10 things that are easy to set up that make life 10X better
I’ve made many mistakes and ‘wasted’ large swathes of time experimenting.
But I look back with gratitude because these mistakes also pointed the way towards a handful of things that have worked well for me.
Not everything needs to be majorly complicated, and take time for it to serve us greatly.
Here are some things that are quick to put together which can make life better:
A daily writing ritual.
You needn’t be a professional writer to benefit from a daily writing practice.
You can write for yourself in a journal, which is highly cathartic, and a beautiful way to record plans and memories that you can refer to as a long-term record.
You can also write and share your ideas publicly, which has been one of the best things to bring into what I do, both personally and my career.
You grow an audience, build self-confidence, learn more about yourself, create life-long connections, and hone an indestructible creativity muscle, just to name a few benefits.
Having an accountability partner to work on an energy-draining habit.
There’s always that one habit we know is taking more than it gives.
It drains your energy in the long run, even if it provides brief moments of pleasure.
Committing to cutting it out of your life could be one of the best things you do for yourself all year. In fact, you know it probably is.
Finding an accountability partner keep you from slipping on the goal of abstinence is a great system for working on maintaining good habits.
Now you have skin in the game, and you’re much more likely to succeed.
Work with other humans to keep your energy levels high.
A daily reading ritual.
For many, reading is either something they’d rather avoid so they can play video games or binge Netflix — or it’s seen as a cheeky luxury.
But reading, especially paperback books you can touch, is an underestimated life-expansion tool.
We feel good when we read deep into a novel or a fascinating work of non-fiction.
Our minds are not passively taking in information. We are firing, creating and imagining.
Reading fuels our creativity and inspires us too.
Reading can be seen as a form of therapy that simultaneously makes you more intelligent. It’s true.
So set aside non-negotiable daily reading time. String 100 days of reading together, and what do you get?
Regular sport or adventure meets.
Getting away from the desk and immersing oneself in the world of movement, adventure and play shouldn’t be seen as a pleasant and occasional ‘luxury.’
I believe it has a place as a regular feature in one’s calendar.
Such activities get us out of overly-critical modes and into the physical mode — something our bodies can yearn for if kept indoors for too long.
Couple these adventures with some social interaction, and you’ve got a precious and memory-forming event that can take place regularly to give you a much-needed boost.
A newsletter.
Setting up a newsletter many years ago has been hugely valuable for me, but it’s never too late to start.
Regardless of all the new platforms and technologies that have arisen over the years, sending out emails with permission still proves to be one of the best ways to grow one’s business.
You can use it to sell products and services, build long-term trust in your audience, gain feedback, and impact the world.
The beauty of a newsletter is that it is under your ownership.
Platforms can come and go, but your email list is an asset you build for life — one that cannot be taken from you.
A mini-course.
Creating and selling courses are all the rage these days.
They promise a way to make money while you sleep, as long as you create something people want and figure out how to sell it.
This is absolutely all possible, and many are succeeding well with selling online courses.
Building courses can be risky and take a lot of time, so I suggest creating a mini-course before diving into something substantial.
This can be a handful of videos explaining something you can help with or even an ebook you sell through one of the many platforms that make this possible.
Create something you can sell for at least $50.
This can create a decent little income stream and gives you the confidence in selling online, so you can move on to bigger things should you want to.
I have plans for bigger ticket courses, but I’m selling a fairly basic mindset course I wrote in about a week via my Substack paid membership for $50, which brings in a few thousand a month.
Social media presence.
Social media can prompt anxiety in many, and that’s understandable.
You can use so many platforms (or misuse), which can be overwhelming.
There are pros and cons. Self-awareness and using social media carefully, particularly in making an impact and growing a business, can work out well for you.
Be on several platforms — you may as well — because all bring various forms of attention that can help your brand and more. But I’d suggest honing in your focus and energy on one platform.
My platform of choice is Twitter, though this could change over time. Get great at one, and build a sizeable community there. You can meet great people this way, and your influence will rise.
It will help feed people to your newsletter, website, books, and courses.
A freebie to give away with the newsletter.
If you set out to create a newsletter, what has helped me grow my list of subscribers is providing a free gift for those who sign up.
You can also set up a simple landing page that allows people to learn more about the value of signing up for your newsletter so they can join with confidence.
It’s a system I’ve used for years, and it’s brought me over 35,000 subscribers.
You don’t have to give something away in exchange for a subscription, but it can act as a powerful incentive for people who otherwise may not have followed you.
I’ve always given away short ebooks, though you can use whatever gift you choose, from video courses to free templates.
A great way to know that a booklet will interest prospective subscribers is to use an article that has already done well on social media.
I used a thread that went viral on Twitter for my current freebie, so I know many are interested in it.
A simple website.
A web presence outside social media is a great place to show us who you are and how you can help.
It’s your central hub, which presents your personal brand to the world.
It gives you complete control over what you share, including more information you can’t squeeze into a Twitter bio, for example.
You can present portfolio images, links, a contact form and so on also.
You can also have your newsletter landing page tied to your website.
This needn’t be complicated, and many platforms, like Carrd.co, give you simple tools for building a simple, one-page site.
A regular mastermind.
Particularly if you work for yourself, it can be easy to drift away from society, working in your own detached bubble.
You can gain plenty of knowledge from books, courses and videos online.
But sharing ideas and gaining mentorship from living, breathing humans adds a valuable social dynamic and sense of fulfilment to the work.
There is much value in setting up a mastermind group with like-minded (ideally, more experienced people) you regularly meet up with.
I’ve done this, and it’s helped me feel connected and provided amplified support.
Being the organiser of such a group will elevate you as a leader and connector, adding strength to your undertakings.
Right now, I make a point to organise zoom meet-ups with people, which also acts as a kind of loose mastermind with many varied minds.
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Thanks for reading.
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Wow Alex. Way to go xxx