Improve Every Day

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I’m someone who has always loved reading great books and exploring new ideas. This is a place where I share what I’ve learned along the way. I draw from different fields, such as psychology, philosophy, biology, economy, and many others, but every single topic falls under the personal growth umbrella. Using simple words, I want to make my content easy to remember so that we can all benefit from it long term. My main goal is to help us become better than yesterday, one step at a time.

Mark Suffom


    • Jul 15, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 8m AVG DURATION
    • 89 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Improve Every Day

    89 - Comfort Will Ruin Your Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2024 13:52


    We usually avoid difficulty whenever we can, but I try to do something difficult every single day. In this video, I'll explain the three main reasons behind why I've chosen this approach. And it all starts with the comfort zone.When we're in our comfort zones, we're not pushing ourselves.At the first glance, there seems to be nothing wrong with that.Why would we voluntarily put ourselves in a position of struggle, if we don't have to?But if we only live our lives in comfort, we might be unknowingly doing ourselves an injustice.Hopefully by the end of the video you will be inspired to leave your comfort zone and do something difficult today yourself.

    88 - Why More Is Less & Less Is More

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2024 9:04


    You can get "The Paradox Of Choice" book here:US: https://amzn.to/35wP0CREU: https://amzn.to/2MX2ampWhen we have very little choice, or perhaps even no choice, we are very likely to be unhappy. But as you gain more options, and you have the ability to choose between them, your happiness increases. So, obviously having choice is good.But what's interesting, is as you get more and more options, your happiness doesn't keep increasing.Instead, counter-intuitively, it decreases. In fact, having too many options to choose from, can be just as bad, as having no options. So rather than liberating us and making us happier, having a lot of options does the opposite.Psychologist Barry Schwartz coined this phenomenon, the paradox of choice.Because more becomes less.

    87 - I Increased My Productivity 10x - By Turning My Life Into a Game

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2024 14:53


    When I was younger I used to play a lot of video games.But as I grew older, they started taking too much time from my other activities.For this reason, I started to gradually reduce the time I spent playing them, until I eventually quit.But recently, I decided to incorporate some more down time into my schedule. And I gave video games another shot. This is when I remembered just how fun video games can be.It wasn't long before I was looking forward to the end of the day, just so I could hop on the computer and play. But this also got me wondering.What exactly made those games so compelling?And could I somehow apply those game elements to other areas of my own life to make them more desirable?This is what I've learned.Ending song:  Whitesand - Alchemy of LifeYou can find it here:   • Alchemy of Life - Emotional Instrumen...  https://whitesand.bandcamp.com/track/...https://open.spotify.com/track/10feK1...

    86 - Use Laziness To Your Advantage - The 20 Second Rule

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2024 14:22


    The Happiness Advantage:US: https://amzn.to/3n06HlpUK: https://amzn.to/30fWCqTWe're all lazy to some extent. And there's nothing wrong with that. However, most of the time, it's those exact moments of laziness that make us overindulge on our bad habits.We all have certain behaviours that we default to, and we tend to perform them almost on auto-pilot.Those behaviours could be positive, or they could be negative.However, instead of accepting all of our default behaviours, we should re-examine the ones that are not serving us and adjust them.And we can use our lazy nature to our advantage here.All we need to do is utilise The 20 Second Rule.

    85 - What They Don't Teach You About Money & Happiness

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2024 15:44


    Does money buy happiness?Can more money make us happier?The answer to these questions is: Yes... And no.It really depends on the individual, the situation they're in, and how they're spending their money.In this video I'll examine the relationship between money and happiness.And hopefully you'll be able to answer those questions for yourself.Sources:75k mark: https://www.pnas.org/content/107/38/1...Relative position: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper...Relative position 2: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...Lottery winners: https://www.researchgate.net/publicat...Working more vs working less: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.c...Spending on others: https://www.researchgate.net/publicat...

    84 - The Importance Of The Not-To-Do List

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2024 8:47


    If you're like most people, you probably have a to-do list, and you use it to help you focus on getting things done. If you don't have it, you might want to make one, as it brings plenty of psychological benefits.However, I would also suggest you create a not-to-do list. This list compliments the to-do list incredibly well, and it might be even more important.Let me explain...

