12

WAYS
to be more
successful
Stefano Ganddini

ollegetopia
hange. Improve. Succeed.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction

Section 1: Develop A Success Mindset

Section 2: Do Less Better

Section 3: Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

10

Section 4: Experiment More

12

Section 5: Improve Your Social Skills

15

Section 6: Find Mentors

18

21

Section 8: Take Control Of Your Habits

23

Section 9: Read More

26

Section 10: Write More

28

Section 11: Enjoy The Present Moment

31

Section 12: Show Up Every Day

33

About The Author

35

Section 7: Practice Objectivity

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INTRODUCTION
I believe that every single person is born with an incredible potential to
achieve incredible things. The problem is that not everyone learns how to
tap into that potential, which is why most people end up living ordinary
lives full of what ifs and if onlys.
A few years ago, I decided that I was tired of being ordinary. Since then,
Ive been obsessively researching what differentiates those who succeed
from those who dont. With all the scammy marketing crap thats on the
Internet these days, sometimes it can be hard to find the stuff of
substanceyou know, the stuff that actually works. The stuff thats been
proven by people who have gotten real results.
And while there is some great stuff hidden in the small corners of the
Internet, a lot of people seem to have forgotten that books are still the
most condensed form of knowledge on the planet (more on this later).
Thats why I decided to write this eBook. Over the last few years Ive had
my ups and downs experimenting with different ideas in my own life,
trying to figure out what works and what doesnt, and cataloguing the
results on my blog. This eBook is my first attempt at compiling all of the
most important things Ive learned so far into a single, compact form.
Given that Im only a senior in college, I know that my successes are small
and insignificant relative to the amazing things that Bill Gates and Warren
Buffet and all the Mark Zuckerburgs of our time have accomplished.
So why should you listen to what I have to say?
I dont know. I guess you shouldnt. Its up to you.
I didnt write this eBook with the intention of it being some sort of be-all,
end-all guide to success. Im just trying to contribute what I can to the
conversation. The ideas in this eBook are the ones that have had the
biggest impact in my life, and seem to have also resonated well with the
readers of my blog. They might not be revolutionary, but if I had gotten

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12 Ways To Be More Successful

my hands on something like this just a few years ago I couldve avoided
many, many mistakes. I guess I wrote this eBook as a sort of guide for
myself, but I think it might be useful to you too.
You might not agree with everything I have to say. Thats fine. But even if
theres only one thing in this entire eBook that motivates you to get off
your butt and go do something, then all the effort I put into it will have
been worth it.
Which brings me to my next point: Ive designed this eBook in a way that
makes it easy for you to take immediate action. At the end of each
section, Ive included a set of action items, which are a set of specific,
actionable steps that I highly recommend you do before moving onto the
next section.
Its easy to get stuck in the cycle of reading article after article, only to
never take any action. Reading is great, but real progress requires action.
Knowledge is meaningless without application.

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So lets get started...

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The path to success

is to take massive,
determined action.
Tony Robbins

Section 1:

Develop A Success Mindset

Most people think that successful people were born with more natural
ability than the rest of the world.
They think successful people were born with more talent, or more
intelligence, or more physical strength. Or they received a better
education, or they had more resources, or maybe they just got lucky.
Thats bullshit.
It doesnt matter how smart you are.
It doesnt matter how much money you have.
It doesnt matter where you come from.
Some of the most successful people in the world started out with
absolutely nothing.
Look at Oprah Winfrey.
Not only is she black and femalethe two demographics that have faced
the most discrimination throughout historybut she was also born to an
unmarried, teenage mother, spent her first six years living in rural
poverty, and was sexually abused when she was nine years old. Few
people have suffered as much as she has.
But did she spend the rest of her life feeling sorry for herself, wishing her
life was different? No. Instead, she went on to become the richest self-
made woman in America, and the first black woman billionaire in history.
Howd she do it? Howd she manage to become so successful, even with
the cards stacked against her?
She overcame the biggest obstacle to success, which is the invisible
barrier that exists inside our headsthe only barrier that truly keeps us
from achieving great things.

