Post: #101

Strength Training. 3 or 4 days per week. Heavy. Squat, Deadlift, Press, Bench Press and various accessories. The improvements in confidence, mood, and mental clarity are huge.

Also, sleep. I maybe shouldn't mention this one, because I've always been a very good sleeper so I can't say for sure what effect it has. But I regularly get 7.5-8.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep and following the nights that I don't for whatever random reason, I always feel way less productive.

Post: #102

Bump

I was out of commission after having torn my bicep in late jan. Really can't do much exercise just yet.

I used to love yoga and figured why not do some morning yoga.

Now ole' Greek God ain't no morning person so many times the best laid plans fall dead with a defeated alarm clock.

However, 5-10 minutes of sun salutations have got my mornings on and poppin.

Imagine this, you jump out of bed naked and reach for the sky. Stretch your hands up high and then dive into some folded stretch. Followed by a childs pose into a plank and into a upward dog and finish with a downward dog. Maybe throw a few cobra's in for a good measure. I do 4-5 cycles and the blood is flowing.

I know everyone loves complex routines but right now I'm living K.I.S.S. and this is working.

And don't knock naked yoga, its invigorating.

Post: #103

Do what you like - To be specific do activities that you like and genuinely enjoy doing that add value and make you a better person. This ties with Phoenix's suggestion to go easy on yourself. A good examples that is that I like lifting heavy weight. I don't like doing it everyday or pushing myself to go or planning to go. I just end up there. I go when I want and I enjoy getting others to join me if only for a day or two. When I am tired of it or feel pain in the joints/muscle stops performing I leave. The same goes for Muay Thai, dancing, cycling, you name it. Forcing myself to go or do anything just doesn't work for me, if anything it will just push me away from the activity long period of time.

Post: #104

I write everything down. Everything.

Pen and paper preferably, but if I don't have any, I'll type it out in a document on my phone. If I need to learn some new software for work, I write out my own explanation of the more complicated parts. I write down the details of my workouts. I write down details of my music practice sessions. If I'm job hunting, I write down the questions I expect to be asked and the answers I'm going to give to them. I write down details of approaches at the coffee shop I hang out at.

I don't use any elaborate note taking or shorthand systems, the physical act of writing alone does enough for me. It makes you think about whatever you're writing about more deeply. That prompts your mind to come up with follow up questions. What am I missing from my guitar practice routine? What did I fuck up in that interview or approach? It's something I've been doing for the last year or so, and it's been great for remembering and understanding everything.

Post: #105

Walking: I'll reiterate from this habit that's already posted and say I am a semi regular cyclist, sometimes even doing 60 miles a day. I had a hard time dropping the last 20-30 pounds but while on my trip to Cuba I walked an inordinate amount of time, pretty much every day. I didn't noticed I thinned out until I started to realize my pants wouldn't fit and my shirts were looking bigger on me. Dropped about 15-18 pounds of that hard to lose fat. So give walking a try for a couple hours a day it's super easy, enjoyable and sure to help you shed the fat. Helps if you're picking up women to keep it interesting!

Post: #106

Few weeks ago I created a document. While I am reading articles, books and so on and I see there something interesting what could help me with self-development or motivation, I write it down. I´ve also written there a message from me to me, where I mentioned everything good in my current life (I´ve written it while I had absolutely best mood and view of myself). Whenever I need some motivation or feel bad about something in my life, I open the document and read, what I need to.

Post: #107

Some of these have been already covered to various degrees, but for me, over the last 5 years, the following were game-changing:

1) Regular Meditation
Already mentioned in this thread so I won't add anything here other than to say that even 10 minutes daily can make a huge difference if you're consistent enough with it, or at least it was for me (finding time seems to be the main complaint about this habit). Nailed my anxiety/inner voice.

2) Journalling / Defining goals
I have a general diary-type journal and a separate, goals/values/challenges journal; minimum once a week I update the latter journal, which keeps me honest about the goals I've set myself. I review and edit these goals as appropriate, minimum once a month. It helped me become more self aware; identifying/defining your values and goals can be harder than you think.

