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Hello, this is Taylor. Self-development 00:00
Taylor back at it again. So, I've been 00:02
quietly adding tiny habits to my Rolodex 00:04
over the last couple years. Mindset 00:06
shifts, little routines, and practical 00:08
hacks that have genuinely made my life 00:11
better. And today, I'm sharing 10 of my 00:13
favorite ones. Really 11, but I prefer 00:16
10 for the title of the video. So, let's 00:18
say 10 plus a bonus one. And my ultimate 00:20
goal for these hacks is for them to not 00:22
feel theoretical. I want them to feel 00:25
extremely actionable so that when you 00:27
finish watching this video, you walk 00:29
away saying, "Oh, I could start that 00:31
today if you choose to." We got a mix of 00:33
health rellated hacks, career hacks, and 00:35
some subtle behavior tweaks that have 00:37
helped me get out of ruts and feel more 00:39
like myself. So, let's dive in. And 00:41
thank you to Framer for sponsoring this 00:42
video, but we'll chat more about them 00:44
later. This first hack has solved more 00:45
creative blocks for me than any other 00:48
productivity hack in recent memory, and 00:50
it is going on thinking walks. You know 00:52
that feeling when you sit down to start 00:56
working and your brain just refuses to 00:57
cooperate? Like you're staring at a 01:00
blank document and your cursor is just 01:01
blinking, mocking you. When I hit that 01:04
wall, and it's typically while I'm 01:06
scripting out my videos and need to be 01:08
coming up with new, fresh, creative 01:10
ideas, and it's just not happening. I 01:11
know to get up and go on a thinking 01:13
walk. I prefer to do it in the little 01:15
bit of nature that I do have in the 01:17
city. So, typically in a New York City 01:19
park instead of on the busy streets. And 01:21
I cannot tell you how helpful it's 01:23
actually been for helping me come up 01:25
with new ideas. And it turns out there's 01:27
actually a lot of fascinating science 01:29
behind this. So I learned that forward 01:31
movement actually lights up the same 01:32
part of our brain that we use for 01:34
mapping out new ideas. It boosts blood 01:36
flow to your prefrontal cortex, which is 01:39
the part of our brains that are used for 01:41
planning and problem solving. And the 01:42
left right bilateral rhythm of walking 01:44
actually helps your thoughts flow more 01:47
freely. Our brains evolved to link 01:49
forward movement with seeking novelty 01:51
and exploring possibilities. So when 01:54
your body moves forward, your mind does 01:56
too. 01:58
Wow. 01:58
So these thinking walks are something 01:58
that I've heavily incorporated into my 02:00
daily routine. But I kind of stumbled 02:02
onto them by accident. Originally, I 02:04
just started trying to walk more for the 02:05
obvious physical benefits, especially on 02:07
those days when I'm mainly desk bound, 02:09
like sitting down, finishing editing a 02:11
video, or what have you, when I'm not 02:13
working out. Those days are few and far 02:14
between, but when they do happen, I am 02:16
just not getting enough steps in. And so 02:18
that's when I started trying to walk 02:19
more. Then while I was on those walks, I 02:20
found my mind kind of wandering and 02:23
coming up with new ideas and arriving at 02:25
little moments of insight. Like I would 02:27
suddenly know exactly how to structure a 02:28
video that had been stumping me. And 02:30
then I found myself midwalk pulling out 02:32
my phone to write down things in my 02:34
notes app so I wouldn't forget. And now 02:36
I go on them specifically to think and 02:37
still for the physical benefits. I will 02:41
say I am not looking forward to next 02:43
winter when I cannot do this 02:44
comfortably. So, I'm already planning 02:46
ahead on my strategy for when that time 02:47
comes. Subscribe and stay tuned for that 02:49
experiment. But for now, thinking walks 02:51
have been a big part of my daily routine 02:53
and have made a huge difference. My 02:55
challenge for you, try one of these 02:57
thinking walks sometime this week if 02:58
it's not already part of your daily 03:00
routine. And if it is part of your 03:02
routine, try turning off the music and 03:03
podcast and let me know if your mind 03:05
arrives at any insights or new ideas. 03:07
Speaking of insights that hit you, you 03:09
want to know one that hit me over the 03:11
head over the last year? just how 03:12
freaking powerful it actually is when 03:14
you effectively set systems and not 03:16
goals. By this point, I'm sure you've 03:19
heard of set systems, not goals. It's 03:21
one of the central thesis of atomic 03:23
habits where in James Clear says, "You 03:25
don't rise to the level of your goals, 03:28
you fall to the level of your systems." 03:29
So, what does this actually mean? And 03:31
how exactly have I done this 03:34
successfully finally after years of 03:36
frankly not doing it successfully? Well, 03:39
let me give you an example from this 03:41
year. So, I took advantage of that 03:42
little psychological bump in motivation 03:44
that we get every January 1st and I 03:46
wrote out my New Year's resolutions and 03:48
my goals. The first batch of career 03:49
goals was to hit a certain number of 03:51
subscribers and a certain number of 03:53
views in this year. So, I looked at 03:55
those things and I was like, "Okay, 03:57
great. These outcomes are my northstar, 03:58
but how exactly will I get there?" Well, 04:01
at a high level, the way to grow on 04:02
YouTube, regardless of the numbers, is 04:04
to consistently post highquality, 04:06
valuable videos. Great. How will I do 04:09
that? Because at the time I was 04:11
definitely proud of the videos that I 04:12
was putting out, but I wasn't putting 04:14
them out as frequently as I wanted to. 04:16
So, how would I maintain and improve the 04:18
quality while increasing frequency? I 04:20
finally realized after five whole years 04:22
of doing everything myself that I would 04:25
need help to do this. So, the first 04:27
month of this year, I conducted a very 04:29
thorough three- round interview process 04:31
to hire a video editor. After I made the 04:33
hires, I figured out how to get solid, 04:35
efficient workflows in place with them, 04:38
and it has worked so well. Yes, of 04:40
course, it's a lot of work up front and 04:42
during it as well, but it's totally 04:44
worth it. I'm on track to post more 04:46
videos than I ever have, up from 23 04:49
videos last year when I was doing 04:51
everything myself to 29 this year. But 04:52
I'm really aiming for 32. Now, don't get 04:54
me wrong, because these subscriber 04:56
numbers and view count milestones still 04:58
definitely matter as my north stars. In 05:00
fact, studies suggest that people who 05:03
actually write down their goals are 42% 05:04
more likely to achieve them just by 05:07
writing them down. But then take that 05:09
step further and ask yourself, what are 05:10
the literal very specific steps or 05:12
systems that you have to put in place in 05:15
order to get there? Then get even more 05:17
granular and get very specific. These 05:19
are the things that will actually move 05:21
the needle. Seems so incredibly obvious, 05:23
right? Well, it's not. How many people 05:25
do you know that on January 1st say that 05:27
they want to work out more this year? 05:30
Maybe they even get a gym membership and 05:31
then they give up after three weeks. 05:33
It's because they didn't put specific 05:34
steps in place. So, by way of example 05:36
with the workout thing, instead of 05:39
saying, "I want to work out more," the 05:41
steps might look something like this. 05:42
Gym clothes laid out every night, check. 05:44
8 a.m. gym time blocked in your 05:46
calendar, check. Or later in the day, 05:48
cuz I'm not working out at 8:00 a.m. 05:49
Same workout playlist ready to go, 05:51
check. Perhaps then build the habit by 05:53
coupling it with something that you 05:55
really, really look forward to. So, 05:56
maybe the same yummy smoothie after 05:58
every workout. There are tons of ways to 05:59
hack your brain's reward system here, 06:01
but step one after you have your north 06:03
star is to really, really define the 06:05
specific steps that you need to take to 06:07
get there. My challenge for you, because 06:09
remember, we're making this actionable. 06:10
What is one goal that you've had for a 06:12
while, but you just can't seem to get on 06:13
the right track to achieve it? Then 06:15
think of five highly actionable and 06:17
very, very specific steps that you need 06:20
to take to get closer to that goal. When 06:22
you really break it down this way, it 06:23
kind of also lowers the stakes and just 06:25
makes it feel a lot less daunting to 06:27
tackle the task. So, set systems or 06:29
steps, not goals. Well, and goals, but 06:31
you know what I mean. Now, let's lighten 06:33