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12 Ways To Be More Successful

Its this internal barriernot ability, not resources, not luckthat keeps
people from becoming high achievers. Its the little voice in our heads that
tells us that were not good enough that convinces people theres no
point in trying.
But once you overcome this mental obstacle, no external obstacle can
ever stop you.
Think about how many barriers, or things we thought to be barriers,
turned out to be only mental obstacles
People used to think it was impossible to fly. Then, on December 17th,
1903, the Wright brothers constructed and flew the first successful
airplane.
Pilots used to think it was impossible to fly faster than the speed of
sound. Then, on October 14th, 1947, Chuck Yeager became the first
person to break the sound barrier.
Runners used to think it was impossible to run a mile in less than 4
minutes. Then, on May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister ran it in 3 minutes
59.4 seconds.
These are just a few examples.
History is littered with exemplary people who have proven again and
again that with the right mental attitude and some patience, nothing is
impossible.
Sure, you might hit some road bumps along the way, you might have to
take another route, and it might take longer than you had expected but
eventually you will get there.
When you really, genuinely believe thisthat in the end, you will win, no
matter whatthen, and only then, are you are on the path to living a life
of great success.
I know that I still have a lot to learn; but, Ive started to realize how
incredibly important it is to have this success-oriented mentality, if
nothing else.
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12 Ways To Be More Successful

You didnt get the job you wanted? You bombed a test? The girl you like
doesnt like you back? That sucks, but its not the end of the world. Learn
from your mistakes, and move on.
You have to believe you were born to succeed, even when you feel like a
complete failureespecially when you feel like a complete failure.
Its hard to do, I know. If it was easy, everyone would be successful.
But if youre reading this, youre probably not like everyone.

ACTION ITEM

This is a great exercise I heard about from author Michael Hyaj:

Write down 3 limikng beliefs you have. Then, cross them out and replace
them with 3 liberakng beliefs.
Examples:
Im just not cut out to be successful. I was born to succeed.
Im never going to nd out what I want to do with my life. Im taking
small steps and moving closer and closer towards where I want to be.
Im such an awkward person. I am working on improving my social
skills, because I enjoy conneckng with people. It is uncomfortable right
now, but soon it will come more naturally to me.
The next kme you catch yourself feeling overcome by a limikng belief,
remind yourself of this exercise.

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SECTION 2:
Do Less Better

We can only give our full, focused attention to so many things.

As David Allen, creator of the Getting Things Done (GTD) time
management method, says: You can do anything, but you cant do
everything.
Everything has an opportunity cost, and time is our most valuable
resource.
Every successful person lives by this principle. Theyre ruthless with their
time.
I read an article not too long ago that explains how Warren Buffet, the
second richest man in America, has been able to achieve as much as he
has.
He uses the following 3-step strategy.
Step 1: Write down your top 25 career goals. (These can also be goals
that you wish to complete on a shorter timelinelike 25 things you wish
to accomplish this year, or even this monthand they dont have to be
limited to career goals).
Step 2: Review your list and circle your top 5 goals. (Pause right now and
do these first two steps before reading step 3).
Step 3: You should now have two lists: the 5 things you circled are List A,
and the 20 things that you didnt circle are List B. Heres the crucial part:
List B is now your Avoid-At-All-Cost List. This means that no matter what,
everything on your Avoid-At-All-Cost List gets no attention from you until
youve succeeded with your Top 5.
Its about giving your full, focused attention to only a few select things,
the most important things, and avoiding anything that distracts you from
those things.

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Its easy to recognize and eliminate (or at least minimize) the obvious
distractions, like TV and social media. Its not so easy to eliminate things
that are important to usthe things that we might consider second
priority itemswhen we dont even recognize them as distractions in
the first place.
But if theyre not the MOST important things, thats exactly what they are
distractions.
But second priority items are the enemy. Second priority items are the
reason why you currently have 25 half-finished projects.
Anything thats not directly helping you to achieve your most important
goals is, directly or indirectly, preventing you from achieving those goals.
Since implementing this 2 List strategy in my own life, Ive been making
huge leaps of progress on my Top 5 goals.
But defining your Top 5 is only half of the equation. The other half is
identifying your why for each goal.
Ask yourself why each goal is important to you, and dont settle for
superficial reasons. Dig deep. Keep asking why until you get down to
the real reason.
If you dont have a genuine reason, youll probably end up giving up on it,
because youll forget why the goal was important to you in the first place.