3) Self Improvement Books & Podcasts
Have to be careful with these, but with prudent research in advance you can find the good ones, then distill out the value for yourself. My habit is that I read/listen on my daily commute.

4) Practising Gratefulness
On my daily commute I write down in my phone one new thing I'm grateful for. Helps mitigate negative thinking and keeps things in perspective.

5) Fruit & Veg Smoothies
I replaced unhealthy snacking habits with this, and felt a lot better. Better mood, more energy, steadier state.

6) Yoga / Stretching (Foam Roller)
I do this every morning. I tweaked a disc in my neck last year, from years of not sitting properly at work (and I'm also just built in a way that mades this likely to happen....according to my physiotherapist), this has helped greatly. A bit specific I know, but I wish I'd started this 10 years ago. For anyone confined to a desk a lot - would highly recommend this habit even if you have no signs of back pain at the moment.

Post: #108

(06-07-2016 03:25 PM)TheExperimenter Wrote:  2) Journalling / Defining goals
I have a general diary-type journal and a separate, goals/values/challenges journal; minimum once a week I update the latter journal, which keeps me honest about the goals I've set myself. I review and edit these goals as appropriate, minimum once a month. It helped me become more self aware; identifying/defining your values and goals can be harder than you think.

Would you mind sharing the format of your goals/values/challenges journal? What questions do you use as writing prompts, if any?

Post: #109

Every morning: Anki virtual flashcards

I first became aware of Anki when I was beginning to take Spanish seriously and came across a few blogs that mentioned it. It's a shareware flashcard app that employs a technique called spacial repetition learning. The frequency at which a card is shown is based on your recall ease. Cards you struggle with will show up frequently, while those you have down pat will show every couple months.

I've been focusing more on my English vocabulary in recent months. I keep a notepad while I read and write down words that I don't know. Every week or so I add them to my vocab flashcard 'deck.' Every morning I review the deck, which normally doesn't take more than 5 minutes. A couple months of doing this and my vocabulary has increased a couple hundred words. Great return on a minimal investment of time.

Post: #110

(06-07-2016 09:11 PM)jibj Wrote:  

(06-07-2016 03:25 PM)TheExperimenter Wrote:  2) Journalling / Defining goals
I have a general diary-type journal and a separate, goals/values/challenges journal; minimum once a week I update the latter journal, which keeps me honest about the goals I've set myself. I review and edit these goals as appropriate, minimum once a month. It helped me become more self aware; identifying/defining your values and goals can be harder than you think.

Would you mind sharing the format of your goals/values/challenges journal? What questions do you use as writing prompts, if any?

I purchased a nice Quo Vadis notebook specifically for this, and use a fountain pen, to make the process as enjoyable as possible.

The front page has a list of my high-level goals; for example my first 2 of the 7 I have are:
1) Personal Growth
2) New experiences outside my comfort zone

The next page has a longer list of micro-level goals / sections, which link back to the high level goals; for example:
1) Gym / Fitness/ Health / Diet / Meditation / Cold Showers....
2) Muay Thai / Climbing / Hiking / Volunteering
3) Financial Management
4) No Fap/Porn

I have a weekly reminder on my phone every Sunday that prompts me to sit down and make any relevant entries in each section. During the day I'll quickly add something in my phone Evernotes App to record any relevant experiences.

It's very satisfying to read through every quarter/year, and creates a positive feedback loop that reinforces my ambitions.

Post: #111

Mine are pretty basic, but here they are:
-Exercise. Doesn't have to be too much, but it has to happen.
-Intermittent fasting. Clears your body from garbage, clears your head. Lets you maintain a healthy weight.
-Leaving the house to be productive at a cafe or a library. I find it very difficult to be productive at home, but maybe this isn't so for others.
-Caffeine & Adderall.
-Playing white noise or techno when trying to be productive. Screw background noise and socializing.

I'm experimenting with a lot of other things, but this these ones are timeless for me. I definitely plan to attempt meditation at some point in the future.

Post: #112

I've begun meditating after I wake up. I don't even brush my teeth or pee. It centers the hell out of me and for some reason wakes me up as opposed to making me sleepy.

Post: #113

Incredible thread, guys - I'm writing down much of what I'm reading here, as I've been on a constant uptrend for the past couple of years.

