Life Designer with Jingyu Chen
Capturing once in a lifetime moment and each encounter is one of a kind and unique. Life designer is looking to genuine and meaningful human connection, and telling candid human stories. In each episode, I will interview an amazing talent coming from all around the world across all different industries. They are artists, creatives, professionals, entrepreneurs, slash everything, and they are all on their journey to pursue their mission with a passion. It's their story-telling about how they become their own life designers! Please feel free to visit my website to find more information: https://www.lifedesignerwithjingyuchen.com/
I am also running my solo podcast ‘Jing Lens’ -- my lifestyle diary . Here I share daily hustle and grind, small joys from my travel and hobbies, exercise routine, self-care practice, and reflection on my personal growth, etc., I consider Jing Lens as my dynamic diary to document and capture evolving and ( hopefully elevating) journey of my lifestyle. Lifestyle is a bit overkill buzzword today but I have always been drawn to this word, spending years and years searching and building my lifestyle. I guess I finally reach this self-validation point to feel may be able to to share some mindset and practice from an ordinary person’s life to provide one possible form of wholesome and joyful living.
Both podcasts are located in my website. My website is like my container where I put my heart and soul to curate . Please feel free to visit my website to check in both podcasts if you are interested. Thank you so much for listening to my podcasts!
Life Designer with Jingyu Chen
My Self-Portrait of Dopamine — Survive in Innate Duality and Thrive in Inherent Paradox
This episode is an intimate exploration of my dopamine-driven nature—how it fuels my intrinsic motivation, creative pursuits, and relentless drive for refinement. I unpack the paradox of thriving in long-term, effortful passion projects while still wrestling with distraction, novelty, and fleeting dopamine hits. From cultivating exquisite attention and aligning with circadian rhythms to rewiring my brain for mastery, I share candid stories of how dopamine shapes my podcasting, interior design, writing, and everyday life. This isn’t a manifesto of superiority but a self-portrait—an honest reckoning with the beauty, tension, and paradox of being powered by dopamine.
If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t stop creating, chasing, or seeking—this episode offers both reflection and a framework for harnessing dopamine to not just survive in duality, but thrive in paradox. I dive deep into the nuances of motivation, the subtle ways the brain craves reward, and how intentional practices can transform fleeting impulses into sustained growth. By examining small daily choices, micro-rewards, and deliberate habits, I offer insights that resonate beyond productivity—into creativity, self-understanding, and the very way we experience life.
3:24 — Chapter 1: Surviving in Innate Duality: Cultivating Exquisite Attention
I reflect on the duality of my dopamine-driven nature—thriving in long-term projects while still drawn to fleeting distractions. By aligning my circadian rhythm, managing energy, curating my cultural diet, and setting intentional boundaries, I’ve learned to reclaim focus and intervene when attention slips. I also explore how environmental tweaks, and choice of culture diet help me cultivate exquisite attention in a hyper-stimulating world.
17:40 — Chapter 2: Unlocking the Brain’s Potential: The Power of Brain Rewiring
I dive into brain rewiring (neuroplasticity) and its role in transforming habits, focus, and skill acquisition.It took me over 30 years to reach this reckoning: if I keep bypassing blind spots or ignoring inner friction—simply at the mercy of my dopamine nature, narrowing my focus to only what naturally stimulates me—I will never achieve my goal of mastery. That reckoning catapulted me into a brand-new chapter of my life—my brain-rewiring era—where old wiring meets new. Since then, I’ve embarked on what I now call my Alchemy Journey. From overhauling pronunciation for podcasting to embracing tedium in fitness, I illustrate how intentional effort and leveraging dopamine can unlock hidden potential. This chapter also explores the subtle ways repetition, reflection, and curiosity intersect with dopamine to enhance both creativity and resilience, showing that even small neural adjustments can have transformative ripple effects.
36:39 — Final Chapter: Thriving in Inherent Paradox: Seizing Dopamine’s Glimmer of Hope
I discuss the ongoing journey of refinement: acting on small prompts, motivation stacking, and embracing micro-leaps toward mastery. By integrating self-care, curiosity, and deliberate action, I demonstrate how dopamine-driven individuals can cultivate sustainable momentum, resilience, and growth in both life and creative pursuits. I also reflect on the delicate balance between indulgence and discipline, the joy in discovery, and the mindful pursuit of excellence without falling prey to overstimulation.
At this point in life, I value the vitality of my being, with creativity at the core, aiming for a vibrant yet grounded form of dopamine living. This is my dopamine self-portrait: I wage a tug-of-war between distraction and focus; I strive to master exquisite attention to survive my duality. I see a glimmer of hope for my dopamine-fuelled temperament; I aspire to unlock the power of brain-rewiring to thrive in my paradox.