ACTION ITEM
Follow the 3-step strategy outlined above. Pay close attention to whats
on your Avoid-At-All-Cost list, and realize that you have to be willing to
sacrifice good things in order to do great things. After youve identified
your top 5, identify your whys.

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SECTION 3:

Get Comfortable With Being

Uncomfortable
If you are willing to do only
whats easy, life will be hard,
but if you are willing to do
whats hard, life will be
easy. T. Harv Eker

If you want to achieve anything great in your life, you have to get
comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Instead of sticking to whats familiar all the time, seek out opportunities
that put you in uncomfortable positions.
Instead of acting out of fear, practice acting in spite of fear.
In fact, use your fear as an indicatorlet it guide you toward the things
that you know will make you a better person.
As Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art, says: The more scared
you are of doing something, the more certain you can be that you have to
do it.
Stop over-thinking it.
Planning is good but, at a certain point, planning just becomes another
form of procrastination.
The most successful people in the world are master executors.
When they have an idea, they dont sit on it for days, or months, or years
before deciding to act on it. They act immediately.

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12 Ways To Be More Successful

I first started thinking about starting my blog nearly two years before I
actually started it.
If I had started my blog the day I first thought about it, I would be two
years ahead of where I am right now.
Dont make the same mistake I made. Work on closing the gap between
thinking of an idea and executing it.
Dont overwhelm yourself by looking too far ahead. Focus on making one
move at a time. Break down big projects into small, bite-size pieces, and
start with the easy part. Once youve built some momentum, move onto
the more difficult parts.
Anything worth achieving requires some level of discomfort.
Everyone knows how important it is to work out our bodies. But we forget
that our mind is also a musclethe more we work it out, the stronger it
gets.
Start by doing small things
Talk to strangers, take cold showers, sign up for an improv class. It doesnt
matter what it is, just do something, and do it on a daily basis.
By doing something as simple as taking cold showers every day (Ive
written pretty extensively about this on my blog), you build your
tolerance for discomfort.
A high tolerance for discomfort enables us to keep calm in times of stress,
to adapt to the obstacles that life throws at us, and to fearlessly take on
new challenges.

ACTION ITEM
Think of one thing that makes you uncomfortable. Maybe its talking to
strangers. Or maybe is public speaking. Or maybe its taking a salsa class.
Whatever that one thing is, go do it.
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SECTION 4:

Experiment More
Many of lifes failure are
people who did not realize
how close they were to
success when they gave up.
Thomas A. Edison

Any time you see someone successful, know that they had to overcome
many obstacles, and many failures, to get there.
Think of any great success story and youll find that the turning point was,
invariably, the result of some sort of epic failure that forced him or her to
think of an alternative way of doing things.
Look at Steve Jobs. When he was 30, Apples board of directors fired him.
But he didnt let that stop him. He went on to found a new company
called NeXT, which was eventually acquired by Apple. Within two years,
Jobs saved Apple from near bankruptcy, and the rest was history.
Redemption at its finest.
In a speech Jobs gave at Stanford University, he said being fired from
Apple was the best thing that could have happened to him.
It is through failure that the worlds greatest innovations are born.
As author Ryan Holiday says, Failure shows us the wayby showing us
what isnt the way.
And yet most of us continue to do everything we can to avoid any
situation that might put us at even the slightest risk of failure.
We have to realize that failure is not as catastrophic or as permanent as

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we often make it out to be. Unless we allow it to be.

It might help to stop labeling everything we do in our lives as success or
failures, and instead start thinking of everything as an experiment.
As Thomas Edison said, I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that
won't work."
Edison didnt fail 10,000 times. He was simply experimenting. When
one experiment didnt work, he tried something else.
I dont know if it actually took Edison 10,000 tries to invent the light bulb,
but I bet he wouldnt have given up even if it had taken him 100,000 tries.
Thats what it takes. Ruthless persistence.
How many experiments do you usually conduct before giving up? When
was the last time you failed? When was the last time you even gave
yourself a chance to fail?

