Happiness comes from subtraction, not addition.
When I was a kid, I was miserable, hated life, and didn’t think things could improve: I had a traumatic childhood and was teased by other kids for being so “angry.” I knew I couldn’t go the rest of my days with so much negativity, tension, and pain, so I committed to change. And after a decade of studying hundreds of books, journaling thousands of pages, and testing countless strategies, I was able to reinvent my life to be happier than I’ve ever been.
Yet after pouring over all that information, here’s the single biggest lesson I’ve learned during that…
These 9 simple (and free) productivity hacks will transform your results
Whether you work from home or an office, many find it a struggle to focus, be productive, and finish all their tasks.
Since becoming self-employed in 2013, I’ve built a successful business, launched numerous side hustles, completed many large projects for several clients at once, and worked far fewer than 40 hours a week while traveling the world and relocating to dozens of cities.
But my secret isn’t earplugs, coffee, “more self-discipline,” or a magical time-management app. (In fact, I don’t use one single productivity tool at all.)
In this article, I’ll show you the exact, highly potent strategies that…
Your “self” doesn’t need to be improved.
When I read my first self-help book in 2009, it opened a new world to me.
I didn’t have to live life with little self-esteem and a lot of resentment. I didn’t have to become exactly like my parents or live the life everyone expected. I actually could carve my own path and transform the personality traits that were holding me back.
After a few years of personal development, however, I reached the other end: I felt worse. …
Why many people get optimism backward.
Optimism is one of the most powerful and life-changing traits you can build.
It massively enhances your quality of life, helps you overcome tough times, boosts your brain health, improves your heart health, and lowers your risk of heart disease. (In fact, optimistic people live 11-15% longer lives!)
Having a positive outlook on the future also boosts your odds of success because it makes you more likely to invest, act, and work toward your goals. And whether it’s the “law of attraction” or just manifesting what you want, believing is always the first step toward achieving anything in life.
Yet…
Avoid these mistakes and reap the benefits.
When it comes to confidence, there are several tiny things that can sabotage the way you feel about yourself—no matter how confident you think you are.
While these habits might seem insignificant in the moment, when you constantly do them over weeks, months, and years, they add up tremendously and can make a massive difference in how the world perceives you.
Here are seven critical habits to eliminate from your life that I’ve learned the hard way. Once you get rid of them and learn better behaviors, you’ll be able to watch your confidence grow quickly:
1. Poor Eye Contact
The answer to your problems is in the “here and now.”
Despite traveling the world for almost two straight years by myself, I almost never feel lonely—except for one situation.
It’s not when I see couples holding hands. It’s not when I see groups of friends laughing together. It’s not when I’m dealing with an injury and have to figure out how to do everything myself.
It’s when I’m walking down a busy street and I notice I’m the only person who’s in the “here and now.”
Looking at others, I can tell everyone is mentally somewhere else—in the future, in the past, thinking about something else, or trying to be…
They helped me transform my success.
When you’re young, you sometimes do “stupid” things. Call it inexperience, bravado, or just not giving a damn, youngsters can sometimes make bizarre decisions.
In my 20s, I definitely had my share of so-called “stupid” choices. But thankfully, a few of them were some of the best decisions I ever made. And only by making them and looking back did I realize they were really blessings in disguise.
I’ll share seven “stupid” things I did in my 20s that actually had powerful benefits for my future. …
Why it’s the greatest life skill you can build.
During the height of the pandemic—while I was stuck in one of the poorest countries in Europe—I found myself in a neurologist’s office, trying to figure out some health issues I was dealing with.
After doing a series of tests, he ultimately said I was fine. But as we chatted more, he made a simple, yet powerful diagnosis that tremendously affected my life. But it wouldn't have made an impact if I did have any self-awareness. (More on this story later.)
Why Self-Awareness Is The Most Important Life Skill
“To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge.”
—Confucius
One of my…
Judge by actions, not by words.
I could smack myself for not realizing this rule sooner.
You see, in friendships and relationships, there's a lot of noise—there’s what’s really happening, what you think is happening, what they think is happening, and a whole lot more. Unfortunately, it’s often hard to separate all of those factors and see things for what they truly are.
But that’s where one simple rule I learned that made my life a helluva lot easier; maybe it will for you and everyone else you relate with:
Judge by actions, not by words.
How to Use This Rule
Don’t let what other people say—or what you think they…
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
There’s a common barrier that holds people back from making progress in key areas of their life. They’ll read proven advice on a specific topic, but because they can’t do the most extreme version of it—or because they have a “unique” situation that limits them—they’ll abandon everything.
This is called the “extreme-reach barrier,” a term coined by Ramit Sethi, New York Times bestselling author and founder of I Will Teach You To Be Rich:
“We use these phrases whenever we focus on the worst possible outcomes (irrationally) instead of what we want. How many of us claim we want something…