    83 - Know When To Quit - The Sunk Cost Fallacy

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2024 9:10


    Let's say you buy a $10 movie ticket. But 15 minutes in, you realise this movie isn't what you expected it to be. However, because you feel like you're supposed to get your money's worth, you decide to watch the rest of the 2 hour movie. This decision is based on your loss of $10. But it isn't an optimal one.A more logical thing to do, would have been to get up and leave after you had realised this movie wasn't what you wanted to watch. Wouldn't you be better off, had you only wasted $10 and 15 minutes of your time, instead of wasting $10 and 2 hours?Had you left early, you would've essentially gained 2 hours of extra time. Those $10 you spent were gone or "sunk" either way. You couldn't get them back, whether you watched the rest of the movie or not. And that phenomenon is what psychologists and economists call: the sunk cost fallacy.It's one of the more common cognitive biases that clouds our judgement.Instead of making a decision based on potential future returns, we make them on our past losses.

    82 - How To Actually Get Things Done (implementation intentions)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2024 11:52


    I'm sure you experienced this before:You might have had a breakdown or you might have had an epiphany.Either way, you had this realisation that you needed to make some sort of a change in your life.Suddenly you knew what you needed to do, and you even had the motivation to do it.However, when you woke up the next morning, you didn't wake up as the new person you felt like you were the night before. You woke up as the same old you, with no motivation to make the changes you planned to make.And in the following days and weeks, no additional exercise was done, there was no progress in your learning, and you still didn't get things done on time.You have again, fallen back into your set ways, and failed to do what you said you were going to do.But don't worry. You're not alone in this.I don't manage to do everything I tell myself I'm going to do, either.But I have found a way to substantially increase my odds of following through on my desired behaviour.Instead of relying on motivation, which comes and goes, I started applying what psychologists call: implementation intentions.Studies mentioned in the video for further reading:Implementation intentions:https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper...Meta-analysis of implementation intentions:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...Coping plans:https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper...

    81 - Bored? 5 Ways To Spend Your Free Time

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2024 11:31


    You can get the book mentioned in the video here:US: https://amzn.to/2XskwNDUK: https://amzn.to/3ghJ9oRNowadays everyone is constantly busy with something. But being busy doesn't mean we're using our time efficiently.It's sad to say this, but most people completely waste their time.And time is our most valuable resource. We can't make more of it, like we can make more money for example.So it's wise to use our time in a way that will benefit us.When we're bored, what do we usually do?Most of us up end being glued to a phone, TV or a computer screen.That might ease our boredom in the moment, and we might not even consider that time to be wasted.But there's an opportunity cost. That time could've been spent on a different, more valuable activity.Specifically on something that could actually benefit us greatly in the future.This is why in this video I'll go over 5 things that will help ease your boredom, and teach you to use your free time more productively.

    80 - The Question You Need To Ask Yourself

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2024 7:28


    There were two friends that grew up together.However after they were done with their education, they went their separate ways.One friend became extremely successful in every aspect.The other friend however, became the exact opposite.But no matter how different their lives became, those two friends still kept in touch.In fact, they talked to each other every day.That's because those two friends were actually the same person.The first friend was that person's best and ideal version, while the second one was his worst version. You and me both have those two friends inside of us. All of us do. And we have the potential to become either one of them. Which one we end up becoming though, is determined by the choices we make each and every day.

    79 - Goals vs Systems

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2024 8:54


    I bet you have many goals in life. I know I do.It's good to have them.But when you focus on your goals too much, you can actually decrease your chances of achieving them.In this video I'll explain why that happens and why instead of focusing your goals, you should focus on creating a system.The articles that inspired the video:https://www.scottadamssays.com/2013/1...https://jamesclear.com/goals-systems

    78 - Why You're Always Tired Between 1pm - 4pm (and what to do about it)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2024 11:31


    You might have noticed that sometimes when the afternoon rolls around you become less productive. From roughly 1pm to 4pm, to be more precise.During that time, you're not as motivated to do the work, you have a harder time focusing, and even the work that you do, is of lower quality.A lot of people around the globe experience this exact phenomenon every single day.And it has a name: the afternoon slump.Want to learn more about this topic?Check out Dan Pink's book which is all about the science of timing:EU: https://amzn.to/2UtI18wUS: https://amzn.to/39wiekuVideo references:Hospital: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...Hospital: https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/rel...Danish students: https://www.pnas.org/content/113/10/2621Walks: https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/arti...Power naps: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/f...