things up a little bit and throw in a 06:35
more fun one that I wanted to include 06:37
here. And it is to change your look 06:38
every now and then. For you, that might 06:41
be through your clothes, like trying new 06:43
styles that you think are cool or 06:45
picking up a couple funky things at the 06:46
thrift store. Maybe it's your makeup. 06:48
For me, it's my hair. I got to thinking 06:50
recently and realized that I've done 06:52
pretty much everything there is to do 06:53
with my hair within reason for me at 06:55
some point or other. I've had super long 06:58
bleached kind of hippie hair. I've had 07:00
more tasteful blonde hair that was 07:03
actually done by someone who knew what 07:05
they were doing. I've had dark brown 07:06
espresso as I like to call it hair. I've 07:08
had my natural color in all shapes and 07:11
sizes, including most notably when I cut 07:13
my own bangs, which believe it or not 07:15
actually was not a cry for help, but 07:17
I've lived and learned. I actually had 07:19
red hair way before you guys knew me. 07:20
And that one was an accident. That was 07:22
just from putting too much sun in in, 07:24
you know, sun in. And most recently, as 07:26
you can see, I got a bob cut. Now, this 07:27
might seem like a silly hack to include 07:30
on this list, but I really do think that 07:32
changing your look up now and then is a 07:34
fun way to define different phases of 07:36
your life and to just keep things kind 07:38
of fun and interesting. Plus, there's 07:39
actually something about looking in the 07:41
mirror and seeing a slightly different 07:42
version of yourself that actually shifts 07:44
how you feel and act. It's like giving 07:45
yourself permission to try on a new 07:47
identity and break out of old patterns. 07:49
I'm also just a sucker for low stakes 07:50
ways to practice being okay with change 07:52
and to break out of your comfort zone a 07:54
little bit and this is just fun way to 07:56
do it. Life is too short to not switch 07:57
things up a little bit. That's my 07:59
opinion. Moving on to without a doubt 08:00
the single most impactful important hack 08:02
of my entire life to put it very 08:05
bluntly. Just post. I'm calling it just 08:07
post because for me it's like just post 08:10
the video, but it's a metaphor for life 08:12
too. It is so easy to fall into the trap 08:14
of overthinking. We all do it. I can't 08:17
post it. It's not good enough. I can't 08:19
go to the gym. I don't know how to use 08:20
the machines. I can't pitch that idea in 08:22
the meeting. It might be stupid. I can't 08:23
start that newsletter. I only have like 08:25
three things to say. I can't apply for 08:26
that job. I don't have enough experience 08:28
yet. I can't start that side project. I 08:29
need to do more research first. I can't 08:31
book that solo trip. What if I get 08:32
lonely? Not with that attitude you can. 08:34
It will not be perfect and it will never 08:36
be the perfect time. But the only way 08:38
that you will know for sure is by taking 08:40
the leap and actually doing it. Only way 08:42
you'll get better at something is by 08:44
actually practicing. I will always be 08:46
the world's number one proponent of 08:48
progress, not perfection. Because if I 08:50
stopped myself from posting that very 08:52
first video on YouTube because I don't 08:54
know, it was filmed on an iPhone, which 08:56
by the way, so is this. Or because I was 08:58
awkward on camera, I wouldn't have what 09:00
I think is the best job in the entire 09:02
world. Now, people make excuses for 09:04
starting new things because they are 09:06
scared, which makes perfect sense. But 09:08
on the other side of fear is growth. 09:10
Sounds cheesy, but it is absolutely 09:13
true. The last thing you want to do is 09:15
look back on your life when you're 90 09:16
and be upset that you didn't try or 09:18
start that new thing because you were 09:20
afraid of what others might think. Okay. 09:22
Okay. Of course, I will admit that this 09:24
is easier said than done. So, let's 09:26
really break this down and talk about 09:28
what this might actually look like in 09:30
practice so this feels a lot more 09:31
actionable and not just like a 09:33
motivational speech. First, shrink the 09:34
stakes. So, instead of saying something 09:36
like, "I need to start a business." 09:38
Change it to, "You know what? This week, 09:40
I'm going to text three of my close 09:42
friends about this idea and spend 20 09:44
minutes writing a very basic business 09:46
plan. Instead of I need to become super 09:48
fit, change it to what if I go to the 09:50
gym just once this week. The goal at 09:52
first is not to go from 0 to 100, it's 09:54
to go from zero to one. Second, set a 09:57
deadline. One that might scare you a 10:00
little bit, that feels a little 10:02
uncomfortably close. If you're thinking 10:03
about starting a newsletter, stop saying 10:04
someday and say, "I will send the first 10:07
one this Friday. I'm going to sit down 10:09
for 90 minutes and whatever is on that 10:11
page I will send. I know someone who 10:13
does this. The deadline helps create 10:15
urgency and urgency helps to stifle the 10:17
overthinking. The third thing, and this 10:20
is so key, lower your standards for the 10:22
first try. Your first video is going to 10:25
be bad. It should be bad. There's no 10:27
reason cuz you don't have the practice 10:29
yet why it would be amazing. The first 10:30
newsletter is probably going to be a 10:33
little rough. Your first gym session 10:34
probably should be a little bit awkward. 10:36
You don't know what you're doing yet. 10:38
But the point isn't to become perfect 10:39
right away. The point is to prove to 10:40
yourself that you can do the thing. 10:42
Version one just needs to exist. Version 10:44
2 3 4 5 will get better and better as 10:47
you practice because you learn as you 10:49
go. But the reality of this is that most 10:52
people will spend 6 months planning 10:54
something that takes 6 minutes to start. 10:56
Don't be most people. Be the person that 10:58
just posts. Well, there are some 11:00
limitations to this, right? Like what? 11:03
Like I have this idea for a website, but 11:04
I don't know how to code. I'm actually 11:06
not good at anything techy, but I have a 11:08
good idea. Is that so? Yeah. Guess what? 11:09
What? You don't need to know how to code 11:12
to do that. You don't even need to know 11:13
how to use those easy drag and drop 11:14
website builders. Now, how? Well, these 11:16
days, you can just use a text prompt 11:18
here in Framer and it will literally 11:20
build the structure for you. Here, look. 11:21
I just did this with my own brand. So, 11:23
if I just use Framer's wireframe AI 11:24
tool, I'll just write in this text box, 11:27
I'm a YouTuber based in New York City, 11:28
build me a professional site with an 11:30
about me section, a section for my 11:31
videos, and a section for my newsletter. 11:33
And then I press enter. And literally 11:35
within seconds, I have this structure 11:37
that I can just fill in. Oh my god, I 11:39
know it's crazy. Framer really embodies 11:41
the just post mentality because you can 11:43
go from idea to live site without 11:45
getting stuck in development or 11:48
technical complexity. Well, thanks for 11:49
showing me this. How do I sign up? You 11:51
can launch for free at framer.com. But 11:52
you know what? I got something a little 11:54
extra special for you. What is it? A 11:56
free month of Framer Pro, which has 11:58
extra capabilities if you use my promo 12:00
code Taylor Bell 2025 when you sign up. 12:01
Well, thank you, Taylor. This is 12:04
life-changing. I think I'm going to go 12:05
build a website about my dog's daily 12:06
routine. Very specific, but I respect 12:07
the hustle. Just post. 12:09
Yep. Okay. The next hack is kind of a 12:11
new one for me and it has been so 12:14
energizing. It is to do some challenge 12:16
once a month. My latest example, which 12:19
you might have seen on YouTube because 12:20
yes, I documented it. I pretty 12:22
spontaneously decided to walk the entire 12:23
length of Manhattan one day, but instead 12:26
of going down Broadway the entire way, 12:28
which makes it a pretty straight shot, 12:30
and that's about 13.4 4 miles. I wanted 12:31
to do a bunch of zigzags, hit some cool 12:34
spots, and I ended up doing it in 21 12:36
miles. And the impact that I felt from 12:37
this challenge was actually a lot more 12:39
than I expected. One, it took me out of 12:41
my usual rhythm in the best way because 12:43
while I love habits and routines, and I 12:45
think they're absolutely essential and 12:47
good to have, I also do think it's 12:49
important to switch things up now and 12:51
then. Like we talked about earlier in 12:52
the hair discussion, this was exactly 12:53
that. On a random Tuesday, instead of 12:56
doing my usual work, I went on a long 12:57
ass walk all day long. saw more parts of 13:00
