17 simple ways to improve your life right NOW
1. Sing and dance when you get up
Yes seriously.
Your mood in your morning routine will carry over to the rest of your day. It’s not rocket science. Make your mood as positive and upbeat as you can. Challenges you face during the day are so much easier to deal with a positive frame of mind.
It doesn’t matter what you play. Just make it something you LOVE singing along to.
For me, I love listening to Cold Chisel’s Khe Sanh and Bruno Mars Locked out of Heaven.
2. Make your bed
This one was popularised by a famous recent commencement speech by Admiral William H. McRaven to the University of Texas.
He says it’s a small win that takes no effort. It gives you early momentum in your day. Even if you go on to have a shitty day, at least you’ll come back home to a nicely made bed. Watch the below from 4.40 to hear this tip.
Tim Ferriss also mentions making your bed in Tools of Titans. Try it for a week.
3. Drink more water
If your pee is dark yellow or worse, then you’re dehydrated. Dehydration affects cognitive ability. It also makes your skin dry and less elastic. Meaning you look tired and older. Drink at least one pint of water on waking up. Two pints is preferable. You’ll feel great and have way more energy throughout the day.
4. Smile all the time
The mind affects the body and the body affects the mind. The physical act of smiling makes you feel better. It releases endorphins and makes you feel happier. Smiling is free and makes you more likeable. Why wouldn’t you smile more?
To get the full benefits, make it a full smile. Feel your eyes crinkle and your facial muscles fully contract.
5. Stand tall more
Like the previous point, the body affects the mind.
Amy Cuddy shows that standing victorious releases testosterone and makes us feel confident. Do the power poses whenever you can throughout the day. I recommend on waking and whenever you go to the toilet.
6. Listen to podcasts
Podcasts open you up to people playing at a higher level than you. Check out this post of my favourite podcasts of 2016.
7. Go for short runs
You don’t need to go on 40 min 5 mile runs to get the benefit of running. Just 2 mile runs, 4-5 times a week is enough to help you lose weight and feel fitter. It means you put less pressure on yourself to get your kit on and start running, meaning you’re less likely to dread the run itself. Check out this post on increasing your Vo2 MAX.
8. Lift heavier
You need to exert yourself at the gym. Strain a bit to push out that rep. Strain the sinews. Lifting heavier improves muscle tone and strength. It improves bone density and prevent osteoporosis. Read this great article by Henry Rollins on why he loves the iron.
Do the 5×5 programme or Victor Pride’s Body of a Spartan programme.
9. Hug and kiss everyday
Hugging and kissing releases oxytocin. This is the Love hormone and it makes you feel warm and fuzzy. It creates and nurtures bonds between humans.Do this every day.
Check out this James Altucher article: 10 Unusual Ways to Release Oxytocin Into Your Life
10. Read more
Education doesn’t stop with school. You’ve got to invest in yourself with lifelong learning. Some of the most successful people in the world read a book a week. Think about that: 52 books a year.
Some prodigious readers (with reading lists) are:
Bill Gates Gates Notes
If you’re not a big reader at the moment, just aim for one book a month. Based on a 300 page book, that’s about 10 pages a day. That should take less than 15 mins a day. Read on the toilet, on your commute, on your lunch break. Make it a habit and reap the rewards.
11. Have the difficult conversations
I can’t remember exactly where I read this one but it’s stuck with me. Your success in life is directly correlated with the number of difficult conversations you’re willing to have. Think about it. Difficult conversations include asking for a raise, beginning a relationship, getting engaged. If you avoid them, you’re heading towards comfortable mediocrity.
Think about conversations you’re putting off. The discomfort is the sign that you’ve got to deal with it. Summon up the courage and initiate the conversation. Start with, “This isn’t easy for me say but….”.
You’ll progress so much faster.
12. Call your loved ones everyday
I do this every day. It doesn’t have to be a long call. Just ask about their day and what they ate for dinner. They’ll appreciate it and you’ll feel good. A daily quick win.
13. Lose excess weight
By definition, ‘excess’ weight is unnecessary, surplus and superfluous. You don’t need it. It is literally weighing you down. Excess weight also makes you less attractive. Lose the excess weight.
It’s not easy but it’s not that hard either.
Cut out your carbs, eat more protein, eat more veg. Don’t drink unnecessary calories.