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Would you like me to give

you a formula for success?
It's quite simple, really:
Double your rate of failure.
Thomas J. Watson

But dont just fail for the sake of failing.

The one way to guarantee we dont benefit from failure is to not learn
from it.
And while its true that humans only learn from mistakes, that doesnt
only apply to the mistakes we make on our own.
If you see someone touch something hot, and it burns his hand, would

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you go on to touch it too? Of course not. You dont have to touch it to

know that it will burn you, because you already learned that by seeing
someone else do it.
You can learn from other peoples mistakes as much as you can learn from
your own. Theres no need to reinvent the wheel.
Similarly, if youre doing the same thing, over and over again, but
expecting to get different results, you will go insane.
If somethings not working, for Gods sake, stop doing it and try
something else.
Avoid making the mistakes that can be avoided, but dont be afraid to go
out on a limb and try something new. If it doesnt work out, good. Youre
now one step closer to finding out what does.

ACTION ITEM
Write down three new experiments to try in your life, in any area where
youre not currently getting the results you want.
Here are some examples:
If you want to be more productive, try waking up earlier.
If you want to get better grades, try using the Feynman technique.
If you want to gain more muscle, try consuming more protein.

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SECTION 5:

Improve Your Social Skills

Many intellectually brilliant people never earn the recognition they deserve,
simply because they have poor social skills. By the same token, people with
average intelligence but outstanding social skills can often achieve great
success.
Whether you like it or not, the fact remains: people with amazing social skills
are more successful than those without.

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The most important single

ingredient in the formula of
success is knowing how to
get along with people.
Theodore Roosevelt

It amazes me that, while social skills might be one of the most valuable skills
one can possibly have, we rarely look at it as a learnable skill that can be
systematically improved. After all, it is a skill, and just like any other skill, it
can be improvedall it takes is some practice.
But first you have to genuinely want to improve your social skills.
For a long time, I would say that I wanted to become more social, but deep
down I was holding onto a strong resentment towards extremely social
people.
The reason why it took me so long to start making an effort to improve my
social skills was because I had a subconscious bias against socially adept
people. I would tell myself I wanted to be more social, but I didnt want to
become one of those douchebags and start changing the way

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I talked. I thought people should like me for who I was.

Now I realize how stubborn and judgmental I was being. Over the last few
years Ive learned that a big part of being social is less about you and
more about others. Its about exhibiting a genuine interest in the people
you meet, listening to what they have to say, and understanding where
theyre coming from.
But you cant do any of those things without first overcoming any
psychological barriers you might have. Once youve done that, forming
genuine connections with other people will be much easier. Then, its just
a matter of putting yourself out there.
This means talking to people as often as you can Talk to your
classmates, talk to the person standing next to you in line, talk to random
strangers on the street.
During the fall of my sophomore year I did a 30-day challenge to talk to
someone new every day. Even though I failed and only managed to talk to
someone new for 18 days out of the 30, in those 18 days I think I met
more people than I had the entire semester, some with whom Im still in
contact today.
Before doing this challenge I was terrified of approaching people I didnt
knowespecially girls. But today, if I see someone Im interested in
talking to, Ill immediately walk up to him or her and start a conversation.
If you dont think youd be able to do that, to reframe the way you think
about talking to strangers, realize that youre actually doing them a favor
by talking to them. Think about the last time a stranger started a
conversation with you. Howd it make you feel? Pretty good, right? You
werent weirded out were you? No, you were probably pleasantly
surprised.
Human beings are social creatures. We like being talked to. We like it
when other people take an interest in us. Even introverts like myself.

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12 Ways To Be More Successful

Being social is about making that extra effort to show people that youre
interested in whats going on in their lives. Try to understand their points
of view and why they believe what they believe. Help them in any way
you can. And, if nothing else, just have some fun.

ACTION ITEM
Talk to someone new today (or at the next opportunity you have) using
the 3-second rule: if you see someone youre interested in talking to,
you have 3 seconds to walk up to them and start a conversation.
Simple, yes, but also extremely effective. Heres why it works: if you wait
any longer than 3 seconds, youll probably end up over-thinking it and
never say anything at all. Stop worrying about what to say. Anything is
better than nothing.

