Worth knowing

Self-improvement, <em>graded honestly</em>.

Every entry says what to do, why it works, where it fails, and how you would know. Each one carries a rating for how good the evidence actually is — including the ones rated as not working at all, which are here so you can stop spending effort on them.

Strong Replicated across multiple good trials or meta-analyses.
Moderate Real support, but smaller effects or fewer replications than you would want.
Contested Researchers actively disagree. Included because the disagreement is worth knowing.
Thin Plausible and widely repeated, but not properly tested. Judge it yourself.
Debunked Tested and failed. Here so you can stop spending effort on it.

45 practices

Habits Strong

Decide in advance where and when, not whether

The gap between intending and doing closes when you name a time and a place. One sentence, once Read it Learning Strong

Close the book and try to remember it

The study method that feels least productive is the one that works. Same time, less comfort Read it Learning Strong

Spread the same hours further apart

Four sessions over a month beat four sessions over a weekend, with identical total time. Scheduling only Read it Mood Strong

Move your body when your mood is low

Comparable to some first-line treatments for mild to moderate depression, and free. 20 to 40 minutes Read it Sleep Strong

Wake at the same time, including weekends

Regularity predicts outcomes better than duration does in several large studies. Painful for a fortnight Read it Mood Strong

Act first, wait for motivation second

Waiting to feel like it is the single most common way people stay stuck. Ongoing Read it Mood Strong

Approach the thing you are avoiding, gradually

Avoidance is what maintains anxiety. Not the fear itself. Weeks, uncomfortable Read it Work Strong

Set a specific hard target, not your best effort

'Do your best' reliably produces less than a difficult number. Ten minutes of planning Read it Thinking Moderate

Talk to yourself in the second person

'You can handle this' works better than 'I can handle this', and the reason is not mystical. Seconds Read it Thinking Strong

Reinterpret the situation instead of suppressing the feeling

Pushing an emotion down costs more and works less than changing what the event means. Ongoing Read it Mood Moderate

Write about the thing for fifteen minutes, four days running

Not journaling. A specific protocol, with a specific dose. 15 minutes x 4 Read it Habits Moderate

Change the environment, not your resolve

Every gram of friction between you and a behaviour does more work than a decision does. An afternoon Read it Habits Moderate

Pair the thing you avoid with the thing you want

Only listen to the addictive podcast at the gym. Nowhere else. None extra Read it Thinking Moderate

Name the worry a time and postpone it until then

You are not trying to stop worrying. You are trying to make it keep an appointment. 30 minutes daily Read it The body Moderate

Lengthen the exhale to steady yourself

Two short inhales through the nose, one long exhale through the mouth. Two minutes Read it Learning Moderate

Mix your practice up instead of doing blocks

Practising one thing until you have it produces sessions that feel great and skills that vanish. Same time, worse sessions Read it Learning Moderate

Explain it to someone who will interrupt

Understanding feels identical to having heard something clearly explained. It is not. Ten minutes Read it Habits Moderate

Make quitting expensive before you want to quit

Bind yourself while you are still the version of you who wants this. One decision Read it Sleep Moderate

Get light in your eyes early

Indoor lighting is roughly a hundredth of what is available outside on a cloudy morning. 10 minutes outdoors Read it Sleep Moderate

Stop caffeine earlier than you think you need to

Half of it is still in you six hours later, whether or not you feel it. Free Read it The body Strong

Load a little more than last time

The whole of strength training in one sentence, and most people skip it. Ongoing Read it People Moderate

Ask for one specific thing, not for feedback

'Any thoughts?' reliably produces nothing usable. One question Read it Attention Strong

Do one thing at a time, and count the switches

There is no multitasking. There is only switching, and it charges a fee each time. Ongoing Read it Thinking Debunked

Stop believing willpower is a fuel tank

The idea that self-control depletes like a battery failed to replicate, badly. Stop doing it Read it