Ideas
1 idea, 2 minutes to try
The single most useful ideas from nonfiction books. Each one comes with something you can do today.
Habits and discipline
The 2 minute rule
2 books, 2 different rules. Shrink a new habit, or do small tasks now.
FULL PAGEAtomic Habits, ch. 5Habit stacking
Tie a new habit to one you already do every day: after I pour my morning coffee, I will write 1 line in my journal.
Atomic Habits, ch. 16Never miss twice
Missing a day happens. Missing 2 in a row is how a habit quietly dies. Treat the day after a miss as the one that counts.
The Power of HabitKeep the cue, swap the routine
You can't delete a bad habit easily, but you can change what you do when the urge hits, as long as you still get a reward.
Tiny HabitsMake it so small you can't fail
Cut your habit to a version that takes under 30 seconds. Do only that version this week.
Atomic HabitsNever miss twice
Decide now what your habit looks like on a bad day. If you miss today, put that version first on tomorrow's list.
The Power of HabitPlan the hard moment before it comes
Write the moment you usually give up, like coming home tired. Next to it, write exactly what you will do in that moment instead.
Focus and productivity
The 90 percent rule
Score each option out of 100 on what matters most to you. Anything below 90 counts as a no. If it isn't a clear yes, it's a clear no.
Deep WorkThe shutdown ritual
End every workday the same way: check what's left, plan tomorrow, then say a set phrase that tells your brain work is done.
Deep WorkTake breaks from focus, not from distraction
Write down the next time you will check your phone. Until then, don't touch it, even in a queue.
IndistractableFind the feeling before the distraction
Next time you switch away from work, write the feeling you had 1 second before. Then wait 10 minutes.
Digital MinimalismTake 30 days off optional tech
List every app you open without a reason. Delete 1 of them from your phone today.
Money and wealth mindset
Wealth is what you don't see
The money you didn't spend is the wealth. The nice car shows what someone spent, not what they have.
I Will Teach You to Be RichPay yourself first, automatically
Set 1 automatic transfer to savings for the day after payday. Any amount counts.
The Psychology of MoneyWealth is the money you didn't spend
Before your next buy over a day's pay, ask: who am I buying this for? Wait 48 hours if the answer is other people.
Your Money or Your LifePrice things in hours of your life
Work out your real hourly wage, roughly. Write the hours next to your 3 biggest buys this month.
The Little Book of Common Sense InvestingBuy the whole market, not a guess
Look up the yearly fee (the expense ratio) of 1 fund you own or are thinking about. Compare it with a broad market index fund.
I Will Teach You to Be RichStart with 1 simple fund
Pick 1 small amount you could invest every month without missing it. Write it down with the date you will set up the automatic transfer.
The Psychology of MoneyA market drop is a fee, not a fine
Write 1 line to read when the market falls: this drop is the fee, not a fine. Keep it where you check your account.
Mindset and emotions
Spend energy only on what you control
Marcus Aurelius kept reminding himself that other people's actions are outside his control. His own choices and responses are not.
MeditationsIt's your judgment that hurts, not the event
Write the thing on your mind in 2 lines: what actually happened, and what you are telling yourself it means.
The Obstacle Is the WayTurn the worry into the next step
Write the 1 next action for the thing you keep thinking about. Do it in the next hour, even a small version.
Four Thousand WeeksStop asking the future for a guarantee
Next time you worry about a what if, say: I can't know this yet. Then plan only the part that is due today.
Lessons from real books, 3 times a week
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