my city than I ever have in a single 13:02
day. And I ended the day feeling 13:04
extremely accomplished, grateful, and 13:05
just happy to have that new life 13:07
experience. So, it doesn't have to be a 13:09
physical challenge. I think those are 13:10
the ones that I most often gravitate 13:12
towards because my mantra lately is to 13:15
do hard things. And I think physical 13:17
challenges is kind of the most obvious 13:18
way to push yourself. But it could be 13:20
anything that just pushes you outside of 13:22
your comfort zone for a day or for a 13:24
weekend. For example, you could 13:26
challenge yourself to learn how to make 13:27
a new complex dish from scratch. You 13:29
could challenge yourself to spend an 13:31
entire Saturday in a new neighborhood 13:33
that you've never been to. You could go 13:34
to a new museum that you've heard about, 13:36
but you haven't been to before. You 13:37
could go on a solo weekend trip. The 13:39
options are endless. It depends on what 13:40
actually puts you outside of your 13:42
comfort zone. That's going to look very 13:44
different for each person. But what I 13:45
love about these monthly challenges is 13:46
that it kind of breaks you out of your 13:48
normal routine without derailing 13:50
everything. It's just one day or one 13:52
afternoon where you push yourself to do 13:53
something a little different. So my 13:55
challenge for you, pick something that 13:56
you know will push you outside your 13:58
comfort zone just a little bit. Put it 13:59
on your calendar and just do it. Doing 14:01
this once a month, I promise you will 14:03
finish the month feeling more 14:05
accomplished, more interested, and just 14:06
grateful to have a new life experience. 14:08
Then come back to this video and let me 14:10
know in the comments how you felt 14:11
afterwards. In a world that makes 14:12
everything frictionless, I have started 14:14
intentionally adding friction back in. 14:16
Not everywhere, but in small everyday 14:19
places that help me feel like I'm 14:22
staying more present and active. The 14:24
most basic one, I stopped using Uber 14:25
Eats. Not because I think it's bad. I 14:27
love that we have that convenience at 14:29
our fingertips when we need it. I think 14:31
it's a great service. But the days when 14:32
I found myself using it were the days 14:34
when what I really needed to do was get 14:36
my butt out of the chair and actually go 14:37
outside because I've been sitting for 14:39
however many hours just working. Of 14:41
course, I know that not everyone has the 14:42
luxury of taking that time to actually 14:44
go outside and walk to pick up food or 14:46
the time to actually cook yourself 14:49
something, but as someone who makes my 14:50
own schedule, me using the delivery apps 14:52
was more of an indicator than anything 14:54
that I just wasn't taking care of my own 14:56
work life balance. Now, if I want 14:58
something, I either have to walk to go 14:59
get it or I have to cook it myself. That 15:01
little bit of added friction, the time 15:03
that it takes to actually go get it or 15:05
to prepare the food myself, it forces me 15:06
to actually take a break, to check in 15:08
with myself, and to get a little walk 15:09
in. It's a very pleasant type of 15:11
friction. Now, I think it's okay, or at 15:12
least I tell myself that it's okay to 15:14
pick and choose where to add this 15:16
friction. Like that stat that only 2% of 15:18
people take the stairs when it's an 15:20
option instead of the escalator. Listen, 15:21
I love physical activity as much as the 15:23
next guy. But when I'm down in the New 15:25
York City subway carrying a heavy ass 15:26
backpack, heavy tote, probably already 15:28
sweating, I'm not taking the stairs. But 15:31
let's say I have a brunch plan a couple 15:34
neighborhoods over and I have the time 15:35
and the weather is decent, I will walk 15:37
instead of biking. That's the kind of 15:39
friction that I like. It doesn't have to 15:41
be painful. So, my challenge for you, 15:42
identify one place where it's a little 15:45
too easy to make the lazy autopilot 15:47
choice and see how you can add a little 15:50
bit of friction. Move the apps off your 15:51
home screen. Commit to walking somewhere 15:53
instead of ordering in whatever it is. 15:55
It sounds small, but I swear it rewires 15:57
your default behavior in a really great 15:59
way. All right, the next hack 16:01
took me a while to learn because for a 16:04
long time I have prided myself on being 16:06
100% self-sufficient. But the truth is 16:09
that everything in my life got better 16:11
once I started bringing more people in. 16:13
And if you've been around watching my 16:15
channel for a while, you've definitely 16:17
seen this shift in me occur. One of my 16:18
literal New Year's resolutions just a 16:21
couple years ago was to move in silence. 16:23
In other words, to keep my goals and my 16:26
big decisions fully to myself and to 16:28
just trust my own intuition. And I do 16:30
still think that there's a lot of value 16:32
and truth behind that. But whether it's 16:33
a creative collaboration, asking for 16:35
advice, or just texting a friend to talk 16:37
through a half-baked idea, there is a 16:39
lot of power in getting out of your own 16:41
head. So, the big ways that I have 16:42
brought people in on the professional 16:44
side, as discussed, I hired some amazing 16:45
people and as a result, I've been able 16:48
to produce more content than ever. I've 16:50
also started to become a bit more 16:51
comfortable brainstorming certain 16:53
content ideas with others. I work with 16:54
amazing management who also helps with 16:56
strategy stuff and it's just nice to 16:58
work with other people. I think that the 17:00
bottom line is my first year as a 17:02
full-time creator, I often felt pretty 17:04
lonely even though I loved the work that 17:06
I was doing. Whereas my second year 17:08
being a full-time creator has just felt 17:10
a lot more collaborative and fulfilling 17:12
because I really did hit a ceiling at 17:13
some point when I was working by myself. 17:16
And now the way I see it is that I'm 17:18
just getting started. like it's only 17:20
only going to go up from here. And then 17:21
on the personal side, I just feel very 17:23
fulfilled by my friendships, by my love 17:25
life. I just I have found myself opening 17:27
up a bit more to the people that I 17:30
trust. And that's just a good feeling. 17:32
So kind of for the first time ever, I 17:33
would say I have definitely shifted my 17:36
perspective a bit on doing everything 17:38
alone. You probably shouldn't do that. 17:40
And I really do love the quote, if you 17:42
want to go fast, go alone. If you want 17:44
to go far, go together. And I have found 17:46
that to be absolutely true. challenge 17:49
for you. What is one area of your life 17:50
where you feel a little bit stuck or 17:52
lonely and who could you bring in? So, 17:54
on the days when my brain is not firing 17:56
on all cylinders and my to-do list just 17:58
feels infinitely long, I come back to 18:00
this super simple yet effective hack. 18:02
Just do one thing. Not even the most 18:05
important thing. Not the thing that will 18:08
change your life. Just one thing. Put in 18:09
a load of laundry. I do that one a lot. 18:11
Take a walk. I do that one a lot, too. 18:13
Tidy up one corner of your space. Answer 18:15
one email. It almost doesn't really 18:18
matter what it is, but just doing 18:20
something breaks that weird inertia that 18:22
we get from doing nothing. Because what 18:24
I've kind of learned about myself at 18:26
least is that burnout doesn't always 18:27
come from doing too much. Sometimes it 18:30
kind of comes from sitting there 18:32
thinking about all the things you should 18:34
be doing and then doing none of them. 18:35
It's paralyzing. So instead of spiraling 18:37
whenever this happens, I try to zoom out 18:39
and just ask myself, what is one thing 18:41
that I can handle doing right now? I 18:43
know this might sound terribly out of 18:45
touch because I know that a lot of 18:46
people can't get away with just doing 18:47
one thing. Okay, neither can I most of 18:49
the time. The wild part about doing one 18:51
thing is that so often it creates 18:53
momentum. One small action breaks the 18:56
inertia. It leads to another action and 18:58
suddenly I'm moving again. But not 19:00
always. Sometimes I really just do the 19:02
one thing and that's all I can do and 19:04
that's fine because most days I'm doing 19:05
a lot more than one thing. So I try to 19:07
give myself that grace. But my challenge 19:09
for you, the next time that you have one 19:11
of those days, you know, don't aim to 19:13
tackle the whole list. Take out the 19:15
trash. Just respond to that one text. If 19:17
it's at work, maybe do just the one most 19:19
important thing. See what happens. Let 19:21
