Are you happy? At this exact moment, do you feel satisfied with your life?Most people won’t know how to answer this question. And I don’t blame them.We focus so much on reaching happiness we forget to think about what happiness means. So, how could you know when you’re being happy?

Are you happy?

Listen, I’m not a philosopher. I don’t have any answer to the great questions of humanity. If I did, I would be a billionaire living my best life on a private boat in the middle of the ocean. (Yes, that’s my billionaire imagery.) But I’m here. I’m writing for you, hoping to improve someone’s life. So I will tell you what happiness is for me. And I hope you can resonate or find your meaning. For me, being happy is all about the mindset. If you’re happy, you don’t have any worries but your mindset.You want to do things. You are full of energy. And there’s nothing that can stop you.

What is happiness? (1)

So, why don’t we put everything together?Here, I will share five underrated mindset hacks that will:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">leave you without any worries </li><li class="ql-align-justify">make you laugh more </li><li class="ql-align-justify">and make you work on your mindset. </li></ul>Let’s get to it.

What is happiness? (2)

You are reading an excerpt from <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com">The Challenge</a>, a newsletter where I discuss self-improvement, goal-setting, habits, time management, and health tips and tricks.Every week, you will get the following:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">a challenge to pursue to improve your life</li><li class="ql-align-justify">an infographic to track it.</li></ul><a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/subscribe">Subscribe now</a> to help me continue publishing this type of content.

The Challenge

Laughing is often linked to happiness – and for a good reason. When you laugh, your brain releases painkillers and stress relievers in your blood. So you feel happier.But how do you laugh more?You talk and banter with people more. Going to work has been easy since I can talk and laugh with my colleagues. But I had to <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/the-art-of-confidence">become more confident </a>and <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/3-simple-rules-to-boost-your-storytelling">learn storytelling </a>to do that.

1 – The Chit-Chat Necessity

<a href="https://www.cosmopolitanmindset.com/how-to-exit-the-comfort-zone/">Leaving your comfort zone </a>is exciting. And when people never do it, it becomes a problem.If you don’t do it, you will never grow. You will never become a better version of yourself. So, what’s even the point?Yet, even if it has many advantages, leaving the comfort zone is scary.You will be happy when you reach your goals because of it. But in the meantime, it’s scary. And it would help if you had the safety of your comfort zone.

2 – The Comfort Zone Crib (1)

To live a happier life, I always take some time to stay in my comfort zone in the evening.I get back home. I prepare something to eat with my girlfriend. And we watch something together on TV.So find something like that. Find a simple place where you can turn back after a long day of grinding. And you’ll be happy.

2 – The Comfort Zone Crib (2)

All my life, I struggled to focus on one thing at a time.I used to switch from one activity to the other. And with my first job, that tendency multiplied.But there’s one thing my developer job taught me – preparation is everything. So now, I always have a five-minute breakdown before each task to prepare for it.

3 – The 5-Minutes Breakdown (1)

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">I think about what I have to do and what I need to do. And if something is missing, I get it.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">I make a fast visualization exercise in which I look at myself doing the work.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">And then, I take a deep breath and get to work. </li></ul>Do the same, and you will experience a lot less stress. You will finish your task faster. And you will be happier.

3 – The 5-Minutes Breakdown (2)

Living life as a daily challenge is fundamental to being happy.Imagine waking up in the morning and feeling thrilled for the day already. You feel the freshness of the air. And you take your hot coffee, thinking about what you will do in the next 16 hours.How can you get the best out of them?How can you stick to your schedule without procrastinating?

4 – The (Daily) Challenge Mindset (1)

Everything will be a challenge today. But you’re happy because boring isn’t interesting. And you can’t wait to see what’s going to happen.With this mindset, nobody can turn off your vibe. So live your life like a daily challenge, and nobody will stop you.

4 – The (Daily) Challenge Mindset (2)

Negative emotions are addictive.Once you get in the negative vortex, there’s no way you’ll get out of it. So be careful how you deal with negativity because it could ruin your day and life.When I was younger, I had trouble dealing with it. Every time something bad happened, my whole world collapsed. And every misstep was enough to throw me back into the vortex of negative emotions.But I <a href="https://www.cosmopolitanmindset.com/the-pitfalls-of-overachieving-3-ways-to-reclaim-your-progress/">practiced mindfulness </a>for a while. And it helped me understand the fragility of our emotions.

