Alex Mathers

• Nine things to know about yourself so you write more stuff people want to read

  Having written my thoughts online for about fifteen years, I am convinced that our best writing reflects how well we understand ourselves.

  writing

  May 08, 2025
• Being different used to destroy me — now it gives me the greatest edge

  Growing up, I hated feeling like I was different.

  self

  May 07, 2025
• The art of the low-pressure start

  Every few weeks I find myself in a situation that seems to confirm my suspicions that life is inescapably shit.

  mental-health

  productivity

  self

  May 07, 2025
• The hidden secret to creating more

  People approach me asking me how I can write so much.

  creativity

  productivity

  May 04, 2025
• 10 mistakes that steal your natural confidence

  40 years hurtling through space on a massive ball of dirt taught me a lot.

  self

  May 04, 2025
• How finding a simple 'cause' might be the secret shift you need to accelerate your creativity

  Sometimes, I feel stuck and disinterested in my work.

  creativity

  May 03, 2025
• Your inner bitch is running your life.

  10 ways to stop that and live bigger

  self

  May 02, 2025
• Six attractive behaviours that seem strange until you realise how powerful they are

  I used to struggle to make sense of attraction. I found people weird.

  relationships

  self

  May 02, 2025
• 12 things we can learn from popular books about being mentally resilient so we truly thrive

  Many have struggled and been at the mercy of a seemingly chaotic reality.

  self

  May 02, 2025
• 'This should be done by now.'

  Do this simple thing to procrastinate far less.

  productivity

  May 01, 2025
• 9 unpopular tips that will turn your life around as a man

  Stop taking cutesy advice from the woefully uninformed and listen in.

  self

  May 01, 2025
• If you ever feel alone, read this:

  Look at you, scrolling twitter, hundreds of followers, super connected.

  self

  Apr 30, 2025
• Twenty five hard things you can do to give you a life advantage

  I always thought you needed to avoid stuff that felt uncomfortable to live a good life. Turns out comfort is great, but it's better as a...

  self

  Apr 29, 2025
• How the book, 'Skin in the Game' changed how I understood risk and success

  "You need to eat what you feed others." — Nassim Nicholas Taleb

  books

  Apr 28, 2025
• We all have this shared experience

  And knowing this makes it all so much easier

  writing

  self

  Apr 28, 2025
• Ten weird things I discovered that boosted my creativity so I got more done

  People say consistency is the key to creativity.

  creativity

  Apr 28, 2025
• Tired of writing stuff that falls flat?

  Break the pattern and attract fans for lifee

  writing

  Apr 26, 2025
• Fourteen ways to develop Sherlock Holmes-esque perceptiveness that will make you more effective in...

  Ever wondered how cool it would be to think like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot in their powers of observation, awareness and deduction?

  self

  Apr 25, 2025
• Setbacks can be juicy

  (even if it hurts)

  mental-health

  self

  Apr 25, 2025
• This little tweak could explode your writing

  A few years ago, I wrote what I thought was a brilliant article.

  writing

  Apr 24, 2025
• Nine unusual things you can do to gain a significant 'unfair' life advantage

  Life isn't fair, but it isn't unfair either.

  self

  Apr 24, 2025
• The weird cure to burnout

  I drifted into a trance, my eyes fixed on a pigeon outside the window

  productivity

  Apr 23, 2025
• If you're not totally happy in your own skin, read this

  We can put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be or act in a certain way.

  self

  Apr 23, 2025
• If you're struggling to find the inspiration you need to work, read this

  We can come up with various creative reasons why people don't see success the way they want.

  creativity

  productivity

  Apr 22, 2025
• Eight years as a psychology coach taught me this one secret to writing content people love

  Many struggle to make any impact online at all.

  writing

  Apr 21, 2025
• The nine uncommon habits of unstoppable modern warriors

  We don't need to be in battle with a clan of medieval nasties to live like a warrior.

  self

  Apr 21, 2025
• If you struggle to find the enthusiasm to create every day, read this

  I recently made the public commitment to my YouTube subscribers that I'd be recording and sharing a daily video this year.

  creativity

  Apr 20, 2025
• Fourteen simple behaviours that trick you into realising your true badass inner confidence

  I struggled with understanding confidence for years, let alone having it.

  self

  Apr 20, 2025
• Stuck? Find a cause to fight

  People often seem surprised when I tell them I've been writing continuously online for over fifteen years.

  writing

  productivity

  self

  Apr 19, 2025
• How I trained myself to be a finisher of things

  (Author's note: I wrote this originally back in 2018 when I had a PS4.)

  self

  Apr 19, 2025
• 15 ways to re-use your content so you save time and gather more followers

  People have asked me how I can be such a creative maniac and put out so many posts each week, whether on Medium, my newsletter, Twitter, or...

  marketing

  Apr 18, 2025
• Broken patterns make you lucky

  I was overwhelmed recently with a life decision that had me pacing around my apartment.

  self

  Apr 18, 2025
• Writing online consistently is HARD unless you understand these eight things

  I struggled to write consistently for years.

  writing

  Apr 18, 2025
• How to end self-consciousness

  My name is Alex, and I'm a self-conscious wreck.

  self

  Apr 17, 2025
• Be a vibe lifter

  "The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion." — Paulo Coelho

  self

  Apr 16, 2025
• Busy, but not building anything that mattered

  If you're like me, you sometimes forget the bigger picture.

  writing

  productivity

  self

  Apr 16, 2025
• Do this before you quit entirely (strip)

  You've got this thing you're working on.

  productivity

  Apr 16, 2025
• These nine basic habits will make self-respec

  Years of awkwardness and self-doubt taught me something fascinating:

  self

  Apr 15, 2025
• The post I nearly didn't send

  (it marked a huge change)

  self

  Apr 14, 2025
• Fourteen little actions that separate you from the masses

  Most online advice is training you to be a soulless automaton.

  self

  Apr 14, 2025
• Eight simple creative habits that will lead to massive results

  (IF you stick with them for a good 6 months)

  creativity

  Apr 12, 2025
• Just one word will give you total brand clarity

  I have a client who felt stuck.

  marketing

  Apr 12, 2025
• Could this be how you truly heal?

  It can hurt when stress curls its knotted fingers around our necks.

  self

  Apr 11, 2025
• The greatest transformation I had looked like this

  If you were to ask me, 'Alex, how can I ensure I stay weak, tired and scared for the rest of my life?'

  self

  Apr 11, 2025
• Having the freedom to disappear

  A soft breeze brushes my neck as I scribble thoughts in my notebook.

  self

  Apr 10, 2025
• Don't get stuck in your emotions. Have a system instead...

  'Creativity' may sound like it's the product of a floaty, loose and undisciplined approach.

  productivity

  Apr 10, 2025
• Setting these boundaries leads to uncommon freedom

  10 boundaries you can set today for a better life

  self

  Apr 09, 2025
• The shortcut to a good life no one wants to hear

  Did you notice?

  self

  Apr 08, 2025
• Your work doesn't have to be from the heart all the time (the cure to procrastination?)

  Procrastinating has held me back.

  creativity

  Apr 08, 2025
• Nothing is "hard," — it's only your resistance to it that makes it so

  Last week, I gave myself hell anticipating a social event I didn't want to go to.

  self

  Apr 07, 2025
• The false promise of reinvention

  Sometimes you have this urge to change everything.

  self

  Apr 07, 2025
• Four things to know if you want to use social media without being destroyed by it

  Social media can complement your life and work, or it can destroy you.

  self

  social-media

  Apr 06, 2025
• All work is challenging — so choose the challenge that means everything to you

  (Author's note: I wrote this a few years ago, but still firmly believe in the message)

  creativity

  self

  Apr 06, 2025
• Prove yourself wrong: live life unexpectedly (for yourself)

  Just as I have repeatedly made mistakes, I've spent my life surprising myself.

  self

  Apr 06, 2025
• 30 questions to ask yourself each day to join the top 5% most focused people

  I know what it's like to feel lost.

  productivity

  self

  Apr 05, 2025
• Eight subtle habits of the calmest people I know

  I had a great childhood, but I was quick to anger and would often throw tantrums.

  self

  Apr 04, 2025
• Success doesn't need to be hard

  I worry for a lot of people these days.

  writing

  productivity

  self

  Apr 03, 2025
• Eleven good reasons to write and share a daily article

  Many aspiring writers or those who've been doing it for a while might say that writing and publishing a new article every single day is too...

  writing

  Apr 03, 2025
• How to start reducing social nervousness today

  I've had unnecessary social anxiety for most of my life.

  mental-health

  self

  Apr 02, 2025
• Twelve reasons you hate yourself and will continue to suck at life

  There have been many moments in my life when I felt terrible, weak and victimised.

  self

  Apr 02, 2025
• 17 ideas for 10-minute-a-day side hobbies

  We get it. You're super busy and don't have time for stuff outside of making money.

  creativity

  productivity

  Apr 01, 2025
• What if you ruin your reputation?

  A client of mine wanted to pitch a TV show pilot he was writing.

  productivity

  Mar 31, 2025
• If your life is complicated, ask these five simplifying questions

  A complicated life creates stress.

  self

  Mar 31, 2025
• Do the right thing consistently, over doing lots of things right (this changes everything)

  It's tough when it feels like we're falling behind.

  productivity

  self

  Mar 31, 2025
• Eleven subtle habits of the introverts with the most self-respect

  So you're an introvert, eh? Or maybe you know one and would like to know more about how an introvert can better navigate a world that is...

  self

  Mar 30, 2025
• How to progress when others want to quit

  I wrote a post that received a snarky comment.

  writing

  Mar 29, 2025
• Ten subtle habits of the top 1% online writers

  I've been writing online for fifteen years.

  writing

  Mar 28, 2025
• Eight subtle shifts that make you a more attractive communicator

  I struggled to have people listen to me or read my writing for many years.

  writing

  self

  Mar 27, 2025
• How to find a purpose that excites you, no matter your age or background

  A struggle many face, particularly in the modern age, is a lack of purpose.

  self

  Mar 27, 2025
• Ten tips that will quickly multiply your creative enthusiasm

  This took me many years to internalise, and now I can't stop myself. I'm a creative maniac most of the time, and this doing my business a...

  creativity

  Mar 26, 2025
• Uncommon success isn't about passion. It's about obsession

  How to create the conditions for your energising obsession.

  creativity

  productivity

  self

  Mar 26, 2025
• If anger controls your life, you need to read this:

  They said it again.

  self

  Mar 26, 2025
• The easy way to get great at writing

  When I started writing blog posts, I was overwhelmed.

  writing

  Mar 25, 2025
• Ask these questions if you want to fire up your writing

  "Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer." ~William S. Burroughs

  writing

  Mar 25, 2025
• 10 things to know if you get speaking nerves so you realise how good you really are

  I was the shy guy in school.

  mental-health

  self

  Mar 24, 2025
• Understanding this made me calmer as I grew older

  As the son of an English diplomat, I spent some years in my early teens living on the Caribbean island of Barbados.

  mental-health

  self

  Mar 23, 2025
• Nine quick little energy hacks that will instantly make you more productive

  The tiniest things can create significant changes.

  productivity

  Mar 23, 2025
• Struggles are the backbone of your personal brand

  (Here's how to use them)

  writing

  Mar 23, 2025
• What if writing was your escape?

  I've written for many years but didn't always view it as an 'escape.'

  writing

  Mar 22, 2025
• What the 'Aikido' philosophy can teach us about living a courageous and creative life

  (An illustrated introduction)

  spirituality

  self

  Mar 22, 2025
• Nine underused behaviour hacks that will make you feel 10X better about yourself today

  Yeah, I see you, moping about with that scowl on your face.

  self

  Mar 21, 2025
• How to be in the top 1% of men

  This may have been harder to achieve in 1976.

  self

  Mar 21, 2025
• How to enjoy life today regardless of your problems

  Nothing is ever perfect.

  productivity

  self

  Mar 21, 2025
• 14 short ideas that will give you more of a sense of meaning than 97% of people

  A reader recently asked me to share what I knew about finding meaning in life.

  self

  Mar 20, 2025
• Five simple habits that make life way easier

  I know what it's like to get lost in the everyday rush of life, never slowing down for a moment to take a step back and see things for what...

  productivity

  self

  Mar 20, 2025
• You'll be focused by asking this one question

  It took me years to see I was overcomplicating focus.

  productivity

  Mar 19, 2025
• Eight reasons to fall in love with daily writing so you have an 'unfair' writer's advantage

  I don't often feel like writing articles.

  writing

  Mar 19, 2025
• How to be fearless

  I've had a lot of trouble over the years feeling at ease when speaking in groups.

  mental-health

  self

  Mar 19, 2025
• Everyone needs an outlet for expressive communication

  I'm in a Cafe Nero in Warsaw, and an alien object catches my eye.

  writing

  self

  Mar 18, 2025
• Knowing this simple thing pointed me to my deepest passion

  Growing up, I had a powerful fear.

  self

  Mar 18, 2025
• Four limiting beliefs I had to break to overcome social fear

  I'd always seen myself as shy. I often felt like an outsider. I didn't speak up in class.

  mental-health

  self

  Mar 18, 2025
• Fifteen reasons you will succeed (in the next five years) when others will not

  Let's not mess about and get straight into it...

  productivity

  self

  Mar 17, 2025
• What if you cared less about what others thought?

  Every few days I have the same mini-epiphany.

  self

  Mar 17, 2025
• The happiest introverts I know avoid these four things

  Despite a recent resurgence, 'introvertedness' is still regarded as something of a deficiency, or even a taboo, particularly in the...

  psychology

  self

  Mar 17, 2025
• Why I stopped trying to fix my stress

  Recently, I saw a guy lose it at an airport check-in counter.

  mental-health

  self

  Mar 16, 2025
• Ten tiny behaviours that make you immune from disrespect

  I grew up learning to deal with the sting of disrespect from others. I believed I was the kind of person for whom disrespect was a part of...

  self

  Mar 16, 2025
• Judge less, observe more.

  (Why this changes everything)

  productivity

  self

  Mar 14, 2025
• 14 ways to diminish that heavy feeling of blearghh

  I know it.

  productivity

  Mar 14, 2025
• The nine immutable laws of badass success you never heard of

  What does 'success' mean to you?

  self

  Mar 13, 2025
• Build your brand using this one tip:

  Many of you are concerned about what's in store for us over the coming years.

  productivity

  Mar 12, 2025
• 20 sentences that make you a more persuasive writer and communicator

  There's a distinct line that separates people who communicate to deaf ears, and those who rile up crowds with words that drip with a kind...

  writing

  Mar 12, 2025
• The path to purpose

  A common struggle once you enter your thirties, forties and beyond is feeling like you lack purpose.

  self

  Mar 11, 2025
• The life-changing magic of producing shitty work

  It's annoying when we want to create, but we just can't be bothered.

  creativity

  productivity

  Mar 11, 2025
• Why looking the best will transform your self-respect

  "Looking good isn't self-importance; it's self-respect." — Charles Hix

  self

  Mar 11, 2025
• The life you want is waiting in the silence

  People are too stimulated.

  productivity

  self

  Mar 10, 2025
• Eight 'inconsequential' things you do that make you seem inexperienced at life and business

  Hey kids, listen up. It's time for Alex to enter DAD-MODE.

  self

  Mar 10, 2025
• How to figure out what to do with your working life over the next five years.

  Can't there just be fewer cool things in the world?

  self

  work

  Mar 10, 2025
• Six things that helped me create consistently (even when I didn't feel like it)

  Lessons from creating 200k pieces of online content

  creativity

  Mar 09, 2025
• What if writing WAS your purpose?

  Yesterday a chap told me:

  writing

  Mar 09, 2025
• You might feel stagnant because you need a challenge

  It can feel like something is missing.

  productivity

  self

  Mar 09, 2025
• Life is testing you

  How will you respond?

  self

  Mar 08, 2025
• You need to find excitement again

  I know they say it's about the journey and not the destination.

  productivity

  self

  Mar 08, 2025
• You are already confident by default

  Knowing we are pure confidence, we needn't be swayed by our negative thoughts about who we are.

  self

  Mar 07, 2025
• Nine subtle habits of the top 5% most authentic people

  I struggled to be what people call 'authentic' for a long time because I didn't know who I was, nor did I often trust who I was.

  self

  Mar 06, 2025
• Going Ghost: seventeen ways to keep a low profile in a society that wants to be seen

  There are many advantages to keeping a low profile in this world, not to mention peace of mind, personal sovereignty, security, freedom...

  productivity

  self

  Mar 06, 2025
• Seven mistakes online writers make that push readers away

  Good writers are the most powerful people in the world.

  writing

  Mar 05, 2025
• This is how I live a more 'centred' life

  Being 'centred.'

  self

  Mar 05, 2025
• Seven subtle behaviours that ruin your relationships

  Decades of clumsily spoiling my relationships, combined with an unhealthy obsession into human behaviour and attraction-dynamics has...

  relationships

  Mar 04, 2025
• A theory of happiness

  Dr Anna Lembke, a psychiatrist, had a patient in her office struggling with depression and anxiety.

  self

  Mar 04, 2025
• How to achieve anything you want by thinking small

  There is a sense of building despair that comes with repeated failures.

  productivity

  self

  Mar 04, 2025
• This is the only obsession worth having (and it isn't to be liked)

  We get frustrated because we aren't progressing as we had planned.

  self

  Mar 03, 2025
• Nine drawings of Stoic quotes that will make you feel alive

  Let's dive straight into some illustrated ancient wisdom...

  creativity

  art

  Mar 03, 2025
• Why we must not allow life to get too 'reasonable'

  Hold fast to dreams.

  self

  Mar 02, 2025
• Five ways you can be immune to the AI 'threat' in the coming years

  Don't wake up in five years without income because A.I. Richardson stole your job.

  marketing

  Mar 02, 2025
• Six simple habits of the elite few that will take you to a new level

  I can't imagine anything less interesting (or healthy) than a homogenous world where everyone is granted the same rewards, regardless of...

  self

  Mar 02, 2025
• A big box of Luck. A story about inviting luck into your life

  For years, I'd look at other people, a gentle current of jealousy running through me. I'd see they were doing better than me.

  productivity

  self

  Mar 02, 2025
• Follow your fascinations, and turn them into obsessions to get further

  Life is too short to spend time away from the things that do not fascinate us.

  creativity

  Mar 01, 2025
• Ten quiet habits of people who attract admiration

  (Even if they look like a warmed-up cat turd)

  self

  Feb 28, 2025
• Fourteen ways to accelerate success in your life that few talk about

  It's easy to get stuck in a rut. We can judge our progress to be slow and make it slower by escaping to cheap dopamine hits.

  productivity

  self

  Feb 28, 2025
• Eleven things I do to help me write articles faster than 95% of people

  People often ask me:

  writing

  Feb 27, 2025
• If you're worried about starting something new...

