7 Success Hacks for the Modern Man
"Everywhere and at all times, it is in your power to accept your present circumstances, be kind to those around you, and cultivate true and useful thoughts.
Stick to these ruling principles. Don't look at how others behave and try to imitate them; look straight to where nature and reason lead you.
Don’t be pulled off course by the desires of your body, either. Reason was made to rule over the body – not the other way around.”
- Marcus Aurelius, The Meditations
Without reason, man is not different than the animal. The average person feels adrift in their life. They recognize that it’s a problem, but they’re lost on how to go about fixing it. Modern man lacks principles to live by. Modern man is easily swayed by distraction and escapism. Man was made for so much more than what modern life pushes on you. It is for these very reasons that you must live an intentional life. How does one live an intentional life?
1. Wake up with a zest for life and avoid the snooze button
Do you arise in the morning with a sense of purpose and excitement? If not consider planning your day, the night before. And start your day doing something you enjoy. This may be reading 10 pages of a book you enjoy. Or exercising first thing. By waking up a few minutes earlier than necessary, you can start your day on a positive note rather than rushing out the door in a panic before the day has even begun. This simple little change will help motivate you to get out of bed when you wake rather than playing with your phone and wasting precious time and energy.
2. Stay in the moment and appreciate even the mundane
If you find yourself obsessing over events of the past, you need to learn to forgive yourself and others. Move on so that you can appreciate the present moment. This may mean you will need to confront your own thoughts and emotions rather than seeking escapism trying to forget them. Journaling can aid you with this. Simply writing down your thoughts and emotions is often enough to get them off your mind. Click here for my guide that will teach you how to discover the powerful potential of journaling.
3. Give your full interest to anyone and everyone you talk to
Think about someone who you consider to be charming and likable, like The Rock. These people have mastered social dynamics to such a degree that they are instantly likable, and they radiate positive energy. This is a skill that can be learned with practice and small tweaks to your daily social interactions. The most important change is to be fully engaged with the conversation. The average person struggles to maintain eye contact or stares at their phone compulsively. If you can devote your full attention and express interest, you too can become charming and likable. Pay attention to your body language, your feet and your facial expression. Simply reacting with facial expressions is enough to make you seem involved in the conversation and this will help forge a connection. The direction one’s feet are facing show where their attention is. When facing a person, that means they’re engaged. When facing away, that means they’re looking to escape the conversation. This is a huge social cue that most men miss when approaching girls.
4. Remain on the path and pursue your mission
The most interesting men have their own mission that they pursue with genuine desire and passion. These men jump out of bed in the morning and move about with deliberate purpose. While others are struggling to find something mildly entertaining to stream on TV, these men are living more interesting lives and have grand results to show for their efforts. In conversation they talk about exciting ideas or projects rather than gossip or the latest TV show. This is how they stand out in a world full of mindless consumers.
How you spend your time will decide how important your mission really is to you. If you say you don’t have time, what you’re really saying is that it’s not a priority to you. Think about the way you spend your time. Most likely, you simply focus on the wrong things. You’re devoting your precious time to short term dopamine boosters at the expense of your long term goals and missions.
5. Stick with your own guiding principles
What principles guide your life? If this question caught you off guard, then you need to do some soul searching and figure out what exactly guides your every action. We have allowed ourselves to become so distracted with constant notifications and endless distractions, that we do not meditate on our own moral compass. If you’d like to learn the tactic I use to form my own guiding principles, check out my latest book: The Warrior’s Mindset.
"Your principles can't be extinguished unless you snuff out the thoughts that feed them, for it's continually in your power to reignite new ones.... It's possible to start living again! See things anew as you once did - that is how to restart life!" - Marcus Aurelius
6. Bring value to the world
You’ll find that your self-image and your self-esteem can be boosted when you start bringing value to those around you. They’ll notice how knowledgeable or helpful you are and they’ll enjoy your company. You’ll go from feeling worthless to feeling significant. You can become more valuable by learning skills, improving your appearance and focusing on improving your social skills. For more information, check out these 25 Ways to Improve Your Life Right Now!
7. Reflect on what you learned at the end of the day
How you close out your day says a lot about the life you will lead. Do you clock out as soon as possible, or do you take a few minutes to collect your thoughts and lessons learned from the day. Do you get out your notebook and journal about the day’s lessons, the struggles, the successes? I’m reminded of a line by Adam Savage of Mythbusters, “Remember kiddos, the difference between screwing around and science is writing it down.”
Most people are simply screwing around all day and floating through life like a paper bag caught in an updraft. They merely go with the flow and have little to no control over the direction or meaning of their existence. And many are content to do this. If you feel like you lack control over your life, start writing in a journal every day and you’ll notice a shift in your life.
You’ll start noticing patterns that influence what makes for a productive days and unproductive days. You’ll begin to realize that most of your actions have second order effects that affect your mood, your ability to make money and your overall health.
Obviously, this is a but a start, but it serves as a welcome reminder as you greet the new day.
If you enjoyed this free post, you’ll love my latest book that I just released: The Warrior’s Mindset. In it, I talk about how you can take control of your life by unleashing the inner warrior within you. It also has the real historical stories of ancient warriors to inspire and motivate you. You can find it here on Amazon and here on Gumroad.
The Warrior’s Mindset is the successor to my hit debut book, Reclaim Your Manhood. If you’re ready to unleash your inner warrior, click the image below!
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When I think of the most interesting people I know, it’s not the hyper-specialized experts in one field. It’s the people who find a unique juxtaposition of different walks of life. I’m drawn to those who can be both physically fit and intelligent enough to write. Two skills that are not that common alone but uniquely rare when found in the same person.