    77 - The Worst Financial Mistake You Can Make

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2024 8:18


    There's this one financial mistake I see people making all the time.Anyone can make it, and often, they don't even realise they're making it before it's too late.And it doesn't matter if they're earning 10 thousand or 10 million dollars per year.This mistake can keep people poor forever. And even if they're wealthy, it has the power to make them broke.So what is that mistake?

    76 - How I Tricked My Brain To Like Doing Hard Things (dopamine detox)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2024 14:13


    You probably don't have a problem playing video games or browsing social media on your phone. In fact I have no doubt you could sit in front of a screen and do both of those activities for 2 hours, or even longer without breaking your concentration.But what about half an hour of studying? That might be too hard.How about working on your side business for another hour? Doesn't sound too appealing.Even though you logically know that studying, exercising, building a business or something equally productive, will bring you more benefits in the long run, you still prefer watching TV, playing video games and scrolling through social media.One might argue that it's obvious why.One activity is easy and doesn't require much effort, while the other activity is difficult and it requires you to apply yourself.But some people seem to have no problem studying, exercising, or working on their side projects, regularly.Which begs the question: Why are some people more motivated to tackle difficult things?And is there a way to make doing difficult things, easy?References:https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/...https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/00...https://www.centersite.net/poc/view_d...

    75 - Make Your Habits Stick Forever (elastic habits)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2024 9:07


    Get the book "Elastic Habits" here:US: https://amzn.to/37ZHqjuEU: https://amzn.to/2vbTyPB Let me ask you this:Why do most people fail at creating habits that stick?Well, there could be plenty of factors, but one major reason is they are not consistent with them.They might achieve their habit goal one day, but then the next day something comes up, and they skip doing the habit altogether.But the point of any habit, is to make it a habit in the first place.This means doing it every single day without fail.So how can we do that?How can we become consistent with our habits so they actually stick?The solution is to make our habits elastic.

    74 - Advice About Advice

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2024 6:08


    Have you ever come across contradicting advice?You might have read a book by someone you admire and they say that if you want similar results, you should do X.However some time later, you come across another piece of advice by someone else in a similar position. But the advice is completely opposite to the previous advice you received. They say that you should avoid X and do Y instead.So now you have two different people, both at a level you want to achieve, telling you different things.Let's take a look at why that is and see whose advice you should listen to.

    73 - Essentialism

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2024 7:10


    Get the book:US: https://amzn.to/2MZHYx3UK: https://amzn.to/35yl7PXIn today's world, being busy is the new norm.We have a ton of projects we would like to do, and whenever something new comes up, we try to fit it in our already overflowing schedules.We believe that if we just work more and work harder, we can do it all.However, being busy doesn't mean we're actually doing things that are important.The truth is that most things that we do, aren't important at all, but instead are completely trivial.The antidote to this overwhelming busyness is essentialism.

    72 - How To Get Out Of A Mental Rut

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2024 10:04


    Has this ever happened to you?One day, life seems to be going great and everything seems to be progressing well.But the next day, you wake up with no motivation whatsoever and you suddenly feel stuck.Just going through your daily routine is a struggle and it feels like a chore. And to make matters worse, you beat yourself up for not being as productive as you'd like to be.What happened is you've entered a mental rut.It's basically a state of mind where you feel stuck, purposeless and you're unable to motivate yourself.And doing anything that day can be difficult.Days like these will come unexpectedly, seemingly out of nowhere, and can last for days or even weeks.

    71 - Why Do We Perform Bad Habits? And How Can We Break Them?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2024 11:16


    You most likely already know what's good for you and what's not.You know that eating fried, fast food, is not good for you.You understand that laying on the couch, watching TV and browsing social media is also bad.And you're fully aware that smoking is horrible for your health.Now the question is: why do you do the things that you know are not good for you?If you logically understand which habits are bad, why don't you avoid them?In this video I'll explain why you keep on performing those bad habits and I'll give you a solution for the problem.