  I know how hard it is.

  self

  Feb 27, 2025
• 10 counterintuitive writing habits that actually make you more creative

  (Tactics used by great writers that seem 'wrong' but work)

  writing

  Feb 27, 2025
• This small change will help you get 10x better at reaching your goals

  If I had a magic ingredient that allowed you to reach all your goals, would you read on?

  productivity

  self

  Feb 26, 2025
• How to use fear to live a better life

  Fear always struck me as something to avoid.

  self

  Feb 25, 2025
• The subtle art of not trying

  You ever get that tingle in your stomach when something scary approaches?

  self

  Feb 24, 2025
• How this small mindset shift can help you earn more money (with drawings)

  Making lots of money gets a bad rap these days. People think it's greedy. Rich people are often regarded with scorn.

  money

  Feb 24, 2025
• What if you forgot about yourself and focused on your craft instead?

  I've written and published millions of words in the last few years.

  creativity

  productivity

  Feb 23, 2025
• The 5 habits of people who don't seem to give an F about what others think

  Isn't it the ultimate dream to be unaffected by other people's thoughts, opinions and judgements?

  self

  Feb 23, 2025
• Most online writing is boring as F.

  Here's how to add life to your writing so your readers become addicted to you

  writing

  Feb 22, 2025
• If you're in a slump, read this

  Looking to hide highlights? You can now hide them from the "•••" menu.

  self

  Feb 22, 2025
• 10 ways the book 'Die With Zero' will make you rethink your relationship with time, money and...

  Do you ever ask: 'What am I doing this all for?'

  money

  self

  Feb 22, 2025
• Three unconventional ideas that will propel you to financial success

  There's been much I've learned in my pursuit of monetary 'success.'

  money

  self

  Feb 21, 2025
• I started to enjoy writing again when I stopped using AI to help me write

  (And my writing got better)

  writing

  Feb 21, 2025
• Your secret advantage as a creator

  How to shock others with your strange energy

  creativity

  productivity

  Feb 20, 2025
• Being ok with feeling bored can be your secret superpower

  It's like I'm uninspired.

  self

  Feb 20, 2025
• Thirty 7-day challenges that will energise you

  Can you challenge yourself?

  productivity

  self

  Feb 19, 2025
• 10 simple habits that keep you more creative and upbeat than most people

  Too many people believe that a good proportion of life is to be struggled through.

  self

  Feb 19, 2025
• If you had all the money in the world, would you still write?

  9 reasons to write, regardless of income.

  writing

  Feb 19, 2025
• Why being unreasonable is the most sensible strategy

  A while back, I lost my drive.

  self

  Feb 18, 2025
• Four things that slowly drain your daily motivation

  Years of 'not feeling like doing stuff' made me learn a lot about what it takes to be 'motivated.'

  productivity

  self

  Feb 18, 2025
• Nine life hacks that will instantly turn your frustration into excitement

  There's no better teacher than bouncing around like a wet poodle in the washing machine of life for several decades.

  self

  Feb 17, 2025
• The cure for an anxious, sucky life, in less than 570 words

  You feel miserable. Life is hard. Everyone sucks.

  self

  Feb 17, 2025
• Seven things you can do before age thirty to gain an unfair advantage over your peers

  These are things I wish someone told me when I was in my early twenties.

  self

  Feb 16, 2025
• Ten ideas for lists you can write to improve your life this year

  I love writing lists.

  productivity

  self

  Feb 15, 2025
• How many beliefs are truly your own?

  The other day, I was talking to a friend in Warsaw, strolling past the Chopin statue, nose biting from the December cold.

  self

  Feb 15, 2025
• Read this to quickly decrease your fears around making money

  If you asked every adult on earth to list their biggest challenges, I bet that one of the most common complaints — if not the most common...

  money

  self

  Feb 14, 2025
• How writing every day made me lucky

  (Here's why showing up improved my life)

  writing

  Feb 14, 2025
• How to be in the top 2% in the modern world

  I've never been comfortable in a crowd.

  productivity

  self

  Feb 13, 2025
• If you fear rejection, read this

  Imagine this...

  self

  Feb 13, 2025
• Fourteen fun alternatives to watching woke crap on Netflix

  Woke shite on Netflix is out.

  creativity

  Feb 12, 2025
• 11 good reasons to write a book in 2025

  I wrote my first book entirely in a legal pad when I was 24.

  writing

  Feb 11, 2025
• 8 things you must do if you continually struggle with low self-esteem

  There's much I've learned over the last twenty years, going from a deeply insecure teen to a confident man who loves life (for the most...

  self

  Feb 10, 2025
• I hate seeing writers not making money. So here are eight ways to make more as a writer:

  Deciding to be a writer needn't be synonymous with living in a decrepit bedsit surrounded by ashtrays and empty beer bottles.

  writing

  Feb 10, 2025
• No one cares as much as you think.

  No one really gives a s#it.

  self

  Feb 09, 2025
• Sixteen sentences that will make you less uptight than 98% of people

  I used to be super uptight and take things far too seriously.

  productivity

  self

  Feb 08, 2025
• If you want to care less about what others think, you must be willing to bother others

  (this makes for the BEST writing too)

  writing

  self

  Feb 07, 2025
• Seven simple things the most chill people do daily

  Are there things that certain do more regularly than others that gives them a skip in their step?

  self

  Feb 06, 2025
• What I tell myself when life is beating me down...

  I'll be honest with you. I'm in my thirties and still feel like a beginner at life.

  mental-health

  self

  Feb 06, 2025
• A tale of 13 cities.

  Travel while working

  travel

  Feb 06, 2025
• Most problems disappear by being consistent

  A man built his cabin in a meadow in Sweden using only hand tools and wood from the nearby forest.

  writing

  self

  Feb 05, 2025
• What to do when you've done nothing with your day

  Wait, how is it six pm already?

  writing

  productivity

  Feb 04, 2025
• Don't confuse things that make you uncomfortable with things you should avoid

  There's this interesting thing people do — often as they get older.

  self

  Feb 04, 2025
• Nine ways to bring more danger into your life so you don't lose your spark

  Complacency breeds danger.

  self

  Feb 03, 2025
• 10 common dumb thoughts that genius writers push out of their minds

  A single thought is the single difference separating you from:

  writing

  Feb 03, 2025
• Four subtle 'super habits' of mentally calm people

  One of the big lessons I learned after years and years of anxiety and personal insecurities was the power of habits.

  self

  Feb 02, 2025
• How to be free of self-limitation fast so you can quadruple your success

  "If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration." ― Nikola Tesla

  self

  Feb 02, 2025
• Eight outrageous life hacks that make you more confident than 95.7% of people

  1. Be obsessed with doing things.

  self

  Feb 01, 2025
• Nurture the subtle art of non-reactivity to rediscover powerful self-confidence

  "To offer no resistance to life is to be in a state of grace, ease, and lightness. This state is then no longer dependent upon things being...

  self

  Feb 01, 2025
• Eight tips to help you reach your goals five times quicker

  If you seem to waste time each day, even if you're ambitious and want to get lots done, you're not alone.

  productivity

  Feb 01, 2025
• Overwhelmed? Try this little fix

  Life moves fast.

  productivity

  Jan 31, 2025
• Seven little steps that will reduce your anxiety by over 90% in 24 hours

  I've been to hell and back with anxiety.

  mental-health

  Jan 31, 2025
• You create everything.

  We create everything, 'good' and 'bad.'

  creativity

  Jan 31, 2025
• Why you will never find happiness.

  Some people spend thirty years looking for happiness.

  self

  Jan 30, 2025
• You will be unstoppable when you allow challenges to energise you

  A lot of us go through life thinking the nature of our experience is rigid.

  self

  Jan 29, 2025
• This habit helped me produce more original content while avoiding burn out

  Many creative people struggle because they don't innovate and don't know how to keep things fresh.

  creativity

  Jan 29, 2025
• Eleven short tips every introvert needs

  My experience growing up is shared by many introverts:

  mental-health

  self

  Jan 28, 2025
• 14 subtle habits for cultivating deep self-respect

  Many people seem to suffer when they don't get the respect they feel they deserve.

  self

  Jan 27, 2025
• What's your unfair advantage?

  Alex, are you crazy?

  writing

  productivity

  Jan 27, 2025
• Why your happiness doesn't need to rely on other people

  Do you know what our most significant source of ongoing hardship is?

  self

  Jan 27, 2025
• Seven fast and simple ways being a bit of a dick will change your life

  Has anyone ever called you a dick?

  self

  Jan 26, 2025
• Seven unconventional forms of 'therapy' that will make you feel 11x more alive

  We live in a soft world where the slightest sign of discomfort can be regarded with concern and even panic.

  mental-health

  self

  Jan 25, 2025
• Why you only need one simple system to win

  Ever feel like your goals are slipping through your fingers because there's just so much to do?

  productivity

  Jan 25, 2025
• 5 weird little hacks that make life 100% better

  Life improvement and 'weird hacks' don't often go together.

  self

  Jan 25, 2025
• Nine unusual life hacks that actually work

  Remember when you were labelled weird and dumb by the other kids at school?

  self

  Jan 24, 2025
• 17 unconventional ideas to make your 2025 freaking awesome

  OMG, like it's already 2025.

  productivity

  self

  Jan 24, 2025
• No one speaks honestly

  (this is your big opportunity)

  self

  Jan 23, 2025
• Three mind exploration exercises that are more vivid than meditation

  Whether you think it's all mumbo woo-woo or not, many people, including myself, have seen their lives change by meditating.

  mindfulness

  self

  Jan 22, 2025
• Why sharing our struggles brings us closer

  Ever read something and thought, this person gets me?

  self

  Jan 22, 2025
• Five things life taught me that will get you in serious trouble

  38 years on the planet introduced me to some beautiful highs and staggering lows.

  self

  Jan 22, 2025
• Ten little actions that make you more confident than 95% of people

  By making small and simple changes, we can impact our self-perception and energise ourselves quickly.

  self

  Jan 21, 2025
• How to stop taking things personally so you experience more success in life

  "If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid." — Epictetus

  self

  Jan 20, 2025
• What silence is trying to tell you

  When was the last time you sat in complete silence?

  productivity

  self

  Jan 20, 2025
• The secret to high energy that most miss

  Imagine a glass of water with a fine layer of residue at the bottom.

  productivity

  self

  Jan 19, 2025
• 12 ways to turn your life experiences into a profitable online brand

  There was a time when I had so much to say but struggled to get my ideas and personality out into the world.

  marketing

  Jan 19, 2025
• The magic of asymmetric life bets: the small risks that could lead to massive upsides

  Most people get risk completely backward and suffer the consequences for decades.

  marketing

  Jan 19, 2025
• Eight uncomfortable truths about why some people are instantly likeable

  I spent years watching people who seemed to make friends without trying.

  relationships

  self

  Jan 18, 2025
• Fifteen tiny ideas that quickly drain stress from your life

  Rates of stress are seemingly going up for large numbers of people at an alarming rate.

  productivity

  self

  Jan 18, 2025
• Set yourself apart with a skill most people suck at

  Do you notice yourself getting more easily frustrated when things take time?

  self

  Jan 17, 2025
• This often ignored idea will multiply your passion to succeed

  Of all the lofty goals people set for themselves year after year, how many of them do you think they reach?

  productivity

  self

  Jan 17, 2025
• How to turn an ordinary life into a lucky life

  You are hurting.

  mental-health

  self

  Jan 16, 2025
• How to make it easier to do the things you don't feel like doing

  You don't want to start.

  writing

  productivity

  self

  Jan 16, 2025
• Nine ways to make taking action more effortless

  Medium has spoken: ACTION is everything.

  productivity

  self

  Jan 15, 2025
• Stop being a little bish: 10 habits to build respect and self-worth

  Life is slow to reward the guy who plays it safe, is scared of his shadow, and hopes people will notice how nice he is.

  self

  Jan 15, 2025
• Understand these seven things if you're tired of feeling ashamed about your life choices

  Decades on this jolly little planet have shown me that I'm just not very conventional.

  self

  Jan 15, 2025
• What Goosebumps novels teach us about thriving in the age of AI

  I used to love reading the Goosebumps horror novels.

  writing

  productivity

  Jan 14, 2025
• Eight money-makin shortcuts that actually work

  They say there are no shortcuts in life.

  money

  Jan 14, 2025
• The beautiful war of attrition

  (the mindset you need for 2025)

  productivity

  self

  Jan 13, 2025
• How to deal with a painful loss

  The feeling of no longer having what you once had can range from frustration to a deep sense of grief.

  mental-health

  self

  Jan 13, 2025
• People-pleasing will slowly diminish your happiness. Do this instead...

  It took me most of my 36 years to realise I was operating on outdated software.

  self

  Jan 12, 2025
• The price I pay to grow my audience

  Last year, I wrote hundreds of articles.

  marketing

  Jan 12, 2025
• When you're not feeling the creative spark...

  There are those days when the fire inside only simmers.

  creativity

  Jan 12, 2025
• The value of emotional control

  Have better relationships

  self

  Jan 11, 2025
• How to give less of a f*ck about what others think

  I've spent my whole life worrying too much about what others think.

  self

  Jan 11, 2025
• When I feel overwhelmed I do these three things

  You're overwhelmed.

  productivity

  Jan 10, 2025
• Don't let your ideas fade because of this

  For many online creators, a big fear is this:

  writing

  productivity

  Jan 10, 2025
• Seven habits that separate high achievers from the average person

  We tend to tie achievement to talent, intelligence, wit and intellectual prowess.

  self

  Jan 10, 2025
• Be more productive by thinking less

  I used to overthink like it was a national sport.

  productivity

  Jan 08, 2025
• Avoid these ten subtle behaviours if you want people to respect you more

  Years of awkwardness compelled me to want to learn about what attracts one another.

  relationships

  self

  Jan 08, 2025
• I couldn't call in sick

  (I was in Tokyo)

  writing

  Jan 08, 2025
• Don't succumb to social programming

  We all grow up surrounded by ideas about how life is 'supposed to be.'

  productivity

  self

  Jan 07, 2025
• Nine ways to develop immunity to criticism so you can create fearlessly

  Last week, I found a Dropbox folder filled with unpublished podcasts from years ago.

  creativity

  Jan 07, 2025
• 16 devilishly simple things you can do right now to boost your mood and creativity

  Earlier today I was looking at my screen, breathing heavily but I wasn't all there.

  creativity

  self

  Jan 06, 2025
• Nine tips to ensure you don't fall into mental struggle

  I know what it's like to have phases where I feel completely out of control, miserable and at a loss.

  mental-health

  Jan 06, 2025
• Eight simple daily habits that make you feel 10X better about yourself

  I know what it's like to feel uninspired and just plain icky.

  productivity

  self

  Jan 06, 2025
• How to let go of your past and enjoy your life

  Looking back over my past, I can see most of my problems stemmed from my inability to disconnect.

  self

  Jan 05, 2025
• What I learned watching birds in the rain

  Last week, I watched a sparrow hunker down in a drizzle.

  self

  Jan 05, 2025
• I'm tired of mediocre. Join me in going all the way (are you in?)

  I'm tired of mediocre.

  productivity

  self

  Jan 05, 2025
• Ten tiny behaviour shifts that will raise your mood by 93% (I'm not kidding)

  Let's dive straight in...

  self

  Jan 04, 2025
• How to be more creatively productive without losing your soul

  Getting your creative work noticed, let alone gaining fans and followers can seem like a lost cause.

  creativity

  Jan 04, 2025
• Fourteen self-reflection questions to simplify your next 30 days

  Do you overcomplicate things?

  productivity

  self

  Jan 03, 2025
• 17 sentences that will make you a more impactful online writer than 97% of writers

  After fifteen years of writing consistently online, I've learned there is no end point you reach where all your writing woes suddenly...

  writing

  Jan 03, 2025
• Driving lessons in the murder capital of the world

  I learned to drive in Kingston, Jamaica in the early 2000s.

  travel

  Jan 02, 2025
• The eight basic habits of the luckiest people

  The foundational habits that will attract more success into your life

  self

  Jan 02, 2025
• Ten things that are easy to set up that make life tenX better

  I've made many mistakes and 'wasted' large swathes of time experimenting.

  productivity

  self

  Jan 02, 2025
• The only thing stopping you is your thoughts

  I was talking to someone recently about the stress they were having.

  self

  Jan 01, 2025
• Why you're not lazy. You just need this

  I was talking to a friend some months ago who was in a rut.

  productivity

  self

  work

  Jan 01, 2025
• Why I started taking my newsletter seriously

  Some of you have been around long enough to remember this.

  writing

  marketing

  Dec 31, 2024
• Why attention-seeking is your moral obligation

  Many think seeking attention is tasteless.

  productivity

  self

  Dec 31, 2024
• How to find the easy way in a frustrating world

  I was speaking to a client friend whose mother recently received a new mac laptop upgrade.

  self

  Dec 30, 2024
• 11 lessons from 'No More Mr Nice Guy' that help you break out of the Nice Guy trap

  It can take some digging to find that a considerable proportion of men live in quiet desperation.

  relationships

  self

  Dec 30, 2024
• Fifteen subtle ideas that will make you happier than 96% of people

  If the header of this article got you annoyed, you might benefit from reading on.

  self

  Dec 30, 2024
• Think like a renegade in 2025

  3 ways to think like few do

  productivity

  self

  Dec 29, 2024
• Change your story, change your life. Here's how:

  Do you want the absolute best for yourself?

  mental-health

  self

  Dec 29, 2024
• Twelve small things you can add to your writing today to guarantee more engagement

  People worry that writing and publishing online is a waste of time.

  writing

  Dec 28, 2024
• Nine subtle things that block you from being fully productive

  We can develop habits that become concrete, but that hold us back without us realising it.

  productivity

  Dec 27, 2024
• The six traits of people who are unapologetically themselves

  There is a constant force that slowly and subtly works against your individuality.

  self

  Dec 27, 2024
• Why no one cared about my writing

  (and what changed)

  writing

  Dec 27, 2024
• Cut out these seven habits if you're sick of feeling unsuccessful

  I know the feeling. We can often be our harshest critics.

  self

  Dec 26, 2024
• When you're overwhelmed...

