People Who Get Super Far Ahead In Life Often Use 20 Unconventional Cheat Codes
perfectwave | Canva We all know somebody who seems to be playing life on easy while the rest of us are stuck on hard mode. Are they smarter? Putting in more hours? Just built different than the rest of us?
You'll be surprised to learn that what this person and similar people like them do is not caring about how they come off. No, seriously. When you stop running a diagnostics check before every move that you make, you free up an insane amount of time and energy. That freed-up energy is the whole game, and the following cheat codes will get you super far ahead in life — at half the cost, too.
People who get super far ahead in life often rely on a few cheat codes:
1. They do one thing at a time with full enjoyment
Productivity doesn’t have to be some heavy discipline that takes effort. All you need to do is figure out the next small step and find a way to enjoy it. You bring enjoyment. You can choose to be silly.
2. They stop caring so much about what others think
Unless you learn to let go of the false belief that other people are a threat to your self-esteem, you'll never move forward. When we believe that we gain from external validation, our joy is now at the mercy of others. We’re a victim. One of the most empowering steps you can take is to see that the world doesn’t end when you stop molding your behaviors to please others. Everything gets better.
3. They learn to write well
It’s the best thing I did for my self-confidence.
4. They know the people they envy have struggles they'd never want
Many of us suffer tremendously because we allow others to disrupt our emotional balance. We get jealous. We feel triggered. We get offended. Our loss. We can’t truly respect ourselves if someone is living in our heads rent-free.
5. People who get far ahead know that short walks will make them happier
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Long walks will make you even happier.
6. They don’t take money too seriously
The moment you see it as a game, it becomes fun. Learn to love money. It’s just a tool. It isn’t good or bad, and money made through enjoyment comes easier.
7. People like this don't stall if they're struggling to decide
Experiment. Test the water first. Never jump in head first if you can test it first.
8. They don't follow people down a path of misunderstanding
Most people are hopelessly clueless about what works and what does not. Question everything.
9. They stop requiring everything to be ‘right’ to proceed
Advance into the chaos.
10. They listen carefully to their emotions
Your emotions are powerful indicators — not of the state of the world, but the state of your thoughts. If you feel bad, return to the present moment. There’s no judgment here.
11. They slow their breathing
There is a close link between breath and the rate at which we cycle through new thoughts. Anxiety reflects an overly active mind. As such, slowing down our breathing can slow down our thoughts and reduce what feels like anxiety.
12. People who get far ahead in life live like they won the moment they were born
Stop living as if you've already lost. Play all out. You have nothing to lose.
13. They find a way to enjoy whatever they do, no matter how mundane
No matter how mundane, try to enjoy the boring stuff because life is mostly boring stuff. Spoiler alert: You can’t outwork someone who’s enjoying themselves.
14. They accept that anxiety exists to reduce its power
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Watch it like it is separate from you. Only then will it fade into the background.
15. They ask themselves, ‘What would I love to create today?’
Then, live your life following your creative desires (your get-tos — not your have-tos).
16. They know that fear is an indicator not of what to avoid, but of what they care for deeply
Knowing this, maybe you should move in that direction after all.
17. They ask themselves one question in the face of perceived setbacks
Unhappy people ask, ‘What’s wrong with me?’ Happy people who are far ahead in life ask, ‘How can I use this?’
18. They understand self-love is not something to ‘work on’
I realized I had all the joy and self-love I needed by becoming aware. Try it now. Sit in full awareness for a while. Feel the self-love rippling in you. It’s there without effort.
19. People who are far ahead in life are happy no matter the weather
Happy people are happy whether it’s raining or shining.
20. They assume people won't always treat them right
People who get super far ahead in life know they will be perpetually miserable if they expect others to always treat them right. Forget yourself and turn your focus on making others happy. You’ll get so much more satisfaction that way. Too many of us are lost, waiting for approval, love, and respect. Forget that. Go out and give it. When you do, you'll magically love coming your way anyway.
In his research, Seymour Epstein, a University of Massachusetts psychology professor and co-author of You’re Smarter Than You Think, found that it was “experiential intelligence” — common sense, social skills, the handling of emotions, and the ability to solve problems — that actually determined how successful a person was.
“Success in life has a lot more to do with your experiential mind or your practical intelligence than your intellect,” Epstein said, explaining that how a person dealt with the hard parts of life was a better predictor of success than how smart a person appeared to be.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient. He's the author of the Mastery Den newsletter, which helps people triple their productivity.
