12 Ways To Stop Being Average And Make Your Life Better Right Now
This question originally appeared on Quora. Answer by William Beteet.
1. Act Like You’re in a Movie - Your life is your movie it’s time to turn yourself into a blockbuster. Use the line “This is my movie” to help you make tough decisions in pursuit of your dreams. So kiss your crush, take classes in Spain, and write to the president.
2. Allow Yourself to Get Excited About the Little Things - I had a professor who worked at Harvard and MIT, had a couple of PhD’s and an MD, ran marathons, and traveled all over the world, but you know what put the biggest smile on his face? French cheese.
3. Do a Little More - Let’s say you’re working on a project and you're finished. Ask yourself, “How could I make this a little better?” Now do that with everything in your life.
4. “What Would the Strongest Version of Myself Do?” - Anytime you can’t decide what to do, ask “What would the strongest version of myself do?”
5. Buy a Calendar - Hang it by your bed and every night before you go to sleep write one cool thing you did that day. You’ll eventually start looking for cool things to do, just to write them on your calendar.
6. “How Can I Make This More Epic?” - Ask that question whenever you’re out with friends: Your nights will go from average to legendary in a matter of minutes.
7. Raise Your Standards Every Week - Pick one skill you want to cultivate, and every week raise your standards by putting in more effort than the previous week.
8. Dance, Lift, Run, Bike and Compete - I go to powerlifting meets. I’m usually one of the weakest guys there but training for competition has made me way stronger than the average dude.
9. You Don’t Know When You’re Going to Die - Keep that thought in your head. None of us know how much time we have left, so work on yourself like waking up tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.
10. Protect Yourself From the Internet - I use the app SelfControl to block websites while I’m studying and the porn blocker K9 so I don’t… you know.
11. Study the Social Matrix - Study body language, frame control, group dynamics and social conditioning. This will allow you to see through people’s bull sh*t, but even more importantly it will allow you to see through your own.
12. You Beat 500 Million Sperm to be Here - You won the race that mattered the most: You’re a human! Feeling special is overrated. Being happy because you exist is where it’s at.
Work on yourself because you’re taking advantage of an extremely rare opportunity — not as a way to think that you’re better than others. Thinking that way will only allow feelings of inferiority to creep in.
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