamine, but it will provide you with clarity and self-connection.

As Blaise Pascal said,

“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

3. Practice Gratitude: Write down five things you’re grateful for.

Then ask yourself why you’re grateful for each one.


Asking “why” adds a new dimension to the practice and forces you to go beyond the pale.

A consistent gratitude practice cultivates courage and an understanding of the impermanence of life.

Tip: Stretch your brain and pick 5 different things every day.

Gratitude was essential in my reinvention after prison.

Here’s the funny thing: when we’re engaged in meaningful activities, we still get our dopamine fix.

But it goes beyond that; we’re no longer chasing external solutions to an internal issue.

We’re creating meaningful solutions from within.

This is how we create the extraordinary.