The main thing I've implemented into my life over the past year is reading in an organized fashion - I've always wanted to read the classics (and multiple history books I'm familiar with) but never could find the time to focus and dive in.

Buying a Kindle kickstarted this for me. For some reason, when you're reading one book among 2000 (and there are no "pages"), it seems like far less of an undertaking. Thousand page books feel different when you're holding them in your hand, and you feel the heft and thickness.

Post: #114

For me, occasionally I remember a game truth and just immediately start memorizing it. I spend a certain amount of time implementing it in my head and then whenever I need to use it, it is easily accessible. Many of these things don't necessarily relate to gaming women, but are rather just general maxims that I use when going through life. I can't afford to relearn old lessons so any new lesson I get I commit to it.

Post: #115

The most powerful habit I've adopted has been to develop a system that enables me to discover and effortlessly implement powerful new habits.



But before you write me off for being cheeky, allow me to explain.

Looking back, my greatest achievements were all preceded by a process in which I

1) discovered a new idea that really resonated with me,

2) became obsessed with it and devoured all the information I could find, and then

3) spent several weeks/months incorporating the new idea/habit/practice into my life.

From health

-the paleo diet
-intermittent fasting
-lifting
-NoFap/NoPorn
-baking soda/ACV/coconut oil
-yoga/meditation

to weath

-credit card hustles
-PredictIt political betting
-bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
-Airbnb and other side income streams

to lifestyle

-gaming beautiful women
-riding a motorcycle
-skiing
-learning new languages

my life has improved enormously through discovering and incorporating these new ideas.

And while implementing them may seem difficult, that's actually the easy part. The hard part is finding the idea itself.

If you're genuinely interested in something, it doesn't feel like work to learn more about it, or to start practicing it. If you have no enthusiasm for what you're doing, you're likely better off just scrapping that project and switching focus to something that excites you.

However, if you're as structured and routine-oriented as I am, it can be hard for new concepts to organically work their way into your life-particularly if you're an experienced RVFer or self-improvement junkie who has already picked off all the low-hanging fruit.

Fortunately I happen to be a voracious reader, and I almost always spend the first hour of my day reading a mixture of nonfiction books, new RVF threads, several dozen blogs, and random news articles (like Marginal Revolution's daily "Assorted Links" aggregates).

Most of the time I click through a bunch of things that don't really interest me, and then go about my day. But every now and then I find a topic like the bullet points above, and I'm off on another adventure.

The habit very much fits Scott Adams's concept of Goals vs. Systems. I don't necessarily set a goal of discovering one Next Big Thing every x weeks or months; I simply work my system, which is to filter through lots of different ideas and concepts until I stumble upon something that genuinely interests me, and pull on that string until satisfied.

You can still benefit from this habit even if you're not much of a reader, of course. Perhaps you prefer to watch documentaries, attend new classes/seminars, listen to podcasts in the car, or simply travel to new places with an open pair of eyes.

The important part is to develop a funnel into which you're constantly pouring new ideas, filtering out the ones that excite you, and then delving deep enough into that field for it to become an enhancement to your life.

It seems obvious, but I know plenty of people who spend their time watching sports, reading pop fiction, socializing all weekend, who end up back at work Monday morning wondering why they haven't found their life purpose, or why they don't have any hobbies, or why they can't ever seem to come up with a good business idea. You have to invest time in exposing yourself to new things, and creating a system to do that takes conscious effort.

Once in place, though, it's only a matter of time before it changes your life.

Post: #116

(01-26-2016 11:36 PM)Macklin Wrote:  Writing a daily journal entry.

I've been relatively consistent for the past year and I've noticed many positive effects. Writing down my thoughts or emotions from the day had lead to more self-awareness. I've also recently been reading through my entries from 2015 and it's fascinating to see both the similarities and major changes in my thoughts from only a few months ago. Also, I enjoy reading about events from my day to day life that I may have forgotten.

Interesting, could you please elaborate on perhaps some steps to get started on this?

I like the idea of writing ideas and thoughts down, some techniques or methods would be nice to hear.

Post: #117

Another update on the Ting plan.