    70 - Habit You MUST Acquire - Keystone Habit

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2024 9:04


    Most of us want to improve our lives. But for that to happen, we need to adopt certain positive habits.Fundamentally speaking, habits play a key role in our day to day lives. But not all habits are created equal. Some can have a much bigger impact than others.This is why it's important that we learn to identify these habits and develop them.Charles Duhigg, author of the book "The Power of Habit," calls them "keystone habits." So what is a keystone habit?

    69 - 10 Habits That RUIN Your Sleep

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2024 12:30


    Sleep can be complicated.There are many factors that affect your sleep quality and quantity.Some improve your sleep, while others make it worse.Just a few simple habits can make the difference between a good night's sleep and a night spent tossing and turning.That's why in this video I'll explain which habits you want to avoid, as they are ruining your sleep.Some habits are worse than others, but if you can avoid all of them, then a good night's sleep is almost unavoidable.

    68 - 9 Habits That IMPROVE Your Sleep

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2024 13:23


    Sleep can be complicated.There are many factors that affect your sleep quality and quantity.Some improve your sleep, while others make it worse.Just a few simple habits can make the difference between a good night's sleep and night spent tossing and turning.That's why in this video I'll explain which habits you should adapt to improve your sleep.Some habits will help you more than others, but when all of them are combined that's when the real magic happens.

    67 - The Problem With A Balanced Life - The Four Burners Theory

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2024 5:56


    Let's talk about a balanced life.In our modern society, we want to do it all. We want to be great at the work we do, we want to be healthy, we want to have great friends, all while being the best spouse and the best parent we can be.This is something many people want, but rarely anyone achieves it.But why is it so hard to achieve all those things?Today we'll look at life balance through a concept known as The Four Burners Theory.

    66 - Accomplish Everything With Mini Habits

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2024 7:32


    Want to learn more about this topic? Get the book "Mini Habits" by Stephen Guise.US: https://amzn.to/2liXuJZEU: https://amzn.to/2mgqceLMost of us don't manage to do everything we want to do in any given day.We only have a certain amount of time and energy, so some things inevitably get left behind.Can you manage practicing the piano, reading books, meditating, and exercising every single day, while working a day job?I can and you could as well.Today, I would like to share a method I've found to be extremely helpful for managing all these competing goals.It's called: Mini habits.

    mini habits stephen guise accomplish everything
    65 - How To Use Procrastination To Your Advantage (Productive Procrastination)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2024 5:46


    Productive and procrastination.You would think that these two words don't go together.You're either productive or you're procrastinating, right?Well it isn't necessarily so black and white.In this video I'll explain why it's possible to be a massive procrastinator and yet still get a ton of work done.Everything you do, could be categorized in 3 tiers of importance.Tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3.Tier 1 is the most important tier. This is where your most crucial work falls into.Then we have tier 2.These activities are still important, but not as important as your main task in tier 1.Then finally we have tier 3.This is where everything that doesn't need to be done at all, falls under.Now what would happen if you were to remove the possibility of doing tier 3 tasks all together?

    64 - Why You Can't FOCUS - And How To Fix That

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2024 13:37


    In today's world, being able to focus is almost like a superpower.You rarely see anyone who's able to concentrate on a single task for hours.And the individuals who are able to focus, to nobody's surprise, get so much more done than other people.There are many areas where you could benefit from better concentration. Whether it's for school, studying, work or a hobby. If you're able to focus you can get your desired results faster.So today I'll explain what's holding you back from focusing and what you can do to improve it.

    63 - Does Law of Attraction Work?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2024 7:12


    You probably heard about the Law of attraction before. It was made popular by a book and movie called "The Secret".Basically to sum it up, Law of attraction says that anyone can attract whatever they want, just by thinking about it consistently.So if you think about making money a lot, money will appear in your life.That's all pretty silly.We can't just make money appear out of nowhere, by just thinking about it.But our thoughts can and do affect our lives. And this is because of a concept I like to call: Mental Proximity.