  You're overwhelmed, With all the things you have to do.

  poetry

  Dec 26, 2024
• Four mindset fundamentals I use to feel energised and free

  No matter who you are, or what your situation is, let's commit to this year being better than ever.

  self

  Dec 26, 2024
• Why you must have a 'make the first move' mindset

  I've spent most of my life shy and reserved around others.

  self

  Dec 25, 2024
• Ten subtle signs you are becoming more mentally resilient

  If I had to pinpoint a single skill that will serve you more than any other in the coming years, it's resilience.

  mental-health

  self

  Dec 25, 2024
• How to live with purpose if you don't know what you're doing

  How I stay focused every day

  self

  Dec 24, 2024
• Writing with purpose starts here.

  For years, I wrote consistently and shared my ideas online.

  writing

  Dec 24, 2024
• When you want to do everything, do this

  A big struggle of mine has always been the need to do many different things.

  productivity

  Dec 24, 2024
• How to replace boredom with aliveness quickly and naturally...

  That feeling.

  self

  Dec 23, 2024
• Why taking things personally stops you enjoying your best life (and how to gain self-respect)

  "If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid." — Epictetus

  self

  Dec 22, 2024
• Nine unexpected habits that make people want to listen to you

  I've noticed something interesting about the people others actually listen to.

  self

  Dec 22, 2024
• What crusade are you fighting?

  It took me writing and publishing hundreds of articles online before anyone took much notice.

  writing

  Dec 21, 2024
• The arrogance that sets you free

  Stop blocking your natural confidence.

  self

  Dec 21, 2024
• 13 ways the book: 'The One Thing' helps us join the top 1% most focused people

  Cut the junk, and focus on what matters.

  productivity

  Dec 21, 2024
• Understanding this keeps you fearless around others

  Self-esteem is an illusion.

  self

  Dec 20, 2024
• The permission slip you need today

  I watched a man arguing with himself this morning.

  mental-health

  self

  Dec 20, 2024
• When understanding changes everything

  I watched someone have a meltdown at the coffee shop this morning.

  mental-health

  self

  Dec 19, 2024
• Four sentences that will help you worry less than 99% of people

  Do you think you could ever stop worrying?

  mental-health

  self

  Dec 19, 2024
• These tough life lessons took me fourteen years to learn, but you can absorb them in two mins...

  This is an exercise in distilling all my big life lessons, those I still refer to today to help me. Let me show you what I've learned:

  self

  Dec 19, 2024
• Something interesting happened today

  I was watching someone trying to explain what they do for a living.

  productivity

  self

  Dec 18, 2024
• If you want more engagement as a creator or artist, read this

  It is frustrating when few seem to care about our work.

  creativity

  Dec 18, 2024
• Six curious little things you need to know if you want to master the art of clear thinking

  Is clear thinking even attainable?

  Dec 17, 2024
• The hidden reason you're distracted all the time

  life's too short for this.

  productivity

  Dec 17, 2024
• Seven ways to start next year with an advantage 99% of people won't have

  Ready for the end of the year?

  productivity

  self

  Dec 17, 2024
• The Cost of Not Creating

  Your mind is a pressure cooker of unexpressed ideas.

  creativity

  productivity

  Dec 16, 2024
• Nine illustrated Confucius quotes that will improve your life

  Timeless wisdom to refresh and entertain:

  humor

  self

  Dec 16, 2024
• Why we make ourselves unhappy

  Investor Charlie Munger recently said that we live in a time of great abundance and yet widespread unhappiness.

  self

  Dec 15, 2024
• Why writing fewer words will make your readers hungry for more

  When I look at some of my earlier writing, I notice how my paragraphs were often long-winded.

  writing

  Dec 15, 2024
• If you often feel bad about other people's success, you need to do these three things today

  You don't need to pretend you don't get frustrated, depressed or even enraged when seeing someone else succeed.

  self

  Dec 15, 2024
• Paralysed by choice.

  Can you relate?

  self

  Dec 14, 2024
• The 11 subtle habits of people who others can't stop thinking about

  I often talk about how self-focus just leads to misery.

  self

  Dec 14, 2024
• Ten big money remote career alternatives to having a boss (that don't take years to build)

  You don't need a 'job' in the old-fashioned sense anymore.

  freelancing

  Dec 14, 2024
• Want attention? Hit these 4 triggers.

  How I learned to stop struggling and start moving people to action

  marketing

  Dec 13, 2024
• Write every day to become a stronger human

  AI tools create the illusion that knowing how to write isn't necessary any more.

  writing

  Dec 13, 2024
• How seeing in four dimensions is the remedy to escapism

  As I write this, I am seeing four dimensions. It's pretty crazy.

  self

  Dec 13, 2024
• This small change massively improved the engagement with my writing...

  If you ask the best writers what one thing improved their writing the most, many would tell you to simply write more.

  writing

  productivity

  Dec 12, 2024
• Read this if you're distracted

  The modern age is cool, isn't it?

  productivity

  Dec 11, 2024
• You can't outwork someone who is enjoying themselves

  With all the various hacks, tricks, formulas and clever solutions people come up with to make us more productive...

  productivity

  Dec 11, 2024
• How I learned to end creator's block

  Join me for a cup of tea

  creativity

  writing

  Dec 10, 2024
• How to develop psychological immunity to the fear of rejection from others

  "Only you can take inner freedom away from yourself, or give it to yourself. Nobody else can." — Michael A. Singer

  self

  Dec 10, 2024
• If you've been struggling, now is the time

  If you've been struggling, now is the time.

  self

  work

  Dec 09, 2024
• Seven simple mistakes that ensure your relationship will fail

  Let's jump straight in...

  relationships

  Dec 09, 2024
• Why are so many struggling emotionally these days?

  Mental health problems are through the roof.

  mental-health

  self

  Dec 09, 2024
• Seventeen secrets that give you an unfair edge over 98% of other creators

  We don't operate on a level playing field.

  productivity

  self

  Dec 08, 2024
• All it takes is a decision.

  It's getting to the end of the year, and people are tired.

  productivity

  self

  Dec 08, 2024
• Things got so much better when I did less thinking.

  I used to spend entire days in my head.

  mental-health

  productivity

  self

  Dec 07, 2024
• Human coaching is the future

  could this be your next phase?

  productivity

  work

  Dec 07, 2024
• How to be unbelievably successful (in 392 words)

  What is 'success' anyway?

  productivity

  self

  Dec 07, 2024
• You don't need to think like everyone else thinks

  People worry they will run out of time.

  mindfulness

  self

  Dec 07, 2024
• The nine habits of the most determined people

  (Read this if you want to stay energised over the long term)

  self

  Dec 06, 2024
• The power of building online: a Tokyo story

  By 2012, sharing my work online had already changed my life.

  work

  Dec 06, 2024
• Eight things you must avoid to join the top 1% most productive people on Earth

  Every self-driven creator I meet wants to be more productive.

  productivity

  Dec 05, 2024
• What a 17th-Century Warrior Can Teach You About Masculinity and Mastery

  What does living as a confident, resilient, free man take in today's world?

  self

  Dec 05, 2024
• The Universe is testing you.

  How will you respond?

  self

  Dec 04, 2024
• The subtle art of listening (and why you need this in your life)

  Take a moment when you can to observe people in discussion.

  relationships

  self

  Dec 04, 2024
• The topsy-turvy approach to figuring out your next life phase

  I had a guy approach me recently with a dilemma.

  creativity

  writing

  Dec 03, 2024
• Why you don't need to know your purpose

  Many times I have worried that I'm not doing work that answers a 'purpose.'

  self

  work

  Dec 02, 2024
• What a time to be alive.

  just know this...

  productivity

  Dec 02, 2024
• 12 timeless writing lessons from Arthur Schopenhauer to elevate your online content

  Writing online is like stepping into a crowded room filled with noise.

  writing

  Dec 01, 2024
• Eight things Robert Greene's '48 Laws of Power' teaches us about being magnetic

  Few writers have stirred up my fascination for human behaviour like Robert Greene.

  self

  Dec 01, 2024
• Create your way to instant purpose

  Stop waiting for meaning

  creativity

  self

  Dec 01, 2024
• Losing your desire for things that do not matter

  Think for a moment right now about all the things in your life you wished were different.

  self

  Nov 30, 2024
• Don't DO what you love; BE what you love

  (Author's note: written several months ago)

  creativity

  self

  work

  Nov 30, 2024
• Everyone needs to be building this asset

  (But most underestimate it)

  writing

  Nov 29, 2024
• Ten simple ways I transformed my writing from dull to fresh

  For years my articles were ignored.

  writing

  Nov 29, 2024
• Society has ignored this one piece of ancient wisdom, but it could obliterate most mental health...

  People ask:

  mental-health

  self

  Nov 28, 2024
• How to find the stuff you're dying to write about

  People ask me how I'm so disciplined.

  writing

  Nov 27, 2024
• Six simple Zen philosophy ideas that will make you more resilient than most

  I lived in Japan for a year in 2012.

  mindfulness

  self

  Nov 27, 2024
• When AIs start hating us

  (And what they teach us about emotional control)

  artificial-intelligence

  Nov 26, 2024
• How to turn five dollars into a hundred, in an instant (on being 5% braver)

  It's funny how much time and energy and frustration I would have saved in my life had I been braver.

  self

  Nov 25, 2024
• Four simple steps to moving past disappointment

  Ever been disappointed?

  self

  Nov 25, 2024
• How to actually do what you love and why that matters

  Making art for a living is hard.

  creativity

  self

  Nov 24, 2024
• This made me stop wanting to please everyone

  One insight from a mentor changed my life.

  self

  Nov 24, 2024
• Likeable people aren't nice (they're this..)

  This was the most liberating thing I did

  self

  Nov 23, 2024
• The hidden reason no one cares about your ideas

  Last week, I watched someone who could change the world get completely ignored.

  creativity

  self

  Nov 23, 2024
• The 24-hour mindset that transformed my writing

  'Your writing won't ever make a dent.'

  writing

  Nov 22, 2024
• Seven behaviours that instantly increase your intelligence

  Did you ever say something regretfully dumb when angry?

  psychology

  self

  Nov 22, 2024
• The unusual way to overcome money fears (so that making money becomes easier)

  If you asked every adult on earth to list their biggest challenges, I bet that one of the most common complaints — if not the most common...

  money

  self

  Nov 21, 2024
• Seven things the best online writers do that don't rely on intelligence

  Ask an inexperienced writer about the game of writing online, and many will describe it as an intellectual pursuit.

  writing

  Nov 20, 2024
• Nine little behaviours that make you a top 1% communicator

  I was not a good communicator for most of my life.

  relationships

  self

  work

  Nov 20, 2024
• Can you really be fearless?

  What high stakes spins teach us.

  self

  Nov 20, 2024
• Five habits of successful and outstanding rebels

  Rebels go against the grain.

  self

  Nov 19, 2024
• How to create a unfair advantage for yourself

  It's tough to make an impact with your creations these days. It always was, but these days especially.

  creativity

  productivity

  self

  Nov 19, 2024
• Stop trying to find your writing voice

  (Play is the way)

  writing

  Nov 18, 2024
• Eight uncommon daily rituals that will set you apart from 98% of people

  Some ancient dude once said, 'we are what we repeatedly do.'

  productivity

  self

  Nov 17, 2024
• Why being 'outcome dependent' could be blocking you from what you want

  I once lived in Tokyo for a few months, and I'd arranged to meet an English-speaking local via the Couchsurfing community online. Let's...

  self

  Nov 17, 2024
• 19 sentences that will make you more creatively confident than 95% of people

  Creative confidence is believing in your ability to generate and execute innovative ideas.

  creativity

  productivity

  Nov 16, 2024
• Eight actionable tips you can use today that make it impossible to procrastinate

  As a creator who relies on daily consistency to make a living, I'm always looking for ways to make the creative process more streamlined.

  productivity

  Nov 16, 2024
• On why being a bit ridiculous is your direct route to being on your purpose

  There's a silent energy killer that most of us are unaware of.

  productivity

  self

  Nov 14, 2024
• Why you need to stop doing what makes you happy

  Just do what makes you happy.

  self

  Nov 14, 2024
• Eleven subtle signs other people like you

  Spending a large portion of my life in my head and nervous around people, it's taken me a long time to understand others.

  relationships

  Nov 13, 2024
• The Artist's Path — what to expect, from Innocent to Sage

  Can we visualise the artist's path — from total beginner to expert?

  creativity

  Nov 12, 2024
• How to get out of a rut.

  gurus get it wrong

  productivity

  Nov 12, 2024
• Ten ways living minimally creates a significant unfair advantage for you

  Many of us are overwhelmed with all the stuff.

  productivity

  self

  Nov 12, 2024
• Five uncommon tips that help you quickly stop doubting yourself

  Here are five ideas I always return to whenever I experience the human sense of doubt.

  self

  Nov 10, 2024
• Five little things you do that keep you broke as a mouse

  Hey there, little squeaker!

  money

  Nov 10, 2024
• 10 ways to write so raw your grammar checker will need therapy

  I have a love-hate relationship with my grammar checker.

  writing

  Nov 10, 2024
• How to create an unfair advantage for yourself (keep this quiet)

  It's tough to make an impact with your creations these days. It always was, but these days especially.

  creativity

  productivity

  Nov 09, 2024
• Sorry, but the future isn't real

  (and why this is good news for you)

  productivity

  self

  Nov 09, 2024
• The thirteen traits of the unstoppable modern man

  40 years on this planet as a man has been one hell of a ride.

  equality

  Nov 09, 2024
• How I use a five-minute meditation to boost my creativity

  I want to create something, but I feel stuck and frustrated.

  creativity

  Nov 08, 2024
• The most important thing you can build for your future

  (hamsters beware).

  marketing

  productivity

  Nov 07, 2024
• Absorbing these seven tips in three minutes will make you more confident than most people (this...

  Let's dive straight in shall we...

  self

  Nov 07, 2024
• If you want to inspire people to action, do these three things

  What's the number one skill of any successful (and lucrative) personal brand?

  marketing

  Nov 07, 2024
• It's true. People will judge you.

  Blogger James Altucher once said something that had me drop my spoon in my morning yoghurt.

  productivity

  self

  Nov 06, 2024
• Nine little-known hacks to boost your personal brand's visibility and reach

  Every day people are growing to realise that this icky-sounding personal brand thing may be a good idea after all.

  marketing

  Nov 06, 2024
• Seven dietary changes that dramatically reduce your anxiety

  I'd struggled with anxiety for a large chunk of my life, but it wasn't until I made specific dietary changes that I saw a notable deduction...

  mental-health

  Nov 06, 2024
• Your number is 233. Act accordingly.

  I hate to break it to you...

  productivity

  self

  Nov 05, 2024
• Three simple things you can do to climb out of the slump you're in

  Luther, exhausted, had become separated from his team on a Bolivian jungle trek.

  self

  Nov 04, 2024
• Does being mindful mean sacrificing our productivity and momentum?

  What happens when we choose the 'Zen' approach to work and life?

  productivity

  Nov 04, 2024
• Fifteen filthy tricks the most creative people don't want you to know about insane productivity

  Ever wondered how some people seem to almost effortlessly crank out an ungodly amount of creative work, and others, well...they struggle to...

  creativity

  Nov 03, 2024
• Stop not being a legend

  You are a walking legend and don't even realise it.

  self

  Nov 03, 2024
• Ten things I did to become calmer as I got older

  (Without taking pills or selling my soul to the devil)

  mental-health

  self

  Nov 03, 2024
• Three strange ways to become instantly more likeable

  This will help you attract fans for life.

  productivity

  Nov 02, 2024
• Thirteen things you can do in the next hour to turn an OK day into an outstanding day

  Just because your day started poorly, doesn't mean you can't do something simple to turn the day around.

  productivity

  self

  Nov 02, 2024
• The secret to high performance is knowing less, not more

  Uncertainty holds the key...

  productivity

  self

  Nov 02, 2024
• Why having any expectations of others makes you miserable

  And what to do instead

  self

  Nov 01, 2024
• How I continue to write and improve without going crazy

  People say I'm a great writer.

  writing

  Nov 01, 2024
• Ten life shortcuts I've used that actually work

  I'm often the first to yell from the rooftops about how there are no shortcuts in life or work.

  productivity

  self

  Oct 30, 2024
• How to be crazy successful in only 393 words

  What is 'success' anyway?

  productivity

  self

  Oct 30, 2024
• This overlooked phenomenon is why many modern writers will go nowhere

  The emergence of ChatGPT used to frighten me as a writer.

  writing

  Oct 29, 2024
• Embracing the unknown: How accepting uncertainty puts you back in control

  Humans have had an uncomfortable relationship with uncertainty since we were knocking stones together to create sparks.

  self

  Oct 29, 2024
• With no purpose, there will be distractions

  I felt compelled to write an angry comment beneath the video.

  productivity

  Oct 29, 2024
• What would happen if you did these things every day for thirty days?

  Reached out to someone to ask for help.

  productivity

  self

  Oct 28, 2024
• 21 sentences to make you more resilient than 97% of people

  Resilience is being able to get back up quickly after a setback.

  self

  Oct 28, 2024
• Twelve questions to ask yourself for a powerful journaling session that will change your life

  Journaling is great for breathing life into your ideas.

  productivity

  self

  Oct 28, 2024
• Six things you need to know to be a more motivated writer

  You can't waste more time being unmotivated

  writing

  Oct 27, 2024
• How to quickly dissolve a bad mood

  Here it is again.

  mental-health

  self

  Oct 27, 2024
• This one mindset myth is keeping you stuck

  I had a guy tell me he'd be more confident and more productive if he could just fix his self-identity.

  self

  Oct 26, 2024
• How to write like no one else

  Are you saying what others are not?

  writing

  Oct 25, 2024
• Do these eight things to quickly delete self-sabotage

  Do you do things that get in the way of your goals and dreams?

  self

  Oct 25, 2024
• Twelve questions to ask yourself to become an inconceivably dope badass

  Here's an underrated tool for a good life: questions.

  productivity

  self

  Oct 24, 2024
• Seven ways to be crazy productive that no one is talking about

  Sick of the same old productivity advice?

  productivity

  Oct 23, 2024
• Ten ways to nurture 'King Confidence'

  Some years ago, I came across this superb quote from Robert Greene's book, The 48 Laws of Power:

  self

  Oct 23, 2024
• The seven foundational daily habits of highly sensitive people

  Read this if you often get overwhelmed by the stimulations of the world.

  lifestyle

  self

  Oct 22, 2024
• Seven life strategies that give you the secret everyone's looking for

  Most people complicate their lives chasing things that don't bring them the joy they really want.

  self

  Oct 22, 2024
• Nine super fun and simple ideas that ensure you don't become a massive puss puss

  Let's not beat around the bush:

  self

  Oct 22, 2024
• If you think you're lazy, read this...

