Every year I give myself a reality check that straightens the deluded stories I tend to tell myself. Here's how.| The Zag
This example letter to my future self puts into practice the many tips and best practices that help you get the most of out the exercise.| The Zag
"Values" have been reduced to a buzzword, but value alignment is too important, and too complex, to leave to gut instinct.| The Zag
Harness the part of you that cannot change - its strengths, needs, traits, and instincts - to unleash your true potential.| The Zag
The research on the science of personality clearly finds you can't do anything you put your mind to. Try working with it instead.| The Zag
“The way you write about it is more engaging than Farnham Street newsletters, and much more succinct than Tim Ferriss podcast.”| The Zag
How I finally learned that you don't have to learn everything the hard way.| The Zag
The Zag is a blog for people willing to escape life's inertia to engineer, explore, and evolve their own uniquely extraordinary life.| The Zag
Consider one of these eight different ways to try something new to spice up your stale life. Or maybe try something even better…| The Zag
Try these exercises that show you how to be more open-minded because, "Those who cant change their minds can't change anything."| The Zag
My favorite tips and tricks on how to be a better active listener that I learned from reading You're Not Listening, by Kate Murphy.| The Zag
Your life story will likely be unfulfilling unless you consciously craft an inspiring and exciting one with some proactive self-brainwashing.| The Zag
Once upon a time there was… you. What happens next? Here are some storytelling tips to make your life more exciting.| The Zag
A summary of the book, The Molecule of More, on how to use a better understanding of dopamine to and H&N molecules to enjoy life more.| The Zag
Ten proven strategies you may have forgotten to focus on, which is keeping you from becoming your best self.| The Zag
There are no quick fixes for learning how to be more patient, but you can start by by avoiding these common mistakes.| The Zag
Try asking yourself these provocative questions when you're feeling lost, or to double-check you're taking your life in the right direction.| The Zag
These eight criteria and questions will help you uncover clues that to get closer to finding your purpose in life.| The Zag
Try asking yourself this 4-part framework's series of questions to narrow down your career choices and potentially find a job you love.| The Zag
You may learn better if you're willing to reconsider the relative proportions of each source of information in your learning diet.| The Zag
It takes vision, focus, symbiosis, prevention, hard work, persistence, and patience to develop successful daily habits.| The Zag
My assessment of the expected and unexpected benefits of writing a letter to my future self, and what I'll do differently next time.| The Zag
Try the "grown-up" strategy instead of the typical "childish" ones to motivate yourself to work out when you don't feel like it.| The Zag
ARC is a highly personalized coaching program helping you systematically engineer a life your 95-year-old self will think was awesome.| The Zag
If you want tIf you want to make better life decisions, try answering this seemingly simply question, "What does 'better' mean to me?"| The Zag
The 3 arguments for having a personal mission statement and how to write (and fulfill) one that actually means something.| The Zag
How to avoid making the mistakes that make most of us increasingly close-minded as we age, and how to keep an open mind instead.| The Zag
This five-part framework will help you figure out the who, what, why, how, and fuel you need for leading an increasingly fulfilling life.| The Zag
Looking for a long-term fitness goal that will motivate you to make the best decisions for your health and well-being? Consider this.| The Zag
The first step is to get out of a rut with as little wasted effort possible is to identify what type of rut you are stuck in.| The Zag
What it means to be living an unconventional life, why you might want to consider it, and how to get started.| The Zag
Learn how to train your palate with this guide to the science and art of tasting, and the surprising best ways to practice and improve.| The Zag
8 fun, creative, and scientifically-proven tips for how to pick gifts that you'll be proud to give and they'll truly treasure.| The Zag
This 13-step research- and experience-backed system will dramatically increase your odds of succeeding at your 30-day challenge.| The Zag
You don't have to be smart to be smart with your money. You just have to be well-behaved. Five lessons from The Psychology of Money.| The Zag
The lessons I learned when I stopped listening to podcasts for a month in order to regain control of my ear canals.| The Zag
Examples of personal user manuals and tips for writing them to use as a tool to improve your professional and social relationships.| The Zag
How to take control of your life's story to make it something memorable by applying the timeless principles of storytelling.| The Zag
If you don't push yourself, life will push you around. And if you push yourself the right way, life will go the way you want it.| The Zag
Answering the most commonly-asked questions about writing letters to your future self to help you write something fun and impactful.| The Zag
A new way of looking at your comfort zone that shows that you don't need to leave your comfort zone but improve its fitness.| The Zag
Writing a letter to your future self may seem like a dorky thing to do, but if you do it right it the results can be super cool.| The Zag
A simple system for steady, enjoyable, and objective improvement—at volleyball spiking and the rest of life, too.| The Zag
My childhood dreams of finding my superpower finally came true thanks to an elegant formula and a new sidekick.| The Zag
The three steps to take when you move to a new city: 1) Get Familiar, 2) Get Settled, and 3) Make Friends. Get tips and ideas for each.| The Zag
Following these seven guidelines might help you come up with your own answer to how to live a meaningful life.| The Zag
Who knew not eating could be so complicated... and so effective.| The Zag
15 surprising reasons to fast (and 9 reasons not to) to consider if the the long-term benefits of prolonged fasting aren't compelling enough.| The Zag
No-nonsense Oura Ring review: Why I only wear at night, how it compares to alternatives, how useful the data is(n't), and a final recommendation.| The Zag
While 97% of us agree about what "true success" means, we lust after other things at its expense. Maybe it's a measurement problem.| The Zag
If you accept that life's not a competition and follow these 8 can't-lose strategies, you'll have a great chance of winning at life.| The Zag
