Change Your Life This Year With These 3 Concepts
Three highlights to improve your life, a FREE Scorecard Tool and a formula to bring about an exponential change in your lifestyle this year.
As you begin the new year, here are three highlights to learn about to improve your life. They are slightly different from my usual set of concepts from the productivity and personal development fields, but they are valuable to implement in your life to achieve a better lifestyle in the long-term.
1️⃣ Compound Effect
The Compound Effect is the idea that the little things we do might not show any results immediately, but they will come to define the rest of our lives. This compounding applies both ways. Your healthy habits will improve your health and wellbeing in the long run, even if you feel impatient that your gymming and nutritious diet does not show any results after weeks. Similarly, any negative habits might not seem very disastrous immediately, but they will completely tank your future in the longterm.
I state my law of exponential lifestyle change as follows: Exponential lifestyle change results from atomic habits practiced consistently over the longterm. Here’s the formula for your quick reference:
🔽 Here’s a FREE Habit Scorecard tool I have created for you to set the right habits and smash the negative ones this year: Click here to download
2️⃣ Fuck-You Money
This concept has gained a lot of popularity recently, and I’ve seen many people using it without much context. So what is FU money? It is the amount of money you will need to feel financially independent and retire early (this is usually abbreviated as FIRE). FU Money is the amount of cash you need to say no to doing things you don’t want to do. Maybe it’s an abusive boss or a crappy job, or just saying no to new projects: what stops you from saying FU to any of them?
“The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary.” — Nassim Nicholas Taleb.
For most people, the sense of security that a monthly salary brings is often the bedrock of their lives. Their reliance on the monthly paycheck forces them to make decisions that they might not take if they knew it would not affect their monthly salary.
FU money is the amount of cash you need to feel a sense of security and freedom to say FU to things you want to walk away from.
Lead a life of confidence and security with your FU Money safe in the bank. Are you trying to start a new career or say no to gigs that don’t excite you much? Determine how much you will need in the bank to feel confident about making these decisions. This is your FU Money.
3️⃣ Stoicism
The last year has been rough on all of us. Many of us saw our dreams shatter and our plans for the future shrouded in a veil of uncertainty. Some were able to adapt to the new reality and pivot quickly, but many of us are still struggling to come to terms with what this means for us and our lives.
Stoicism, an ancient philosophy about living the Good Life, has witnessed a surge of interest in the months following the lockdowns. Stoic philosophy makes us more resilient, wiser, and happier. Stoicism is a tool for living a great life. Why? Because Stoicism provides strength, stamina, and perspective to face and overcome all of life’s challenges.
Stoics often practice detachment and are unlikely to be shaken by sudden changes in life. They accept things they cannot control, including their own mortality. At the core of Stoicism is a commitment to four virtues: Courage, Temperance, Justice, and Wisdom. Stoics believe that humanity is yet to find anything better than being brave, moderation, doing what is right, and seeing the truth even after centuries of progress and technological advancement. Stoicism holds these four virtues in the highest regard.
When I started reading about Stoicism, I realized that I already practiced it in my life in many ways. In Hindu philosophy, the closest equivalent might be the concept of Vairagya, and Buddhists might relate it to Ultimate Detachment. I am continuing to read more about the ancient Stoic philosophers and the more recent practitioners of the philosophy, and I suggest it highly to you if you found your life drastically altered recently.
Start here to see if Stoicism is for you.
These have been my three highlights this week. If you liked what you read, connect with me on Twitter and let me know. If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, subscribe to GrowPro Labs here to receive it in your inbox every Monday.
I'm on a mission to make Mondays great, and this newsletter is a part of my efforts in helping you achieve mindful productivity, personal growth, and living your Ikigai.