  Your mama says you're lazy.

  productivity

  self

  Oct 21, 2024
• Five quick tips to significantly reduce the drama you get from others

  When people talk about acquiring freedom in their lives, they often discuss material and logistical privileges like having enough money...

  self

  Oct 21, 2024
• How your self-growth leads to writing stuff people love to read

  Consistent writing isn't always easy, especially when you have a trapped nerve and back pain.

  writing

  productivity

  Oct 20, 2024
• Eight things you can do to 10x the trust others have in you

  Expand your network, gain influence, and make more friends.

  relationships

  self

  Oct 20, 2024
• Thirteen fiction novels that will change your life (illustrated)

  A while back I asked my followers which fiction book made the most profound and inspiring impact on their lives.

  books

  writing

  Oct 20, 2024
• Eight small shifts in behaviour that give you a mental advantage

  Joan of Arc once said that 'all battles are first won and lost in the mind.'

  self

  Oct 19, 2024
• Nine common writing mistakes that push away your ideal readers

  Our words can't possibly please everyone.

  writing

  Oct 18, 2024
• 14 simple ways to save time as an online writer

  Many of you tell me you find it hard to find time to write.

  writing

  Oct 18, 2024
• Eleven unique tips that give you a mental advantage over 95% of people

  Psst. Life isn't fair.

  self

  Oct 18, 2024
• Nine subtle habits of the most fascinating people

  I've spent most of my life a bit of an outsider.

  self

  Oct 17, 2024
• Seven cheeky little hacks the most productive people don't want you to know

  You needn't turn your whole life around to make a huge impact.

  productivity

  Oct 17, 2024
• Six tiny adjustments that transformed my mediocre writing

  I remember writing online over a decade ago, wondering how to get more people to read my stuff.

  writing

  Oct 16, 2024
• 8 things that block most people from realising their purpose

  It took me many years to feel like I was living with any sense of purpose.

  self

  Oct 15, 2024
• Why your primary mission must be shamelessly selfish...

  The idea that your purpose should be to help others is flawed.

  self

  Oct 15, 2024
• You'll Always Be My Baby (flash fiction)

  Iced Glenfiddich in hand, Chen Wei took in Shanghai's crackling frenzy as the city prepared for evening.

  fiction

  Oct 14, 2024
• Nineteen ways to infuse FUN into your writing process (and have fun consistently)

  A guy I follow on X asked his followers:

  writing

  Oct 14, 2024
• How to stay emotionally resilient so you don't get broken by social media

  Working on my brand and online business has brought conflict.

  social-media

  Oct 14, 2024
• 10 sentences that make you more focused than 98% of people

  A strange conflict is taking hold of much of society.

  productivity

  Oct 13, 2024
• Don't do these 9 nine things if you want your focus back

  Let's not lose focus, and jump straight into this shall we...

  productivity

  Oct 13, 2024
• Twenty sentences that will give you more emotional control than 95% of people

  I always used to think emotional control meant gritting teeth and trying to bottle in my rage.

  mental-health

  self

  Oct 13, 2024
• 10 'One Thing' self-coaching questions to make your life easier, simpler and happier

  I was blown away by Gary Keller's book The One Thing when I read it on the top floor of a Bangkok apartment complex in 2016.

  productivity

  self

  Oct 12, 2024
• This mindset mistake is costing you years of the good life

  It took me almost three decades of worrying, overthinking and grinding to exert more control before I realised it.

  self

  Oct 11, 2024
• Being ok with being disliked is the number one life skill

  We all want to be liked.

  self

  Oct 10, 2024
• Twenty sentences that will make you more charismatic than 97% of people

  Charisma isn't something only granted to the fortunate few at birth. Growing up, I struggled with shyness; anyone would have labelled me...

  self

  Oct 10, 2024
• Ten reasons some people blow up online and attract lifelong fans, and others splutter and quit

  Ten reasons some people blow up online and attract lifelong fans, and others splutter and quit

  marketing

  Oct 09, 2024
• Eleven powerful ways to motivate yourself right now

  Ah, feeling motivated. It seems to come and it go. It ebbs and flows.

  productivity

  self

  Oct 09, 2024
• Twenty ways to lower anxiety by at least 20%:

  Anxiety is a natural part of being human.

  mental-health

  Oct 08, 2024
• Is it worth writing (your own words) online anymore?

  People's attention spans are too short.

  writing

  Oct 08, 2024
• Eight subtle behaviour changes that boost your social self-esteem

  Years of social anxiety forced me to learn everything about confidence around other people.

  self

  Oct 08, 2024
• Three secrets that motivated people know

  What years of STUCKNESS showed me about living a motivated life.

  productivity

  Oct 07, 2024
• Life significantly improves when you understand these two choices

  I've been criticised all my life.

  self

  Oct 06, 2024
• Eight signs you are going to make it in the next fifteen years

  The next few years won't be easy for most.

  self

  Oct 06, 2024
• If you're not sure about your life path, read this...

  I've worked for myself for the last fourteen years since my early twenties.

  self

  Oct 05, 2024
• People miss this one thing and then wonder why they don't make progress as a writer

  How understanding the 'Transformation' will help you stand out.

  marketing

  Oct 05, 2024
• Ten surprising places to find your hidden genius

  'Genius' is not reserved for a special few.

  self

  Oct 04, 2024
• Six uplifting little secrets about confidence I learned from a brooding dragon in a mountain cave

  Not long ago, I found myself venturing far from home.

  self

  Oct 04, 2024
• The eight habits of the most chill people I know

  I have to admit, I've spent a pretty sizeable chunk of my life worrying about stuff I could have left alone.

  self

  Oct 02, 2024
• Eight lesser-known tricks to boost your well-being today

  In my twenties, I was frequently lost and overwhelmed.

  productivity

  self

  Oct 02, 2024
• Eleven fascinating prompts to heighten your awareness and sharpen your creativity

  These prompts will raise your consciousness by bringing attention to awareness.

  creativity

  self

  Oct 02, 2024
• You'd be a fool not to read this in your twenties

  I was in my twenties fairly recently, and I made a whole host of mistakes, most of which I don't regret.

  self

  Oct 01, 2024
• Stop waiting for others to give you the green light.

  You need to act on what you know you need to do.

  self

  Oct 01, 2024
• The nine daily habits of the most elite modern men

  Hey pencil arms, lean in and give this a read..

  self

  Oct 01, 2024
• How to flip your relationship with the past to be happier

  I've spent a long time looking back at my school years with deep regret.

  self

  Sep 30, 2024
• Ten subtle behaviours that make men instantly more masculine

  Yeah, I see you cringing at the word: 'masculinity...'

  feminism

  equality

  Sep 30, 2024
• The only things you need to know to consistently write long-term...

  Writing and publishing most days for over fifteen years was the best thing I could have done.

  writing

  Sep 29, 2024
• Fourteen simple behaviours that make people instantly respect you more

  Are there things we can do that influence other people's perceptions of us?

  self

  Sep 29, 2024
• How to reduce anxiety in two simple steps

  You're feeling anxious.

  mental-health

  self

  Sep 29, 2024
• Fifteen unusual little habits that will set you apart from 97% of people

  While most people eye up the 'overnight' success and wonder why they never see it, the wise among us are focusing on those little habits.

  productivity

  self

  Sep 29, 2024
• Nine things you gotta stop doing if you want more focus

  What even is 'focus?'

  productivity

  Sep 28, 2024
• It all gets better when you stop working on yourSELF and start working on your CRAFT

  How is it that I've been on this Earth so long, and still I can't shake this off?

  self

  Sep 28, 2024
• How to hack happiness by following these 6 unconventional tricks to joy and creativity

  With all the advice on how to be happy, why are so many people still unhappy?

  self

  Sep 27, 2024
• How to write articles fast (that people want to read)

  "Work harder," they say.

  writing

  Sep 27, 2024
• The twelve habits of the most productive people I know

  Being productive in an increasingly distracted world is a prized asset.

  productivity

  Sep 25, 2024
• Men, read these eleven commandments to avoid a life of pain

  In a world becoming increasingly alien and hostile to men, we need all the help we can get.

  self

  Sep 25, 2024
• Forest Awakening (flash story)

  Marcus Thorne's fingers hovered over his laptop keys as that familiar feeling grew in him like a spreading bushfire.

  fiction

  Sep 25, 2024
• 13 simple writing shifts I made that helped me attract 200,000 readers

  Is your writing understandable?

  writing

  Sep 24, 2024
• Twelve simple daily tasks that will energise and simplify your life dramatically

  Life is rarely won in an overnight show of lights and splendour.

  productivity

  self

  Sep 24, 2024
• What Zinsser's iconic 'On Writing Well' teaches us about being outstanding online writers

  I wasn't always a decent writer.

  writing

  Sep 23, 2024
• Seven secrets the calmest people know about anxiety

  I know what it feels like to have anxiety get in the way of enjoying life.

  mental-health

  self

  Sep 23, 2024
• Eight ways to harness your inner rebel so you live a happy life true to yourself

  One of the hardest things a human can do is risk rejection from the crowd.

  self

  Sep 22, 2024
• Eight counterintuitive ways your 'self-improvement' efforts block your progress

  There are over 210,000 self-help books listed on Amazon.

  self

  Sep 22, 2024
• Ten subtle behaviours that will attract people to you

  I've spent most of my life awkward and in my head.

  relationships

  self

  Sep 22, 2024
• The art of writing fast.

  I used to think quality writing took long to write.

  writing

  Sep 21, 2024
• Know this if you want to make money as a creator or coach

  I see many getting stressed that they're not growing enough followers on social media.

  marketing

  Sep 21, 2024
• Fourteen habits that make you more laid back than 97% of people

  Ever wondered why some people seem unfazed, and others are wound up tighter than a tin toy truck?

  self

  Sep 20, 2024
• The twelve habits of mentally strong people

  What 25 years of mental struggle taught me about using the mind well

  mental-health

  self

  Sep 20, 2024
• Forty unconventional life success tips I wish I knew younger: A 40-year-old man's guide to screwing...

  I'm 40 today.

  self

  Sep 19, 2024
• Four things that will turn your 'laziness' into momentum

  Laziness isn't a personality trait.

  productivity

  Sep 19, 2024
• Sixteen life habits that put you in the top 5% of most courageous people

  (These will bring triple the success into your life.)

  self

  Sep 18, 2024
• How understanding the true nature of thought transformed my personal and business relationships

  I used to go red with anger when someone challenged my opinion. I'd dive straight into arguing back without thought.

  self

  Sep 18, 2024
• Twenty mistakes you need to avoid in your twenties (I'm 39)

  Man, I wish I had a list like this in my 20s.

  self

  Sep 17, 2024
• How to make fear your life mentor

  Fear whispered, 'This will terrify you.'

  self

  Sep 17, 2024
• Ten under-appreciated ways to have your followers fall in love with your content

  Very few of us will be exempt from the necessity to build a personal brand in the coming years.

  marketing

  Sep 17, 2024
• The Whispering House Plant (short fiction)

  Sarah placed the ficus on her desk, its leaves drooping in the harsh fluorescent light above her cubicle.

  fiction

  Sep 16, 2024
• Ten lesser-known habits that will make you happier than 98% of people

  I get it, 'happiness' isn't really a thing.

  self

  Sep 16, 2024
• Six simple thinking styles that transform you into a relaxed badass

  The thinking styles or mantras that changed my life for the better

  self

  Sep 16, 2024
• As an introvert, these six ideas motivate me the most:

  1. You're not any less 'social' than an extrovert.

  self

  Sep 15, 2024
• Twenty-one sentences that will make you a better writer than 98% of people

  Learn these to triple your engagement.

  writing

  Sep 15, 2024
• Twelve brutal truths about success few dare tell you

  39 years on this planet has been a hell of a ride.

  self

  Sep 14, 2024
• Twenty-one simple tricks to instantly make your writing more impactful

  What I learned from sixteen years of sharing my writing online

  writing

  Sep 14, 2024
• At 39, here are 16 things I'd tell my 19-year-old self about making the most of every day

  As I teeter on the edge of what many consider a major life milestone (40 years), I feel reflective.

  self

  Sep 14, 2024
• Ten unusual behaviours that make people respect you more

  Years of sharing this planet with you weirdos taught me much.

  relationships

  Sep 13, 2024
• The twelve habits of the calmest people I know

  Maintaining calm is one of the most powerful life skills.

  self

  Sep 13, 2024
• Seven life 'shortcuts' that actually work

  There are no shortcuts in life.

  self

  Sep 13, 2024
• 28 good reasons to write

  Writing makes you want to write more.

  writing

  Sep 12, 2024
• If you get jealous seeing others' success online, read this

  Here's how to see things in a way that empowers you and your online writing.

  writing

  Sep 12, 2024
• Seven things almost no one does that will attract people to you

  I've learned that a significant part of attraction is rooted in standing out from the crowd.

  relationships

  self

  Sep 12, 2024
• Seven game-changing things I learned that helped me find more harmony with other people

  Over the years, other people have brought me pain and joy in about equal measure.

  self

  Sep 11, 2024
• The Antisocial Playbook: 14 ruthless tactics for digital domination

  Playing nice so you don't hurt anyone's feelings won't grow your brand.

  marketing

  Sep 10, 2024
• If you feel like no one gives a crap about you...

  (read this to change this):

  self

  Sep 10, 2024
• Six subtle behaviours that make others fall in love with you

  Years of awkward dates, stunted relationships and lost clients have taught me much.

  relationships

  Sep 09, 2024
• The Time-Lapse Clearing (short fiction)

  I knew something had changed the moment I stepped into the clearing — a hidden oasis in a desert of pine and oak.

  fiction

  Sep 08, 2024
• Nine forbidden habits of the most elite performers in the world

  These habits are probably not for you...

  lifestyle

  productivity

  self

  Sep 08, 2024
• How to be as original as Pablo Picasso

  People think of Pablo Picasso as a highly original genius.

  creativity

  writing

  Sep 08, 2024
• If you're stuck with your writing, these twelve little things will instantly nourish you

  A friend of mine was telling me about how he used to have a solid content-writing habit but recently fell off.

  writing

  Sep 07, 2024
• Fifteen short tips that help you see things most people miss

  Wait a minute, Alex, what exactly are we saying here?

  creativity

  self

  Sep 07, 2024
• A neat trick for writer's block

  People ask me how I manage to write so consistently.

  writing

  Sep 06, 2024
• How I attract more of what I want into my life (for real)

  Think for a second about why you don't want to do things.

  self

  Sep 06, 2024
• Nine unique habits that will motivate you more than 95% of people

  For most of my life, I believed motivation was a personality trait possessed by the lucky few.

  productivity

  self

  Sep 05, 2024
• Thirteen naughty daily habits that make you feel like a happy Spartan King

  Society wants you weak, depressed, submissive and docile.

  self

  Sep 05, 2024
• This little reframe cures online jealousy and doubt

  A lot of my clients come to me and tell me they struggle to use social media because it's bad for their mental health.

  marketing

  social-media

  Sep 04, 2024
• Nine subtle behaviours that keep you calm when you're nervous

  From a lot of personal experience, I know how self-conscious we can be in certain situations. Nerves mean we're in our heads and not there...

  self

  Sep 04, 2024
• Why 'be yourself' is crap advice for writers

  Most of us want our writing to connect emotionally with our readers.

  writing

  Sep 03, 2024
• I thought I sucked as an online writer until I did this...

  I hate how I have to do so much work just to get a few followers these days.

  writing

  marketing

  Sep 03, 2024
• How to clone yourself so your online brand grows faster

  I don't know if you've noticed, but building a personal brand well into the future seems like a ton of work.

  marketing

  Sep 02, 2024
• Eight things I know about being more productive I wish I knew when I was younger...

  I'm 38 and know what it's like to feel unproductive.

  productivity

  Sep 02, 2024
• Why that creative project you always wanted to start is a high-priority

  I've been wanting to write fiction for years.

  writing

  Sep 02, 2024
• Thousands of hours showed me why most people get writing wrong

  I wrote hundreds of articles before anyone cared.

  writing

  Sep 01, 2024
• Eight impactful questions I ask myself regularly to help me focus on what matters

  Feeling aimless has taken up a considerable chunk of my experience.

  self

  Sep 01, 2024
• You're struggling to write because you made it feel like an obligation

  What sounds better to you?

  writing

  Aug 31, 2024
• Remember — you can't fail if you don't quit

  You can't fail if you do not quit.

  self

  Aug 31, 2024
• Ten things you must do if you want to rediscover who you really are:

  So many of us are just coasting.

  self

  Aug 30, 2024
• Seven subtle behaviours that are highly attractive to most people

  Years of awkwardly bumbling through social situations and saying dumb stuff prompted me to take a keen interest in human behaviour.

  relationships

  self

  Aug 30, 2024
• Ask this one question as you go through your day to gain an unfair advantage

  Working for myself now for over a decade has shown me something valuable:

  self

  Aug 30, 2024
• What to do if you feel like an outsider

  I used to hate feeling like a freak.

  self

  Aug 29, 2024
• Six traits of people who are immune to deception from other people

  I'd love to say we live in a world in which everyone is totally honest, and no one is out to deceive you intentionally.

  self

  Aug 29, 2024
• What if 'imposter syndrome' was just a sign you were on the right path?

