9 Easy Things You Can Start Right Now to Enjoy a More Rewarding Life
Change doesn’t have to be difficult.
Everyone wants a cheat code to life—a way to succeed and achieve their dreams without putting in the effort and feeling the pain.
But success doesn’t come overnight, and time is ticking. Every moment you waste is a moment gone forever. Even the wealthiest people in the world can’t buy back time.
This article is as close to that elusive cheat code as possible. Follow my advice for a much shorter and more enjoyable journey to your dreams.
1. The rule of ten thousand.
Like the man who practiced ten thousand moves yet was paralyzed into inaction in a street fight because he couldn’t decide what to use, choice keeps you stuck. You’re overwhelmed and are scared to take a step in any direction.
Instead, become like the man who practiced one move ten thousand times. Focus on one thing at a time. Find your biggest problem in life and ask yourself a simple question:
What can you do today to make this problem easier?
Start breaking the problem into small bite-sized chunks. You don’t have to improve your life by much every day to see compounding gains over time. 1% a day adds up.
2. Read these books.
No matter your interests or field of expertise, reading will enhance your life. The more you read, the more you grow.
I recommend these books to get started:
Watch My Back by Geoff Thompson
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
$100M Offers by Alex Hormozi
3. Fulfillment through adversity.
Without confidence, you won’t succeed. You’ll lead an unfulfilled life littered with regret and inaction. Your motto will be “What if,” and you’ll be stuck in your head, fantasizing about a past that “might have been.”
With confidence, you take educated risks. You start that business, ask that person on a date and sleep soundly, knowing you can handle what life throws your way.
The best way to gain confidence is to step outside the dreaded comfort zone and face adversity. One of my fears was confrontation, so I achieved a black belt in Karate, became an amateur boxer, and joined the police.
You needn’t go to that extreme. Start today by drawing a pyramid. At the bottom, write down something you’re frightened of that can be easily overcome. Fill in the rest of the pyramid with increasingly intense fears until you get to the top and the stuff that terrifies you.
By conquering each fear, you build momentum. When you get near the top, it’s no longer such a big jump from where you are to where you want to be.
Now you have confidence.
4. What people think of you is none of your business.
Your loved ones and your boss’s opinions matter. The rest is just noise.
The more successful you become, the more you’ll attract hate born from jealousy. You need a thick skin, and you must learn the difference between people offering constructive advice and those who want to bring you down.
People don’t always have your best interests at heart.
5. New toys or freedom?
Money has one primary purpose — it secures your freedom. When you realize this, you won’t be tempted to waste it on shiny new objects.
How can you sacrifice your dream life just because you’ve been seduced by “influencers” plugging their sponsorships? Happiness doesn’t lie in objects.
I bought a BMW to fill a void in me. I didn’t even like driving. Within a year, I’d given the car to my mum and regretted the waste of money.
If you’re ever tempted to waste money, imagine waking up every day with the freedom to do what you want and live by your schedule. Alarm clocks, arrogant bosses, and rush hour drudgery are all in the past. You’re location independent and can go where you want, knowing you have financial stability.
Do you still want that toy?
6. Learn to schmooze with the best of them.
Our flawed education system fosters individualism, but we all need other people. Learning to network (a posh name for schmoozing) is critical for long-term success.
Often it’s not what you know but who you know.
Be around people who inspire and motivate you. Become someone worth knowing. Making contacts has made my writing journey much easier; the same would be true in any field.
Social media platforms are full of people who can motivate you if you know where to look and ignore the trash.
7. Revelations from a hot tub.
Last year I spent part of the summer sitting in a private hot tub, looking onto the Indian Ocean. I was in the Maldives, with white sandy beaches and the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen.
Traveling soothes and educates the soul. The more you meet people from other cultures, the more you realize we’re all the same. Our differences are superficial. There’s no “them and us.”
Ensure some of your traveling involves spending time in nature. It’s where we’re at our happiest. Get away from the concrete metropolis, if only for a week every year.
8. Too much work might kill you.
The Japanese spend so much time at work that it kills them. But they have productivity problems like everyone else.
Japanese business people may work 16 hours daily to do work that could have taken half as long. No one wants to be the first to go home.
Find ways to work smarter instead of harder. Get things done quicker and spend your extra time investing in your future.
9. Washed up at 30?
If you’re over 29, it’s all downhill to the grave, right? That’s the impression you’d get from Twitter, and it’s insufferable “If you’re in your 20’s, read this” threads. That’s the message you get from many so-called influencers.
It’s nonsense. You’re never too old, stupid, or late to change your life.
You can’t go back in time, so stop pining for an idealized version of your past and make the most of what you have.
I was medically retired with PTSD, aged 27. My thirties were lost to severe mental illness. But at 40, I discovered a passion for investing and day trading. I’m good enough at it now to afford trips like the one I mentioned to the Maldives.
I started writing at 41. I’m in a better and more contented place now than I ever was when I was younger.
You can reinvent yourself whenever you choose.
Get out of the way.
The advice listed in this article can be acted upon immediately. Success is something you can begin working on NOW.
Long-term change is still a process that takes time, but the journey can be enjoyable. You can start reaping the benefits of focused and determined actions. Every small victory pushes you to higher levels of greatness.
Are you ready to get out of your way and achieve your dreams?
Click here to join my Substack community, where we focus on all things related to mental health.