me know. This one genuinely feels like a 19:23
cheat code that I unlocked. I didn't 19:26
change what I eat. I changed when I eat 19:28
it. The hack is rearranging my macros. 19:31
Let me explain. So, I eat healthy. 19:34
That's the context. I eat a lot of high 19:36
quality protein, healthy fats, healthy 19:39
carbs, nothing fancy. And of course, I 19:41
live my life, too. Like, this was my 19:44
breakfast on Saturday morning, okay? I'm 19:45
not trying to fool anyone, but 83% of 19:47
the time, it's healthy. Those macros, 19:50
protein, fats, and carbs. My recent game 19:52
changer has been how I rearrange those 19:54
macros throughout my day. Based on all 19:57
of the science that I have learned over 20:00
the last year and listening to countless 20:01
hours of all these health podcasts, I 20:04
decided to start loading up on my 20:06
protein and healthy fats in the morning 20:08
and then saving most of my carbs for in 20:10
the afternoon, post-workout, and for 20:13
dinner. I do this because protein and 20:15
fats for the first meal of the day when 20:17
you break your fast break fast breakfast 20:19
doesn't matter what time it is but 20:22
whatever is your first meal the protein 20:24
and fats will help keep your blood sugar 20:25
steady and your energy levels stable 20:28
carbs on the other hand and mind you I'm 20:30
not just talking about pancakes drenched 20:32
in syrup I'm also talking about 20:34
healthier carbs like toast granola 20:36
oatmeal those things can absolutely 20:39
cause a larger insulin spike especially 20:41
when not paired with adequate protein 20:43
and fat. So, what does this mean? It 20:45
means that either one, you get that 20:47
crash, you know, that afternoon crash 20:49
much earlier, or two, you're hungry like 20:51
an hour later. That's that's what 20:54
happened to me when I was eating 20:55
overnight oats for breakfast. However, 20:56
I'm not saying these carbs are bad for 20:58
you. It's just the effect that they have 21:00
on your hormones and your blood sugar 21:02
levels and all this stuff. It's more 21:04
beneficial to place them post-workout or 21:06
at nighttime at dinner because these 21:08
carbs actually help bring down your 21:10
cortisol, which is what you want as you 21:12
descend into the night. They increased 21:14
serotonin production, which is a 21:15
precursor to melatonin, which you 21:17
probably know helps you fall asleep. And 21:19
the difference in how I feel since 21:21
making this change, substantial. I stay 21:22
fuller for longer. I have more energy 21:25
throughout the day, and I no longer 21:27
really get that late morning/ afternoon 21:29
crash. And why did I make this change in 21:31
the first place? It's genuinely because 21:33
I was tired of having to go feed myself 21:36
again like 2 hours after eating that 21:39
breakfast. It just disrupted my 21:41
workflow. But now, now that I've learned 21:43
a lot more about it, you know, it's come 21:44
with a lot of other great benefits as 21:46
well. So, yeah, this one honestly to me 21:48
feels the most like a real hack because 21:49
I didn't go on some restrictive diet. I 21:52
wouldn't do that. I didn't change what I 21:54
eat. I just moved stuff around and timed 21:56
how I eat a little bit differently. And 21:59
in doing so, I kind of biohacked my 22:00
body. Challenge for you. If you haven't 22:02
already tried this and you're 22:04
susceptible to that afternoon crash that 22:06
we just know and love, we don't love it. 22:08
Tomorrow, try starting your day, 22:10
whatever the first meal is, with protein 22:12
and fat. So, Greek yogurt with some 22:14
nuts, eggs, and half of an avocado or a 22:17
high protein smoothie. And save your 22:19
rice, pasta, sweet potatoes, you name 22:21
it, for later on at dinner. See how your 22:23
energy holds up. You might be surprised. 22:25
And once again, come back, let me know 22:27
in the comments. I am really, really 22:28
curious how these things will work for 22:30
you guys, too. The 10th and final hack 22:31
before we get to our bonus hack is one 22:34
that has changed my life forever, and it 22:35
is to find a workout that you actually 22:38
enjoy. I said it before, I'll say it 22:41
again cuz this is a list of my most 22:43
important hacks. You can idealize going 22:44
on a run every morning, lifting weights 22:47
daily, becoming a Pilates queen all you 22:49
want. But if you don't actually 22:52
genuinely enjoy that workout, it will 22:53
not stick. But when you find a workout 22:56
that you actually look forward to, it is 22:58
much easier to naturally incorporate 23:00
that workout into your daily routine in 23:03
a sustainable way. I've told this story 23:05
before, but in high school, I, like so 23:06
many people, had that built-in exercise 23:08
structure. I had track practice or 23:11
volleyball practice every day. I had 23:13
track meets, volleyball games, whatever 23:14
other sport. It was just baked into my 23:16
day. So, when I went to college and had 23:19
to self-motivate, I lost touch with my 23:21
consistent workout routine. And for the 23:24
next 6 years, pretty much all of college 23:25
and for a couple years afterwards, I 23:27
really would just like start and stop 23:30
things and not stick to anything for a 23:32
while. But then I finally found a class, 23:34
a workout class that I absolutely love. 23:36
And this many classes later, I can 23:38
confidently say that I am consistently 23:41
back on the grind and have been for a 23:43
few years now. My bank account does not 23:45
love me for this, but an investment in 23:47
my health is one that I actually do not 23:49
think twice about. And now I do a lot of 23:51
self-led stuff, too. But really, finding 23:52
this class is what broke me out of that 23:54
once again inertia of stopping and 23:57
starting and just not doing a ton. So, 23:59
if you're struggling to stay consistent, 24:01
don't start with discipline. Start with 24:03
joy. Try different things until 24:05
something clicks. And once it does, the 24:07
motivation part starts to take care of 24:09
itself. You'll stop dreading workouts 24:10
and actually start craving them. And 24:12
that is when it finally sticks. 24:15
Challenge for you. If you don't know 24:16
what kind of workout you do, try a bunch 24:17
of different classes. Give it all a 24:19
shot. You do have to try it a couple 24:21
times, I think, to really find out 24:22
whether or not you like it, but once you 24:23
do, you'll never go back. Okay, mini 24:25
bonus hack number 11. I couldn't resist. 24:27
Invest in things that make the biggest 24:30
dent for you. Not in a luxury for the 24:32
sake of it kind of way, but in a this 24:34
makes things run smoother kind of way. 24:36
For me, that meant buying a really good 24:38
laptop. It was expensive, but it 24:41
literally never lags when I am editing 24:43
huge videos, managing 10 open Chrome 24:45
tabs, Final Cut Pro, Notion, Google 24:48
Drive, and probably a couple rogue Canva 24:51
or Reddit tabs open at the same time. It 24:53
has paid for itself insanity and 24:54
productivity. But this does not have to 24:57
mean dropping thousands of dollars 24:58
because I realize the example that I 25:00
just gave could be cost prohibitive. But 25:01
think of bottlenecks in your day. Let's 25:03
say that your blender sounds like a 25:06
jackhammer and it takes 10 minutes to 25:08
clean after every smoothie you make. 25:09
Maybe it's time for that $50 upgrade 25:11
that actually makes your smoothie habit 25:13
a lot more enjoyable. If your back hurts 25:14
every time you sit at your desk, maybe 25:16
paying for a $20 laptop stand or a $20, 25:18
you know, little seat cushion to help 25:22
your lower back might be the answer. Or 25:24
actually buying a really nice chair if 25:26
cost isn't so much an issue. That's a 25:28
good investment. The point is these 25:30
small frictions can add up. So, on the 25:32
flip side to hack number six, which was 25:34
to add back in some friction, look at 25:37
where your time and energy is 25:39
unnecessarily leaking and patch that 25:40
hole. Those are the 10 11 hacks that 25:43
have seriously made a difference in my 25:46
life. I hope a few of those can be 25:48
helpful for you guys, too. So, like and 25:49
subscribe if you enjoyed this. I have a 25:51
lot more videos coming soon. And until 25:53
next time, Turtle out. 25:54
I'm going to be honest with you guys. I 25:58
didn't I didn't get any bloopers for 25:59
this one, but just thought I'd let you 26:00
know. 26:02
I'm sitting here living like a kid 26:05
finishing this video, eating snacks. 26:07
Life is great. And the flight attendant 26:11
watches my videos, has been so nice to 26:14
me. I got some free snackies. And then 26:17
I, you know, told the other flight 26:20
attendants that my dad was a Delta 26:22
pilot, so they're also just being so 26:23
nice to me. Live of life. 26:25
Hope you guys like the video. 26:29