5 – The Frail Negativity

“Be happy” would be a hell of a challenge. I know. But I can’t give you something that generic. It wouldn’t be a real challenge.So, this week, I challenge you to focus on one of these five simple mindset hacks and see if they improve your happiness.<ol><li class="ql-align-center">Talk more with people if you don’t do it enough.</li><li class="ql-align-center">Find your comfort zone where to turn when everything’s collapsing.</li><li class="ql-align-center">You can use the 5-minute breakdown trick to finish your task faster.</li><li class="ql-align-center">Challenge yourself daily to do your best.</li><li class="ql-align-center">And learn to avoid negativity or let it go as soon as it reaches you.</li></ol>[<a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/5-underrated-mindset-hacks">DOWNLOAD THE FREE TRACKING INFOGRAPHIC</a>]

If you loved the newsletter and want to support my work, subscribe and share <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/">The Challenge</a> with your friends and families!Or, if you want to read more of my content, visit the <a href="https://www.cosmopolitanmindset.com/">Cosmopolitan Mindset</a>.<a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/subscribe">Subscribe now</a> to help me continue publishing this type of content.

Before you go

Are you happy? Here are 5 underrated mindset hacks that greatly improved my happiness and can help you too!

What is happiness? Many people struggle to answer this question. But I found 5 underrated mindset hacks that might help you become happier.

Understand yourself and those around you.

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Psychology

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Mindfulness

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Health

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Mental Health

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Meditation

5 Underrated Mindset Hacks That Improved My Happiness

I read thousands of articles about productivity. And did they help me?Maybe 10% of them did. Everything else was trash.We have overused productivity nowadays. We said anything we could have said about it. There’s nothing left to say.Do you want to write a book? Pick a pen and a thousand sheets, and start writing.

How to Become More Productive (1)

Do you want to build a side hustle? Study the market, find something you can sell, and pitch it to people. Do it every day, and you will be able to achieve productivity. That would be enough for a typical topic. But this is not the case.

How to Become More Productive (2)

We gave up productivity a long time ago and focused on hyper-productivity. And becoming hyper-productive is a hell of a challenge.But you don’t have to become hyper-productive to achieve good results. On the contrary, we should return to rudimental methods of simplicity.A piece of paper. An ordered to-do list. Maybe a few priorities – that’s all you need. Let’s focus on the basics. You have time to become hyper-productive in future issues. But let’s focus on the basics because we all forget about them.

The Hyper-Productivity Hype

Each of us has an idea about what productivity is. But not everyone thought about its significance for more than a second.So, what is productivity?Productivity is the ability to get from zero to one. It is the ability to do something that completes 1% of your goal. It is the hard work you will do to build something out of raw material and passion.And when you think about it like that, productivity is simple. So, to become more productive, start doing something with a purpose in mind. That’s everything you need.

What is productivity?

Still, many people don’t know how to become productive. They over-procrastinate. And they search for ways to become more productive.If you are one of those people, this post is for you. I will share a few practical tips that helped me boost my productivity. And these three simple lessons are perfect for long-time productive enthusiasts and newbies.

Productivity and Procrastination

Become more productive with the <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/the-challenge-of-the-month-march">Productivity Mastery Notion Templates</a>. Every month, a new template is available. Unlock it with the <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/subscribe">premium subscription</a>.Or use the free subscription to get:<ul><li>a challenge to pursue to improve your life</li><li>and an infographic to track it</li></ul>every week.

Productivity Mastery - Notion Template

A few months ago, I used to build hundreds of systems to keep track of my productivity.I still find Notion templates from 2020, where I took notes on the tasks I had to do and never checked.I prefer a more <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/minimalism-for-the-modern-mind">minimalist approach </a>nowadays because I want simple things in my life. I discovered life’s already complicated as it is. I don’t want to overcomplicate it further.So, here are my three simple productivity lessons that can change your life forever.

3 Simple Productivity Lessons

Automation marked every step of human evolution. And it’s thanks to automation that we can do most of the things we do today.The Internet is the biggest example of how automation brought us so far. Luckily, no exploited humans upload your photo on the server when you publish it on Instagram. So, why wouldn’t you use this principle also in your life?Automate most of your day if you want to become more productive.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">First, pick a task you want to improve. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Then, choose the hour of the day in which you will do it. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">And repeat it every day until it becomes an automatic activity (<a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/the-habit-hacking-formula">a habit</a>).</li></ul>

Lesson #1 – Automate your life.