    62 - Can You Sleep Too Much? (The Answer Might Surprise You)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 29, 2024 6:24


    Thanks to all the data science has gathered over the years, we know that not getting enough sleep leads to a shorter life. But there's one more thing that the data has also shown us. And that is the relationship between sleep and mortality risk is not linear. You see, the more and more sleep you get, doesn't mean that your risk is lower and lower.Instead once the average sleep amount surpasses 9 hours, there is an upward hook in mortality risk.Just like with sleeping less than 6 hours every day, there is a higher chance of premature death, if you sleep over 9 hours daily.So what is going on here?Are we supposed to be aiming for exactly 8 hours to live a long and healthy life?Not quite.

    61 - What "Success" Actually Is - And What It Isn't

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2024 5:18


    we tend to talk a lot about success. But we never really talk about what success actually is.Like many others, I grew up equating success with money, status, fame and power.And for many years, that was my definition of success, so I pursued just that.But over time my perception has changed.You see, success is a very personal thing.And you'll understand what I mean, after this video.

    60 - NEVER Tell People Your Goals - Or You Won't Achieve Them

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2024 4:42


    Humans have tons of dreams, aspirations and goals which we would like to achieve.And since we are social creatures, we also like to talk about them.But maybe it's time we stop telling people what our goals are.The reason why we shouldn't, is because when we tell others what we're planning to do, it makes us less likely to follow through and actually achieve those goals.

    59 - What It Really Takes To Become Successful

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2024 5:35


    Get 2 months of Skillshare for FREE:https://skl.sh/betterthanyesterday2When you look at someone you consider successful in business or life in general, what do you see?You might see they have an awesome job, a big fancy house and exotic cars, great relationships with other people, etc.You want all those things they have, and you want to be just like them.Well, you haven't seen everything they have done to reach their success. There are actually a lot of things that are unseen to the average observer.You could say that their success is kind of like an iceberg.When you look at an iceberg, you can see the top of it coming out of the water. But what you don't see is that bigger chunk that's hidden under the water.The same can be said about someone who is successful.When you look at them, you just see the top of the iceberg.But if you dive in and check what's under the surface, you'll be surprised at what you find.

    58 - How To Get Motivated Whenever You Want

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2024 6:15


    Sign up today and get two FREE months of Skillshare Premium:https://skl.sh/betterthanyesterdayIf you're like most people, you only get stuff done when you feel an adequate amount of motivation to do so. But motivation is a slippery thing. It comes and it goes.On some days you have no motivation whatsoever, but on other days, you have so much of it you feel like you could take over the world.It's almost like a coin flip. Sometimes it lands on motivation, other times it lands on no motivation.So instead of waiting for the coin to flip correctly, I'll explain how to use the motivation sequence to motivate yourself.

    57 - Don't Be a Donkey - Make a Decision

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2024 6:07


    We are faced with decisions all the time. But even when choosing is not easy, choices must be made.But the truth is, we can't really know which choice will be better, until we tried out one of them.Also none of the decisions have to be permanent. We can always change our mind and switch. So don't be afraid of making the wrong choice.The worst thing that could happen is that you learn something new about yourself and what you prefer.

    56 - Should You Be Waking Up At 5:00AM?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2024 9:10


    You might have seen videos or news articles about all the amazing benefits of waking up at 5am, 4am or anything in between.Some of those benefits might include: being more productive, focused, motivated, happier etc..That's complete rubbish and I'll explain why.Getting up early won't make you more focused or productive. In fact, it could actually kill your productivity.Just because some CEO of a company or a navy SEAL wakes up at 4am, it doesn't mean you should wake up at that time as well.Today I'll explain why not everyone is suited to wake up that early, and why it's ok if you don't.Then you can decide for yourself if you want to follow that advice.

