In today’s age of information overload, it's easy to feel like you’re doing something productive by consuming an endless stream of “life hacks,” advice, tips, and golden nuggets of wisdom.
Today, I plan on freeing you from this path that leads nowhere by sharing with you the last piece of advice that you’ll need for a long time.
Your success in any endeavor can be predicted by one simple metric: how quickly you act on the advice you've received.
In a perfect world, you ask for advice, apply it, and reap the benefits. In such a world, what I’m writing to you today would be obsolete. But we don’t live in a perfect world. We live in a world where the vast majority of people collect advice and “life hacks” as if they were collectible cards.
Look around. We're trapped in an era of consumption. We binge-read articles, collect motivational quotes, bookmark countless “how-to” guides, and buy courses that we end up never completing. We have forgotten that the most valuable advice isn't the one that’s most “secret,” complex, innovative, or groundbreaking; it's the one you apply.
Most of us ask for guidance in different areas of our lives, hoping for transformative insights. Yet, how many of us can say that we took action on the insights we’ve gathered and that we took them quickly?
Let’s say I receive a message, as I do on a daily basis, from someone seeking tips for starting their online writing journey. I’m going to tell them that my main piece of advice is to write something every single day, whether it’s 1 page or 1 sentence, and to share it no matter how scared they are to do it. Now, the big question is: How long before they implement this advice? Are they going to sit down and write one sentence right after reading my message? Or are they going to wait weeks, months, or maybe a year?
In another scenario, someone inquires about losing weight. If we put all the gimmicky diets and “magic” pills aside, the essence of weight loss revolves around a caloric deficit—consuming fewer calories than you burn. Although tedious, by far the most effective approach to ensuring this deficit is to track your calories diligently. If you have no idea about the caloric value of any of your meals, it’s rather difficult to be in a deficit. The question stays the same: will the person trying to lose weight act immediately? Will they start learning the nutritional value of the foods they most commonly eat? Or will they delay action, seeking a more attractive "shortcut"?
Here is another way to look at it. “Atomic Habits” by James Clear is one of the few modern self-development books that I believe is worth all the hype it has received. It can genuinely change your life. That's why it's no surprise that it sold over 15 million copies. But if even half the people who bought the book actually applied the advice from it, they would create such a visible change in their lives and the lives of people around them that the book would sell 100 million copies by now.
Reflect on your life and be honest. Think of the times when you sought guidance. You approached someone you respected as a source of valuable information. Whether you approached them in real life or consumed their insights in the form of a book or online content is besides the point. But you received some concrete advice that could improve your life. Did you dive into the advice headfirst? Or did you, like many, nod, appreciate the insight, and maybe even get excited about it for a moment, but then store it away for 'later'?
Even just applying the advice sets you apart from the crowd. However, acting on it immediately? It propels you into growth that most can only dream of.
In a world where advice is abundant but action is scarce, the true "hack" lies in swift implementation. If you've been hunting for the ultimate advice, here it is: Don’t just listen or read; act. And don’t just act; act now.
Thank you for reading.
P.S. My free course (Re)Build starts in 8 days, on October 16th.
Actually, it’s (Re)Build 2.0
If you’ve been enrolled in one of the previous version, the new version will be even more action-oriented; you will get a worksheet with actionable steps to take for each lesson.
For those who are not familiar with my free course:
(Re)Build: Become the Architect of Your Own Life is a blueprint for creating a fulfilling and meaningful life molded by insight from psychology's and philosophy's finest minds.
Insights that I’ve used, and am still using, to (re)build my own life and become someone whose thoughts and ideas you are willing to read and listen to.
Wisdom that ranges from Seneca to Nietzsche to Maslow. From the Stoics to the Zen Buddhists to the modern-day neuroscientists.
My mission with this free course is to give you the insights, actionable advice, and tools needed to turn a new page in your story and start building your life for the first time ever, or rebuilding it regardless of the circumstances.
7 days. 7 lessons. 7 worksheets with practical advice. 1 reading and listening recommendation guide to continue your journey. Free.
Love from India brother..