  James Altucher once said something that stuck with me:

  writing

  self

  Aug 28, 2024
• 10 ways to simplify your life

  Life taught me that things get easier when we keep it simple.

  writing

  self

  Aug 28, 2024
• Twenty one sentences that will make you mentally stronger than 98% of people

  Let's dive right in:

  mental-health

  self

  Aug 27, 2024
• Nine subtle behaviours that attract people to you

  I had a socially-anxious youth, continuously in self-doubt and concerned for the thoughts and judgements of others.

  self

  Aug 27, 2024
• How writing doesn't need to be complicated (the writing enjoyer's guide)

  I've been writing things online for more than fifteen years.

  writing

  Aug 26, 2024
• Writing gets better when you fall in love with:

  The blank page.

  writing

  Aug 26, 2024
• The courage to spend more time alone

  I used to feel ashamed that I enjoyed spending a lot of time alone.

  writing

  self

  Aug 25, 2024
• Fourteen things I wish I knew at 25 (now that I'm 39)

  It's a time to reflect.

  self

  Aug 25, 2024
• Ten tiny behaviour shifts you can make that will make people strangely drawn to you

  I could fill many boxes with stacks of lists documenting all the times I did something awkward or pushed others away.

  self

  Aug 24, 2024
• Quit any one of these habits, and your anxiety will instantly decrease

  Feeling some anxiety is part of the human experience and helps us navigate dangers and obstacles.

  writing

  self

  Aug 24, 2024
• Why showing up consistently, even if it's hard, will change everything

  It is hard to move out of the darkness.

  self

  Aug 23, 2024
• Eight secret psychology mantras that make you a money magnet

  Ideas can make or break your progress.

  money

  Aug 23, 2024
• Seven things you can do to get over the hump of little traction and few followers

  It sucks to put effort into writing things for the Internet, hit publish and hear a chorus of engaged crickets.

  marketing

  social-media

  Aug 22, 2024
• Twenty-two List-Writing Ideas to Transform Your Work and Make You More Badass

  Lists are highly cool.

  creativity

  writing

  Aug 21, 2024
• Nine fun habits that will make you more money

  Making money needn't be painful.

  money

  Aug 20, 2024
• Life will bite you if you ignore these six strange truths

  Let's get straight into it...

  self

  Aug 20, 2024
• The seven habits of the most unreasonably creative people

  Creativity has always fascinated me because to be creative is what it means to be human.

  creativity

  Aug 18, 2024
• Seven societal lies you need to challenge today so you can be instantly free of that heavy feeling...

  Do you ever feel like you're carrying an invisible weight you can't describe?

  self

  Aug 18, 2024
• Eight behaviours that instantly increase your perceived status

  People make snap judgements about who they think you are based on extremely subtle cues.

  self

  Aug 17, 2024
• Eight ways to explore your dark side (and tap into insane energy)

  Tapping into our 'dark side' represents one of our greatest opportunities for living a life of enjoyment, satisfaction and drive.

  self

  Aug 16, 2024
• When you've lost your sense of purpose adopt this thinking...

  I'm falling through wet cloud.

  writing

  self

  Aug 16, 2024
• Fourteen tips for head-turning writing you won't find in any writing manual

  Fourteen years of writing online, mostly crap, with a few gems, has taught me much.

  writing

  Aug 16, 2024
• Nine things Robert Greene's 48 Laws of Power taught me about building a lucrative coaching business

  I've been a business and life coach for over eight years.

  freelancing

  marketing

  Aug 15, 2024
• 25 things I'd tell my younger, anxious self to feel

  What I learned over 38 years I wish I was told when I was younger.

  self

  Aug 14, 2024
• No, you don't need to have gone through hardship to be happy

  I see people talking about how the kindest, friendliest, happiest people are often those who went through loads of misery.

  self

  Aug 13, 2024
• If you're exhausted from publishing content (like me), this is why you need to IGNORE the...

  A couple of years ago, I wrote threads on X for hundreds of days in a row.

  creativity

  writing

  Aug 13, 2024
• The six unusual secrets of the happiest people

  I've lived a life with plenty of unnecessary struggle, heartbreak and frustration.

  self

  Aug 12, 2024
• Six steps to mastering the art of non-resistance (so your confidence rockets)

  Two people sit under a large tree on a bench by the river.

  self

  Aug 12, 2024
• If your content feels lifeless, and you're not motivated, try inviting your reader into your house

  Some of my clients come to me and say, 'Alex, I don't know what else to write about.'

  marketing

  Aug 11, 2024
• Eight little behaviours blocking you from notable success

  Are you holding yourself back from 'success?'

  self

  Aug 11, 2024
• Nine small things you can do right now if you're struggling

  I've had many moments when I felt tired, fed up, overwhelmed and in despair.

  self

  Aug 10, 2024
• Nine daily habits of the most determined people I know

  Read this if you want to stay energised over the long term.

  self

  Aug 09, 2024
• Instead of making a drastic change when you are not feeling it, do this...

  It's easy to feel bored with life and say something like:

  self

  Aug 09, 2024
• Seven things you can do right now to feel great for the rest of your day

  Seven things you can do right now to feel great for the rest of your day

  self

  Aug 08, 2024
• I was so frustrated with how little engagement my writing was getting until I made this simple...

  Build a newsletter of loyal subscribers and buyers using this system...

  writing

  marketing

  Aug 08, 2024
• Why trying to be impressive reduces your impact

  'Oh my goodness! Jason was so impressive!'

  self

  Aug 07, 2024
• Illustrated quotes to raise your frequency and make you fearless

  Ralph Waldo Emerson once said:

  self

  Aug 07, 2024
• Eleven elements of a stand-out personal brand that gathers thousands of fans

  For many years I had no idea who I was online.

  marketing

  Aug 06, 2024
• Why we have self-doubt and nine ways to drop the doubt and realise our inner badass

  A common struggle of those in my community is self-doubt.

  self

  Aug 06, 2024
• How to become stronger even if life gets harder

  Today, a reader of mine asked me if I could show him how to be more 'anti-fragile.'

  self

  work

  Aug 05, 2024
• 54 words guaranteed to make more people stop and take notice of your writing (a must-read for...

  I've written hundreds of articles that barely anyone read.

  writing

  Aug 05, 2024
• How I stay consistent and motivated writing an article most days

  I write a new article every day.

  writing

  Aug 05, 2024
• Fourteen unusual ideas that will make you a more effortlessly consistent writer

  You've heard it before. Consistency is one of the most important — if not the most critical skills — in your arsenal as an online writer...

  writing

  Aug 04, 2024
• The most fulfilled introverts avoid these eight things

  I'm an 'introvert.'

  self

  Aug 04, 2024
• Eight innocent behaviours that age you twice as fast

  I don't know about you, but I love life enough to want to experience it for as long as possible.

  self

  Aug 04, 2024
• Your writing likely sucks — not because you can't write — but because your ideas are not...

  Here's how to transform your content into high-concept content...

  writing

  Aug 02, 2024
• One freaking thing at a time — a simple strategy for being a productive powerhouse

  Picture a box of juicy oranges in front of you.

  productivity

  Aug 01, 2024
• Eight things to do if you just can't focus

  I know what it's like to feel like you have much to do but can't seem to find the motivation to get moving.

  productivity

  self

  Aug 01, 2024
• What, you didn't know? Obsession is the reward

  I'm afraid I have to diagnose you with a rather acute case.

  self

  Jul 31, 2024
• Avoid these eight behaviours if you don't want to be ignored

  There are downsides to always being seen. But there are many reasons we'd want to stand out too.

  self

  Jul 31, 2024
• Eleven little behaviours that make you instantly immune from giving an F about what others think

  I've given many shits about what people think all my life.

  self

  Jul 30, 2024
• Using mantras to build powerful mental strength

  "You stupid, dumb fool! What have you done?"

  self

  Jul 30, 2024
• Seven habits of highly productive creators

  If you were to ask me who my idols were, I quickly think of people like Picasso, Asimov, DaVinci, Aphex Twin, Agatha Christie, and Ridley...

  creativity

  Jul 29, 2024
• If you're struggling to start the thing (yeah, that thing), read this...

  A lot of us never get started, let alone get anything going.

  self

  Jul 29, 2024
• Twenty four questions you can ask yourself to find a breakthrough quickly

  Yes, you can't find a way through.

  writing

  Jul 28, 2024
• How to cultivate self-confidence for long-term health benefits

  Steve Jobs once said that one of the best doctors, among things like a good diet and exercise, is self-confidence.

  self

  Jul 28, 2024
• Six things I am doing right now to improve my odds of success greatly

  It's time to draw a line in the sand, friend.

  startups

  Jul 27, 2024
• Seven habits of the most energised people I know

  A lot of people espouse the importance of time management.

  productivity

  self

  Jul 27, 2024
• Why you don't need to wait to start monetising your audience. In fact, you must start right away

  There's a misconception that you must wait TIME before monetising your audience.

  marketing

  Jul 27, 2024
• It's not more information you need, but you do need to act

  I love to read and absorb new information.

  productivity

  self

  Jul 26, 2024
• Six steps to making paid membership money from a Substack newsletter

  I have two newsletters.

  writing

  marketing

  Jul 26, 2024
• Eight seemingly harmless habits you're doing that make you miserable

  One thing I learned over years and years of amazing highs and terrible lows:

  self

  Jul 24, 2024
• How to reawaken the warrior in you today so you create with power...

  I'll be honest; I've been feeling flat and rather uninspired lately.

  self

  Jul 24, 2024
• 10 things that will give you a huge unfair advantage if you're courageous

  The highest quality fruit often requires you to climb deeper into the tree to collect them for yourself.

  self

  Jul 23, 2024
• How to be confident

  How to be confident

  self

  Jul 23, 2024
• Why you will never 'find' your purpose

  Why you must create your experience today

  creativity

  self

  Jul 22, 2024
• Fourteen dirty little secrets that will quadruple your productivity (I'm not even joking)

  A major lesson for me in my 39 years: it shouldn't take drastic change to make a huge impact.

  creativity

  productivity

  Jul 22, 2024
• Twelve tiny changes that will transform your writing within 24 hours

  Writing is a lifelong craft.

  writing

  Jul 22, 2024
• Here's how to turn challenges into opportunities so you welcome failure

  I love my life.

  self

  work

  Jul 21, 2024
• If you want to be a leader people respect, avoid these ten things

  You don't need to be the CEO of a glitzy corporation to be a leader.

  leadership

  Jul 21, 2024
• You know it's good when it feels weird

  I have a month to prepare for my course launch on building a system that gets you daily newsletter subscribers.

  writing

  Jul 20, 2024
• Do these six things if anger controls your life

  I used to be a hothead, which rendered me pretty useless in those moments.

  self

  Jul 20, 2024
• Ten of the best things we can learn from Strunk and White on writing better non-fiction

  I'm sitting at a cafe at the airport, waiting for a flight from Tallinn to London. I feel a sense of soft sadness for leaving after five...

  writing

  Jul 19, 2024
• When you have doubts about the path you're on...

  You ever get that voice in your head that asks:

  writing

  self

  Jul 19, 2024
• Twelve mistakes solopreneurs make that stop them bringing in hundreds of daily subscribers and...

  I've been growing my newsletter on and off for over a decade.

  marketing

  work

  startups

  Jul 19, 2024
• Eight ways to stop being so uptight so you enjoy life far more

  Hey Malcolm, buddy, 'stop taking life so seriously!'

  self

  Jul 18, 2024
• If you suffered a 'failure,' read this

  You really wanted it, but it didn't work out.

  self

  Jul 18, 2024
• Stop trying to focus and do this instead:

  'I wish I could find my focus,' you say.

  productivity

  Jul 17, 2024
• How to make your readers fall in love with your writing

  17 documented ways to use words to grow a movement of people who can't get enough.

  writing

  Jul 17, 2024
• Twenty one sentences that will make you less anxious than 97% of people

  Anxiety is becoming increasingly more common.

  mental-health

  self

  Jul 17, 2024
• Do the thing most people refuse to do to get an unfair advantage

  Do you do what most people do?

  writing

  self

  Jul 16, 2024
• Eight unusual habits of the super successful few talk about

  Here are some less-talked-about traits about successful people, which have informed my own successes:

  productivity

  self

  Jul 16, 2024
• Fourteen rules for living the good life (in less than 600 words)

  I ain't here to preach.

  self

  Jul 15, 2024
• Why thinking we have a 'self' to protect is the cause of all our suffering

  All our suffering stems from the belief we have a 'self' to protect.

  self

  Jul 13, 2024
• I just self-published a book and sold over 600 copies in a week.

  Recently, I shared my latest book, 'The Art of Self Respect,' with the world.

  writing

  Jul 13, 2024
• Ten ways to inject creativity into your veins (no one talks about)

  Acting on unique solutions to problems will set you apart in an AI world.

  creativity

  Jul 13, 2024
• How to be insanely creative without burning out

  I beat myself up when I procrastinate.

  creativity

  writing

  Jul 09, 2024
• Nine understated behaviours that make people admire you

  Being an awkward teen forced me to take a keen interest in human behaviour.

  self

  Jul 08, 2024
• Ten simple habits that quickly raise your intelligence

  Have you ever done one of those online IQ tests or intelligence tests?

  productivity

  self

  Jul 07, 2024
• Seven simple relaxation hacks to calm you instantly

  I'm no stranger to anxiety, and stimulation hits me harder than many. Poor snowflake.

  lifestyle

  mental-health

  self

  Jul 05, 2024
• Six ways to remedy distressing life situations

  I'm no stranger to seemingly awful things happening and the hollow feeling in my chest that accompanies them.

  mental-health

  self

  Jul 04, 2024
• How to make your content turn heads by turning common ideas upside down...

  So many people share tired ideas that gather little interest.

  writing

  marketing

  Jul 03, 2024
• If you're worried about money, read this for quick relief

  Who is human who hasn't worried about money?

  money

  self

  Jul 03, 2024
• The six subtle behaviours of people with the least drama in their lives

  Life's too short for unnecessary drama.

  self

  Jul 03, 2024
• Do these six things every day and you will find it hard to fall short of your dreams

  The economy sucks, people are dicks, and life is hard.

  productivity

  self

  Jul 02, 2024
• These four things will 10x your discipline in a week

  (This will change your life)

  productivity

  self

  Jul 02, 2024
• Five ways to make it painful to give up your consistent writing habit

  There are many good reasons to stop writing consistently.

  writing

  Jul 01, 2024
• 14 ways I've used ChatGPT to make life easier and reduce stress

  Someone shared a poll recently asking how often their readers had used ChatGPT in the last week, and I was surprised at the results.

  productivity

  Jun 30, 2024
• The secret to winning as a creator? Do what matters with speed and in volume

  You're frustrated.

  creativity

  Jun 30, 2024
• The art of 'not shoulding' (and what this does to your performance)

  When was the last time you 'shoulded?'

  self

  Jun 29, 2024
• Why a productive mind is a mind you leave alone

  A lot of people talk about getting burned out, and I get it.

  productivity

  Jun 29, 2024
• Ten things every new online writer must know (to save time and frustration)

  I've written (pretty much) consistently for over a decade and built an audience of over 150,000 souls.

  writing

  Jun 28, 2024
• Eleven counterintuitive ways to improve your life (no one talks about these)

  None of the ideas I'm about to share with you came from any self-help book.

  self

  Jun 28, 2024
• Quirk marketing 101: How to grow a brand based on your quirks

  Only freaks grow a successful personal brand.

  marketing

  Jun 27, 2024
• All success is overcoming the panic one feels in the face of a challenge

  Why can't this ever get easier?

  mental-health

  self

  Jun 27, 2024
• Eight tiny behaviours that lose you respect

  Watching people around me in everyday life is like peering into a continually-running documentary on human behaviour.

  self

  Jun 26, 2024
• I'm telling you right now, be a maniac.

  Don't listen to the bozos who tell you to take it slow and 'just enjoy life.'

  creativity

  writing

  Jun 25, 2024
• Ten Uncommon Habits to Join the Top 1% in a Distracted, Modern World

  You can choose a path that brings stability, fulfilment and a healthy dollop of fun.

  money

  self

  Jun 25, 2024
• Six immature decisions that will (drastically) sabotage your progress

  I'm not always mature. Deep down, I'm still a kid.

  self

  Jun 25, 2024
• The seven habits that will make you effortlessly independent

  I've spent most of my life abroad.

  self

  Jun 24, 2024
• Ten ways minimalism can simplify your life

  I've incorporated minimalism into my life for over a decade.

  lifestyle

  productivity

  self

  Jun 23, 2024
• The eight traits of the most indestructibly 'fearless' people I know

  Fear and I have formed a very intimate relationship over the years.

  self

  Jun 22, 2024
• Eight traits shared by those who avoid growing bitter as they get older

  I see many people whose bitterness correlates directly to how many years they've been alive.

  self

  Jun 22, 2024
• Jasper's Island (and the power of a still mind)

  He lived alone on an island in a lake.

  fiction

  Jun 21, 2024
• Ten behaviours that make people respect you more

  I've learned a lot about human behaviour through years of awkwardness.

  self

  Jun 21, 2024
• Eight things you can do to be in the top 2% of people in a chaotic world

  I don't know if you've noticed, but the world is not predictable.

  self

  Jun 19, 2024
• Six ways to become needed by your customers and clients so you have all the financial freedom you...

  True freedom isn't necessarily living in a cabin, isolated and detached. It is to be needed — this gives us options.

  work

  Jun 19, 2024
• The new skills we need so we aren't destroyed by the exponential growth of the Internet

  Isn't the Internet marvellous?

  self

  Jun 18, 2024
• That time I had to find $8,000 in less than two weeks...

  Author's note: this was written several years ago

  money

  self

  Jun 18, 2024
• Stop doing these eleven things if you want more confidence today

  My best teacher in life was deep despair.

  self

  Jun 17, 2024
• Seven 'superficial' tips that will get you 10X further in life

  It can sometimes feel like we're running on a hamster wheel of hell.

  self

  Jun 17, 2024
• Nine cheeky little hacks that draw people to you (and they won't know why)

  I spent most of my life wanting to connect better with people.

  relationships

  self

  Jun 16, 2024
• Eight steps to writing an article people love in less than 20 minutes

  (If you just need to get something out or you want to be a speedy writing warrior)

  writing

  marketing

  Jun 16, 2024
• Sixteen little life hacks that will do more for your mental health than a year with any therapist

  1. Every morning, write out your challenges and opportunities.

  mental-health

  Jun 15, 2024
• Twelve cool ways people are making money online with their knowledge

  Twelve cool ways people are making money online with their knowledge

  freelancing

  Jun 14, 2024
• You can make money living anywhere if you do what I did

  I've spent the majority of the last 14 years living overseas.

  travel

  Jun 14, 2024
• You owe it to yourself right now to...