    55 - Feel Like Giving Up? Use The Cookie Jar Method by David Goggins

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2024 8:01


    I know how hard it can be, to keep the motivation to persevere.Our minds simply don't want us to be in an uncomfortable situation, that's why we give up and shy away from it.But even when our minds are telling us that we should call it a day, we usually have more fuel left in the tank.We can tap into that fuel by using the Cookie Jar.The Cookie Jar was created by a guy called David Goggins.Goggins is a retired Navy SEAL, who has competed in more than sixty ultra-marathons, triathlons, and ultra-triathlons. All while also setting new course records and regularly placing in the top five. Furthermore he's a former Guinness World Record holder for completing over 4000 pull-ups in seventeen hours.He's known to be one of the toughest men alive. He used his Cookie Jar to fuel all of these achievements and continues to use it, to fuel his Now you might not be interested in running an ultra marathon. However I believe you would like to be able to keep on going, even when you feel like giving up.That might mean studying longer, even if it's extremely boring. It might mean working on your side-business even if you're tired. Or it just might mean going to the gym, even if it's raining outside and you don't feel like it.The Cookie Jar can help.You can get David's book here:US: https://amzn.to/3gowDnEUK: https://amzn.to/3c4IbZv

    54 - How Much Money Is Enough? The Story Of The Mexican Fisherman

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2024 5:20


    This is one of my favorite stories. It's about an American businessman and a Mexican fisherman.A lot of people want to make more money so they can live a better life.They tell themselves: "Once I make enough money, then I'll go live the life I want."But that's a mistake. Living the life they want should be accomplished now, not later.They spend the majority of their lives working, but along the way, they often forget what they're working for.They start to prioritize work and making more money without a reason, and that's a problem.They just want to have more and more, with no apparent end goal.The Mexican Fisherman story is here to remind you to take a step back, and think about what you're actually working for, and what you already have. Every so often, you should reflect on and reevaluate your priorities. There is more to life than just work and money after all.So how much is enough?

    53 - Habit Stacking - Create Your Perfect Routine

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2024 8:00


    Forming and creating new habits can be quite challenging. But it's even harder to build a consistent routine.In this video I'll be talking about habit stacking and how it can help you.I've used this technique to turn reading and piano playing into a habit, which are now both part of my daily routine.And after this video you should be able to do the same for your desired behaviors.So how can you use habit stacking?Firstly, you need to identify a current habit that you do every single day.Secondly, you add or "stack" a new habit on top it.You do that by using the stacking formula, which looks like this:After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].Once you master the basics of habit stacking, the next step is to start stacking your stacks. Basically you chain numerous habits together, each one acting as the trigger for the next. This step will allow you to create an actual routine for yourself.Habit stacking can feel overwhelming at first. However, once you get started and do it a few times, it's not as hard as you think.The key to success here is to start with small expectations, slowly build up the habit of completing your routine, and then add more tasks once you're consistent.Happy habit stacking!

    52 - Parkinson's Law - Manage Your Time More Effectively

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2024 6:34


    Let me introduce you to the Parkinson's Law.The law states this: "Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion."Essentially the more time you have to complete something, the longer it will take you to finish it.And the less time you have to complete your goal, the more likely it is that you'll complete it in proposed time.But if a goal or a task does not have a specific deadline set, it will most likely never get done.In this video you'll learn how to use the Parkinson's Law to your advantage and manage your time more effectively thanks to it.

    51 - Why It Matters Who Your Friends Are

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2024 8:58


    Imagine a scenario where all of your friends are jumping off a cliff. If everyone jumps, do you jump as well?We know that the correct answer is supposed to be: "No, never! I am an independent thinker, and other people have no influence over me."But the truthful answer is, yeah, maybe you do jump.To study how other people can influence us, two scientists got access to data that tracked more that 12,000 residents of Framingham for 32 years. And the results were staggering. They found evidence that weight gain and obesity could spread from person to person. Just like people can catch a flu from others, obesity was infectious and it was spreading within families and from friend to friend. But obesity wasn't the only thing going around the Framingham community. When one person started to drink more alcohol, the drinking spread through the social network as well.The same with smoking. If someone started smoking cigarettes, people around them were more likely to pick up the same smoking habit.As disturbing as all of this may be, some positive evidence was also found. And that is that good behavior could also spread.Some of the studies mentioned:https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056...https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056...https://www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.a...