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SECTION 6:
Find Mentors

Dont be afraid to ask for help.

Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer in the world, and even he has a coach.
He knows that, in order to stay on top of his game, he has to keep
learning. As good as he is, he knows that he cant figure everything out
on his own.
Last summer, I interned at a large global consulting firm and each intern
was formally assigned a peer advisora recent new hire to teach the
ins and outs of working at the company.
While most of the other interns barely talked to their peer advisors, I
made a conscious effort to develop a strong relationship with mine. I
asked him questions almost every day. I asked him how I could
differentiate myself from the other interns, how to work more effectively
on projects, and how to get put on the projects I wanted.
Guess what? Every time he answered a question for me, he gave me
super useful advice that made me more confident, productive, and
knowledgeable than the rest of the interns.
Towards the end of my internship, I was the one intern (out of 147 interns
in the nation) invited to attend conferences in Las Vegas with some of the
top managers and directors of the company. I was flown out to Vegas to
attend workshops, network, and eat fancy dinners at really, really nice
restaurantsall expenses paid.
Coincidentally, my peer advisor also happened to be working on a project
in Vegas at the time. Im not saying that I got invited to attend these
conferences solely because of my relationship with my peer advisor, but it
couldnt have hurt.
Now, I realize that were not usually assigned mentors like I was in my

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internship, but you can find mentors everywhere.
If theres someone that you want to learn from, just reach out to them.
For example, the other day, I came across a great article by entrepreneur Max
Ogles, so I decided to shoot him an email. Why not?
As Ryan Holiday says, we must be confident enough to ask, humble enough not
to expect.
Heres the email I sent him:

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I didnt expect him to respond, especially after a few days of not hearing back,
but then he did. And he gave me some really great advice.
I dont ask for feedback enough. This is something that I really need to start
doing more frequently. I replied back to him thanking him for his advice and
letting him know that I will be trying to get feedback on the next few pieces I
write. I plan on following up with him again in a month or so letting him know
what the results are.
As long as youre not asking for too much and are respectful of their time,
people are usually more than happy to help. That being said, if you
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email Bill Gates right now, you probably wont get a response.
Your best bet is to look for mentors who are one or two levels above you
in whatever skill youre trying to improve. Theyre the ones who will be
more willing to help you, since they were just in your shoes not too long
ago.
Another thing to keep in mind is the importance of taking action. If you
ask someone for help, take his or her advice to heart. Implement his
advice, and then follow up with him on your results. This is what will
separate you from everyone elseyou take action, they dont. If you do
this, he will more than likely be happy to help you again in the future.

ACTION ITEM
1.
2.

3.
4.

Find three people you would like to mentor you who are one or two
levels above you.
Look for any advice you can find from these people thats publicly
available. Read their books, blogs, social media profiles, etc. If you
can contact them personally, ask them onejust onevery specific
question.
Implement their advice.
Follow up with them on your results.

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SECTION 7:

Practice Objectivity
In every situation, there is the event itself and the story we tell ourselves
about what it means. Theres the observation and the perception.
For example, the phrase this happened and it is bad is a combination of
the two. The observationthis happenedis objective. The perception
it is badis subjective. Being able to recognize the difference is
crucial.
Just because your mind tells you that something is terrible or catastrophic
or unwanted doesnt mean you have to agree. The story we tell ourselves
usually makes situations worse than they actually are.
A couple weeks ago I got some bad news from the doctor, and I started to
freak out. Until I remembered, Im not going to die from this.
Whenever you catch yourself starting to freak out over something,
whenever you feel that anxiety begin to creep up on you, stop.
Ask yourself, am I going to die from this?
Evolution has left our brains wired to respond to danger but, in most of
our day-to-day struggles, we are not in life-or-death situations.
It might help to repeat it over and over: I am not going to die from this. I
am not going to die from this. I am not going to die from this.
Once we are able to control our nerves, then we are able to see things
clearlyfor what they actually are, without distractions, exaggerations,
or misperceptions.
Most of our problems come from applying judgments to things we dont
control, from creating expectations about the way we think things should
be, as if there were a way they were supposed to be.
Heres how you can stop doing that:

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12 Ways To Be More Successful