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[English]
Hello, this is Taylor. Self-development
Taylor back at it again. So, I've been
quietly adding tiny habits to my Rolodex
over the last couple years. Mindset
shifts, little routines, and practical
hacks that have genuinely made my life
better. And today, I'm sharing 10 of my
favorite ones. Really 11, but I prefer
10 for the title of the video. So, let's
say 10 plus a bonus one. And my ultimate
goal for these hacks is for them to not
feel theoretical. I want them to feel
extremely actionable so that when you
finish watching this video, you walk
away saying, "Oh, I could start that
today if you choose to." We got a mix of
health rellated hacks, career hacks, and
some subtle behavior tweaks that have
helped me get out of ruts and feel more
like myself. So, let's dive in. And
thank you to Framer for sponsoring this
video, but we'll chat more about them
later. This first hack has solved more
creative blocks for me than any other
productivity hack in recent memory, and
it is going on thinking walks. You know
that feeling when you sit down to start
working and your brain just refuses to
cooperate? Like you're staring at a
blank document and your cursor is just
blinking, mocking you. When I hit that
wall, and it's typically while I'm
scripting out my videos and need to be
coming up with new, fresh, creative
ideas, and it's just not happening. I
know to get up and go on a thinking
walk. I prefer to do it in the little
bit of nature that I do have in the
city. So, typically in a New York City
park instead of on the busy streets. And
I cannot tell you how helpful it's
actually been for helping me come up
with new ideas. And it turns out there's
actually a lot of fascinating science
behind this. So I learned that forward
movement actually lights up the same
part of our brain that we use for
mapping out new ideas. It boosts blood
flow to your prefrontal cortex, which is
the part of our brains that are used for
planning and problem solving. And the
left right bilateral rhythm of walking
actually helps your thoughts flow more
freely. Our brains evolved to link
forward movement with seeking novelty
and exploring possibilities. So when
your body moves forward, your mind does
too.
Wow.
So these thinking walks are something
that I've heavily incorporated into my
daily routine. But I kind of stumbled
onto them by accident. Originally, I
just started trying to walk more for the
obvious physical benefits, especially on
those days when I'm mainly desk bound,
like sitting down, finishing editing a
video, or what have you, when I'm not
working out. Those days are few and far
between, but when they do happen, I am
just not getting enough steps in. And so
that's when I started trying to walk
more. Then while I was on those walks, I
found my mind kind of wandering and
coming up with new ideas and arriving at
little moments of insight. Like I would
suddenly know exactly how to structure a
video that had been stumping me. And
then I found myself midwalk pulling out
my phone to write down things in my
notes app so I wouldn't forget. And now
I go on them specifically to think and
still for the physical benefits. I will
say I am not looking forward to next
winter when I cannot do this
comfortably. So, I'm already planning
ahead on my strategy for when that time
comes. Subscribe and stay tuned for that
experiment. But for now, thinking walks
have been a big part of my daily routine
and have made a huge difference. My
challenge for you, try one of these
thinking walks sometime this week if
it's not already part of your daily
routine. And if it is part of your
routine, try turning off the music and
podcast and let me know if your mind
arrives at any insights or new ideas.
Speaking of insights that hit you, you
want to know one that hit me over the
head over the last year? just how
freaking powerful it actually is when
you effectively set systems and not
goals. By this point, I'm sure you've
heard of set systems, not goals. It's
one of the central thesis of atomic
habits where in James Clear says, "You
don't rise to the level of your goals,
you fall to the level of your systems."
So, what does this actually mean? And
how exactly have I done this
successfully finally after years of
frankly not doing it successfully? Well,
let me give you an example from this
year. So, I took advantage of that
little psychological bump in motivation
that we get every January 1st and I
wrote out my New Year's resolutions and
my goals. The first batch of career
goals was to hit a certain number of
subscribers and a certain number of
views in this year. So, I looked at
those things and I was like, "Okay,
great. These outcomes are my northstar,
but how exactly will I get there?" Well,
at a high level, the way to grow on
YouTube, regardless of the numbers, is
to consistently post highquality,
valuable videos. Great. How will I do
that? Because at the time I was
definitely proud of the videos that I
was putting out, but I wasn't putting
them out as frequently as I wanted to.
So, how would I maintain and improve the
quality while increasing frequency? I
finally realized after five whole years
of doing everything myself that I would
need help to do this. So, the first
month of this year, I conducted a very
thorough three- round interview process
to hire a video editor. After I made the
hires, I figured out how to get solid,
efficient workflows in place with them,
and it has worked so well. Yes, of
course, it's a lot of work up front and
during it as well, but it's totally
worth it. I'm on track to post more
videos than I ever have, up from 23
videos last year when I was doing
everything myself to 29 this year. But
I'm really aiming for 32. Now, don't get
me wrong, because these subscriber
numbers and view count milestones still
definitely matter as my north stars. In
fact, studies suggest that people who
actually write down their goals are 42%
more likely to achieve them just by
writing them down. But then take that
step further and ask yourself, what are
the literal very specific steps or
systems that you have to put in place in
order to get there? Then get even more
granular and get very specific. These
are the things that will actually move
the needle. Seems so incredibly obvious,
right? Well, it's not. How many people
do you know that on January 1st say that
they want to work out more this year?
Maybe they even get a gym membership and
then they give up after three weeks.
It's because they didn't put specific
steps in place. So, by way of example
with the workout thing, instead of
saying, "I want to work out more," the
steps might look something like this.
Gym clothes laid out every night, check.
8 a.m. gym time blocked in your
calendar, check. Or later in the day,
cuz I'm not working out at 8:00 a.m.
Same workout playlist ready to go,
check. Perhaps then build the habit by
coupling it with something that you
really, really look forward to. So,
maybe the same yummy smoothie after
every workout. There are tons of ways to
hack your brain's reward system here,
but step one after you have your north
star is to really, really define the
specific steps that you need to take to
get there. My challenge for you, because
remember, we're making this actionable.
What is one goal that you've had for a
while, but you just can't seem to get on
the right track to achieve it? Then
think of five highly actionable and
very, very specific steps that you need
to take to get closer to that goal. When
you really break it down this way, it
kind of also lowers the stakes and just
makes it feel a lot less daunting to
tackle the task. So, set systems or
steps, not goals. Well, and goals, but
you know what I mean. Now, let's lighten
things up a little bit and throw in a
more fun one that I wanted to include
here. And it is to change your look
every now and then. For you, that might
be through your clothes, like trying new
styles that you think are cool or
picking up a couple funky things at the
thrift store. Maybe it's your makeup.
For me, it's my hair. I got to thinking
recently and realized that I've done
pretty much everything there is to do
with my hair within reason for me at
some point or other. I've had super long
bleached kind of hippie hair. I've had
more tasteful blonde hair that was
actually done by someone who knew what
they were doing. I've had dark brown
espresso as I like to call it hair. I've
had my natural color in all shapes and
sizes, including most notably when I cut
my own bangs, which believe it or not
actually was not a cry for help, but
I've lived and learned. I actually had
red hair way before you guys knew me.
And that one was an accident. That was
just from putting too much sun in in,
you know, sun in. And most recently, as
you can see, I got a bob cut. Now, this
might seem like a silly hack to include
on this list, but I really do think that
changing your look up now and then is a
fun way to define different phases of
your life and to just keep things kind
of fun and interesting. Plus, there's
actually something about looking in the
mirror and seeing a slightly different
version of yourself that actually shifts
how you feel and act. It's like giving
yourself permission to try on a new
identity and break out of old patterns.
I'm also just a sucker for low stakes
ways to practice being okay with change
and to break out of your comfort zone a
little bit and this is just fun way to
do it. Life is too short to not switch
things up a little bit. That's my
opinion. Moving on to without a doubt
the single most impactful important hack
of my entire life to put it very
bluntly. Just post. I'm calling it just
post because for me it's like just post
the video, but it's a metaphor for life
too. It is so easy to fall into the trap
of overthinking. We all do it. I can't
post it. It's not good enough. I can't
go to the gym. I don't know how to use
the machines. I can't pitch that idea in
the meeting. It might be stupid. I can't
start that newsletter. I only have like
three things to say. I can't apply for
that job. I don't have enough experience
yet. I can't start that side project. I
need to do more research first. I can't
book that solo trip. What if I get
lonely? Not with that attitude you can.
It will not be perfect and it will never
be the perfect time. But the only way