Lately, I’ve been using this system to fix my writing routine. And it has been doing wonders.I scheduled one hour of writing at the end of every workday. I told everybody I wouldn’t answer my phone between 6 and 7.30 p.m. (so I can write for more time when I’m not tired.) And I only need to show up every day.

How to Automate Your Life

Repetition makes your work better. And you become faster.When you repeat the same task every day:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">you become better at it</li><li class="ql-align-justify">and you can achieve it faster.</li></ul>And even if you can’t improve your speed forever, quality compounds over time.

Lesson #2 – Keep the streak.

I always believed in the power of tracking repetitions to stay motivated. But that’s only a side effect you get.You will become more productive every day if you keep the streak. But the contrary is also true. The more time you spend away from being productive, the harder it will be to start over.So, here are three rules you should follow.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Keep your streak as long as you can. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Restart as soon as possible when you break it. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">And track your progress and longest streak. It will motivate you to show up daily.</li></ul>

How to Keep the Streak

The last thing that will increase your productivity is the elimination of friction.I gave up writing or working on my side hustle often because there was too much friction in my environment.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">I forgot to charge my laptop and couldn’t write where I wanted.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">I didn’t have anything prepared and had to start from scratch.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Or I didn’t have a quiet place to do the work.</li></ul>But these issues are easily solvable. And they can improve your productivity quite a lot.

Lesson #3 – Eliminate the friction.

So, remove any friction that might stop you from doing your work daily.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Put everything in the right place to start.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Prepare your work for the next day at the end of each session.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">And find the right place where to work. </li></ul>

How to Eliminate Friction

After a few missteps in my productivity, these are the three simple productivity lessons I’ve been using to approach my side hustle. And they helped me recover most of the work I stopped doing.This week, I want you to think about a task you want to become more productive at.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">How can you automate it?</li><li class="ql-align-justify">How will you track it? (the infographic below might help)</li><li class="ql-align-justify">And how will you remove the friction that has been stopping you?</li></ul>Could you answer these three questions? They might help you boost your productivity.[<a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/3-simple-productivity-lessons">DOWNLOAD THE FREE TRACKING INFOGRAPHIC]</a>

The Challenge of The Week

Before You Go

We overuse productivity nowadays. We said anything we could have said about it. Let's get back to the basics.

Don’t waste your time – fix your productivity basics before it’s too late. Use these 3 simple productivity lessons and change your life forever.

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Productivity

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Remote Work

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Habits

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Problem Solving

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Time Management

3 Simple Productivity Lessons That Will Change Your Life Forever

Imagine being surrounded by people.Someone says something that sounds familiar. It’s a story you already lived. And you want to share your experience.You clear your throat and wait for the best opportunity to slide in. Then, you start talking. And for a moment, everything seems fine. Everybody focuses on you. But as you go ahead, they lose interest.

When People Lose Interest

That’s the worst thing that could happen to your storytelling abilities. But don’t panic!I’ve made these mistakes myself – hundreds of times. And I can guarantee you can fix them. There’s no need to feel guilty or needy. But you must get to the heart of the problem.

The Worst Feeling When Telling A Story

First, you must understand why people are distracted when somebody’s telling a story.Be careful – I don’t care about <a href="https://www.cosmopolitanmindset.com/20-dangerous-time-wasters-and-why-you-should-stop-them/">generic distractions </a>we use to waste time. I am talking about those that occur during a conversation.I made many mistakes myself while becoming a better storyteller. And I found at least three reasons why people stop listening.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">They lose interest in your story because there’s no added value to what you’re saying.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">An external interference catches everyone’s attention before you hook them with your story.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Or people didn’t notice you were telling a story.</li></ul>

Why do people get distracted?

When I was younger, I knew nothing about storytelling.People didn’t listen to me. They found me boring. And they had no problems saying that to my face. But I was so afraid of losing them that I accepted everything.After years, my confidence grew, and I didn’t accept those behaviors anymore. And as I started to speak up, everybody hooked on my confidence. So, here are five storytelling mistakes that almost ruined my life and a few solutions to fix them.

