Category: You

Things that you, as a human being, may find interesting (psychology, productivity, health, career, relationships, parenting, …)

You

256 ways to be a Better Human

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A fundamentally insane idea, here is a directory of 256 ways to be a better human.

👉 A Directory of Advice That Works

This list covers productivity, health, mindfulness, business, and more. I think the list is too big to be helpful, but I like the inspired attempt to compile all this stuff. We could all certainly benefit from this info.

Personally, I feel like I have basically earned a degree on self-help over the last couple of years, and I’m at my limit. One of the things I’ve learned is to stop reading and thinking quite so much and instead get out there and do stuff. Nonetheless, here is the list. 😂

You

Casual Pros and Cons

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I came across two articles on casual dating lately. One talks about the inherent frustration of casual dating. The other talks about the rules for doing it right. The former is meaningful and long, and the later is quick and right to the point. So I guess that’s fitting. 😂

👉 ‘I Can’t Do Casual’

Interesting letter to oneself about knowing what you want and saying it.

👉 The 5 Rules Of Casual Dating

I think these are true of basically any relationship. 🤷🏻‍♂️

  1. Be communicative about your deal breakers.
  2. Be honest, even when it’s uncomfortable.
  3. Define the relationship.
  4. Show up.
  5. Be respectful.
You

“Run like you’re 5-years-old”

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I really love this article on sprinting vs. jogging for exercise.

👉 This Is How to Grow Strong by Sprinting

This guy literally kicks a ball as far as he can, then he chases after it as fast as he can. He does this for 7 minutes every other day. That’s his workout. 🤩

This workout is as effective or more so than jogging 40 minutes every day.

And it’s fun. It’s all about youthful chasing. He does this workout in parks across the world as he travels. No special clothes or workout gear are needed. Just a ball and basically whatever you’re wearing.

I felt I had flicked a switch. I discovered that I was more aware of my body — aligned with it. I carried my body with deeper confidence. For me, I am never looking for a beach-bod. I simply want to be strong, free from disease. It was amazing. In just a few minutes, my mind was signaling me — you’re stronger.

I’ve been into interval training, but this article is convincing me to drop the stopwatch for a soccer ball.

Me sprinting 😊

You

Under Pressure

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The Savvy Psychologist, one of my favorite podcasts, recently posted a great episode on performance anxiety.

👉 Savvy Psychologist: 3 Secrets to Beat Performance Anxiety

As always, she keeps it simple, concise, and practical.

  1. Get excited to create a feeling of opportunity
  2. Use a ritual to ground yourself and help with focus
  3. Practice self-affirmation

As a bonus, I also came across this one in my Medium feed.

👉 6 Science-Backed Strategies to Avoid Choking Under Pressure

I might be imagining this, but I think this one only has five techniques. 🤦🏻‍♂️. And they seem to focus mostly on positive thinking. And they overlap a bit.

  1. Don’t think too hard
  2. Practice under pressure
  3. Pretend like you’ve already won
  4. Tell yourself that you’re in control
  5. Give yourself a pep talk

Kind of a muddled article. If nothing else, it helps me appreciate the Savvy Psychologist!

You

“What I’ve Learned from Surrounding Myself with Confident People”

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Back in the day, I used to think that confidence was about putting on a show for people or just thinking you’re better than other people. I kind of hated the idea of “confidence” because I though it was an act — fake and self-serving. In retrospect, I think I was confusing confidence with over-confidence or arrogance.

I finally understand now that true confidence (and leadership) is about being yourself, having a vision, and lifting other people up with you. I keep running into articles on this topic, and this is one of my favs.

👉 What I’ve Learned from Surrounding Myself with Confident People

I actually had trouble with this idea for a long time: being confident doesn’t make you an asshole. In fact, just the opposite is true. It makes the people around you feel valued and comfortable.

Highlights

Confident people are flexible and humble.

What separates the truly confident from the overconfident is their ability to seek out advice from people with varying points of view.

They are curious.

Confident people don’t need to control a conversation. They know their own agenda; they want to learn about yours.

They’re not in it for approval.

The truly confident, as Kareem Abdul Jabbar once put it, just want “to play the game well and go home.”

They are generous.

Confident people take real pleasure in seeing other people succeed and recognize the importance of supporting others.