that you will know for sure is by taking
the leap and actually doing it. Only way
you'll get better at something is by
actually practicing. I will always be
the world's number one proponent of
progress, not perfection. Because if I
stopped myself from posting that very
first video on YouTube because I don't
know, it was filmed on an iPhone, which
by the way, so is this. Or because I was
awkward on camera, I wouldn't have what
I think is the best job in the entire
world. Now, people make excuses for
starting new things because they are
scared, which makes perfect sense. But
on the other side of fear is growth.
Sounds cheesy, but it is absolutely
true. The last thing you want to do is
look back on your life when you're 90
and be upset that you didn't try or
start that new thing because you were
afraid of what others might think. Okay.
Okay. Of course, I will admit that this
is easier said than done. So, let's
really break this down and talk about
what this might actually look like in
practice so this feels a lot more
actionable and not just like a
motivational speech. First, shrink the
stakes. So, instead of saying something
like, "I need to start a business."
Change it to, "You know what? This week,
I'm going to text three of my close
friends about this idea and spend 20
minutes writing a very basic business
plan. Instead of I need to become super
fit, change it to what if I go to the
gym just once this week. The goal at
first is not to go from 0 to 100, it's
to go from zero to one. Second, set a
deadline. One that might scare you a
little bit, that feels a little
uncomfortably close. If you're thinking
about starting a newsletter, stop saying
someday and say, "I will send the first
one this Friday. I'm going to sit down
for 90 minutes and whatever is on that
page I will send. I know someone who
does this. The deadline helps create
urgency and urgency helps to stifle the
overthinking. The third thing, and this
is so key, lower your standards for the
first try. Your first video is going to
be bad. It should be bad. There's no
reason cuz you don't have the practice
yet why it would be amazing. The first
newsletter is probably going to be a
little rough. Your first gym session
probably should be a little bit awkward.
You don't know what you're doing yet.
But the point isn't to become perfect
right away. The point is to prove to
yourself that you can do the thing.
Version one just needs to exist. Version
2 3 4 5 will get better and better as
you practice because you learn as you
go. But the reality of this is that most
people will spend 6 months planning
something that takes 6 minutes to start.
Don't be most people. Be the person that
just posts. Well, there are some
limitations to this, right? Like what?
Like I have this idea for a website, but
I don't know how to code. I'm actually
not good at anything techy, but I have a
good idea. Is that so? Yeah. Guess what?
What? You don't need to know how to code
to do that. You don't even need to know
how to use those easy drag and drop
website builders. Now, how? Well, these
days, you can just use a text prompt
here in Framer and it will literally
build the structure for you. Here, look.
I just did this with my own brand. So,
if I just use Framer's wireframe AI
tool, I'll just write in this text box,
I'm a YouTuber based in New York City,
build me a professional site with an
about me section, a section for my
videos, and a section for my newsletter.
And then I press enter. And literally
within seconds, I have this structure
that I can just fill in. Oh my god, I
know it's crazy. Framer really embodies
the just post mentality because you can
go from idea to live site without
getting stuck in development or
technical complexity. Well, thanks for
showing me this. How do I sign up? You
can launch for free at framer.com. But
you know what? I got something a little
extra special for you. What is it? A
free month of Framer Pro, which has
extra capabilities if you use my promo
code Taylor Bell 2025 when you sign up.
Well, thank you, Taylor. This is
life-changing. I think I'm going to go
build a website about my dog's daily
routine. Very specific, but I respect
the hustle. Just post.
Yep. Okay. The next hack is kind of a
new one for me and it has been so
energizing. It is to do some challenge
once a month. My latest example, which
you might have seen on YouTube because
yes, I documented it. I pretty
spontaneously decided to walk the entire
length of Manhattan one day, but instead
of going down Broadway the entire way,
which makes it a pretty straight shot,
and that's about 13.4 4 miles. I wanted
to do a bunch of zigzags, hit some cool
spots, and I ended up doing it in 21
miles. And the impact that I felt from
this challenge was actually a lot more
than I expected. One, it took me out of
my usual rhythm in the best way because
while I love habits and routines, and I
think they're absolutely essential and
good to have, I also do think it's
important to switch things up now and
then. Like we talked about earlier in
the hair discussion, this was exactly
that. On a random Tuesday, instead of
doing my usual work, I went on a long
ass walk all day long. saw more parts of
my city than I ever have in a single
day. And I ended the day feeling
extremely accomplished, grateful, and
just happy to have that new life
experience. So, it doesn't have to be a
physical challenge. I think those are
the ones that I most often gravitate
towards because my mantra lately is to
do hard things. And I think physical
challenges is kind of the most obvious
way to push yourself. But it could be
anything that just pushes you outside of
your comfort zone for a day or for a
weekend. For example, you could
challenge yourself to learn how to make
a new complex dish from scratch. You
could challenge yourself to spend an
entire Saturday in a new neighborhood
that you've never been to. You could go
to a new museum that you've heard about,
but you haven't been to before. You
could go on a solo weekend trip. The
options are endless. It depends on what
actually puts you outside of your
comfort zone. That's going to look very
different for each person. But what I
love about these monthly challenges is
that it kind of breaks you out of your
normal routine without derailing
everything. It's just one day or one
afternoon where you push yourself to do
something a little different. So my
challenge for you, pick something that
you know will push you outside your
comfort zone just a little bit. Put it
on your calendar and just do it. Doing
this once a month, I promise you will
finish the month feeling more
accomplished, more interested, and just
grateful to have a new life experience.
Then come back to this video and let me
know in the comments how you felt
afterwards. In a world that makes
everything frictionless, I have started
intentionally adding friction back in.
Not everywhere, but in small everyday
places that help me feel like I'm
staying more present and active. The
most basic one, I stopped using Uber
Eats. Not because I think it's bad. I
love that we have that convenience at
our fingertips when we need it. I think
it's a great service. But the days when
I found myself using it were the days
when what I really needed to do was get
my butt out of the chair and actually go
outside because I've been sitting for
however many hours just working. Of
course, I know that not everyone has the
luxury of taking that time to actually
go outside and walk to pick up food or
the time to actually cook yourself
something, but as someone who makes my
own schedule, me using the delivery apps
was more of an indicator than anything
that I just wasn't taking care of my own
work life balance. Now, if I want
something, I either have to walk to go
get it or I have to cook it myself. That
little bit of added friction, the time
that it takes to actually go get it or
to prepare the food myself, it forces me
to actually take a break, to check in
with myself, and to get a little walk
in. It's a very pleasant type of
friction. Now, I think it's okay, or at
least I tell myself that it's okay to
pick and choose where to add this
friction. Like that stat that only 2% of
people take the stairs when it's an
option instead of the escalator. Listen,
I love physical activity as much as the
next guy. But when I'm down in the New
York City subway carrying a heavy ass
backpack, heavy tote, probably already
sweating, I'm not taking the stairs. But
let's say I have a brunch plan a couple
neighborhoods over and I have the time
and the weather is decent, I will walk
instead of biking. That's the kind of
friction that I like. It doesn't have to
be painful. So, my challenge for you,
identify one place where it's a little
too easy to make the lazy autopilot
choice and see how you can add a little
bit of friction. Move the apps off your
home screen. Commit to walking somewhere
instead of ordering in whatever it is.
It sounds small, but I swear it rewires
your default behavior in a really great
way. All right, the next hack
took me a while to learn because for a
long time I have prided myself on being
100% self-sufficient. But the truth is
that everything in my life got better
once I started bringing more people in.
And if you've been around watching my
channel for a while, you've definitely
seen this shift in me occur. One of my
literal New Year's resolutions just a
couple years ago was to move in silence.
In other words, to keep my goals and my
big decisions fully to myself and to
just trust my own intuition. And I do
still think that there's a lot of value
and truth behind that. But whether it's
a creative collaboration, asking for
advice, or just texting a friend to talk
through a half-baked idea, there is a
lot of power in getting out of your own
head. So, the big ways that I have
brought people in on the professional
side, as discussed, I hired some amazing
people and as a result, I've been able
to produce more content than ever. I've
also started to become a bit more
comfortable brainstorming certain
content ideas with others. I work with
amazing management who also helps with
strategy stuff and it's just nice to
work with other people. I think that the
bottom line is my first year as a
full-time creator, I often felt pretty
lonely even though I loved the work that
I was doing. Whereas my second year