I've decided that smart phones are retarded, so I ditched the Ting plan and went with a pay-as-you-go service that currently costs me $8 a month.

If I have to make a phone call, I use Google Voice on my laptop.

I use my Google Voice number for job applications, business, talking to friends and relatives, and everything else.

Fact is, a voicemail gets saved on Google Voice and automatically transcribed. It's not perfect, but it's definitely fine enough to get the point across. No longer do I have to sift through voicemails every other week, pressing gay buttons on my phone and dealing with the automated answering machine. This is as easy as checking an email.

Sending a text is as easy as sending an email.

It's also 100% free for text, call, and long distance. International calls are also cheap.

I downloaded the desktop application so now I receive phone calls whenever I'm on my laptop.

Whenever I'm out and about I'm basically the only guy who isn't glued to their phone. The tracfone is decent enough when I have to make a call. It's a Blue Tank II T193. It's basically a reincarnation of the old school Nokia phone - functionally indestructible, 3 week battery life, comes with a flashlight, radio, alarm and other basic shit. I put in a 32gb SD card so now it's an MP3 player. You get a lot of phone for $20.

Post: #118

I will sum up my habits/lifehacks that I discovered/implemented in past several years. Basically all of this comes mainly from my Idea what a Glorious European male should do and look like so after time I started to look at many activities as unworthy.

1. Body

- Gym : Obviously a must. I go 5 times a week 45m-1h. Of course this depends on age and whatnot.

- Cold Showers : If you take a shower, it should be as cold as possible (not realistic in Thailand etc.). Or at least wash yourself with warm water and after that give yourself a minute in cold as fuck water. Your body will get warm as hell, blood in your muscles, testosterone, cold endurance. First time I started to do this I wanted to take axe right after and crash someones skull. If this is the first thing in a morning you will also feel like you achieved something right from the start and have a better day.

- Suplements : I take Fish Oil, D3 and Zinc. When I will get older I guess I will try something to enhance testosterone like Tribulus etc.

- Food : Just don't eat man made non natural shit.

- Stretching : Never liked this shit but every morning I do a bridge and some leg stretching, just because. Takes about 5 minutes tops. Good morning starter.

- Violence : As a man, this should be a basic part of your life. Martial Arts gyms are quite far from where I live so I do some shadowboxing at least each day but if you got something in 20 min from your place you should be doing MMA, Krav Maga, Box or whatever you find effective.

2. Productivity

- No Social Media - No plus side to them. Deleted my Facebook, blocked Instagram page as I would waste time watching bitches. Use just WhatsApp and SMS/Calls. Less people know what I do, I am not bothered by unimportant people. Less time wasted.

- No entertainment : This is crucial, I discovered how much time I waste on bullshit. TV shows, some can be good and inspiring like SOA, Vikings etc. but in moderation, few times in a week after a productive day.
No Gaming, I did this shit a lot when I was in my early teens. Basically I was pretending that I got the adventurous and dangerous lifestyle that I always was dreaming about. I stopped gaming and now I experience in life what I did in games (I don't kill people yet ). I blocked youtube on my laptop, I can access it only on my iPad if I want to look up something useful or look at a few channels that I subscribe to, after time I stopped wasting my time on bullshit videos. After certain period I just feel sick when consume some entertainment crap.

- No porn - Just bullshit, watching other people fuck is for lesser people - if you got balls at least do it in real life.

- Diary - I write my diary every day. Just helps you keep the shit out of your head before you go to sleep, doesn't take much time. I do it since I was about 16, no downsides.

- Music - I used to listen to music all the time, now I don't. Usually it just distracts you. If you commute a lot just play some useful podcast, audiobook.

3. Mental

- Meditation - I am into this big. Everyday at least 20 minutes. I do it for about year and a half right now. Much sharper concentration, less unproductive thoughts, better control of my mind. No excuses, I did it everywhere, bus, dorm room, park, airport, next to a bitch, drunk. Once a day, everyday. I tried several types of meditation. Would recommend Actualised (youtube channel), take just the videos about meditation. First few months can be hard but it repays a lot.

- Alone Time : Go into a nature once a week etc. just to get your head clearer.

