The 7 Habits of People Who Are More Highly Effective Than You
Level up, bro.
Foreward
Happy new year, and congratulations on buying yet another self-help book. Surely this will be the one that fixes all your problems.
It’s a good time to be a self-help writer. On a daily basis, people’s mental health is pounded like a speed bag in a boxing gym. Nobody thinks they’re good enough. And they’re right! In our high-speed, interconnected world, you’re constantly exposed to an endless stream of people who are richer, more talented, better looking, more stylish, more well-read, know cooler spots to hang out, are better at cooking food, travel more, hang out with more interesting people, have a nicer apartment, and generally have life a lot more figured out than you do.
There’s good reason for this. It’s because you’re not a highly effective person. And if you think you’re highly effective, you’re not highly effective enough. You wake up at 5AM to work out? Apple CEO Tim Cook wakes up at 4AM to work out—after he clears his entire email inbox.
You meditate for 30 minutes every morning to make sure your head is clear? So does Mark Cuban, except he meditates on business, not sitting around doing nothing.
You’re under 30 and earn $300k per year? Mr. Beast is 24 and makes $3M-$5M per month. If he woke up tomorrow with your money, he’d probably kill himself.
You live your life the same as 99% of other people who die unsatisfied. You’re not the richest, the most fun, the most friendly, the most well-traveled, the most creative, or the most charitable. And if you don’t believe me, consult your social media feed.
Here’s the good news—you can be! Just learn my 7 steps for people who are more effective than you, and find a way to integrate them into your life and never forget to do them (easy peasy). Here’s what you’re not doing that’s preventing you from living like the top 1% of humans on this planet…
Your habits suck
Highly effective people have an ironclad routine they execute like clockwork. This removes friction to accomplishing important tasks and operating at a high level. You? You waste precious seconds of the day because you’ve created no foundation for performing at a high level. You’re like one of those car dealership inflatables that blow back and forth and side-to-side—no aim, no purpose, and no momentum.
Have you considered…
Laying out your workout clothes next to your bed before you go to sleep at night so that it’ll be easier to motivate yourself to go to the gym in the morning?
Turning off your wifi when you’re writing so that you won’t be easily distracted?
Using your parents as the background on your phone so you’ll remember to call them?
Not that hard, is it? But you won’t do it because…
Your mindset sucks
Look around. There’s so much to be grateful for! You have a job—but you wish you made more money. You have your health—but you’re not as fit as you want to be. You’re alive—but climate change is making your existence on this planet increasingly precarious.
Focus on these happy things! But at the same time, obsess about what other people have that you don’t and use it as a fire that will literally consume your aching soul if you’re not careful. You won’t though, because…
You’re not proactive
If you don’t make life happen for yourself, life will happen to you instead. Mark Zuckerberg built Facebook while he was in college. Serena Williams picked up a tennis racket when she was 4. That’s proactive!
If you want to be proactive, start by asking yourself at any given moment of every day this simple question: “what’s the most effective thing I could be doing right now?” If you’re not doing that thing, it’s probably because…
You don’t set goals
You don’t have anything you’re working towards. Sure, you have things you want, but you have no strategy on how to get them. The most effective people set goals for themselves years in the future. They then proactively create habits to reach those goals that they execute daily because they have a good mindset. You don’t have goals because your mindset sucks. And without goals, there are no habits to be proactive about. In order to set goals and be productive, it helps to have a strong support network of positive influences who can help guide you personally and professionally, but you can’t get that because…
You associate with losers
If your network is your net worth, you’re worthless.
Effective people surround themselves with others who are constantly pushing them to improve. In turn, they have a better mindset and are proactive about achieving their goals. You? You’d prefer to hang with lowlifes and drink cheap beer while you anaylze the careers of retired athletes. Imagine if Steve Jobs spent more time with his wife and kids instead of building Apple? That’s a horrifying thought.
To upgrade your social network, stop treating people as a means to an end. But you can’t do that until you address another issue…
You don’t think before you talk
Most people don’t listen—they just wait until it’s their turn to talk. But effective people know the more time they spend listening, the better the opportunity to be exposed to new ideas and ways of thinking. Further, it allows them to articulate more thoughtful responses, which in turn helps build stronger bonds.
By shooting from the hip all the time, not only do you sound ignorant, but you alienate others who may not enjoy your cavalier pseudo-intellectualism.
Meanwhile, others are developing winning habits, being proactive, and accomplishing their dreams. The world is surpassing you because…
You’re not always leveling up
The upshot is humans are organisms that are born relatively useless and only through the relentless intake of data and stimuli can they ever hope to achieve a modicum of relevancy in this world. The most highly effective people know this, which is why they look at the world like a game that can be beaten.
And how do you beat it? By leveling up (intellectually, physically, emotionally, financially, etc.) This is what everyone on your social media feed “living their best life” knows.
You? You’re still on Level 1, like most people. But throughout the next 20 chapters, I’m going to teach you how to get to Level 100.
That should hold you over until next year, when I’ll publish another one of these books—and you’ll probably buy that one too!
Q&A on the article
Q: Is this about new year’s resolutions?
A: Sorta, I originally published it last February, but it felt appropriate.
Q: Did you change anything?
A: Yes, the part about Mr. Beast was originally about Sam Bankman-Fried lol.
Q: World comes at you fast.
A: Indeed.
Q: So uh, is this real advice?
A: No.