6 Self-Improvement Hacks to Instantly Improve the Way You Live and Work https://medium.com/inc./6-self-improvement-hacks-to-instantly-improve-the-way-you-live-and-work-9d461...

inc. magazine Follow

Everything you need to know to start and grow your business now.
May 3 · 4 min read

5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
6 Self-Improvement Hacks to Instantly
Improve the Way You Live and Work
Not only will these make you happier, you’ll also notice
an increase in personal well-being and productivity
at work.

Photo by Lefty Kasdaglis on Unsplash

By Marcel Schwantes

1 di 6 14/06/18, 22:50
6 Self-Improvement Hacks to Instantly Improve the Way You Live and Work https://medium.com/inc./6-self-improvement-hacks-to-instantly-improve-the-way-you-live-and-work-9d461...

If you’re looking to improve your life, I’d like to share some useful
activities—backed by science—that can be done in as little as a few
minutes per day. Others will require some stretching and soul
searching, but the payo�s are tremendous.

As you make these rituals a habit, if done with the right intention and
attitude, it may help you live with more inner peace and happiness, as
well as increase your success and in�uence.

1. Express more gratitude.

Here’s a practical use of your time with great bene�ts. Make a list of
�ve people at work for whom you are thankful. Think back on the key
contributions they made, or events that have happened in the past
week involving these people. Your next task should be to express
sincere gratitude to them. Whatever your method (email, text,
handwritten note, or phone call), make it personal and heartfelt and let
these people know how you feel about them and their work.

It’s been scienti�cally proven that if you perform this ritual for 21
straight days, you’ll be training your mind to scan for positives instead
of negatives; this has been found to be the fastest way to teach
optimism and signi�cantly improve your outlook, its e�ects noticeable
even six months later.

2. Be intentional about learning from someone.

The best conversations in life are initiated by learning about what other
people do, how they do it, and why they do it. People love to talk about
themselves, and if you’re smart enough, you’ll show up with the
humble gesture of “I want to learn from you.” Starting today, spot three
people you’d like to learn from and schedule co�ee time with each one,
even if it’s for 30 minutes. It will make you a better person, and the
other person will appreciate the chance to pay it forward.

2 di 6 14/06/18, 22:50
6 Self-Improvement Hacks to Instantly Improve the Way You Live and Work https://medium.com/inc./6-self-improvement-hacks-to-instantly-improve-the-way-you-live-and-work-9d461...

3. Invest �nancially in others.

Science has determined that a giving mindset leads to happiness. In
one study of more than 600 Americans, as reported by Greater Good
Magazine, “happiness was predicted by the amount of money they gave
away: The more they invested in others, the happier they were. This
relationship between ‘prosocial spending’ and happiness held up even
after taking into account individuals’ income.” Greater Good also
mentions a survey conducted by the Gallup World Poll between 2006
and 2008 that found that in 120 out of 136 countries, people who
donated to charity in the past month reported greater satisfaction with
life.

4. Forget time management—be a good manager

of “self.”
By managing your life, tasks, and priorities e�ciently, you can
seamlessly transition to more productivity, higher work satisfaction,
and better personal well-being. Here are �ve ways to reach your most
optimal level of self-management:

Don’t multitask or juggle too many things. Research says it can be

damaging to our brains. You end up splitting your focus over many
tasks, losing focus, lowering the quality of your work, and taking
longer to hit your goals.

Start and end meetings on time, and don’t get sidetracked or allow
the meeting agenda to get hijacked.

Set boundaries and say no to people when needed, so your

valuable time is protected.

Identify the time of the day when you’re most productive and
focus your energy on doing the most important things during
those times.

Be aware of time-wasters such as visitors dropping by your

3 di 6 14/06/18, 22:50
6 Self-Improvement Hacks to Instantly Improve the Way You Live and Work https://medium.com/inc./6-self-improvement-hacks-to-instantly-improve-the-way-you-live-and-work-9d461...

workspace to gossip, useless meetings, distracting phone calls, and

anything that else that disrupts your state of �ow.

5. Practice forgiveness.
Before you deem practicing forgiveness as some sort of religious �u�,
new research has been published about the positive impact of
practicing it in the workplace. In one study involving more than 200
employees, forgiveness was “linked to increased productivity,
decreased absenteeism (fewer days missing work), and fewer mental
and physical health problems, such as sadness and headaches.” As
Greater Good reports, the research is important because it raises our
awareness about potential outcomes when the people we work with
hold on to negative feelings after a con�ict. If they can’t cope by
forgiving, they are likely to be disengaged, lack collaboration, and act
aggressive.

6. Replace your “to do” list with a “to be” list.

Billionaire Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, believes
happiness is not about doing; it’s about being. He advises people to
write a “to be” list instead of a “to do” one. Here’s Branson expressing
this idea in his “Dear Stranger” letter written a few years ago:

The world expects grandiose aspirations: “I want to be a writer, a doctor,

the prime minister.” But that’s all about doing, not being. And while
“doing” will bring you moments of joy, it won’t necessarily reward you with
lasting happiness. Stop and breathe. Be healthy. Be around your friends
and family. Be there for someone, and let someone be there for you. Be
bold. Just be for a minute.

4 di 6 14/06/18, 22:50
6 Self-Improvement Hacks to Instantly Improve the Way You Live and Work https://medium.com/inc./6-self-improvement-hacks-to-instantly-improve-the-way-you-live-and-work-9d461...

5 di 6 14/06/18, 22:50
6 Self-Improvement Hacks to Instantly Improve the Way You Live and Work https://medium.com/inc./6-self-improvement-hacks-to-instantly-improve-the-way-you-live-and-work-9d461...

6 di 6 14/06/18, 22:50