The world is littered with hacks and quick fixes. Magic routines,...
Steve Magness@stevemagness
66 views
Sep 13, 2025
1
The world is littered with hacks and quick fixes.
Magic routines, butter in our coffee, special supplements, exotic foods.
All promising to transform our lives. Nearly all of it is BS.
Here are 8 science-backed "hacks" that actually help you live and perform better...
Magic routines, butter in our coffee, special supplements, exotic foods.
All promising to transform our lives. Nearly all of it is BS.
Here are 8 science-backed "hacks" that actually help you live and perform better...
2
Read a Book.
An expert in their field has taken their vast knowledge and distilled it to what's most important. Writing forces you to make difficult decisions on what's important and what's not.
Writing demands clarity. You're getting an expert's lifetime of work for $15.
An expert in their field has taken their vast knowledge and distilled it to what's most important. Writing forces you to make difficult decisions on what's important and what's not.
Writing demands clarity. You're getting an expert's lifetime of work for $15.
3
Talk to people who know more.
The best way to "hack" knowledge? Have a conversation with those who are informed. They've done the hard part of figuring out of sorting through the mess of information AND making sense of it.
Having a conversation brings clarity for application.
The best way to "hack" knowledge? Have a conversation with those who are informed. They've done the hard part of figuring out of sorting through the mess of information AND making sense of it.
Having a conversation brings clarity for application.
4
Show up, no matter what.
Day after day. Sit down to write. Get out to exercise. Whatever the task you're trying to master, just keep showing up.
If you show up enough, you'll get better.
Day after day. Sit down to write. Get out to exercise. Whatever the task you're trying to master, just keep showing up.
If you show up enough, you'll get better.
5
Move. Often easy. Occasionally with ferocious intensity.
Get out and move. Most should be easy to moderate so you can keep coming back day after day.
Some should be moderate/hard. And very occasionally you should "go see god" to remind yourself what going to the well is like.
Get out and move. Most should be easy to moderate so you can keep coming back day after day.
Some should be moderate/hard. And very occasionally you should "go see god" to remind yourself what going to the well is like.
6
Form Lasting Relationships.
One of our fundamental needs as a person is to belong.
If we satisfy this need, our health and motivation improve, we're more likely to persist, and tackle difficult challenges.
One of our fundamental needs as a person is to belong.
If we satisfy this need, our health and motivation improve, we're more likely to persist, and tackle difficult challenges.
7
Challenge Yourself Ever So Slightly
When life is too easy, we get bored and unmotivated. When we don't have a shot at winning, our motivation wanes and we give up.
Find challenges that are in the sweet spot of just beyond your current capabilities. A slight stretch.
When life is too easy, we get bored and unmotivated. When we don't have a shot at winning, our motivation wanes and we give up.
Find challenges that are in the sweet spot of just beyond your current capabilities. A slight stretch.
8
Behave like a Kindergartner...(on some things!)
Follow your interests. Go deep when something catches your eye. But don't be afraid to ditch it and move on to the next thing if it no longer meets your needs.
Don't tie your identity too closely to what you do. Explore the world.
Follow your interests. Go deep when something catches your eye. But don't be afraid to ditch it and move on to the next thing if it no longer meets your needs.
Don't tie your identity too closely to what you do. Explore the world.
9
Have a purpose that's greater than yourself.
A self-transcending purpose allows us to persist a bit longer, perform a bit better.
In physical pursuits, our brain loosens the reigns allowing us to dig a bit deeper.
A self-transcending purpose allows us to persist a bit longer, perform a bit better.
In physical pursuits, our brain loosens the reigns allowing us to dig a bit deeper.
10
None of these things are real "hacks."
In fact, they are all pretty boring and straightforward. Move. Do real things. Belong.
But that's the point.
We spend so much time looking for shortcuts when the boring stuff right in front of us has a much bigger effect.
Choose the boring stuff!
In fact, they are all pretty boring and straightforward. Move. Do real things. Belong.
But that's the point.
We spend so much time looking for shortcuts when the boring stuff right in front of us has a much bigger effect.
Choose the boring stuff!