Whenever youre facing an obstacle, remove youthe subjective part

from the equation. Take your situation and pretend it is happening to
someone else. What advice would you give them? Suddenly you will
know exactly what to do.
Just think about how easy it is to give others advice. The solutions to their
problems are crystal clear to us. We wonder why our friends cant see
themits so obvious what they have to do.
But when were dealing with our own problems, we become completely
blind to the obvious solutions.
Were able to give others advice so easily because we are viewing their
situations as a third party (objectively). But when were the ones facing
problems, we lose that objectivity.
It also helps to expand the context of your situation.
In isolation, the obstacles were facing may seem unfair and unbearable.
But when you remove yourself and look at the bigger picture, you see
that everyone faces obstacles. You see that people have overcome much
more intimidating ones than your own.
While we cant change the obstacles themselves, what we can doand
all that really mattersis change how we see them and how we react to
them.

ACTION ITEM
Take one obstacle youre currently facing, and remove yourself from the
equation. If someone else were in your situation, what advice would you
give that person? Take that advice.

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SECTION 8:

Take Control of Your Habits

We are creatures of habit.
One study done at Duke University found that more than 40 percent of
the actions people perform in a single day are done out of habit.
Its no wonder that there is a direct correlation between a persons habits
and his or her level of success.
Take a look at this infographic:

Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230918
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12 Ways To Be More Successful

Are your habits working in your favor, or against?

If you want to be successful, find the people that are where you want to
be and copy them. More specifically, copy their habits.
We all know that changing habits is hard, but studies show that simply
understanding how habits work makes them easier to control.
The first thing we have to understand about habits is that they are made
up of three partsthe cue (or trigger), the routine (the habit itself), and
the reward. This is often referred to as the habit loop.
Its also crucial to understand that we cant eliminate a habit; we can only
change it. Meaning, we can't remove a habit without putting something
else in its placesomething else that follows the same cue and delivers
the same reward.
Finally, a great way to ensure that a habit sticks is by tracking it. One way
of doing this, often referred to as the Seinfeld method, is to track how
many consecutive days you can succeed with your new habit. Marking an
X for each day that you succeed, you begin to create a chain. The goal is
to not break the chain.
This alone is extremely helpful, but I recently read an article by Max Ogles
that takes the Seinfeld method one step further with what Ive started
calling the 3-2-1 method. This method tracks not only frequency of
behavior, but also quality.
Heres an example of how it works. Say Im trying to write for a minimum
of 1 hour every day. Each day that I write for 1 hour, I mark that day on a
chart (I just use an Excel spreadsheet). But instead of putting an X, I use a
simple 3-2-1 scale to rate how well I did it. A 3 means Yes, I did it; a 2
means I did it, but I cheated a little; a 1 means No, I didnt do it at all.
At the end of each week, I can calculate my success rate by adding up the
numbers. Over time, I will have sufficient data to track my performance
and notice any (hopefully positive) trends.

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If the 3-2-1 method sounds cool to you, try it out. If not, dont. It doesnt
matter what method you use, the most important thing is that you start
taking control of your habitsor risk letting them control you.

ACTION ITEM
Pick one bad habit thats been holding you back (watching TV, eating junk
food, spending too much time on Facebook, smoking, drinking, etc.).
Whatever it is, break it down. Figure out what triggers this behavior, and
the reward it provides.
Then, find something to replace it (remember, whatever you replace it
with must follow the same trigger and deliver the same reward).
Example: If you turn on the TV every day as soon as you get home for
stress relief, try opening up a book instead. Same trigger, same reward,
better habit.

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SECTION 9:
Read More

Successful people read A LOT.