    50 - Stop Using Your Willpower - Do This Instead

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2023 9:00


    Our environment is one of the invisible forces that shapes human behavior.We would like to think that the choices we make are our own and not influenced by external factors.The truth however, is that many of the actions we take each day are shaped by the most easy and obvious option.If you're overweight, a smoker or a video game addict, you might think that it's because you lack the willpower to quit.Research however, shows something different. When scientists analyze people who appear to have tremendous amounts of willpower, it turns out those individuals are not different than you.Instead, the evidence says that disciplined people are better at optimizing their environment in a way that does not require massive amounts of willpower.Good behavior is easy for them, simply because they optimized their surroundings in a way that supports it.In the short run, you can choose to overpower temptation. However in the long run, you become a product of the environment that you live in.

    49 - Are You Lazy? Or Are You Just Tired? - Know The Difference

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2023 6:59


    Today we live in a society that praises work and never ending activity. At the same time, rest and recovery are looked down upon.Because of this collective societal thinking, we push ourselves to get even more things done, whether it's for work or hobbies.I believe that you at least once, felt like you were not being active or working hard enough, and you asked yourself this question: "Why am I so lazy?"But were you really being lazy? Or could it be that you were just tired from too much activity?It's important that you understand the difference between laziness and exhaustion.

    48 - One Way To Find Out How Much Sleep You Actually Need

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2023 8:37


    One of the problems in today's society is that we're purposely getting less sleep than our bodies need. Usually it's because we have to go to work, or go to school. And this is bad, as we're sacrificing our health in return. Because of that, getting enough sleep can be a huge hidden advantage for you. Imagine having your brain function more efficiently than of those around you. That's what the right amount of sleep will get you. Better mood, better focus, ability to think clearly etc.But getting sufficient sleep for just one night isn't enough. You need to get enough sleep every single night to reap these benefits.Now you might be wondering, exactly how much sleep should you be getting.The standard prescription is 7-9 hours, but how do you know where exactly you personally fall in that range?First you need to understand that you, as an individual, are completely unique.And the amount of sleep your body requires also depends on many different external factors.That means there isn't an exact amount of sleep you should be getting, as the amount actually changes from day to day.In this video I'll explain how to find out, how much sleep YOU PERSONALLY need.

    47 - Break Your Mental Resistance With The 2 Minute Rule

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2023 9:03


    Why is it so hard to follow up on our new habits?One of the reasons is that the habit we're trying to form can seem a little overwhelming, so we have this mental resistance.In the beginning, when we're super motivated it's much easier to do something. For example; going to the gym for 1 hour doesn't seem that hard, because the initial motivation is a powerful driving force.But when we're motivated it's also easy to impose some super high expectations on ourselves.We think: "Ok, so I went to the gym for 1 hour the first few days. From now on I'll to go to the gym for 1 full hour every single day."But once that initial motivation fades away after a few days, there is now nothing that's driving us forward, and we haven't really formed a habit yet.That's why when we're unmotivated, we'll probably just skip gym altogether, as dedicating a whole hour to it seems daunting.So instead of relying on motivation to push us forward, we should focus on making our new habit, an actual habit.Let me explain what I mean, by introducing you to the 2 minute rule.Want to learn more about The 2 Minute Rule and habits in general?Then check out James Clear's book, "Atomic Habits". It's where I found out about The 2 Minute Rule.US: https://amzn.to/2nNYA1nEU: https://amzn.to/2miAV8L

    46 - Small Daily Actions Lead To Massive Results - Consistency Is Key

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2023 9:28


    Nowadays we all want results and we all want them now.However what we forget is that results often take time to show.If you were to go to the gym today, workout, come back and look in the mirror, what would you see? Nothing, right?And if you were to go the gym the next day and you came back to look in the mirror, again you would see nothing.Clearly there are no results. Going to the gym and working out seems to be ineffective. So what do you do? You quit.But is working out really a waste of time? No.It's just that the results never seem to come quickly enough for us and that's why we give up.Even if the results aren't yet visible, it doesn't meant the work is ineffective. The work is just stored.

    45 - My Evening Routine For Optimal Sleep And Relaxation

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2023 10:02


    A morning routine allows you to get the right things done throughout the day, without having to put too much thought into it. This is why it's important to have one, if you want to be successful.However, it seems that people often forget about their evenings. You want to start your day successfully, but you also want to end it that way.Night routines are not popular, as sticking to them isn't easy, especially after a whole day of studying or work.But the benefits are worth it. A more restful and higher-quality sleep.And being able to tackle the next morning in a more productive way.Today I'll share with you what my evening routine looks like. It might not work as well for you, as it does for me, since we have different goals and different schedules.However you might get some ideas which you could implement and tweak in your own routine.