4. Social

- Family - If you are in a country where you got your blood you should be bonding. If they are total cunts, don't be a pussy and cut them of but if they are not repay to them what they did for you and keep the tribe strong. When I am in my hometown I visit every member of my extended family at least once a week, if there is crisis even every day. At the end of the day, all you got is your blood.

- Brothers - Guy time. Find yourself a friend that's worth something and get in real contact with him often, build a brotherhood. Fuck those PUA sarge friends, the only thing that you got in common with them is a desire for pussy as with every other male on the planet. Build a bond with somebody so when you will need help burying a body at 3 am he will not ask shit and will come to help you. Ride and Die together. Keep those people around and reward them regularly as they will you.

- Pussy - I probably don't need to mention that you should have a stable supply of pussy, even if it's just one girl.

5. Random Lifehacks

- No Soap, No Shampoo - Tried this, nothing really changed, my skin has more natural oil on it so I don't dry it with fucking chemicals and I don't stink from sweat because my body got used to have just water to clean itself. Saves time and money. (Of course wash your hands after you take a shit with soap you dirty pig.)

- Be your own barber - I cut my hair about two years now, I look better than when I was paying for it, I don't loose time on shit and my money. And I can cut my hair every time I feel like it's not sharp anymore.


PS : There is probably more of it, just can't remember.

Post: #119

Keeping a to do list.

I do try to work out 3-5 times a week.
Not everyone can do this but invest money weekly in financial instruments (bonds, stocks, bitcoin, etc).

Post: #120

I started going to sauna once a week. I never thought it would feel so good, it´s so refreshing for body and as well for soul.

Post: #121

Observing and applying the 80/20 rule.

I first heard about this Pareto rule when I was in high school. For some reason, it just made a lot of things click for me...as if the term had just given a name to something I had always instinctively known to be true but couldn't quite put into words myself.

The reason why this paid so many dividends for me afterwards is because it was a total 180 from what my parents had raised me on. In a very traditional old-world Asian parenting style, they pushed me to spend more time on fixing my weaknesses. They wanted me to spend 80% of my time improving my Science test scores (besides physics, i sucked at science).

Memorizing chem facts almost drove me into a suicidal rage. But after accepting the Pareto rule as doctrine, I worked out a system with 2 other kids where we would help each other pass by playing to each of our strengths. I still bombed the exams, but managed to get B's because my friend was doing all of my take home quizzes and hw. I focused on what I did best, which was write essays.

I got so good at it that by the time I was in college, I charged fellow students to write their essays for them. Usually 2-3 pagers and charged between 50-100 a pop. What would take them weeks to write usually took me an hour or two. They're graded by TA anyways and I was good enough to make sure the tone and voice of each essay was distinct.

A few years ago, I saw an article in the news about some joe in the IT field who was getting paid like 10K/month to do work on a project and he instead outsourced it for like 10% of that to some people in the Philippines. Spent most of his time browsing reddit or something like that. I had some variation of this setup while working in the corporate world and can't speak highly enough about it. Whenever my boss handed me work that was clearly going to burn up a lot of my time, I either paid or provided other incentives to junior members/interns to do it for me. Just make sure all your bases are covered when you do this, so that nothing comes back to bite you. This should go without saying but always CYA, regardless of the situation/environment.

I apply the Pareto rule whenever I run into something I either can't do very well or hate doing. It doesn't just save me time, it keeps me in a constant positive mood and with plenty of energy even at the end of a work day.

Post: #122

Reading and thinking less

Post: #123

Writing affirmations daily in a book to keep me going and wanting to improve my life

Post: #124

Fake it 'til you make it.

This does not mean pretend to believe in an idea that's obviously false, it means to believe in your own potential and see yourself, paradoxically, as both a work-in-progress and masterpiece simultaneously. The only thing failure can't defeat is persistence. The more effort you put toward something, the more confidence you'll build in yourself for facing your fears instead of being a pussy. Once you start doing this, you'll eventually notice something of a domino effect, as nothing in the world breeds success like success. It truly feeds on itself.

Post: #125

Reading as much as possible.

Exercising 4-5 days a week

Spending time cultivating quality relationships with people you want in your life. Friends, co-workers, Family, etc