Learning a new skill, starting to work out, or launching a new business, or any significant life-changing project is hard work. The early stages of these activities are unpleasant, even painful. This post describes a principle that can help you get over this hump.
Magnus Carlsen is a Norwegian chess grandmaster and currently considered to be the best living chess player in the world and arguably the best chess player of all time. In the short video clip below, Magnus describes a principle of behavioral “addiction” as it pertains to chess. He says:
“I’m obsessed with this game [chess] and I’m completely fine with that… the entry is not so easy, right? Like, you don’t like just get it immediately and you don’t necessarily get enjoyment out of it immediately as you start to play. So you have to spend time on it. And then I think when you’re trying to do something hard, then it becomes much more rewarding. And it’s easier for that to become an obsession when you start to get that reward.”
Transforming Self-Discipline (hard) into Obsession (easy)
What Carlsen is describing could be summarized as: Effort-based intrinsic motivation leading to deep competence-driven obsession. This process can be described in six steps. These steps occur automatically as we apply regular effort to any challenging activity. You do not need to learn or memorize these steps. I’m just describing them here to help you understand the science behind learning to enjoy difficult activities like learning a new skill, starting to work out, launching a new business, etc.
1. Delayed Intrinsic Reward Formation (described in Self-Determination Theory – Deci & Ryan)
At the beginning:
- A challenging activity is not immediately pleasurable
- Motivation is not dopamine-driven
- Engagement requires conscious choice and tolerance of discomfort
This is the opposite of modern “instant reward” design. Enjoyment emerges after skill begins to form, not before.
2. Competence Motivation (described in Motivation reconsidered: The concept of competence – White, 1959)
Humans are deeply motivated by:
- Growing mastery
- Increasing control
- Feeling “less stupid” at something hard
This is competence satisfaction, not pleasure-seeking.
3. Effort Justification (described in Cognitive Dissonance Theory – Festinger, 1957- Miller & Jehie, 2015)
Because the entry cost is high:
- Time
- Frustration
- Mental strain
The mind subconsciously concludes: “If I invested this much effort, this must be valuable.” This amplifies attachment to the activity. This is one reason hard domains create stronger long-term commitment than easy ones.
4. Variable Reinforcement (described in Latticework of Mental Models: Variable Reinforcement – B.F. Skinner, 1957 – Safal Niveshak)
Unlike slot machines:
- Rewards are earned, not random
- Feedback is skill-based
- Progress is uneven but meaningful
This creates:
- Long-term engagement
- Identity-level attachment
- Not fragile dopamine chasing
This is anti-addictive addiction, if you want a paradox.
5. Flow Threshold Crossing (described in Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience – Csikszentmihalyi, 1990)
Once skill rises to meet challenge:
- Deep focus becomes possible
- Time distortion appears
- The activity becomes self-sustaining
Carlsen’s “then it becomes much more rewarding” is the onset of flow. Flow is a consequence of effort, not an entry point.
6. Identity Internalization (described in Self-concept integration and its relationship with resilience and well-being – Donahue, 1993 – Fidler, 2018)
At the final stage:
- The activity becomes “what I do”
- Not doing it feels like loss
- Obsession is no longer pathological, but structural
That’s identity-level adoption.
Unlike shallow skills of scrolling social media or playing mobile games, or idle distractions like binging Netflix and snacking, this six-step process is not:
- Dopamine addiction
- Escapism
- Compulsion without agency
- Instant gratification loops
Those are easy-entry, low-effort, low-competence systems.
Tying It All Together
To be your best version of yourself, you need to put regular effort into unpleasant tasks. But over time, these tasks become enjoyable and develop valuable skills. Being aware of the process above can help you to push through the unrewarding early days of whatever project you are working on. In plain English, with deep competence-driven obsession, you suffer first, earn competence, then obsession becomes rational.
Don’t give up!
Want More?
Positive habit adoption follows many of the same psychological pathways as addiction. Understanding this concept can help you become “addicted” to productive activities instead of harmful to time-wasting ones. Learn more here: The Surprising Power of “Productive” Addictions
- What is Power Posing?
- Are Dopamine Detoxes a Scam?
- Plan Your Day the Night Before
- First Thing in the Morning
- Selecting a Morning Routine
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*The header image used in this post is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license
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