If you could easily afford whatever you wanted, what kind of difficulty would you pursue? That's your desirably difficult dream life.| The Zag
Focusing on regret minimization can, paradoxically, lead to regretful outcomes. Here's a different framework to consider.| The Zag
When it comes to systems versus goals, here's why the best goal is to have great systems, and how to start.| The Zag
The three steps I took to stop mouth breathing and start nose breathing—the many benefits I've experienced, and tips for you to try.| The Zag
Working out doesn't have to feel like a job if you can find the right balance and enjoy the long-term benefits of a fitness lifestyle.| The Zag
How the forces of reality and complacency resist your efforts to expand your comfort zone into your theoretical potential.| The Zag
How to ask for help more effectively by following five handy tips, and an applied example of me asking you, yes you, for help.| The Zag
For a fun but intense full-body workout, find a friend, spouse, or date and give a few of these 7 partner exercises a go.| The Zag
Working out doesn’t have to fee like a job and eating healthy doesn’t have to be hard to swallow.| The Zag
If you're open to unconventional wedding ideas, here's some non-traditional inspiration based on the hits, misses, and mishaps from of ours.| The Zag
Time logging seems tedious, but can produce incredidble results. Here's a time log example for a regular day in my life.| The Zag
This blog post breaks down the thoroughly-researched steps for picking the perfect engagement ring for the perfect partner.| The Zag
The surprising ways that introducing a daily gratitude practice in our relationship saved it from falling apart.| The Zag
When people ask me, "What's it like being a dad?" I normally lie. But if you really want the truth, here it is.| The Zag
Challenge yourself like an athlete with this 7-step customizable self-improvement plan that works slowly, steadily, and sustainably.| The Zag
Some fun, unusual, and self-improving news things to try that spiced up my life and may do the same for yours.| The Zag
Move over Martha. Follow gathering guru Priya Parker's counterintuitive advice for throwing memorable dinner parties with friends instead.| The Zag
Practical approaches for making friends when you move to a new city that I've fine-tuned with my own experiences.| The Zag
The surprising research that led me to discover that the best way to fight FOMO is with a "NoMO FOMO" approach.| The Zag
What I did to show appreciation to my wife every day in February, and what I learned from doing so.| The Zag
Before reading these books you might believe one thing but after, that thinking may completely change.| The Zag
A new model for how to achieve self-actualization is replacing Maslow's pyramid. And it goes beyond self-actualization.| The Zag
To make the idea of intermittent fasting easier to stomach, here's an analogy of how it's no different from responding to emails.| The Zag
Quick Q&A on the science behind the Big 5 CANOE personality traits and how to understand, change, and make the most of yours.| The Zag
Experimenting with 7 scientific and pseudoscientific strategies on how to acquire a taste for a food to try to learn to like black licorice.| The Zag
If you're considering a 3 day fast but have never fasted before, here are some lessons and experiences to prepare for so you don't learn them the hard way.| The Zag
The better you can define your own meaning of winning at life, the better you'll be able to play the game.| The Zag
Is Your Life Just “Good”—or Is It Extraordinary? Turn your ordinary life into an extraordinary one with a system that keeps you focused, energized, and fulfilled for the rest of your life. What’s Missing From Your Life? You’ve checked boxes. You’ve worked hard. You’re successful. But something feels off. You’re drifting, unsure what’s next, but ... Read more| The Zag
Time isn't worth much without energy, so I'm using basic engineering to add pumps, patch leaks, and optimize my personal energy.| The Zag
Counterintuitive strategies for being less selfish, befriending your future self, and reaping life's rewards.| The Zag
To organize your life, you don't have to implement some complicated system. Start super simple and evolve.| The Zag
The most interesting things I learned from Drive by Dan Pink and how I intend to use them to better motivate myself and others.| The Zag
To enjoy, or not to enjoy, that is the question. Here are some thoughts on choosing the more enjoyable answer.| The Zag
Being unsuccessful has helped me discover and appreciate the value of the more important things in life.| The Zag
Taking a broad view of your time is the second best thing you can do for your life. Here's why, how, and the only thing better.| The Zag
How working out outside benefits your fitness, health, and happiness in ways the gym can't, but also what its disadvantages are versus the gym.| The Zag
An easy-to-follow and comprehensive 4-step guide to how to get started with natural outdoor workouts, the whole food diet of exercise.| The Zag
What if you made as much time in your day for mental wandering as you do for getting your 10,000 steps in?| The Zag
The story of how I overcame information overload, a.k.a diabetes of the mind, with a simple antidote, WWIDDBOTI?| The Zag
These examples illustrate how self-justification is like your over-protective mother of an ego coddling your feeble, fragile identity.| The Zag
Why it's rarely wise to settle for the status quo when it feels flat, and what steps to take to pump up your enjoyment.| The Zag
The first step to overcoming the endless barrage of obstacles in life is to identify where they are coming from.| The Zag
The most surefire way to be useful and lead a fulfilling life is one you probably already know but don't want to prioritize.| The Zag
The Club for Pumping Your Life Up Into Its Potential Push yourself to keep making your life better and better. Go after your goals with accountability and discipline. Connect with fellow personal development enthusiasts. The Perks of the Pump Do Challenging Things That Make Your Life More Awesome Improve your habits. Fine-tune your routines. Go ... Read more| The Zag
If you don't think you can get strong, mobile, and naturall-ripped using rocks, give these rock and stone workout exercices a try.| The Zag
The life-enhancing benefits you too might experience if you start lifelogging (keeping track of everything you do), plus tips on how to start.| The Zag
Practical lessons and advice from my up and down experiences with sleeping on the floor over the past year.| The Zag
Here's why you should add "perpetually" into the question, "What's your perfect day?," and how to find your answer and work toward it.| The Zag
Anti-regrets are the opposite of regrets: things you do that have a lasting benefit on your life. Here are some examples.| The Zag