Do some cardio like running everyday.
14. Work towards a goal everyday
You need a mission. Something to work towards. It might be writing a book. Or making more money. Or creating art. Or looking after your family.
Whatever it is, you should do something each day that furthers that goal. You’ll be satisfied each night before you go to bed that you at least did something.
15. Get rid of unused and unwanted possessions
Your possession end up owning you.
Look at the pile of CDs and DVDs you never use. Look at all the clutter of things you’ve had for years but never use.
Explore minimalism:
16. Clear your wardrobe
You probably wear less than 20% of your wardrobe. The rest are possessions you’ve accumulated and never wear. Just get rid of the stuff you don’t wear.
17. Save more money
You can always save more money. Instead of spending your paycheck and saving what’s left at the end of the month, try saving first after you receive your paycheck, then spending what you’ve budgeted for after saving.
Let me know which of these you’re going to implement in the comments below!
Have I missed anything? Let me know!
Tom Bihn Synapse 19 review – hint it’s my favourite ever bag
On Christmas morning, totally unexpectedly, I received a beautifully wrapped box.
Under the paper was a brown cardboard box that I thought was an Amazon box….
It turned out to be have the Tom Bihn logo on it…..and I squealed like a girl.
BEST. PRESENT. EVER.
I’d been pining after a Tom Bihn Synapse for ages now.
Much to Angelique’s annoyance.
It is not cheap, so despite my fetish for all things luggage and bag-related, I’d held off buying one.
Now, it was mine.
I first heard about it from a Gear post by Tynan. Tynan is a former PUA and now entrepreneur who writes insanely popular gear posts about how to pack for minimal, long-term travel. (He used to favour the Tim Bihn Synapse but now he favours Minaal.)
(Here’s a link to Tynan’s 2017 gear post)
(Here’s a link to Tynan’s 2015 gear post which is the last one he posted which lists the Tom Bihn Synapse backpack)
The thing that fired my imagination and my lust for it was the fact that Tynan did long-term travel ie. months at a time with just this bag. 19L. 19 Liters!! It must have been a great bag to be able to fit and organise everything you’d need for that style of travel.
So anyway, back to Christmas…
I’ve never been more surprised (in a positive way) by a present.
Here’s a photo of it:
First impressions
1) The material feels tough and durable. I know it’s durable because in a stroke of genius marketing, the company has posted a video of them testing its durability.
2) The zips are super strong. They are YKK like most zips but the zipping action itself is slow and feels harder to pull in either direction. This might seem odd but this does mean that they won’t open unexpectedly. Even if the zip is half done up, it won’t pull open under the weight of the pocket’s contents.
3) There’s loads of pockets! 6 in total:
- 1 x large main compartment with a partition
- 2 x central top front pockets
- 2 x front side pockets
- 1 x bottom central pocket
4) It just feels beautifully made. It has that feeling of quality.
5) It’s spacious. It easily fits my Macbook Pro 13″. I haven’t tried to stuff it to the max but this photo from Tom Bihn gives you some idea of the potential:
Possible negatives
I would like there to be a small zip pocket on the inside of the bag for coins or keys or tiny items like USB flash drives and passports. This would mean easier access to these items and mean not digging around in the larger pockets/compartments for these.
Overall
I LOVE it!! It’s pricey, but then again, I didn’t pay for it. Some things just cost more and it’s worth paying the premium (like Apple products).
It’s definitely the right size for me. The 25L would have been too big to be my EDC.
Any questions at all, let me know in the comments!
Further reading
Check out the Tom Bihn Synapse 19 bag here as well as the awesome Tom Bihn site here.
For more on how to pack for minimal long-term travel:
Minimalist Travel Gear Packing List: Insanely Light Luggage Edition
How to Pack Light: The Complete Guide to Ultralight, Minimalist Travel
My 4 favourite podcasts of 2016
I love podcasts because they’re a way to elevate the quality of the company you keep.
They say that you’re the average of the 5 people you spend most of your time with, so this is a way to get some wisdom from people who are further down the road from you.
1) Jocko Podcast
I first heard about Jocko from Tim Ferriss’s incredible new book Tools of Titans. The book is the distillation of the wisdom from Tim’s smash hit podcast where he interviews the great and the good from a huge range of fields, from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Peter Thiel to Matt Mullenweg to Jocko Willink.