  To stop, right now.

  mindfulness

  self

  Jun 13, 2024
• 11 quotes from famous authors that will make you a better writer

  For years, I've shared my ideas on how to improve as a writer.

  writing

  Jun 13, 2024
• How to make it easier to start things when the last thing you want to do is start

  Finishing things is mega important.

  self

  Jun 13, 2024
• Four things I did to grow over 100,000 followers on Twitter in 10 months

  I've been tweeting since 2008 and ditched an account with 24,000 followers in late 2021.

  social-media

  Jun 12, 2024
• 21 Sentences That Will Make You More Attractive Than Most

  I put together this cheat sheet for quick reference.

  self

  Jun 11, 2024
• How to Create So Much They Can't Ignore You

  Isn't the Internet great?

  creativity

  Jun 11, 2024
• A tip I use to make consistent writing 10x more enjoyable

  Here's a power writing tip.

  writing

  Jun 11, 2024
• How to supercharge the belief you have in your content and writing

  Isn't there enough art in the world already?

  creativity

  writing

  Jun 10, 2024
• Ten ways regular writing gives you more freedom

  When I struggle to find the excitement to continue writing, I remember the freedom it brings.

  writing

  Jun 10, 2024
• Less is more: eight strategies for streamlining your online brand so you gain raving fans faster

  Too many of us make audience growth, online business and this branding stuff more complicated than needed.

  marketing

  Jun 10, 2024
• How making bigger bets might be scary, but you'll know who you really are

  Most people live lives of quiet desperation.

  self

  Jun 09, 2024
• Here's how you can make great money as a writer selling little courses in the next five years

  (In 13 simple steps)

  writing

  Jun 09, 2024
• Ten dirty little tricks that instantly raise your sense of self-respect

  We can be experts at complicating our lives.

  self

  Jun 08, 2024
• Eight thinking habits of geniuses, champions, and legacy-leavers

  It's intriguing to extract behaviour patterns in those who left significant legacies behind.

  self

  Jun 08, 2024
• Ten Simple Hacks You Can Use Right Now to Feel More Self-Confident

  I've spent most of my life awkward, doubtful and twitchy nervous.

  self

  Jun 07, 2024
• Eleven subtle behaviours that make people respect you more

  I've learned a lot about human behaviour through years of awkwardness.

  self

  Jun 07, 2024
• They will criticise and you are untouchable, so you may as well create

  One of the biggest things stopping us from creating and sharing and persisting is the fear of criticism.

  self

  Jun 06, 2024
• Eight things I do before I write to be a better writer

  Why do anything worth doing when we're not in the zone?

  writing

  Jun 06, 2024
• Eleven things you can do to add a little spice to your life

  Do you ever feel like you could use more of an edge to feel more alive?

  self

  Jun 05, 2024
• Four ways to stay emotionally resilient so you don't get broken by social media

  Working on my brand and online business has brought conflict.

  social-media

  Jun 05, 2024
• Ten behaviours that make you more mysterious

  We live in a world where everyone shouts to be heard and seen. Like in any situation, there are always ways to take advantage, so everyone...

  self

  Jun 05, 2024
• Getting paid to do the work you love is like retiring early

  Finding a way to make money from what you love doing is like early retirement

  self

  Jun 04, 2024
• Ten habits that quickly turn you into a super-creator

  You can't be seriously saying that tiny shifts in our behaviour make us instantly more creative?

  creativity

  Jun 03, 2024
• Six signs you're probably going to struggle until you die

  Let's jump straight in...

  self

  Jun 03, 2024
• It's nearly impossible to succeed as a one-person knowledge business without these ten...

  I've been in the game of personal brand-building and making money without relying on a boss for 15 years.

  work

  Jun 02, 2024
• These daily questions improve my life by 10x

  Prolific writer Ray Bradbury once said:

  productivity

  Jun 02, 2024
• Five things I do to reduce overthinking quickly

  Overthinking and I share a long history.

  mental-health

  self

  Jun 01, 2024
• 15 short ideas that help you master wanting less so your life transforms

  The more we want, the more we suffer.

  self

  Jun 01, 2024
• Nine ways you can quickly rewire your thinking to give less of a f*ck about what others think

  I've spent most of my life caring far too much about the opinions of others. It made me nervous and avoidant and lost me opportunities.

  self

  May 31, 2024
• How being productive can be EASY. (Really?)

  If you're overwhelmed and procrastinate a lot and don't know where to start...

  productivity

  May 31, 2024
• Eight hacks that quickly make you more socially confident

  I've continually said that lasting freedom from unnecessary anxieties and social fears lies in developing a practice of letting go of...

  self

  May 30, 2024
• Fourteen ways to calm your nerves before a call or event so you communicate more powerfully

  Two things dictate the quality of your call or presentation more than anything else:

  lifestyle

  mental-health

  May 29, 2024
• The five subtle behaviours of fearless creators

  The best creators are the least afraid of rejection.

  self

  May 29, 2024
• If you're struggling to grow online, read this

  A lot people are struggling to build an audience.

  writing

  marketing

  social-media

  May 28, 2024
• If you want to decrease your anxiety, understand this simple thing:

  I wish it didn't take me so long in life to figure out how to be less anxious.

  mental-health

  May 28, 2024
• The power of personal essays: 15 writing prompts to spark inspiration

  Some of my most impactful pieces of writing revolved around some personal and emotional story.

  writing

  self

  May 28, 2024
• Seven mind shifts that make you immune to the fear of online rejection

  If we're to succeed, grow and make an impact online in this 'creator's economy,' we need to get real with the idea that people won't like...

  self

  social-media

  May 27, 2024
• Nine curious little tricks to create an insanely unfair advantage in your life

  (Pssst, less than 2% of people do these)

  self

  May 27, 2024
• The five subtle behaviours of the most respected people

  Years of being confused by other people and feeling let down by many drove me to learn everything I could about human nature.

  self

  May 27, 2024
• Ten ways to simplify growing your brand by getting help from your audience

  The world is shifting in such a way that everything points to the value of building your own brand presence online.

  marketing

  May 26, 2024
• Five little habits that will energise you through the day

  We often fail to see how our overall happiness and wellness is driven by consistent habits. It's not a personality thing or what we're born...

  self

  May 26, 2024
• How to be yourself

  Why do we care so much about what others think?

  self

  May 26, 2024
• Five lesser-known habits that make life 10x more enjoyable

  I learned over the years not to depend on external events for my happiness.

  self

  May 25, 2024
• How to use your 'willpower muscle' to gain anadvantage

  It was getting absurd.

  productivity

  May 25, 2024
• My writing finally attracted interest after this one big revelation

  Nobody read my writing for years.

  writing

  May 24, 2024
• How to feel better about your future as a writer when you're daunted by AI

  Unless you've been sleeping in a tunnel with no wifi, you've seen the rapid recent improvements in artificial intelligence.

  writing

  marketing

  May 24, 2024
• Why doing this on regular walks helps me make better decisions

  I know what it's like to regret making a poor decision.

  productivity

  self

  May 23, 2024
• Why you need to embrace your 'weird' for the sake of your aliveness and energy

  Nathan was frequently depressed and he didn't know why.

  mental-health

  self

  May 23, 2024
• Knowing this will make you give less of a f*ck about what others think

  I worry too much about what other people think of me.

  self

  May 22, 2024
• Don't be ignored. Here are 17 quick ways to improve your writing

  Many people are frustrated by the lack of interest people seem to have in their writing.

  writing

  May 21, 2024
• Six things I learned in 39 years that I wish I knew younger

  At 39, I still make lots of mistakes.

  self

  May 21, 2024
• Cut out these 10 subtle habits if you hate feeling self-doubt:

  Over many years, I learned to befriend doubt.

  self

  May 20, 2024
• The mental 'hack' that diminishes your problems...

  Take a moment to bring all your problems into your awareness all at the same time.

  mental-health

  self

  May 20, 2024
• Fifteen discreet ways you lose her attraction, bro

  Most men are suffering deeply, completely invisible to women because they were denied these lessons from absent men.

  relationships

  May 20, 2024
• Most people struggle with online business because they don't know their WHY

  Clients often approach me to help them figure out how to stand out and get more engagement online.

  marketing

  May 19, 2024
• Don't confuse your self-worth with your lack of experience

  Many people — including me in the past — have tried things only to take the experience of failing personally.

  self

  May 19, 2024
• You won't LOVE all the work you do, even purpose-driven work, and that's OK

  You may find it inconceivable that you would see real success 'doing what you love.'

  creativity

  May 18, 2024
• How building a newsletter of fans and buyers set me free and how you can do the same

  'Trust me; you need to keep building your personal brand.'

  writing

  marketing

  May 18, 2024
• Seven subtle signs you might just make it

  Life can be hard.

  self

  May 17, 2024
• Fifteen effective ways to grow your newsletter this week

  You could build your entire future through your newsletter.

  marketing

  May 17, 2024
• Ten subtle body language signals of people who get more respect:

  My name is Alex, and I specialise in being awkward.

  self

  May 17, 2024
• Eight subtle things that make you more attractive (without changing your appearance)

  I wasn't always comfortable speaking with people, let alone confident socially.

  relationships

  self

  May 16, 2024
• Six strange ways we're corroding our mental performance

  Ever notice how distracted we're becoming?

  productivity

  self

  May 16, 2024
• Eight mental habits that make you wiser than most

  Having wisdom means you just 'get it.'

  self

  May 15, 2024
• How to build an online brand your people want to binge

  Ever binged on a tv show?

  marketing

  May 15, 2024
• Seven subtle ways you continually sabotage your success (and how to quickly turn that around)

  Most of us race towards the grave with our foot on the break. We wonder why we never got what we dreamed of in our youth.

  self

  May 14, 2024
• Forget alcohol. Here's how to get drunk on life.

  Quick-hit short-term pleasures might be fun, but there's always a price to pay.

  self

  May 13, 2024
• Ten reasons why in ten years you will be glad you wrote consistently online

  It's very easy to get discouraged writing online.

  writing

  May 13, 2024
• If you have a small audience online, and want things to happen, read this...

  Previously shared on newsletter: MasteryDen.com

  marketing

  May 13, 2024
• Seven outrageous little secrets that will turn you into a fearless badass overnight

  Ever wonder why life seems to have given an indestructible quality to some people and not others?

  self

  May 12, 2024
• Twenty five hard things you can do to gain 'unfair' leverage in life

  I always say that to gain an unfair advantage in life, you need to be willing to do what few others want to do.

  productivity

  self

  May 11, 2024
• Five little things you can do today if your life lacks spark

  We're all human and have phases where things can feel a little flat.

  self

  May 10, 2024
• 11 boring work obligations you can ignore to enjoy your life

  Do you ever feel weighed down by obligations?

  productivity

  self

  May 10, 2024
• This one nugget of understanding will reduce your anxiety and improve your life

  I've spent a sizeable chunk of my life uptight and nervous.

  mental-health

  self

  May 10, 2024
• Why endless choice is making us unhappy, and what to do about it today

  I continually ask my readers what they're struggling with, and I've noticed a common thread.

  self

  May 09, 2024
• 95% of success is getting out of your own way. Here's how:

  Life can confuse us and make it seem as though in order to be successful you need the right kind of:

  self

  May 09, 2024
• 15 tricks to help you attract new ideas quickly

  Most of the world is in consumption mode. Far better to be a creator.

  creativity

  May 09, 2024
• The happiest introverts do these six things

  Years of being secretly overjoyed at cancelled social arrangements have taught me much.

  self

  May 08, 2024
• Fifteen ideas for quick content so you have something you can publish even if you don't have much...

  You said you'd commit to creating regular content so you get better at creating, develop discipline and grow an audience of fans.

  marketing

  May 07, 2024
• How to find your superpower — your unique way of contributing in the world that most never uncover...

  For many years I misunderstood myself.

  self

  May 07, 2024
• How to find time to write

  Many people want to see traction with their writing.

  writing

  May 06, 2024
• Fifteen ways to be unstoppable in your twenties (that few talk about)

  I loved my twenties. I experienced much success, but also plenty of pain, confusion and struggle.

  self

  May 06, 2024
• Five things you must know if you want to be a productivity machine

  I calculated I've created and published over 200,000 pieces of content over the last fifteen years.

  creativity

  productivity

  May 05, 2024
• If you ever struggle with 'social anxiety,' you need to read this:

  I know what it's like to feel slow, ugly, and weird around other people.

  mental-health

  May 04, 2024
• Four lies that keep you trapped in overthinking

  A mini field guide you can depend on for daily happiness and performance

  self

  May 04, 2024
• Cut out these eleven habits if you want more respect

  Decades of awkwardness compelled me to learn and understand what connects us to one another and what pushes us apart.

  relationships

  self

  May 04, 2024
• How can you help the world in a way no one else can?

  Too many of us aren't fulfilled because we're trying to be someone we're not.

  self

  work

  May 03, 2024
• Eight innocent mistakes that keep you stressed and anxious

  I've struggled with stress and anxiety for over a decade.

  mental-health

  self

  May 03, 2024
• Eight silly things you need to stop doing if you want more freedom

  We can do certain things to enslave ourselves without even realising it.

  self

  May 02, 2024
• Ten tiny hacks to make your day go smoother

  It needn't take much to turn your whole day around.

  self

  May 02, 2024
• Signs you're on the path of greatness...

  You've committed to a mission, project or cause with no Plan B. Failure is not an option.

  self

  May 02, 2024
• Why you find sitting down to write hard, and how to make it easier

  I'm in the middle of writing my eighth book and I still don't always find it easy for the words to flow.

  writing

  May 01, 2024
• Eight writing prompts for viral articles, posts, and threads

  The short-form article or thread is one of the most powerful forms of writing for bringing attention to you and your personal brand and...

  writing

  marketing

  Apr 30, 2024
• 'Unreasonable optimism' separates the long-term winners from those who struggle

  Over a decade ago, I decided I didn't want to work for a boss.

  self

  Apr 29, 2024
• Eighteen sentences that will make your content more authentic than 95% of 'salesy' personal brands

  For the first few years of building an online business, I wrote to impress.

  writing

  marketing

  Apr 29, 2024
• Five quick changes that make discipline 5X easier

  Back in caveman days, being disciplined was so easy that discipline wasn't even a thing.

  productivity

  self

  Apr 29, 2024
• Here are nine ways to rekindle your flame, if you've been feeling flat

  If you don't have periods where you're not your energised self, welcome to the experience of being human.

  self

  Apr 28, 2024
• Sixteen ways to become a masterful writer (without writing)

  There's no replacement for writing a lot if you want to become an impactful writer.

  writing

  Apr 28, 2024
• A brief introduction to moving out of a slump and into a motivated state in less than 2 hours

  I hate feeling stuck.

  self

  Apr 27, 2024
• The one thing that helped me create every day, even when I wanted to quit

  I give up when the work I make sucks. When I hate it.

  creativity

  Apr 27, 2024
• Eleven little things you can do that make others want to listen to you

  Ever get frustrated that people don't seem to pay you attention?

  self

  Apr 27, 2024
• Eleven self-taught life lessons that gave me a major advantage

  Let's dive straight in:

  self

  Apr 26, 2024
• 16 sentences that will make you a more credible online writer than 95% of writers

  I know several writers who talk a good talk, but lack credibility. As such, they lose readers and struggle to grow.

  writing

  Apr 25, 2024
• 15 short paragraphs that will give you an unfair advantage as an online writer

  I was told today that I'm number three out of the top writers on Medium for self-improvement.

  writing

  Apr 25, 2024
• Four 5-minute habits that will instantly inject energy into your day

  You are what you repeatedly do.

  self

  Apr 25, 2024
• Maybe what's missing for you is the excitement you get from choosing to be (crazy) prolific

  People keep talking about focusing on quality over quantity.

  creativity

  writing

  Apr 24, 2024
• Eleven behaviours that make people instantly like you more

  I haven't always been liked, and I don't encourage anyone to go about trying to be liked.

  relationships

  Apr 24, 2024
• Ten ideas to energise the way you write so you attract thousands of loyal fans

  Let's take a look...

  writing

  Apr 23, 2024
• What I do when I know I need to create, but don't feel like it...

  The resistance is there.

  creativity

  self

  Apr 23, 2024
• Thirteen subtle habits that quadruple your anxiety (I'm being serious)

  I suffered from anxiety (hard) and still have my moments. That's fine. It isn't about never having anxiety — it's about making peace with...

  mental-health

  Apr 22, 2024
• How one small, bold habit change can change your life

  When was the last time you did something that made you feel worse about yourself for having done it?

  self

  Apr 22, 2024
• Give yourself a break by recognising who you really are

  Sometimes I look around and think what a strange story most of us live in.

  self

  Apr 22, 2024
• If you have any shame, take these six steps to dissolve it, so you can return to your badass self

  Shame can lock us in our own prison for life.

  self

  Apr 21, 2024
• Too many of us are just coasting. Here are seven ways to infuse some savagery into you lives

  Our lives may look very different from how it did thousands of years ago. Can you imagine what your bear-skin-wearing ancestors would think...

  self

  Apr 21, 2024
• The nine secrets of the most consistently productive creators

  I've given myself no other option in my life but to create for a living.

  creativity

  Apr 20, 2024
• 15 overlooked reasons people quickly get bored with your online writing

  Isn't it fun when you put time and energy into writing a post, but when you check back later, you see only three people viewed it, and you...

  writing

  Apr 20, 2024
• Opportunities arrive when you're in motion (a mountain trekking story)

  My thighs burned, and the bones in my feet pulsed pain.

  travel

  self

  Apr 20, 2024
• How I went from awkward overthinker to more creative more of the time

  I'm in a cafe in Tallinn, Estonia.

  mental-health

  self

  Apr 19, 2024
• Eight secret habits of the most magnetic people

  As an awkward teen, I struggled to connect with people.

  relationships

  self

  Apr 19, 2024
• Everything got easier when I stopped chasing, and started doing more with what I had

  It's easy to want the rippling rush of that next novelty.

  self

  Apr 18, 2024
• Ten seemingly innocent habits that quietly drain your energy

  Ever have one of those days where the energy just isn't there?

  productivity

  self

  Apr 17, 2024
• If you worry a lot, you need to read this...

