From a much larger point of view, I don’t care to compete with others.
I want to be so unique that it becomes impossible to compare myself to others. I want to be in a category, in a race of my own. I want to run fast. But I want to be alone on the track.
That said, I always think about the competition. It’s not because I’m a hypocrite. Well, maybe I am. But then again, who cares? As Walt Whitman said:
Am I contradicting myself? All right, then, I contradict myself. I’m tall. I contain multitudes.
I think about competing with others because it’s a powerful instinct we’re all born with. And when used appropriately, your competitive instinct can help you keep improving.
Here are 14 life cheat codes that will get you ahead of the majority:
1. Fall in love with failure
Most people think that failure is the opposite of success. However, this is not the case. Failure is the prerequisite for success. If you keep failing constantly at the same time, sooner or later, you will succeed. However, if you despise or fear failure, you won’t try – and you will lose. That’s why it’s important to fall in love with failure – or at least be neutral about it.
2. Change your identity
Do not say, “I try to eat healthy.” Instead, say, “I’m the kind of guy who orders a salad when everyone else orders a burger.” then act according to your identity. When you “try” you are telling your subconscious that you are going against your identity – and it never works in the long run. Only when you change as a person can you repeatedly take good deeds. Stop trying. Become.
3. Play cash games with no caps
It’s good to have a job. But jobs have a ceiling – your employer will never pay you outrageously. The creation of a company, on the other hand, has no ceiling. You can always find ways to scale your business to reap exponential benefits.
For example, you could sell millions of books as a writer. Or you can teach online marketing skills to thousands of people through digital courses. Of course, it’s not easy. But these are games that have no cap. My advice? Have a job to pay the bills, but try to build a business with no caps on the side.
4. Find a winning friend
A fat friend of mine tried to lose weight for years but failed. Then she started dating a guy who was a fitness freak. And months later, she’s lost all the weight she wanted and is now a fitness freak herself. Of course, she hadn’t expected this. But it does mean that the person you’re dating is important. So…find a winning friend. He will do amazing things for you, without you even realizing it.
5. Design your environment
You can assume control when designing your environment, but once it’s designed, it will influence your life day in and day out. You at least lose some control after that. For example: if you have beers in your fridge, you will gain weight. It’s hard not to drink beer when it’s in your fridge.
On the other hand, if your refrigerator is full of vegetables, that is what you will eat. Therefore, it is wise to design your environment for greatness. Have books in your room, not video games. Have a standing desk in your bedroom, not a beanbag chair. Take the time to design your environment to foster greatness – and it will continue to pay dividends forever.
6. Write about self-improvement online
Teaching is the best way to learn. So if you teach self-improvement online (even if you don’t know anything about it yet), you’ll start to understand it much better than people who are just passively consuming knowledge. Therefore, your life will improve faster than others. So – write self help online on any platform you like. That’s the best advice I can give you. Don’t do it for the money, the followers or the fame. Do it to improve yourself.
7. Look at the sky in the morning.
When you wake up, rush to the balcony to watch the sky for as little as five minutes. When you do, sunlight enters your eyes and ultimately optimizes your sleep-wake cycle and related hormones.
This therefore optimizes your energy and productivity will come to you much more easily.
Note: Do not look directly at the sun if it hurts your eyes. Duh!
8. Stop avoiding pain
I recently watched Imagine Dragons live. And the the lyrics of one of their song goes, “Pain… Oh, let the bullets fly, oh, let them rain. My life, my love, my motivation, it comes from… pain! And I can’t help but realize how true that is.
Think back on your life and you too will realize that your most painful months or years were also when you learned the most about life; where you have developed a reason to live a good life. Lesson? Stop avoiding pain. Look for it. The pain will go away, but the lessons and motivation will remain.
9. Buy Digital Courses
Stop trying to figure it all out yourself. You don’t have to spend that extra time.
You can give yourself a head start by learning from someone who has achieved exactly what you want to achieve. And in the age of the internet, everyone is offering affordable digital courses (much cheaper than colleges). Use them. Find a good teacher. See if they have a course. Buy it (if you can afford it). Suspend your disbelief and follow their advice verbatim.
10. Choose the pleasant path, instead of the shortest path
When you make a plan to achieve a goal, your instincts will tell you to look for the shortest path to achieve something because of your desire for instant results. But the problem with the shortest path is that it paradoxically takes longer to travel it because it is not pleasant.
So you stop often. You stop often. You often walk in the opposite direction. On the other hand, choosing a slightly longer path — it’s nice — is a guarantee of durability and consistency. This ultimately makes it the fastest route, even if it’s not the shortest route.
11. Do a 24-36 hour fast once a week or every two weeks
Fasting is wonderful. It cleans your intestines. Eliminates the brain fog accumulated during the week. Kills pre-cancerous cells. Stimulates growth hormone. Makes you more productive. Burn fat. Makes you mentally stronger.
And hence, this is one of my favorite cheat codes in life. However, note that you should only do this if you don’t have any eating disorders or such tendencies. Consult your doctor before trying anything new.
12. Master the 20-30 minute power nap
Power naps are amazing.
They are an important tool in my life to make the second half of the day as productive as possible. However, power naps are not easy. It’s a skill. You have to learn to fall asleep quickly. And also how to finish your nap on time and not end up sleeping for hours. Like any other skill, it takes practice to master.
13. Look sharp
It is an obvious fact that looking good has its advantages. So… why not use them? Stop focusing on its superficiality. Stop hoping for a dream world where looks don’t matter. They do. People react to your appearance. And no, you don’t have to be a model. Just be well groomed and dress well. It will help a lot.
14. Learn to Prioritize Consistency > Intensity
This one is difficult. Again, your brain wants it all now.
So when you make a plan for your goals, you go for the “maximize your day” approach. And inevitably, you will burn out. Stop. Restart. The cycle will repeat itself. You need to rewire your brain and teach it to prioritize consistency over intensity. This can be done by starting small but committing to showing up every day. No matter what.
Akshad Singi, MD has been featured in Better Humans, Mind Cafe, and more.
This article was originally published on AVERAGE. Reprinted with permission from the author.