Jocko is a former Navy Seal who commanded the most-decorated task special operations task force of the Iraq War.
On the podcast, his voice is the first thing you notice. It’s deep and forceful. Maybe it came from his OCS days where the candidates had to ‘go ballistic’ i.e. shout everything they said.
He talks about leadership, military issues and most interestingly, he, with his co-host Echo Charles, answer questions from listeners.
Echo Charles is a great co-host. The banter is great and the respect they have for each other shines through.
They take the show and the answers to the questions seriously. What I love most is that they really want to help and care about providing value to their listeners.
Recommended episodes:
2) Smart Passive Income
Pat Flynn is the real deal. He’s an internet marketer entrepreneur who truly wants to help his readers and his listeners. The level of detail he gives is incredible. Whether it’s about building niche sites, starting a podcast, affiliate marketing or email marketing, he creates the best content.
His authority is proven by his transparency. Pat publishes his income statements each month and it’s into the 6 figures.
Recommended episodes:
So many! Here’s a flavour:
SPI 243: How to Create Your Life Vision Plan with Michael Hyatt
SPI 241: My Top 10 Most-Used Apps in 2016
SPI 232: How Lucas Hall Built and Sold an “Ultimate Resource” Blog
SPI 214: How to Master Content Marketing with Neil Patel
3) Freedom Fastlane Podcast
Ryan Daniel Moran is a serial internet marketer and entrepreneur. I first heard of him on one of Pat Flynn’s podcast episodes on building a $1m Amazon business (SPI 144: Building a Million Dollar Business in 12 Months with Ryan Moran). I was blown away by his clarity of thought.
Listening to his own podcasts on Freedom Fastlane, you quickly get a sense of his drive and the scale of his ambitions (he wants to own the Cleveland Indians and I’m sure he’ll do so one day).
Recommended episodes:
Jesse Itzler: Founder Of Marquis Jet, Overcoming Mental Limits, And Marrying A Billionaire
4) Tim Ferriss Podcast
I’ve left the big one till last. Tim’s podcast is the biggest podcast in the world. I love the interviewees he gets on the show. The only thing I wish would be different would be that the episodes were shorter. Often they’re over 3 hours long. Thankfully, Tim has really detailed shownotes.
He’s also released a ‘playbook’ of the condensed and curated wisdom of his guests. It’s DENSE and packed with so much gold. Get this book! Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss
Recommended episodes:
David “DHH” Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
Tony Robbins on Morning Routines, Peak Performance, and Mastering Money
Shay Carl — From Manual Laborer to 2.3 Billion YouTube Views
Let me know your favourite podcasts and why in the comments below!
What I learned from watching the recent Supreme Court Article 50 case
I was absolutely blown away by the recent Supreme Court Article 50 hearing.
Easily one of the best things I’ve ever watched.
Here’s what I learned:
1) Some people are really, really incredibly clever
The eleven justices are legal geniuses. As are the barristers who were representing the various parties ranging from the UK Government, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and private individuals.
Each was marshalling several arguments, a huge range of facts and issues of generational importance.
It’s reassuring that issues of this magnitude are being handled by big brains such as these.
It makes Michael Gove’s now pilloried statement that the nation had ‘had enough of experts’ even more ridiculous.
How could anyone but experts deal with enormous matters like this?
2) The mind needs to be exercised or it will atrophy
Watching and listening to the arguments, I could feel my mind waking up, like a dry plant given water after a long drought.
TV and Netflix just don’t exercise the mind in the same way.
It’s like walking on a treadmill versus a heart-pounding, acid-burning 5 mile cross-country run flat-out.
For a true workout of the mind, why not read Leviathan or The Republic?
Or listen to the Ring Cycle?
Or write a short story?
Use your brain properly or lose it.
At the very least, we could consume better material.
As a starting point, check out Bill Gates’s amazing blog, where he posts book summaries and about issues relating to his Foundation’s work. It’s incredible that one man can be so clever and so influential. Truly a flourishing life.
Or watch TED talks.
Or watch educational YouTube videos (check out Fighting Mediocrity’s page).
Or read Tim Ferriss’s new book Tools of Titans (summary to come soon).
Read the best newspapers like the New York Times or the Financial Times.
Use it or lose it!