5 Storytelling Mistakes That Almost Ruined My Life

Pook hooks have always been my weak point – a strong admission by someone who claims to be a writer.But, in my defense, writing hooks and using them while speaking is different.When you talk to people, you don’t have too much time to think about a great hook. You may hook them with experience and instinct, or you may not.

1 – Using poor hooks. (1)

People won’t listen to your story if you don’t have a strong hook. They will get distracted by everything:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">their smartphones</li><li class="ql-align-justify">another story</li><li class="ql-align-justify">or even a random thought wavering through their mind.</li></ul>So, how can you fix this problem?

1 – Using poor hooks. (2)

There are plenty of ways you can keep people hooked to your story. But these two do wonders.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Use foreshadowing to present an unexpected consequence. People will want to know how you got there.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Start with a question to make people think. They will want to share their story and pay attention to find an entry point.</li></ul>

How to Keep People Hooked

Any investment expects a return. And you may want to gain something when you invest your time in somebody’s story.You’re reading this article for the same reason – there are lessons you want to know. And you apply the same while listening to someone, even if you don’t realize it.So, as I did with the headline, the value of the story should always be some of the first things you share. The link with the audience fades out when the value isn’t clear. And if you keep making this mistake, everybody will stop listening and find a way out.

2 - Giving unclear value.

Giving value is simple when you know your story’s goal. So, before sharing value, ask yourself – what’s this story about?<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Your value may be excitement if your story is funny.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">It might be empathy if you’re trying to build an emotional connection.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Or you may share a life update. In that case, the value would be your current situation.</li></ul>Every time you tell a story, put your value first. Prepare people for what they are going to get once you finish. Let them know if your story is fun, sad, exciting, unbelievable, etc. Put your value first, and they will keep listening.

How to Give People Value

Confident people attract others – there’s nothing you can do about it. And there are many ways you can become more confident.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">You can fake it until you make it. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">You can use self-irony. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Or you can <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/the-secrets-of-charisma">become more charismatic </a>by applying the rules I shared in many of my articles.</li></ul>But one thing will impact your storytelling more than anything else – your body language. Confusing body language will give people time to get distracted and lose empathy with your story. So, even if you did everything correctly, they will lose interest and find a way to leave.

3 – Using confusing body language.

Improving your <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/how-to-improve-your-body-language?utm_source=publication-search">body language skills </a>will improve your life. But storytelling only needs two things.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">First, you must make eye contact with the right people. In each group, a few people define what the group does. And if you catch their attention, the group will listen to you.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">And second, you must speak out loud. Don’t give people the impression you are not confident about your story. And don’t be afraid they won’t listen. Many people may not hear you and ignore your story if your voice is low.</li></ul>

How to Use Body Language

Go to the point. And do it fast.You must tell people how you reached the expected result of your foreshadowing in under two minutes. Otherwise, they will stop listening.Don’t worry if it’s not perfect or if there are some missing parts. If they’re interested, they will ask. But for god’s sake – don’t make us wait five minutes for a story we might not even enjoy.If I were your only listener, I would leave you pending if you ever try to do something like this to me.

4 – Telling long stories.

Keep it short — it is a simple suggestion. But doing it, it’s challenging.How do you make a story short?What do you keep? And what do you remove?<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Follow the 5W method and say a sentence for each question – who, when, where, what, why.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Could you focus on what you foreshadowed in the hook?</li><li class="ql-align-justify">And keep everything under two minutes. Leave further information for later. Hiding some parts of the story could also be beneficial and intriguing.</li></ul>

How to Tell Short Stories

You will never become a good storyteller if you don’t practice with your stories enough. Here’s a list of the things you must know:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">one story for each situation </li><li class="ql-align-justify">how to enhance each story without losing credibility</li><li class="ql-align-justify">how to recognize good entry points and hooks </li><li class="ql-align-justify">and which people you should address to remain at the center of attention.</li></ul>You may even become a good storyteller in your group. But storytelling works best in groups you don’t know when you need to make a good first impression. That’s why you must train a lot in your comfort zone before telling your stories out of it.

5 – Missing enough practice.