Warren Buffet says he reads 500+ pages per day. He estimates that he
spends 80 percent of his working day just sitting in his office reading and
thinking.
In an interview, Bill Gates was once asked, If you could have a
superpower, what would it be? He responded, Being able to read super
fast.
There are hundreds and hundreds of years of the human experience
available to us in the form of books.
While there are some great blogs on the Internet, books are so much
better, at least in terms of ROI. While most bloggers might spend a few
days writing a blog post, authors spend yearssometimes an entire
lifetimewriting a single book.
Reading a book might seem like a big commitment, but when you look at
what you get in return (years of knowledge) for that commitment, its
definitely worth it.
A book is the most radically condensed form of knowledge on the planet.
Thats why one of my biggest New Years resolutions for 2015 is to read
more. As Im writing this, its the second week of January, and Ive already
read two books. Thats two more than I read last year.
Its actually a lot easier than it sounds. If you read just 20 minutes a day,
you can finish a 200 page book in 10 days (assuming a rate of 1 page/
minuteif youre a slow reader, check out this article where I explain
how I increased my reading speed from 230 wpm to 600+ wpm).
If you dont have 20 minutes, then do 10 minutes. Youll still be reading

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12 Ways To Be More Successful

more than a book a month.

If you need some book recommendations, check out these sites:
Tai Lopezs Top Book Recommendations
Ryan Holidays Reading List

ACTION ITEM
List three books you want to read. Now go get them (Id suggest buying
them from Amazon, its usually cheaper than a bookstore).

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SECTION 10:
Write More

Some of the greatest minds in history were famous for having kept daily
journals.
Marcus Aurelius, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Winston
Churchill among many others.
Tim Ferrris, #1 New York Times best-selling author of The 4-Hour
Workweek, gives two very good reasons why he journals nearly every
morning:
1. It helps him figure things out.
2. It helps him get on with his day. Or, in his own words: Im just
caging my monkey mind on paper so I can get on with my fucking
day.
Even if you consider yourself a terrible writer, writing is a great tool that
you can and should use. There are so many benefits to writing, even if its
not intended for anyone but yourself.
Morning pages, as Tim Ferris calls his morning journal entries, dont
need to solve your problems. They simply need to get them out of your
head, where theyll otherwise bounce around all day like a bullet
ricocheting inside your skull.
Putting our thoughts onto paper gets rid of all the noise inside our heads
and allows us to focus on getting on with our day. Tim Ferris concludes
with the following:
Could bitching and moaning on paper for five minutes each morning
change your life?
As crazy as it might seem, I believe the answer is yes.
I agree with him. Writing has had a profoundly positive effect on my life.
Whenever I feel overwhelmed, or whenever something bad happens to
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12 Ways To Be More Successful

me, or whenever I feel like I have no idea what Im doing with my life, I
just sit down and write.
It calms me down and helps me see things more clearly. Its almost like a form
of therapy.
But people also write for other reasons.
Entrepreneur Robyn Scott talks about another way she uses writing as a tool
in her life:

!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!

Immediately after every lecture,

meeting, or any significant
experience, she takes 30
secondsno more, no lessto
write down the most important
points.

Its harder to do than it sounds.

I started implementing this 30 second habit about a month ago and its
helped me gain so much more value out of the things I experience in my day-
to-day activities. It forces me to pay closer attention to slight nuances that I
wouldve otherwise missed while keeping in mind the bigger picture.
Its entirely different than note-taking. Its hard work deciding what few things
count, instead of just writing every single thing down like we often do in
meetings or lectures. Deciding whats important is sort of like a brief mental-
sprint. It makes your brain hurt. Its the same idea behind the Feynman
techniquetaking a complex idea, simplifying it, and putting it into your own
words.
In part, this describes my motivation for writing Collegetopia.
Its common knowledge that one of the best ways to learn something,

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12 Ways To Be More Successful

and to learn it really well, is by teaching it to someone else. Thats exactly

what blogging allows you to do.
Ive learned so much more about the topics I write about on Collegetopia
than I ever would have otherwise. Blogging also serves as a form of
personal accountability. When Im writing about different ways to become
successful, I often go back to what Ive written to remind myself to
practice what I preach. A lot of my writing is nothing more than advice for
myself.

ACTION ITEM
Take 30 seconds to write down 2-3 of your biggest takeaways from this
section.

