One of my favorite quotes of all time is, “You cannot eliminate a habit; you can only replace it.” It’s a great insight around how to change your life, as most people try to quit things cold turkey only to fail when the triggers that cause them to do that habit come around. For example, if you started smoking or drinking during times of stress...
Read MoreTwo of the biggest issues in life are figuring out what you want to do and then building the motivation and discipline to do it. The first is well-known in psychology as “paralysis by analysis” (or, more colloquially, analysis paralysis). Life goals are the ultimate option-heavy decision because there are an infinite number of ways to live your...
Read MoreEvery organism is biologically wired to behave in ways that have a good probability of survival. Whether by design (i.e., a higher power) or simple, random chance (i.e., “the ones that were not wired that way are dead”), organisms have certain instinctual behaviors that they perform to survive, grow, and reproduce. From beavers building dams to...
Read MoreTruth is a strange thing. How do you know something is true? Clearly, most people would say that they can prove it. But then they also believe in things like God that they can’t prove, so it can’t be just that. Truth, interestingly enough, is gaining two entirely separate definitions: the truth (i.e., what is objectively correct) and your truth...
Read MoreBeliefs are an interesting double-edged sword: they can be beneficial or harmful, depending on the relationship between your beliefs, reality, and your desired outcome. The interesting part about beliefs is that they are complex parts of our psyche and have monumental impacts on our lives. While there is a lot to be said about the topic of...
Read MoreDrama is an interesting (pun intended) concept: the idea of eventful experiences in life that are worth talking about. “Bob went to the store and bought a gallon of milk,” is not interesting. It’s a statement of fact to convey information. Now, one way to spice it up is through plot: “Bob went to the store and bought a gallon of milk only to find...
Read MoreJust a quick reminder that growth does not equal effort (or, at least, the feeling of strenuous effort). As The Secret famously said, grass doesn’t strain to grow. Most humans spend their lives eating, drinking, sleeping, and eliminating waste—not much effort at all, and they grow a lot. Even if you exercise heavily, the muscle growth occurs...
Read MoreThere’s an interesting conflict in recommendations from others around honesty: people will tell you to be honest or deceptive depending on what leads to the best outcome. Now, for those of you who have read The Meaning of Life: A guide to finding your life’s purpose or previous blog posts on the honesty ethic, that will not be a surprise since...
Read MoreIt can seem difficult to begin a journey and see it through. After all, you have to find something you want to do, figure out how to do it, be willing to put in the necessary effort to pursue it, take action, face adversity, be resilient, and continue to work until you succeed. That is all true, but there are really simply two major hurdles to...
Read MoreSome people run four miles per day and eat salads, while others watch 5 hours of television and eat popcorn. Some people study two hours per evening, while others play two hours of video games. Some people perform chores every week, while others buy new clothes for a year straight instead of doing laundry. What is going on here, and how can you...
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