I already wrote an article about <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/3-simple-rules-to-boost-your-storytelling">storytelling and its practice </a>. But I will write a few more suggestions here.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Practice in front of the mirror. Once you find a story with value, try to say it by yourself without any group pressure and without thinking about the details.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Practice with close friends. The best advantage of your comfort zone is the possibility to experiment without repercussions. So, try out different versions of the story with your friends and find out which works best. Then, collect feedback from their questions to stop promising value points.</li></ul>

How to Practice Storytelling

Mistakes will forge a good storyteller. But some mistakes could ruin your life – especially when people don’t listen to you.You will become insecure. You will stop trying. And you will become a member of the group nobody cares about.But if you want to emerge, avoid these five mistakes and improve your storytelling abilities from the beginning.Think about your hooks and values. Use the correct body language. Keep your stories short. And practice them in your comfort zone.

Before you Go

You are reading an excerpt from <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/">The Challenge</a>, a newsletter where I discuss self-improvement, goal-setting, habits, time management, and health tips and tricks.Every week, you will get the following:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">a challenge to pursue to improve your life</li><li class="ql-align-justify">an infographic to track it.</li></ul><a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/subscribe">Subscribe now</a> to help me continue publishing this type of content.

Do you want to improve your storytelling skills? Learn how to avoid these five common storytelling mistakes that could ruin your story.

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Personal Development

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Motivation & Inspiration

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Love & Relationships

5 Storytelling Mistakes That Almost Ruined My Life (and How To Fix Them Now)

I have to confess. I have to get it off my chest – I wasn’t always good at building habits. I sucked a lot – more than most of the people that will read this article. And, sometimes, I still fail in my habits as the most naive of rookies.But I have a superpower. Or better, I have a super mindset because I never give up. And you can build this mindset.

Confessions of My Habit-Hack Fails

Before getting into my failures and confessions, let me explain the difference between a superpower and a super mindset.You might be wondering – well, they are both super. I cannot have them. And that’s because our collective imagination sees superpowers as unreachable. Only a few people have them.But the mindset is different. We can improve it. And we can find a way to make it a super mindset. That’s why you should focus on building a super mindset. If you do, you will hardly give up a decision once you make it. You will <a href="https://www.cosmopolitanmindset.com/the-top-3-secrets-of-resilient-people-and-how-to-become-one/">become more resilient</a>. And you will also improve at building habits.

We will talk about building habits in a few paragraphs. But there’s another confession I have to make first.Like a magician who picks a card up from his sleeve and tricks the public, I will try to do the same with you. But not because I want to trick you. Unfortunately, building a super mindset depends on your habits.The more you fail, the more resilient you become. And this might look like an awful scamp, but it’s how it works.

Failure and Resilience

So, what’s the incredible power of not giving up?<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">First, you will build a super mindset. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">And second, you will build better habits. </li></ul>Yet, not giving up means you have to fail first. So, failing is not an option – it’s mandatory.

The Power of Not Giving Up

We talked about super mindsets and habits and how they are connected. You can’t have one without the other. But there’s one last missing point to connect the dots once and for all. And for that, I will need a personal story – one I am not proud of. But I will confess it anyway. (Today, I’m in the mood.)

How to Train to Never Give Up

The first time I wanted to kiss a girl, I became addicted to it. And I used to “fall in love” every week with a new person.Let’s be honest here – I just wanted to give my first kiss.Yet, I wasn’t that popular. I was shy, chubby, and not so good at making jokes. I didn’t have any tactics to conquer a girl’s heart. And I didn’t even have enough friends that could teach me.Trying again and again and again was the only thing I could do. And I even got beaten up because of this <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/building-grit-how-to-fight-life-challenges">resilience I had</a>, but that’s a story for another day.

Kissing Girls and Not Giving Up (1)

And by failing so many times, I think I built an addiction to trying.It wasn’t just about girls anymore. Whatever I tried to do, I couldn’t stop until I reached success. And no matter how hard I would crush, I would always start over because I had nothing to lose. That’s how you build a super mindset. But now, let’s get to the main point of this issue – what lessons have I learned from all my failing habits over these past few years? And how can you prevent them?