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SECTION 11:

Enjoy The Present Moment

My biggest fear in life is not living up to my fullest potential.
I dont like standing in one spot for too long, because when you stand in
one spot for too long, you start to sink. When youve sunk too far, you get
stuck.
I dont ever want to get stuck.
But sometimes, because Im always rushing from point A to point B, I
forget enjoy the present momentthe only thing thats actually real.
Its good to look back and learn from your mistakes, and its good to look
forward and set new goals, but the best thing you can do is look at whats
around you, right now, and appreciate it.
That doesnt mean become complacent. It means be grateful for what
you have.
After all, this moment could be your last. Theres no guarantee for
tomorrow.
Focus on what is right here, right now. Focus on what is in front of you.
Whatever that is, make the most of it. Enjoy it.
We like to think that reaching certain milestones in our lives will make us
happier, but if youve noticed, we usually dont end up feeling much
different. We might experience a short burst of happiness after certain
milestones, but that happiness quickly fades away.
The truth is that happiness doesnt come from money, or fame, or any
type of external success.
It comes from appreciating every passing moment, listening to every
person you meet, and contributing what you can to every situation you
find yourself in. It comes from feeling the sun rays hitting your face and
the wind blowing through your hair. When youre happy just to be alive,

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12 Ways To Be More Successful

thats when everything else falls into place.

Studies actually show that happier people are generally more successful,
not the other way around. Im sure we can all think of an extremely
successful person, someone who seems to have it all, who is far from
happy. Theyre completely miserable, and they have no idea why. Thats
what happens when you set foot on whats known as the hedonic
treadmill.
If youre not happy now, and you think becoming super successful will
finally make you happy, youre wrong.
If youre not happy now, in this very moment, youll never be happy.

ACTION ITEM
Write down three things youre grateful for right now. Here are three
things Im grateful for right now:
1. You. The fact that I wrote this eBook in Los Angeles, and now youre
reading it, wherever you are in the world.
2. My education. The opportunity to be attending one of the greatest
universities in the world.
3. My girlfriend, whos sitting in the other room, waiting patiently for
me to finish writing this section so that we can cook a delicious
Italian dinner and drink some wine.

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SECTION 12:

Show Up Every Day

The following is an anecdote from The War of Art by Steven Pressfield:
Someone once asked Somerset Maugham if he wrote on a schedule or
only when struck by inspiration. I write only when inspiration strikes, he
replied. Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine oclock sharp.
That right there, is how you become successful by showing up every
day, rain or shine, whether you feel like it or not.
Amateurs want the results, but they dont want to follow the process. At
the beginning of a new endeavor, they are overly enthusiastic and they
have unrealistic expectations. Of course they fail. They set themselves up
for failure from the beginning.
Success is the result of small, but consistent improvements, day after day,
week after week, month after month, year after year.
Thats why successful people prepare their minds for the long haul. They
understand delayed gratification. They arent discouraged by temporary
set backs, because they know that eventuallyinevitablythey will get
to where theyre headed, no matter how long it takes.
Theres no way around hard work. There are no shortcuts. You have to
put in the time.
You have to follow the process.
For once, forget about the prize, forget about the end goal, and just focus
on the task at hand. Focus on finishing the smallest little thing you have
in front of you, right now.
Dont worry about what youre going to do after that. Take it one step at
a time, one day at a time.
Work your ass off and, whatever happens, dont stop.

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12 Ways To Be More Successful

ACTION ITEM
Theres something you should be doing right now. Theres an email you
need to send, or a workout you need to do, or an assignment you need to
get started on. As soon as you finish reading this, go do it.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stefano Ganddini is the creator of Collegetopia.co, a blog where he writes
about unique, and sometimes unusual, but incredibly effective things
that will help you start making small changes in your life to start achieving
your biggest goals.
He is currently a senior at the University of Southern California where he
studies systems engineering. He is on four different merit-based
scholarships. He started his senior year with a full-time job lined up for
after he graduates, and last summer he was the one intern at his
company (out of 147 interns in the nation) that was selected to attend a
conference in Las Vegas with some of the top decision makers in the
company.
Stefano has written guest posts on notable sites like HackCollege.com
and also been interviewed on the podcast shows of College Info Geek and
Asian Efficiency.
You can find those interviews here:
This Dude is Winning at College with Stefano Ganddini (Ep. 44)
EP22: Cold Showers w/ Stefano Ganddini

CONNECT WITH STEFANO

If you have any questions, or want to let Stefano know what you thought
of this eBook, you can connect with him here:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Email

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