being a full-time creator has just felt
a lot more collaborative and fulfilling
because I really did hit a ceiling at
some point when I was working by myself.
And now the way I see it is that I'm
just getting started. like it's only
only going to go up from here. And then
on the personal side, I just feel very
fulfilled by my friendships, by my love
life. I just I have found myself opening
up a bit more to the people that I
trust. And that's just a good feeling.
So kind of for the first time ever, I
would say I have definitely shifted my
perspective a bit on doing everything
alone. You probably shouldn't do that.
And I really do love the quote, if you
want to go fast, go alone. If you want
to go far, go together. And I have found
that to be absolutely true. challenge
for you. What is one area of your life
where you feel a little bit stuck or
lonely and who could you bring in? So,
on the days when my brain is not firing
on all cylinders and my to-do list just
feels infinitely long, I come back to
this super simple yet effective hack.
Just do one thing. Not even the most
important thing. Not the thing that will
change your life. Just one thing. Put in
a load of laundry. I do that one a lot.
Take a walk. I do that one a lot, too.
Tidy up one corner of your space. Answer
one email. It almost doesn't really
matter what it is, but just doing
something breaks that weird inertia that
we get from doing nothing. Because what
I've kind of learned about myself at
least is that burnout doesn't always
come from doing too much. Sometimes it
kind of comes from sitting there
thinking about all the things you should
be doing and then doing none of them.
It's paralyzing. So instead of spiraling
whenever this happens, I try to zoom out
and just ask myself, what is one thing
that I can handle doing right now? I
know this might sound terribly out of
touch because I know that a lot of
people can't get away with just doing
one thing. Okay, neither can I most of
the time. The wild part about doing one
thing is that so often it creates
momentum. One small action breaks the
inertia. It leads to another action and
suddenly I'm moving again. But not
always. Sometimes I really just do the
one thing and that's all I can do and
that's fine because most days I'm doing
a lot more than one thing. So I try to
give myself that grace. But my challenge
for you, the next time that you have one
of those days, you know, don't aim to
tackle the whole list. Take out the
trash. Just respond to that one text. If
it's at work, maybe do just the one most
important thing. See what happens. Let
me know. This one genuinely feels like a
cheat code that I unlocked. I didn't
change what I eat. I changed when I eat
it. The hack is rearranging my macros.
Let me explain. So, I eat healthy.
That's the context. I eat a lot of high
quality protein, healthy fats, healthy
carbs, nothing fancy. And of course, I
live my life, too. Like, this was my
breakfast on Saturday morning, okay? I'm
not trying to fool anyone, but 83% of
the time, it's healthy. Those macros,
protein, fats, and carbs. My recent game
changer has been how I rearrange those
macros throughout my day. Based on all
of the science that I have learned over
the last year and listening to countless
hours of all these health podcasts, I
decided to start loading up on my
protein and healthy fats in the morning
and then saving most of my carbs for in
the afternoon, post-workout, and for
dinner. I do this because protein and
fats for the first meal of the day when
you break your fast break fast breakfast
doesn't matter what time it is but
whatever is your first meal the protein
and fats will help keep your blood sugar
steady and your energy levels stable
carbs on the other hand and mind you I'm
not just talking about pancakes drenched
in syrup I'm also talking about
healthier carbs like toast granola
oatmeal those things can absolutely
cause a larger insulin spike especially
when not paired with adequate protein
and fat. So, what does this mean? It
means that either one, you get that
crash, you know, that afternoon crash
much earlier, or two, you're hungry like
an hour later. That's that's what
happened to me when I was eating
overnight oats for breakfast. However,
I'm not saying these carbs are bad for
you. It's just the effect that they have
on your hormones and your blood sugar
levels and all this stuff. It's more
beneficial to place them post-workout or
at nighttime at dinner because these
carbs actually help bring down your
cortisol, which is what you want as you
descend into the night. They increased
serotonin production, which is a
precursor to melatonin, which you
probably know helps you fall asleep. And
the difference in how I feel since
making this change, substantial. I stay
fuller for longer. I have more energy
throughout the day, and I no longer
really get that late morning/ afternoon
crash. And why did I make this change in
the first place? It's genuinely because
I was tired of having to go feed myself
again like 2 hours after eating that
breakfast. It just disrupted my
workflow. But now, now that I've learned
a lot more about it, you know, it's come
with a lot of other great benefits as
well. So, yeah, this one honestly to me
feels the most like a real hack because
I didn't go on some restrictive diet. I
wouldn't do that. I didn't change what I
eat. I just moved stuff around and timed
how I eat a little bit differently. And
in doing so, I kind of biohacked my
body. Challenge for you. If you haven't
already tried this and you're
susceptible to that afternoon crash that
we just know and love, we don't love it.
Tomorrow, try starting your day,
whatever the first meal is, with protein
and fat. So, Greek yogurt with some
nuts, eggs, and half of an avocado or a
high protein smoothie. And save your
rice, pasta, sweet potatoes, you name
it, for later on at dinner. See how your
energy holds up. You might be surprised.
And once again, come back, let me know
in the comments. I am really, really
curious how these things will work for
you guys, too. The 10th and final hack
before we get to our bonus hack is one
that has changed my life forever, and it
is to find a workout that you actually
enjoy. I said it before, I'll say it
again cuz this is a list of my most
important hacks. You can idealize going
on a run every morning, lifting weights
daily, becoming a Pilates queen all you
want. But if you don't actually
genuinely enjoy that workout, it will
not stick. But when you find a workout
that you actually look forward to, it is
much easier to naturally incorporate
that workout into your daily routine in
a sustainable way. I've told this story
before, but in high school, I, like so
many people, had that built-in exercise
structure. I had track practice or
volleyball practice every day. I had
track meets, volleyball games, whatever
other sport. It was just baked into my
day. So, when I went to college and had
to self-motivate, I lost touch with my
consistent workout routine. And for the
next 6 years, pretty much all of college
and for a couple years afterwards, I
really would just like start and stop
things and not stick to anything for a
while. But then I finally found a class,
a workout class that I absolutely love.
And this many classes later, I can
confidently say that I am consistently
back on the grind and have been for a
few years now. My bank account does not
love me for this, but an investment in
my health is one that I actually do not
think twice about. And now I do a lot of
self-led stuff, too. But really, finding
this class is what broke me out of that
once again inertia of stopping and
starting and just not doing a ton. So,
if you're struggling to stay consistent,
don't start with discipline. Start with
joy. Try different things until
something clicks. And once it does, the
motivation part starts to take care of
itself. You'll stop dreading workouts
and actually start craving them. And
that is when it finally sticks.
Challenge for you. If you don't know
what kind of workout you do, try a bunch
of different classes. Give it all a
shot. You do have to try it a couple
times, I think, to really find out
whether or not you like it, but once you
do, you'll never go back. Okay, mini
bonus hack number 11. I couldn't resist.
Invest in things that make the biggest
dent for you. Not in a luxury for the
sake of it kind of way, but in a this
makes things run smoother kind of way.
For me, that meant buying a really good
laptop. It was expensive, but it
literally never lags when I am editing
huge videos, managing 10 open Chrome
tabs, Final Cut Pro, Notion, Google
Drive, and probably a couple rogue Canva
or Reddit tabs open at the same time. It
has paid for itself insanity and
productivity. But this does not have to
mean dropping thousands of dollars
because I realize the example that I
just gave could be cost prohibitive. But
think of bottlenecks in your day. Let's
say that your blender sounds like a
jackhammer and it takes 10 minutes to
clean after every smoothie you make.
Maybe it's time for that $50 upgrade
that actually makes your smoothie habit
a lot more enjoyable. If your back hurts
every time you sit at your desk, maybe
paying for a $20 laptop stand or a $20,
you know, little seat cushion to help
your lower back might be the answer. Or
actually buying a really nice chair if
cost isn't so much an issue. That's a
good investment. The point is these
small frictions can add up. So, on the
flip side to hack number six, which was
to add back in some friction, look at
where your time and energy is
unnecessarily leaking and patch that
hole. Those are the 10 11 hacks that
have seriously made a difference in my
life. I hope a few of those can be
helpful for you guys, too. So, like and
subscribe if you enjoyed this. I have a
lot more videos coming soon. And until
next time, Turtle out.
I'm going to be honest with you guys. I
didn't I didn't get any bloopers for
this one, but just thought I'd let you
know.
I'm sitting here living like a kid
finishing this video, eating snacks.
Life is great. And the flight attendant
watches my videos, has been so nice to
me. I got some free snackies. And then
I, you know, told the other flight
attendants that my dad was a Delta
pilot, so they're also just being so
nice to me. Live of life.
Hope you guys like the video.