Kissing Girls and Not Giving Up (2)

I am addicted to not giving up when I want to build a new habit. It started with the habit of kissing girls and ended with a side hustle.But how do you build a habit?Scientific evidence shows that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcs2PFz5q6g&t=2s&pp=ygUPaHViZXJtYW4gaGFiaXRz">building a new habit </a>takes between 21 and 254 days. And that’s a massive range if you ask me. But it’s reasonable because a habit depends on many factors:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">your natural propensity is a factor</li><li class="ql-align-justify">the type of habit and its difficulty</li><li class="ql-align-justify">and your strategy – your <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/the-habit-hacking-formula">habit-hacking formula</a>.</li></ul>

4 Powerful Lessons I Learned from Habit-Hack Fails

Starting will always be the greatest challenge when building a new habit.If you care about it, you will want to gather more information. You will try to avoid failure at all costs. And, sometimes, even do much more than you are supposed to.But all those behaviors will only have two outcomes:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">you either never start</li><li class="ql-align-justify">or you burn out in a short time.</li></ul>

1 – The start is challenging.

Here are a few suggestions to start building a habit fast.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Start the following day. You don’t have to wait until Monday or next month. Tomorrow will always be the best choice to start a new habit.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Repetition is better than quantity and quality in the beginning. It doesn’t matter how much you do. Just do it.</li></ul>

How to start

I used to think my habits were my goals. But when you reach a goal, it doesn’t mean you built a habit.You may write a book without writing every day .<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">The first part of the sentence is a goal.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The second part is a habit. </li></ul>

2 – Consistency is the key to success. (1)

So don’t focus on your goals if you want to build a habit. Focus on the habit. And if you find one thing you can do daily or weekly that will make you advance with your goals – that’s what success looks like.Success is more about finding a daily habit that makes you advance toward your goal than reaching that goal.

2 – Consistency is the key to success. (2)

I talk a lot about consistency in my content (<a href="https://twitter.com/anghcosmin">mostly on X</a>) because it is the key to success. But how do you <a href="https://www.cosmopolitanmindset.com/how-to-build-consistent-habits/">become consistent</a>?There are many ways you can do it.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">You may <a href="https://www.cosmopolitanmindset.com/top-5-keys-to-building-self-discipline-for-a-better-life/">learn about discipline</a>, for example. Discipline is the daily choice of doing the right thing. And, if you take it, you will become consistent.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">You can also build accountability systems thanks to some mentorship or tracking apps. They have the power to motivate and give you feedback on your progress.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Or you can even use simple rules like not skipping more than once, the 5-second rule, etc.</li></ul>

How to become consistent

I am an overachiever and a workaholic. I should just shut up and listen to my lessons. But I am making improvements in this field lately. Having a job and a side hustle is draining. But I love my side hustle. I think it’s my best personal success. So, I built a habit of working on it 24/7. And even when I’m doing something else, I think about it.But in the last two months, I forced myself to take a break on Sundays and Mondays because taking a break is mandatory if you want to build a long-term habit.So, be consistent, but take breaks and declutter your mind when needed.

3 – People often forget about their recovery needs.

Taking breaks shouldn’t be something I have to teach you. You may be already doing it by yourselves. But some of us are workaholics. Others spend all their free time on social media. So, here are a few suggestions for taking breaks.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Do a <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/unplug-and-reconnect-the-24-hour">24-Hour Do Nothing Challenge</a> once in a while. It will give you enough time to recharge your batteries and gain new perspectives and ideas.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">A habit doesn’t have to happen every day. But only one of the days you decide you want to do it.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Use your free time to breathe fresh air and move your body. It will activate and recharge your brain. </li></ul>

How to take breaks

Most people see procrastination as the enemy they must delete from their lives. But that’s an exaggeration.Procrastination is a natural tendency of our brain to delay complex tasks with the excuse we will get back to them later. But we never respect that “later” until someone or something forces us to do it. And that’s a problem.Let me tell you a secret – procrastination is good sometimes. You can’t always be productive. You can’t always give your 100%.

4 – Keep procrastination under control. (1)

Some days, I am so inspired that I give my 150%. And it feels great. But why do I feel awful when I can only do 50%?Keep your procrastination tendency under control. But it’s feedback your body gives you. So, don’t expect to delete it from your life.

