Implementing simple changes, some of which take only 5 to 10 minutes, can totally change the trajectory of your life for the next 50 to 70 years [1]. Here are four areas to focus on covering finance, connection, success, and happiness.
1. Re-evaluate Your Compensation
Currently, there are over 10.9 million job openings in the United States, meaning employees hold the leverage rather than employers [1]. Because of this labor shortage, you are likely worth significantly more now than you were last year [2].
You have two primary options:
- Ask for a pay raise: You can explain to your employer that market rates have increased and that you may have to change jobs unless they can match what others are offering [3].
- Shop for a new job: Statistically, people who change jobs every three to five years end up getting paid more over their lifetime than those who stay at the same company for 30 years [2]. A new position might offer a $20,000 to $30,000 increase [2].
2. Practice Radical Empathy
In a polarized world, it is easy to write people off as “stupid” or “uneducated” when they disagree with you politically or socially [4]. However, roughly 90 percent of humans are rational thinkers who hold their specific views based on how and where they grew up [5].
Instead of dismissing others, try to visualize yourself in their position. This allows you to have a dialogue with almost anyone, even those with opposing ideologies [5]. History shows that in most conflicts, every side believes they are the ones in the right; understanding how they reached that conclusion is critical [6].
3. Stop Trying to Be “Well-Rounded”
Society often pushes us to be well-rounded, but if you want to achieve greatness, you should double down on your strengths and cut out the rest [6].
Consider Michael Jordan: if he had spent hours every day studying math, learning a language, and playing piano to be “well-rounded,” he likely would not have become the greatest basketball player of all time [6].
Focus on specialization: If you are an investor, do not jump between industries (Chinese stocks, Canadian stocks, American stocks) or you risk becoming mediocre [7]. If you are a speaker but a “terrible writer,” do not try to write your own blog articles—let someone skilled at writing handle that while you focus on speaking [8].
4. Isolate Yourself
The fourth change is simply to isolate. This does not require living in the woods for five years; it can be as simple as leaving your phone behind and sitting in a field for an hour once a month [7].
We are often so caught up in work, family, and social life that we rarely have time to analyze our lives and determine if we are where we want to be [9]. Isolation offers several benefits:
- It helps you de-stress and find peace [9], [10].
- It helps generate great ideas [9].
- It increases your attention span, allowing you to focus on tasks like reading books [10].
In a world with a million things going on, taking time to disconnect is one of the most impactful changes you can make [10].
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