    44 - The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2023 14:54


    This is how today's society thinks your life should look:You have go to school for the first 20 years of your life. Then you have to find a high paying job that you'll work for the next 40 years. And after that, you can retire and finally enjoy your life for the last 20 years. If you're lucky to live that long of course.The 40 years of soul-crushing work has been accepted as the default path. But is this the only way? Not at all.Today we're going to challenge this notion by summarizing one of my favorite books. The Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss.Many people think that the point of this book is to work just four hours per week, however it's actually about working smarter and not harder.I would recommend this book to anyone with aspirations to have more freedom in their life.

    43 - How To Fix Your Sleep Schedule - Reset Your Sleep Pattern

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2023 15:52


    A common approach to resetting your sleep, is to pull an all-nighter. Basically you don't sleep for one day, and you go to bed at the desired time the next day.However that's like putting a band-aid on a bigger problem. It's also one of the worst things you can do for your health, even if the end goal is a healthy sleep schedule.Rather than pulling an all-nighter, you should focus on fixing your sleep habits.It's good to to understand how your body knows when it's time to wake up or go to sleep. There are two factors that regulate this and I'll talk about them in this video. You'll also get some actionable tips at the end.

    42 - Why Do Stupid People Think They're Smart? The Dunning Kruger Effect

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2023 8:40


    The Dunning-Kruger effect can be observed during talent shows like American Idol. The auditions are usually filled with a variety of good and bad singers. The ones who are bad at it, almost never realize how bad they really are.Low ability people do not possess the skills needed to recognize their own incompetence or lack of knowledge. Their poor self-awareness leads them to overestimate their own capabilities.However when you become more knowledgeable about a certain topic, that confidence falls. Only when you start to reach above average skill, is when the your confidence about a certain topic starts to pick up again.But why? Why does being less skilled make you more confident in your abilities?

    41 - Why It's So Hard To Succeed - The Survivorship Bias

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2023 7:13


    The survivorship bias is the logical error, concentrating on the people who made it or "survived" and overlooking those who did not.There's a common misconception floating around the internet: You should focus on the successful if you wish to become successful yourself. You have probably seen these types of articles before. Like, "5 surprising habits all successful people have". Or, "4 things ultra successful people do differently". The logic is simple: if it helped them get success, it should help you as well, right?Well not quite. When you factor in the survivorship bias, you notice that we're only focusing on the people that made it, aka survivors. We're forgetting all the men and women, that have been applying those "5 surprising habits of the successful people", but are not successful.So while their advice might work for some, it has to be noted that it won't work for everyone. We don't even consider that there are probably other elements at play here, one for example: pure luck. Like being at the right place at the right time or having connections with key people. Those are just some factors that are often disregarded.

    40 - Be Careful When Using Your Phone

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2023 10:25


    In today's world, having and using a phone is the norm. But there are some real dangers that come in to play when we use it too much.Some people spend every spare moment of their day on it, and they get so sucked into it, that they end up wasting a lot of time.Like that guy who says he's going on a 5 minute break, but takes his phone with him. What was supposed to be a 5 minute break is now a 20 minute break.Also living your life through your phone makes you asocial and hurts your communication skills. This is because communicating through your phone is very simple compared to communication in real life. If you're trying to connect with people, and only using your phone and social platforms to do so, you're doing it wrong. That's not how you form real connections.But why do we keep coming back to it? Why can't we just put our phones down?

    39 - Stop Wasting Your Time On These Habits

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2023 8:12


    You get 86,400 seconds every single day. And guess what? It all comes down to how you choose to spend yours. Whether you use them productively or waste them, that's your choice.How many times do you go through the course of the day and realize, that you didn't do anything you should have done?You obviously spent that time somewhere, but it wasn't on the things you wanted to. Instead of trying to find another technique to make you more productive, you should look into which habits you're currently wasting so much time on.Sometimes to achieve success it's not what you do that matters, but what you stop doing. So today I'll talk about 4 time wasters, that by avoiding, you could have more time for the things that actually matter.

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