4 – Keep procrastination under control. (2)

You control procrastination when you reach at least 20% of your habit. Or, at least, that’s my threshold.Sometimes, you will finish your habit. Other times, you will do less. But aim for that 20% at least.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Use the 5-second rule when you realize you have been procrastinating for too much.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Set a minimum threshold. Once you start, you will complete the habit without realizing it.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Remove any friction that separates your body/mind from the habit. If you want to build a habit of running, put your shoes where you can see and wear them fast, for example.</li></ul>

How to control procrastination

These were the confessions I had to make about my habit-hack fails. But I may not be the only one who did them. So, this week, I want you to rethink these habits you never created.<ul><li class="ql-align-center">Did you struggle to start them?</li><li class="ql-align-center">Was consistency an issue you never solved?</li><li class="ql-align-center">Did you find it challenging to take some breaks and have burned out?</li><li class="ql-align-center">Or did you procrastinate too much?</li></ul>Which of those things stopped you from trying without ever giving up?[<a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/confessions-of-my-habit-hack-fails">DOWNLOAD</a> THE FREE TRACKING INFOGRAPHIC]

Do you struggle to build habits? You're not alone. Discover 4 powerful lessons learned from 5 years of habit-hacking fails. This isn't the typical self-improvement article! 

Confessions Of My Habit-Hack Fails: 4 Powerful Lessons Learned From 5 Years Of Struggle

I built a 1600+ subscribers newsletter over the past eight months.It all started as an experiment. One morning, I got a random paid subscriber. And I decided to give it a try. But I never thought I could reach that many people in such a short time.So, how did I do it?Today, I will share how I successfully transformed my hobby into a side hustle. So, if you have a passion and want to turn it into a profit, keep reading!

How to Get From Hobby to Hustle

Side hustles have become incredibly common over the past few years.People get rich by talking about their passions and sharing their thoughts online. And <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/creator-economy-experiencing-significant-growth-becoming-ashmi-gautam-xb8dc/">the creator economy grows bigger every day </a>.Building a side hustle has become the desire of many nowadays. But it’s not that simple.

The Creator's Economy Growth

When I started, I had many doubts about what to talk about, how to do it, and where. And I changed my mind many times.But starting and failing is better than not doing anything . So, start your side hustle today. Don’t wait anymore. Or you will never be the next rising star.

Fight Your Doubts

Starting is the first step. And the sooner you do it, the better.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">You will have more chances to fail and learn your lessons.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">And you will have more time to study your audience.</li></ul>However, you must consider a few things if you want to monetize your passion fast. Here are five activities I wish I had known about building a side hustle from a hobby.

How to Turn Your Passion into Profit

When I started The Challenge, I would have loved creating videos to discuss these topics. But I am not a native English speaker – I am not that fluent. You may be a great orator. Or you may love writing. You may want to talk without showing your face. Whatever you want to do, you must pick it from the start and stick to it. Once you build a big audience, you may experiment with different content formats. But people must recognize you for one type of content in the beginning.Also, here are a few <a href="https://www.searchenginejournal.com/content-marketing-statistics-you-should-know/507173/#:~:text=Short%2Dform%20video%20content%2C%20like,return%20on%20investment%20(ROI).&text=The%20State%20of%20Content%20Marketing,organic%20traffic%20than%20those%20without.">statistics on content marketing </a>you might want to read before picking one.

1 – You must choose your content format carefully.

Once you know what you want to do, you must understand how. And this implies two things:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">research what people say about your hobby</li><li class="ql-align-justify">and research how people talk about it. </li></ul>Find the topics and trends other creators use.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">The topics give you information on what people search online for a specific niche.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The trends show which type of content works and will expose you to a bigger audience.</li></ul>

2 – You must research your hobby.

Last year, I attended a design class because I wanted to become better with infographics. However, the course focused a lot on branding. And one thing I learned is that you must have a unique value proposition (UVP) to catch the correct audience.A UVP is a short sentence that describes your product or brand. And it shows your clients your unique offer.For The Challenge, for example, the tracking infographic I share at the end of each issue is the unique value that attracts subscribers.So, what’s yours?

3 – You must find your unique value.

No matter how good you are, there are only two categories of topics you can discuss online:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Topics you know, and you can teach people how to do them.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">And topics you ignore, and you can show people what you discovered.</li></ul>You don’t need much more. And these two categories will give you different advantages.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">You will build authority when you share your expertise and achievements.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">And you will connect with people who share your struggles when you show them your failures. Here, <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/3-simple-rules-to-boost-your-storytelling">storytelling </a>helps a lot.</li></ul>

4 – You must share your expertise and ignorance.