Key Vocabulary

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Vocabulary Meanings

habit

/ˈhæbɪt/

A2
  • noun
  • - a regular practice or behavior

routine

/ruːˈtiːn/

A2
  • noun
  • - a sequence of actions regularly followed

hack

/hæk/

B2
  • noun
  • - a clever trick or shortcut

walk

/wɔːk/

A1
  • verb
  • - to move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn
  • noun
  • - an act of walking

think

/θɪŋk/

A1
  • verb
  • - to have a particular opinion or believe

post

/poʊst/

A2
  • verb
  • - to publish or share something online
  • noun
  • - a message or item shared online

idea

/aɪˈdiːə/

A1
  • noun
  • - a thought or concept

goal

/goʊl/

A2
  • noun
  • - an aim or desired result

system

/ˈsɪstəm/

B1
  • noun
  • - a set of principles or procedures

challenge

/ˈtʃælɪndʒ/

B1
  • noun
  • - a difficult task or situation
  • verb
  • - to invite or test someone's ability

friction

/ˈfrɪkʃən/

B2
  • noun
  • - resistance or conflict

workout

/ˈwɜːrkaʊt/

B1
  • noun
  • - a session of physical exercise

creative

/kriˈeɪtɪv/

B1
  • adjective
  • - relating to imagination and original ideas

productive

/prəˈdʌktɪv/

B1
  • adjective
  • - producing or able to produce large amounts of goods, crops, or other commodities

actionable

/ˈækʃənəbl/

C1
  • adjective
  • - that can be acted upon or put into practice

change

/tʃeɪndʒ/

A1
  • verb
  • - to make or become different
  • noun
  • - the act or state of becoming different

life

/laɪf/

A1
  • noun
  • - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter

brain

/breɪn/

A2
  • noun
  • - the organ inside the head that controls thought, memory, and feeling

health

/hɛlθ/

A2
  • noun
  • - the state of being free from illness or injury

career

/kəˈrɪr/

B1
  • noun
  • - a profession or occupation

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