  I have an extremely active imagination.

  mental-health

  self

  Apr 17, 2024
• Ten secrets to happiness of the mentally strong

  Read this once for a pick-me-up.

  self

  Apr 17, 2024
• How we win when we turn off the Internet

  We all have a guilty secret.

  creativity

  Apr 16, 2024
• Seven rules I follow as a writer to ensure my audience and business continue to grow

  I've been writing content and sharing it online for over fourteen years.

  writing

  Apr 16, 2024
• The one behaviour that separates the successful from the struggling masses...

  Life has a cyclical pace that can often feel ruthless and unforgiving. I may have been knocked down many times, but my obsessive need to...

  self

  Apr 16, 2024
• 20 small things to do when you're fed up and a little depressed

  Welcome to the experience of being human. I know what it's like to feel stuck and fed up.

  self

  Apr 15, 2024
• Thirteen naughty secrets that will propel you into the top 2% of online writers

  In anything you do in life, you're in either one of two modes:

  writing

  Apr 15, 2024
• Why using humour is a superpower in tough times

  In tough times, one of the boldest things anyone can do...

  self

  Apr 14, 2024
• Here's how to quickly gain an unfair advantage in your work

  People glamorise a hatred for hard work.

  creativity

  productivity

  work

  Apr 14, 2024
• If you want more freedom, have people rely on you

  Many of us want more freedom and to work less.

  self

  work

  Apr 13, 2024
• Not saying what you really mean is turning you into a soulless husk

  Have you ever said something you didn't really mean, but you said it anyway?

  self

  Apr 13, 2024
• How I went from self-taught doodler to Google illustrator in my twenties

  Pete, my office manager, cackled on the phone to one of our clients.

  self

  Apr 12, 2024
• Ditch these seven subtle habits if you're sick of not fulfilling your potential

  Thinking you're not doing enough.

  self

  Apr 12, 2024
• No, you don't need to have gone through hardship to be happy

  I see people talking about how the kindest, friendliest, happiest people are often those who went through loads of misery.

  self

  Apr 12, 2024
• It's time to drop your bullshit, and get in the arena

  Many of us destroy our potential because we're cynical.

  self

  Apr 11, 2024
• Why victim thinking slowly eats you

  When I am a victim...

  self

  Apr 11, 2024
• Should we all be doing artistic side quests to keep us energised?

  In my early twenties, some of the most fun I had was creating illustrations for a design stock website, iStockphoto.

  creativity

  Apr 10, 2024
• How to remain optimistic as life goes on

  Do you know people who seem jaded as life goes on?

  self

  Apr 09, 2024
• Five explorative writing exercises that may surprise you about yourself

  E.L. Doctorow once said: "Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing, and learn as you go."

  writing

  Apr 08, 2024
• Why social media is not the problem, and what is...

  We're drowning in distractions.

  creativity

  productivity

  social-media

  Apr 08, 2024
• Three simple truths that will turn your 'laziness' into bold action

  The last post on laziness you'll ever need to read.

  productivity

  Apr 08, 2024
• This one, small shift will help you relax in meetings

  I worked recently with a guy who struggled to relax in work meetings.

  lifestyle

  self

  Apr 07, 2024
• Harsh truths about building a personal brand I know at 39 I wish I knew at 20

  Being visible on the Internet is not always easy.

  writing

  marketing

  Apr 07, 2024
• Nine unique life lessons I wish I knew when I was younger

  I've been on this planet called Earth for an eye-blink (38 years) in the grand scheme of things.

  self

  Apr 07, 2024
• Nine sentences I always return to for self-encouragement when things get tough

  I've had too many setbacks and made too many mistakes to count.

  self

  Apr 06, 2024
• Ten simple behaviours that give you rock-solid self-respect

  Many people ask me how they can be more respected.

  self

  Apr 06, 2024
• Seven subtle changes you can make today to make more people want to read your writing

  It took me many years of writing flat, lifeless words to an unreceptive audience before things finally started to click.

  writing

  Apr 05, 2024
• Ten ways thinking and doing BIG can give you an unfair life advantage

  "It's lonely at the top. Ninety-nine per cent of people in the world are convinced they can't do great things, so they aim for mediocre." -...

  self

  work

  Apr 05, 2024
• Seven major threats to your future freedom as a happy man

  As a man who prizes long-term happiness and freedom over much else, I'm continually taking note of things that could potentially sabotage...

  self

  Apr 05, 2024
• Fear diminishes when you look directly and calmly at the thing you fear

  People get scared because they think fear comes from the things around us.

  self

  Apr 04, 2024
• Ten things I learned about succeeding as an online writer after 15 years of writing

  I've struggled and doubted myself a lot in these years.

  writing

  Apr 04, 2024
• On the rewarding art of not stopping (others will drop like flies)

  A curious thing happens when you've been in the game for as long as I have.

  self

  work

  Apr 04, 2024
• Ten exercises that make you more creative than 96% of people

  Creativity, which is one's ability to make connections between ideas and bits of information, is becoming THE skill of the modern world.

  creativity

  Apr 03, 2024
• Step-by-step guide to mastering your mind (with illustrations)

  I am out of control.

  mental-health

  self

  Apr 03, 2024
• Six simple tips that make you immune to disappointment

  I've spent a considerable amount of time analysing myself and others with a view to better managing in this chaotic world.

  mental-health

  self

  Apr 02, 2024
• Here's why NOT needing 'self-belief' will make you more confident and productive

  When you consider the concept of self-belief, what does that mean to you?

  self

  Apr 02, 2024
• How I found freedom working on my personal brand a little bit every day

  I'll be honest.

  freelancing

  marketing

  Apr 01, 2024
• Four killer reasons every creator must write

  Ray Bradbury once said "you must stay drunk on writing so that reality cannot destroy you."

  creativity

  writing

  Apr 01, 2024
• The art of present, thorough work you enjoy

  If you are busy most of the time, making little ground;

  creativity

  productivity

  Mar 31, 2024
• Go where your heart pounds.

  Seems alluring, doesn't it?

  self

  Mar 31, 2024
• What to do when you're struggling to decide...

  Ever find yourself stuck on a really tricky decision?

  productivity

  self

  Mar 30, 2024
• I wrote 400 articles before anyone cared...

  What I learned about writing stuff people WANT to read:

  writing

  Mar 30, 2024
• Eleven things to do if you're a 'nice guy' and want more love, confidence and respect

  Might being too nice be holding you back and making you miserable?

  self

  Mar 29, 2024
• Nine subtle additions to your writing that make you unforgettable

  We live in the age of personal branding.

  marketing

  Mar 29, 2024
• Fourteen habits that make you more focused than 98% of people

  What's the deal with staying focused?

  productivity

  Mar 28, 2024
• Understanding this one thing transformed my communication confidence

  I was a confused kid.

  self

  Mar 28, 2024
• You are not a perfectionist

  You are not a perfectionist.

  self

  Mar 27, 2024
• Why I'm dedicated to improving my speed

  Pete was a guy at school who always finished his homework hours before everyone else.

  creativity

  productivity

  Mar 25, 2024
• If you're a writer or creator and tired of not being seen, you need to read this

  You've finally finished your masterpiece. You're beaming.

  creativity

  Mar 24, 2024
• Eleven habits that make you feel more inspired than the vast majority of people

  Feeling inspired. That often elusive thing we all wish we could feel more.

  self

  Mar 22, 2024
• The magic of making little everyday tests to create momentum

  A brilliant thing I learned from one of my mentors was to 'test' rather than 'trust.'

  self

  Mar 22, 2024
• Twenty sentences that will make you more online income than a two-year MBA

  The opportunities for using your skills, talents and experiences to make money on the Internet has never been more profound.

  marketing

  Mar 21, 2024
• Get more done with this powerful productivity strategy

  Another day gone, and little to show for it.

  productivity

  self

  Mar 20, 2024
• Twelve quick tips to help you become more consistent than 97% of people

  Ever wondered why some people are seemingly effortlessly consistent?

  creativity

  writing

  productivity

  self

  Mar 20, 2024
• Men, these 12 subtle behaviours make you instantly more attractive

  I've always considered myself a decent-looking guy (my mum certainly seems to think so).

  relationships

  self

  Mar 18, 2024
• The single most important thing that determines the success of any entrepreneur

  I've built businesses and done the self-employed solo entrepreneur thing for over a decade.

  self

  Mar 17, 2024
• Thirteen 'unreasonable' challenges you can do that will set you apart so you create insane...

  This post is not for the faint of heart.

  self

  Mar 17, 2024
• Five questions to ask yourself before writing any short, motivational :

  I've written coming on to a thousand articles and newsletters over the years.

  writing

  Mar 16, 2024
• How to make yourself lucky

  Ever notice how certain people seem to attract all the luck in life, while others are like characters in a Peanuts comic?

  self

  Mar 16, 2024
• Fourteen secrets to finding your uniqueness so you stand out in your own way

  Most online advice is training you to be a soulless automaton.

  self

  Mar 16, 2024
• Nine ways we sabotage our productivity, and how to turn that around quickly

  ACTION is everything.

  productivity

  self

  Mar 15, 2024
• The seven thinking styles of people who seem to have all the 'luck' in money-making

  I've been in business for myself for over a decade.

  work

  startups

  Mar 13, 2024
• Ten small simple steps to mapping out a good life

  There's this thing you've been avoiding...

  self

  Mar 12, 2024
• Read this if you're continually frustrated

  Why does everything seem to get on my nerves right now?

  self

  Mar 11, 2024
• Asking these questions helps me focus on what really matters

  Author's note: this is a republished piece from a few years ago when I was living in Thailand.

  writing

  productivity

  Mar 10, 2024
• Five tiny changes that make your life 10X more enjoyable

  We have the power to change our perspective and thus behaviour instantly.

  self

  Mar 08, 2024
• Six powerful things to do to become a highly focused writer or creator

  Focus is like taking a magnifying glass, channelling a ray of sunlight, and holding it in place long enough for an ember to start burning.

  productivity

  Mar 07, 2024
• Why 'following your passion' may not be what you're looking for

  I have a problem with the idea of 'passion.'

  writing

  self

  Mar 07, 2024
• Why my life improved when I made space for fear...

  'Eat Pray Love' wasn't what I'd usually pick up in the bookshop.

  creativity

  self

  Mar 04, 2024
• 12 reasons to get my latest book: The Art of Self Respect — Twenty-five subtle habits for...

  I wrote a new book!

  self

  Mar 01, 2024
• It's time we figured out our direction in life. Here's how to make it concrete

  I had someone email me recently that their lack of purpose was driving them crazy.

  self

  Mar 01, 2024
• This little addition to your creative process could multiply your results

  Creativity can be effortless in some moments and a nightmare in others.

  creativity

  Feb 29, 2024
• I've struggled, and that keeps me winning.

  It's been a bit of a mess.

  self

  Feb 27, 2024
• Eleven tiny pieces of advice about how to resonate with a loyal audience I wish I knew before I...

  15 years of writing online has shown me nuances of the craft I would have only gained by grinding in the trenches.

  writing

  Feb 25, 2024
• The power of being who you need to be before you need it

  "A sale is made when your conviction about something is stronger than the potential buyer's."

  self

  Feb 24, 2024
• Nine illustrated Rumi drawing quotes to inspire you to live boldly

  An illustrated journey

  poetry

  Feb 21, 2024
• How to create life clarity in four quick steps [illustrated]

  How to create life clarity in four quick steps [illustrated]

  mental-health

  self

  Feb 20, 2024
• Read this right now if you're stressed...

  Realise that worrying won't help, even if it feels like you have more control over life.

  mental-health

  self

  Feb 19, 2024
• The power of white noise for being more creative

  I've always been hypersensitive and can get overwhelmed by thinking.

  creativity

  Feb 12, 2024
• How I designed and created a planner book from scratch (and sold 90 in the first week)

  *(Author's note — this is an article I am re-sharing from a couple of years ago).

  design

  Feb 07, 2024
• Every tiny action you take counts (and why there is no calling for you)

  I always struggled with focus.

  creativity

  self

  Feb 02, 2024
• How to create TRACTION for your online content: my three foundational guidelines

  You've been creating, making, doing and stressing, and STILL, the traction isn't there.

  marketing

  Feb 01, 2024
• How to use a simple 'night-before' questions checklist to 10X your productivity

  I know what it's like to go through the day disorganised without knowing what I'm doing.

  productivity

  Jan 30, 2024
• Why having the courage to 'Enter the Void' leads to our best creative work

  Here it is again. That wave of discomfort.

  creativity

  self

  Jan 29, 2024
• Fifteen quick questions that make you laser-focused so your productivity quadruple

  Most of us have very little sense of our priorities.

  productivity

  Jan 26, 2024
• What to think when things seem bleak

  Life will never get easy, but we can make it easier by how we think.

  self

  Jan 24, 2024
• Four ways we can make it way easier to get started with the things that matter

  I've made a lot happen over the years, but you don't see all the projects and plans that never got going.

  self

  Jan 20, 2024
• If you can't be bothered, get a little closer...

  How to easily return to projects that brought you lots of resistance.

  productivity

  self

  Jan 16, 2024
• Why I spend three minutes every morning eating frogs (major productivity hack)

  Every morning I sit down and plan the day.

  productivity

  Jan 14, 2024
• What if you focused on giving instead of setting goals?

  Maybe many of us have been misdirected over setting goals.

  productivity

  self

  Jan 11, 2024
• Consistency is relentless and nightmarish, but you can adapt so you enjoy it and get what you want...

  Consistency has shown itself to be one of the most powerful components of success.

  self

  Jan 09, 2024
• 12 subtle tricks to ensure you have more fun in the work week as a solopreneur

  Most of us are returning to a wall of work and self-expectations this week.

  productivity

  self

  work

  Jan 06, 2024
• Why I must fill my life with scary things

  What the hell am I doing?

  self

  Jan 03, 2024
• Eight reasons you'll be glad you started and grew your newsletter in the next ten years

  Over fourteen years ago, a bright orange book caught my eye in a London Waterstones bookshop.

  marketing

  Dec 31, 2023
• What I learned building an illustration design business from scratch in my twenties

  (*Author's note — I wrote this a few years ago, I'm now focused on writing and coaching)

  design

  Dec 31, 2023
• Do these six things in order when you feel rejected

  (6 steps to quickly feeling good about things again)

  self

  Dec 31, 2023
• This is why other people make me suffer

  My life has featured a lot of unnecessary suffering.

  self

  Dec 29, 2023
• How to end self-consciousness

  My name is Alex, and I'm a self-conscious wreck.

  self

  Dec 28, 2023
• If you get stressed at work, you need to read this

  I speak to many guys who tell me they experience a lot of stress at work.

  work

  Dec 27, 2023
• The problem with society's obsession with more

  And why more can happen when you leave things alone.

  self

  Dec 19, 2023
• How to get past the fact that most people are annoying as shit

  There is something in most people that annoys me.

  self

  Dec 16, 2023
• Nine Things I Would Tell My 17 Year-Old Self (at 30)

  Author's note — I wrote this at age 30 — I'm 39 now (wow!), but I decided to re-share this because it still holds true.

  self

  Dec 16, 2023
• The questions I ask myself to turbo-charge my productivity

  I know what it's like to be appallingly scattered and distracted.

  productivity

  Dec 13, 2023
• 40 creative ways to get people to respond to you

  I hate having to stay in touch with people.

  marketing

  Dec 12, 2023
• Understanding how I am connected makes everything better

  It is very human to believe it's them and us

  self

  Dec 10, 2023
• Your most reliable teacher is making a mistake

  Failing feels icky.

  self

  Dec 08, 2023
• How to transform awkward ambiguity into guidance that will put you ahead of the rest

  Starting anything is rarely easy.

  self

  work

  Dec 05, 2023
• Seven reasons I'm betting on Substack for my writing business

  I've been slowly falling in love with Substack.

  marketing

  Dec 05, 2023
• The subtle difference between being miserable, and being alive (short)

  When I am miserable...

  self

  Dec 03, 2023
• On being myself... (a short piece)

  Sometimes, I wish I were a tortoise.

  poetry

  Dec 01, 2023
• Twelve hacks I use to help me through things that scare the crap out of me

  There are a lot of things that still scare me.

  lifestyle

  self

  Dec 01, 2023
• How to succeed with this small change in focus

  Growing any kind of business can be bloody hard. You will make mistakes, doubt yourself and experience setbacks.

  productivity

  Nov 28, 2023
• The power of presence and persuasion I learned from a toy elephant seller in Bangkok

  Author's note: I wrote this a few years ago.

  self

  Nov 24, 2023
• Is this the most significant building block for your success?

  Let's make a deal.

  productivity

  Nov 18, 2023
• You don't need to be 'organised' to be the best at what you do

  I'm one of the least organised people you'll meet*.

  productivity

  self

  Nov 17, 2023
• Twenty ideas from books that energised me the most as a writer and entrepreneur

  As I progress on my adventure as a solo entrepreneur with a love for learning, I like to keep note of some of the ideas from great authors...

  productivity

  Nov 16, 2023
• Five myths about having a successful one-to-one coaching business (and why you want to become a...

  One of the best discoveries of my career was professional coaching.

  self

  work

  Nov 13, 2023
• This is the main reason I've learned women lose respect for men

  One of the most insidious forms of stress for men is women issues.

  relationships

  Nov 07, 2023
• Eight unconventional tips for making money teaching your skills without self-sabotage

  —

  work

  startups

  Nov 05, 2023
• Two ways I give less of a fu*k (while still caring for people)

  🔆

  humor

  comics

  Nov 03, 2023
• How do you specialise in a world that demands multiple skills?

  People come to me, and they say, 'Yo, Alex, what should I specialise in?'

  work

  Sep 25, 2023
• Ten tips for growing fast on X if you're a beginner

  I grew my Twitter account rapidly from scratch to over 100,000 followers in 2022 and continue to add about 50–100 followers per day.

  marketing

  social-media

  Sep 24, 2023
• Doing these nine hard things makes running a successful online business easy

  There are a couple of guarantees when you decide to build your own business.

  startups

  Sep 21, 2023
• This is what I ask myself when I'm about to quit...