Showing your expertise and personality is a good strategy to build a side hustle with your hobby. But there’s something that works even better and will make you succeed – <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/the-secrets-of-charisma">networking </a>.Connections are the basics of social media marketing. And you have to promote your side hustle if you want to get anywhere.Unfortunately, I’ve discovered it too late. And now, my newsletter is bigger than my social media followers, so it’s harder to grow.But if you focus on it from the beginning, you can grow your social media presence and side hustle together.

5 - You must connect and interact with people.

Think about your best hobby – have you ever tried to build a side hustle out of it?How would that look?What would be your content?And how would you differentiate from competitors?Answer these questions to change your mindset and get from a hobby to a side hustle. But remember - if you don't try, you will never succeed.[<a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/from-hobby-to-hustle">DOWNLOAD</a> THE FREE TRACKING INFOGRAHIC]

If you loved the newsletter and want to support my work, subscribe and share <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/">The Challenge</a> with your friends and families!Or, if you want to read more of my content, visit the <a href="https://www.cosmopolitanmindset.com/">Cosmopolitan Mindset</a>.<a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/">Subscribe now</a> to help me continue publishing this type of content.

Do you want to transform your hobby into a side hustle? Here are five things I wish I had known about building a side hustle and how you can do a better job.

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Reading & Writing

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Entrepreneurship

From Hobby To Hustle: How To Turn Your Passion Into Profit In 8 Months

This is my 200th article.I wrote an article every week for the past four years. But I would lie if I told you it was easy.On the contrary, it has been one of the most challenging commitments I have ever taken. Writing changed my life for the better. It gave me money and visibility. But I had to keep a daily fight with creativity.I was insecure about my ideas for most of the experience. I am still insecure about some of them now. But I learned there are no good or bad ideas – it all depends on timing. That’s why you should focus on producing as many ideas as possible.

How to Become More Creative

One idea is not enough.Ten and one hundred are not enough.A thousand ideas could bring you somewhere. But you must have a flourishing creativity to build all those ideas. So, how can you do it?In these four years, I learned a few tricks. So, here’s how to become more creative than 91% of people.

One idea is not enough

You are reading an excerpt from <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/">The Challenge</a>, a newsletter where I discuss self-improvement, goal-setting, habits, time management, and health tips and tricks.Every week, you will get the following:<ul><li>a challenge to pursue to improve your life</li><li>an infographic to track it.</li></ul><a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/subscribe">Subscribe now</a> to help me continue publishing this type of content.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to work my ass off for all my life. Or, at least, I don’t want to do it for someone else.I want to build myself up and fight my battles alone. And to do that, I have to be creative. I have to find the unique key that will unlock my brand.But that’s not everything.

Why do you have to become more creative? (1)

Creating thinking is one of the essential skills of our time. It can help your relationships, hobbies, and even work. So, even if you are not interested in going solo, you can benefit from it.Unfortunately, most people don’t know how to spark those stunning ideas that keep others hooked. But if you want to advance in life, you need creativity. And you must know how to spark it.

Why do you have to become more creative? (2)

Creativity has many enemies. Here are three of them.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Stress is a creativity killer. Pressure is beneficial if it lasts for a bit. But too much of it could harm your ideas and make you give up.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">A <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/how-to-conquer-dreams-and-fears">lack of confidence </a>could also reduce your winning ideas. You will discard many thoughts because you don’t believe in yourself. But those thoughts might have been a game-changer.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Negativity could hurt your ideas. There have been a few people who made a fortune using negativity. But have you ever heard about their lives? Worthless, empty shells.</li></ul>

3 Things That Will Destroy Your Creativity

Use these 9 quick practices to become more creative than 91% of people and create stunning ideas everybody will remember.

5 Underrated Mindset Hacks That Improved My Happiness

3 Simple Productivity Lessons That Will Change Your Life Forever

5 Storytelling Mistakes That Almost Ruined My Life (and How To Fix Them Now)

Confessions Of My Habit-Hack Fails: 4 Powerful Lessons Learned From 5 Years Of Struggle

From Hobby To Hustle: How To Turn Your Passion Into Profit In 8 Months

Cosmin Angheluta