  If someone were to ask me what words I'd use to describe working for myself, many would come to mind...

  freelancing

  work

  Sep 07, 2023
• You're not perfect, but you don't have to be when you know this

  Many of us say we're 'perfectionists.'

  creativity

  self

  Sep 05, 2023
• A simple and refreshing way to think about money shared by the wealthiest people

  You believe that money will make you happy.

  money

  self

  Sep 02, 2023
• Commenting on the right accounts is the secret to accelerating your brand

  (but not if your ideas suck)

  marketing

  Aug 30, 2023
• I hate it when things don't go to plan

  I hate it when things don't go to plan. I said a thing without thinking it through, and now I regret it. I didn't get the client I wanted...

  self

  Aug 29, 2023
• The most impactful creators produce junk daily

  Someone who couldn't move emailed me today.

  creativity

  self

  Aug 29, 2023
• How an introvert like me found freedom through talking to (some) p

  'Congratulations. You made a sale:

  work

  startups

  Aug 15, 2023
• The science of online publishing shows us the way, but the art keeps us in it

  I posted my first blog post 15 years ago this month.

  writing

  Aug 06, 2023
• Subtle signs you might be turning into a giga warrior legend with huge nuts

  Life's too short to float around like a sad, wimpy little leaf in the wind.

  self

  Jul 26, 2023
• Avoid these 7 mistakes if you want to grow your freelance business

  Why would you listen to me about this?

  freelancing

  Jul 19, 2023
• This productivity strategy will set you apart over the coming years

  This productivity strategy will set you apart over the coming years

  productivity

  Jul 09, 2023
• Do you need to build a pyramid scheme to make money online?

  I used to think the only way to have a successful business was to be a bit scammy.

  marketing

  Jun 30, 2023
• 7 illustrations that will help you develop your emotional intelligence

  I've been playing around with AI art-creation app: MidJourney. It's very addictive as you can imagine.

  design

  Jun 09, 2023
• For an easier life, you need to intentionally introduce challenge (it can be fun!)

  Comfort can ensnare us.

  self

  Jun 06, 2023
• How I found freedom by working on my personal brand a little bit every day

  I'll be honest.

  freelancing

  marketing

  Jun 03, 2023
• Why we must 'lighten up' now more than ever (it's easier than you think)

  It's all so terrible.

  self

  May 31, 2023
• Nine life 'mistakes' that turned out to be the best things that happened

  I've lost a lot of time ruminating about the past.

  self

  May 26, 2023
• How I learned to continually nurture the most underrated aspect of writing and creating with power

  The Internet is jam-packed with articles, videos and content about how to make great content that resonates.

  writing

  May 23, 2023
• 14 things to avoid if you want people to respond to your messages

  I.e. how to be a master online messaging networker

  marketing

  social-media

  May 12, 2023
• 11 tips for building a profitable sololancing business 5X fast

  I built a global design business from scratch without formal training in my early twenties.

  freelancing

  Apr 09, 2023
• If you're worried about how to make a living from your skills and talents...

  *(Author's note — originally published a few years ago)

  creativity

  marketing

  business

  work

  Apr 09, 2023
• 'The freezer' -why creators fall in it, and how to stay out of it and win

  The freezer. It's a stretch of time. It's a way of thinking. It's a point on a path.

  creativity

  writing

  Apr 06, 2023
• How I get more done using these four basic prompts

  (author's note — I wrote this several years ago)

  productivity

  Mar 30, 2023
• 12 big reasons you need to quit your steady job

  *Author's note: I wrote this a few years ago, but shared it because I believe it still holds relevance for many.

  work

  Mar 28, 2023
• Ten motivational drawings for creators and entrepreneurs

  I love how Instagram limits my creativity to a single square.

  creativity

  Mar 28, 2023
• 12 life-changing things I learned doing confidence drills in public

  In my mid-twenties, I had tons of social anxiety.

  self

  Mar 24, 2023
• Why many of us are in trouble, and four ways to gain an 'unfair advantage'

  Look around you.

  self

  Mar 17, 2023
• How to bring PLAY into your every day to 10X your performance and joy

  Reality is scary.

  creativity

  self

  Mar 16, 2023
• 11 Things That Stop You Being a Top 1% Creator

  If you dislike the idea of 'cheating' your way to the top, look away now.

  creativity

  work

  Mar 13, 2023
• Will Smith can teach us. Here's how to control your anger

  How to master emotional control that will save you pain in future.

  society

  self

  Mar 12, 2023
• The 7 worst pieces of advice young men must ignore to be fulfilled

  As a highly analytical guy fascinated by human behaviour, I'm fortunate to have gathered unbiased insights many can miss.

  relationships

  Mar 09, 2023
• How seeing business as an illusion will make you better a business (short)

  It's amazing how many things we make real in our heads that are literally illusions.

  business

  psychology

  work

  Mar 04, 2023
• We can't be totally happy unless we accept all of humanity (here's how)

  The philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre once said that "hell is other people."

  philosophy

  self

  Feb 13, 2023
• The secret is to create your identity as a DOER by DOING.

  For many years I blocked myself from taking action and seeing momentum because i thought I needed to feel ready.

  self

  Feb 11, 2023
• Men, when she says 'he's so handsome,' this is who she sees...

  For any of you guys familiar with the seedy back streets of night-time Bangkok, you may have heard a customary and oft-repeated...

  relationships

  Feb 05, 2023
• This is how to obliterate (social) anxiety

  A philosophy for living well

  mental-health

  self

  Feb 03, 2023
• If business were easy, what would that look like to you?

  You wake up in a sweat.

  work

  startups

  Jan 25, 2023
• Should we all quit social media?

  I used to take social media so seriously, pining for likes.

  social-media

  Jan 20, 2023
• Over 80 ideas for making books with your creative skills

  We could all use a little extra income, especially the kind that we earn as we sleep.

  creativity

  writing

  Jan 18, 2023
• Why you need to stop trying to be positive

  Stop trying to be positive.

  self

  Jan 17, 2023
• How to rediscover your love for consistent study

  It's funny.

  self

  Jan 17, 2023
• What I learned writing thirty self-development articles in thirty days

  *(author's note: I wrote this article a few years ago)

  writing

  Jan 13, 2023
• Ten drawings that motivate me to make art

  (And for anyone who makes things from nothing)

  creativity

  self

  Jan 08, 2023
• This is what separates an amateur from a master

  Though I'm by no means a 'master,' from what I've seen, an amateur is physically tight and mentally loose (think of a newbie golfer...

  self

  Jan 07, 2023
• Be the present-day embodiment of the person you want to be

  "A sale is made when your conviction about something is stronger than the potential buyer's."

  self

  Jan 07, 2023
• 11 (illustrated) motivating ideas for mastering your craft

  For artists, creators, entrepreneurs, and game-changers.

  creativity

  Dec 27, 2022
• If you struggle to get your creations out into the world, read this

  You find it hard to get motivated to promote your art.

  creativity

  Dec 26, 2022
• Why your creative work doesn't get engagement...

  Something isn't quite right with my process.

  self

  Dec 25, 2022
• Why consistently marketing your business is so hard, and how to make it effortless

  As I've discussed in many articles, marketing yourself; your art; and your brand, properly and consistently is no longer a commendable...

  marketing

  Dec 25, 2022
• Notes on how to price your work so that you earn 5x more each month

  I often get asked about how to best price one's freelance work when working with clients.

  freelancing

  Dec 22, 2022
• 29 quick ways to feel good so you can get back to work

  *(author's note: these is a republished piece from several years ago)

  productivity

  self

  Dec 20, 2022
• 6 pretty deep thoughts about life and the world I discovered when I hit 30

  *(Author's note — I wrote this several years ago when I turned 30–8 years ago)

  self

  Dec 20, 2022
• "Wild Thyme" — A short story

  The steering wheel judders in my sunburned hands. Small rocks crunch under the hard rubber of our silver Suzuki jeep, on the isolated...

  fiction

  Dec 18, 2022
• Writing 5000 words an hour. An interview with author Chris Fox

  (Author's note: this is a republished article from a couple of years ago)

  writing

  Dec 17, 2022
• How to overcome writer's block and other creative blocks...

  Writing when it feels effortless and it just flows is great.

  writing

  Dec 17, 2022
• How to turn your 'wants' into 'MUSTS' so you 10X your productivity

  Creating when you feel like it is one of the best feelings in the world.

  productivity

  self

  Dec 16, 2022
• This brutal mountaineering course in Poland taught me 8 crucial life lessons

  Recently I decided to go on a mountaineering course in Poland.

  travel

  self

  Dec 13, 2022
• Why thinking positive doesn't work

  Do this instead if you want to 10X your energy and be happy.

  self

  Dec 11, 2022
• When I am creative, this happens...

  I look for ways to improve the lives of others.

  self

  Dec 10, 2022
• Why creative talent is not enough (and 4 ways to make an impact as a creator)

  You make great art.

  creativity

  Dec 09, 2022
• 10 questions to making $10,000 per month

  We have a love hate relationship with money.

  money

  Nov 30, 2022
• How to survive the biggest creative job decline of all time

  Succeed when creative work is being made and sold for cheap.

  design

  work

  Nov 16, 2022
• Be more productive by identifying your 'Apex Goal'

  Goals are hard.

  productivity

  Nov 15, 2022
• To create more, play more

  Here's what I mean...

  creativity

  Oct 04, 2022
• How to get TRACTION with your creative work: my three guidelines

  You've been creating, making, doing and stressing, and STILL, the traction isn't there.

  creativity

  Sep 21, 2022
• How to grow your small business using 'tasters'

  If you have a business, you need to get people to do things.

  marketing

  Sep 16, 2022
• 24 ways you sabotage the growth of your solo business

  'Self promotion.'

  freelancing

  Aug 18, 2022
• Should I be a master of many or a master of ONE thing?

  (*author's note: I am resharing this article from a few years back).

  design

  work

  Aug 08, 2022
• How I learned to stop specialising and became 10X happier

  I have spent years in lost time, doubt and worry because I pressured myself into specialising.

  self

  work

  Jul 29, 2022
• A short comic about the bad things in life (featuring cats)

  The world is a dark place...

  comics

  Jun 30, 2022
• A short comic about happiness and struggle.

  What choose you?

  comics

  Jun 05, 2022
• Why we make self-promotion hard when it is not

  If you really knew how many times I didn't take action out of fear in my life, you'd laugh.

  self

  Aug 09, 2020
• The power of taking 'conscious walks'

  It's raining here in Warsaw, Poland.

  self

  Aug 04, 2020
• Finding peace thanks to the Coronavirus

  Many of us are worried about the Coronavirus.

  mental-health

  self

  Mar 22, 2020
• The nourishing energy found in loving everything

  It can hurt when stress curls its knotted fingers around our necks.

  self

  Jan 16, 2020
• I almost quit making daily videos last week. These 8 reminders kept me on track.

  Putting in hours of work day after day to little response on the Internet is one of the most irrational things a human can do.

  social-media

  Jul 25, 2019
• How to melt away stuck, anxious feelings

  Writing this article was hard.

  self

  Feb 13, 2019
• Twelve Reasons to Join an Online Chat Community of Creative Minds

  It can be lonely being a creative professional.

  work

  Sep 02, 2018
• How to Promote Your Creative Business? Here's What I Do...

  Red Lemon Show podcast Episode 2

  Aug 24, 2018
• New Podcast for Creative Minds: 'The Red Lemon Show'

  Listen in for ideas on motivation, productivity, confidence, and making art.

  Aug 24, 2018
• Post-it Notes #2: Write lists every day

  Brainstorm. Come up with hundreds of ideas. Then execute on the best idea/s.

  creativity

  Aug 03, 2018
• Post-It Notes #1: 'The 300 Rule'

  When do you reach 'traction?'

  comics

  Jul 12, 2018
• Gone Reading

  I'm taking some time off.

  creativity

  Jun 08, 2018
• How the 'Red Lemon Club' logo was professionally redesigned

  Graphic designer Claire Coullon and I discuss refreshing a brand

  design

  Apr 30, 2018
• The A-Z Handbook for a Successful Creative Career

  Yours today, for free

  creativity

  Sep 07, 2017
• "Steam Room" - A Short Story

  Duanphen was thinking of hot Thai stew with plenty of garlic. It was edging past the nine-hour mark of soapy water scouring and sore...

  fiction

  Apr 07, 2017
• "Bangkok Onsen" - A Flash Story

  Martin draped the minuscule complementary white towel nonchalantly over his front. Apart from that, he was completely naked, dripping wet...

  fiction

  Mar 29, 2017
• "Silent Guest" - a Micro Story

  He twiddled the thread at the end of his blazer sleeve. The deep silence was pierced by the reliable click of the Thomas the Tank Engine...

  Mar 21, 2017
• Knowing This Will Take Your Creative Business to the Next Level

  "Good marketers see consumers as complete human beings with all the dimensions real people have." - Jonah Sachs

  Feb 27, 2017
• What Karaoke Teaches Us About Making an Impact With Our Art

  At a Karaoke bar, you choose your favourite song and sing over a backing track awkwardly.

  Feb 23, 2017
• Why Motivated Creatives Think Like Andy Warhol

  "The minute you're satisfied with where you are, you aren't there anymore." - Tony Gwynn

  Feb 22, 2017
• 68 Ways to Make Money From Your Creative Skills

  I've spent most of my life devising wacky and occasionally reasonable schemes for making money.

  creativity

  Feb 10, 2017
• Why 'Idea Adventures' Have Become the Most Important Part of My Day

  Many years ago, I made the decision to avoid a corporate lifestyle at all costs and earn a living working for myself writing and making...

  self

  Jan 19, 2017
• What Is the Point of Making More Stuff?

  How this idea always makes me feel better.

  Jan 09, 2017
• Seven Simple Daily Disciplines that Will Make You a Better Creative/Ninja

  You've probably heard it rattled into your brain several times over the last few weeks, even days: if you want to get anywhere in life...

  Jan 06, 2017
• How to Get Dream Clients: An Illustrated Nutshell Guide

  Many of us rely on a handful - or several - paying clients to run our businesses successfully over the year.

  Nov 28, 2016
• How to Explode Your Creative Business Through Shameless Honesty

  Most of us understand the importance of being honest - of being our authentic selves in everyday life.

  Nov 15, 2016
• Three Steps to Figuring Out the Ideal Client for Your Creative Business

  Before I get knee deep into this, I wanted to address some of the jargon I'll be using to describe various concepts and ideas and get it...

  Nov 11, 2016
• Is Promoting Your Art Desperate?

  Self-promotion and marketing have a bad reputation. Drawing attention to ourselves, our art, and our brands feels like we're showing off or...

  Nov 08, 2016
• Why Creative People Should Bother Adding to the Noise

  I was emailed by a subscriber recently who brought up, in my view, one of the most significant questions that we face as artists and...

  Oct 19, 2016
• Create For Yourself, Not for Anyone Else

  One of the most valuable lessons of working as a freelancer over nine years has been the importance of doing work for myself, rather than...

  May 18, 2016
• 7 Truths that Explain Why You're Winning Less than You Could Be

  In a world in which most people are busy covering truths to save face and be nice to one another, sometimes we just need some words of...

  self

  May 08, 2016
• How I Create More Time and Rarely Get Overwhelmed

  I still have days where I feel distracted and get less done than I'd hoped. I still have moments where I feel stress and a lack of...

  May 02, 2016
• Why Building Your Own Assets Must Come Before All Else

  I'm currently having one of my 'all the buses come at once' months where several illustration jobs have come in within the space of ten...

  Apr 30, 2016
• How a Death Metal Rocker Built a World Renowned Graphic Design Company

  Radim Malinic is a good friend of mine who consistently amazes me with his ability to produce things of true quality.

  Apr 06, 2016
• How I Use My Body as a Tool to Beat Anxiety, Needless Fear and Gloom

  I have written previously about social anxiety, where I emphasise three key areas in which to beat the problem: reducing 'latent' anxiety...

  Mar 16, 2016
• 12 Ways You Can Outsource Work to Help You Promote Your Creative Business

  There are many forces that can pull us away from making a decision to get outside help in growing our businesses and making things run more...

  Mar 14, 2016
• Four Lessons About Life I Learned from Bombing on Stage in Front of Hundreds

  I had no belief in what I was saying and I remember feeling really guilty that I'd let the crowd down with an underwhelming presentation.

  Mar 09, 2016
• The Three Pillars to Being Unstoppable in Life

  Wouldn't it be sweet to feel more motivated, more alive, more upbeat, more awake, more of the time?

  Mar 05, 2016
• A Quick List for Freelancers for Being Ready to Make Good Money as Recession Looms

  Money is on my mind.

  money

  Feb 27, 2016
• 6 Ways I've Made Good Money that You Can Use When You're Close to the Red

  When you run your own businesses and work entirely for yourself, the biggest challenge is ensuring you have more money coming in than is...

  Feb 24, 2016
• The Best Way to Contact People for Generating New Paid Work

  I regularly emphasise that the best thing you can do for your freelance business (or any business, really) is to regularly connect with...

  Jan 15, 2016
• Over-delivery is the only way to do business as a stand out creative

  Anyone can do what is expected of them as a professional creative. Sounds like a good thing, yes?

  Nov 22, 2015
• How to Dominate Your Market and Win as a Creative Freelancer in this Slow Economy

  The message we're getting about the global economic situation via the media is clear: it ain't great. And it does not look set to improve...

  Jan 24, 2015
• Life is About the Destination, Not the Journey

  One of the biggest misconceptions in contemporary cultural ideology is the often over-emphasised idea that "life is about the journey and...

  Jan 13, 2015
• 6 Simple Steps to Building an Automated Money-Making System with Your Creative Skills

  Let's be honest here. Most of us want more time and more money. Both will help us create more art.

  Aug 29, 2014
• 50 Ways for Creative People to Get Great Clients

  What's the best way you can generate new client projects each month?

  Aug 27, 2014
• What is the Most Undervalued Tool You Have to Achieve and Create Whatever You Want?

  When we look at various people's successes and achievements, we often try to make sense of how they got there.

  Aug 09, 2014
• You failed but you are not a failure

  Many of us have experiences in our past that, for whatever reason, we have felt ashamed, guilty or embarrassed about, that we want to hide...

  self

  Aug 06, 2014
• Six unconventional ways to create a ton more time in your life

  Today I wanted to give you some ideas for making more time in your life.

  Aug 05, 2014