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.

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

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

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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Productivity

Understand yourself and those around you.

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Psychology

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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! 

habits

Habits

problemsolving

Problem Solving

timemanagement

Time Management

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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Marketing & Sales

writing

Reading & Writing

entrepreneurship

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

So, how can you become more creative?I could give you a short and a long answer.Short answer – live a happier life.Long answer – keep reading.Here are nine quick practices that could make you more creative.

More than ten years ago, I wanted to write a fantasy novel.I was young and dumb. I copied something from The Lord of The Rings, some things from Harry Potter, and even Eragon. It was terrible. But it taught me an important lesson – writing by hand can spark thousands of ideas. And even if 99% of them will be trash, you still have those ten good ones.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Write by hand to generate ideas.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Do it daily to build a habit.</li><li class="ql-align-justify"><a href="https://www.cosmopolitanmindset.com/idea-journal-best-tool-for-creative/">Keep a journal </a>to remember everything.</li></ul>

1 – Write by hand.

People without a second brain have two problems:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">they forget their best ideas</li><li class="ql-align-justify">and they stress too much trying to remember everything they have to do.</li></ul>Last year, I got a promotion that charged me with responsibility. But that change stressed me too much with multiple deadlines and commitments.However, since I <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/the-second-brain-method">built my second brain </a>, I don’t have to remember anything. And I can focus more on my ideas.

2 – Build a second brain.

Look, I know this is strange. But before you think I’m crazy – this has been <a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/mental-benefits-of-rearranging-a-room-37000508">scientifically proven </a>. Moving the furniture can give you a boost of energy for a few days. You will feel more inspired and spark stunning ideas.But you can’t move the furniture every week. I agree. So, how can you trigger the same effect many times?The secret is not the furniture but the environment.Change the place where you brainstorm your ideas more frequently. And you will have better ones.

3 – Move the furniture.

I used to get my best idea for potential novels when I got home from school.My parents worked hard. They didn’t always have the time to pick me up. So, I had to walk back home.It took me 30 minutes. But I often stopped on the street because I had great ideas and wanted to write them down.Your brain wonders when you walk or run and know the road. And if you learn to focus on a topic, you will generate great ideas.

4 – Do more outside activities.

I love to spend alone time. I used to suffer when I was alone. But I discovered it wasn’t that bad.However, your loneliness will always limit your ideas.Talking with other people triggers an active exchange of ideas you can’t replace. So, learn to <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/unleash-your-inner-magnet">attract people in your life </a>. Share your thoughts with anyone who might be interested. Listen to what they have to say. You never know where the next idea will come from.

5 – Attract people in your life.

When I started writing online, I had no clue what an article meant.I loved to write. And I loved to read articles on Medium. But I never thought about writing mine. So, I did this exercise where I copied others’ articles to learn how to write one.Later on, I tried to improve them. I picked the best articles and searched for their mistakes or weak points. And that helped me find new ideas for my content.So, improve other’s work. You will find more ideas for yours.

6 – Improve others’ ideas.

How can you find new ideas if you do not search for them?Creativity requires a constant input of new experiences. And when you exit your comfort zone, the effect is even better.So, get out of the house to become more creative. Meet people. Do new things. And then think about those things and what they taught you.

7 – Exit the comfort zone.

Stress is the worst enemy of creativity. And to remove stress, you must take care of your mental health.A few years ago, I was broken – without any friends or love. And I couldn’t think about anything else than my situation.Yet, you can’t spark new ideas in this mental state. So, <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/these-7-habits-can-crush-your-mental-health">put your mental health first </a>.Do meditation, yoga, or whatever makes you feel good. Do therapy if you can’t do it alone. You must be in good mental shape to spark stunning ideas.

8 – Put your mental health first.

I wasn’t kidding when I told you a happy life would make you more creative. It does. But a happy life requires a lot of optimism.I always thought negativity was not worth my time. But we often get sucked into its cycle and can’t escape it. That’s when you need good <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/the-power-of-self-reflection">self-reflection skills </a>to understand the triggers of your negativity and fight it.

9 – Be optimistic and reflect on your feelings.

Creativity is a skill you can use in many ways. But you have to unlock it first. Therefore, this week, focus on it.Do something new. Get to know new people. Build a second brain. Or, at least, move the furniture.That’s how you will become more creative than 91% of people.[<a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/how-to-become-more-creative">DOWNLOAD</a> THE FREE INFOGRAPHIC]

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

mindfulness

Mindfulness

creativity

Creativity

meditation

Meditation

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Science & Nature

How to Become More Creative Than 91% of People and Spark Stunning Ideas

For most people, productivity comes with a price. But it shouldn’t be like that.When I started my online writing experiment three years ago, I gave up anything to become more productive. I stopped going out with friends. I didn’t have a relationship. And I wasn’t taking care of my physical and mental health.But being productive can lead to burnout and isolation. If you give up everything, you end up with nothing. And that’s an unhealthy way to stay productive because it’s not scalable.

The Pains of Productivity

I wanted to find a new way to become more productive. And I succeeded.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">I built a 1500+ subscribers newsletter in 8 months and <a href="https://www.cosmopolitanmindset.com/">a blog </a> in 2 years.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">I built a healthy relationship with my lifetime love (almost four years).</li><li class="ql-align-justify">I had two 9-5 jobs and even got a promotion recently.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">And I’ve been taking care of my health ( even if it still needs improvement .)</li></ul>Here are three secrets I used to do it.

Healthy Productivity Results

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.

When I lost everything, I wanted to find a way to become more productive. I wanted to go beyond the usual self-help hype without giving up everything else.I wanted to find another self-improvement plan – a healthy one. So, I searched and experimented with a few things. But the results weren’t anything fancy or complex as I thought.On the contrary, I found the most effective systems in the simplest things. And today, I want to share the three secrets to unlock your productivity I found.But first, let’s talk a bit about productivity.

Beyond the Usual Self-Help Hype

Productivity is one of the first challenges you fight when you start with personal growth. So, five years ago, I tried my best. But productivity depends on too many variables. If you want to be productive, you have to keep track of:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">The motivation that helps you start working.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The stress and anxiety you have to keep under control.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Your <a href="https://www.cosmopolitanmindset.com/20-sneaky-procrastination-traps-that-almost-ruined-my-life/">natural procrastination </a>tendencies.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">And the need to become more disciplined. </li></ul>

The Secrets of Productivity (1)

Usually, people create strict systems and rules to limit all those variables and become more productive. But they rarely work because they don’t have experience in productivity.Nobody teaches us how to do our everyday tasks more efficiently. And nobody trained us to become faster in our execution. We had to do it all by ourselves.So, building a productive system requires a lot of trial and error. You can do it, but it will take time.Yet, in my experience, I found three secret keys that might help you accelerate the process. And I want to give them to you in exchange <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/subscribe">for a follow </a>(wink!)

The Secrets of Productivity (2)

You can’t always be motivated – that’s the first thing I learned in my experiments.Motivation changes fast. You may be motivated but lose focus in five minutes. And you can’t build your life and plans around that.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">You either become disciplined. But it’s something that comes with time and experience.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Or use those boost moments to finish most of your tasks.</li></ul>You must pick the second if you just started with self-improvement or can’t achieve discipline. In this case, you could try to work on two things: the frequency or duration of your motivational boosts.

1 – The Secret of The Zone

When do you feel motivated? What triggers that feeling?And what stops it? I started with these questions when I tried to become more motivated. And I found some interesting questions.<ul><li>I felt more motivated in the morning.</li><li>Working out or reading increased my mood and motivation.</li><li>And working or talking to people decreased it.</li></ul>So, I chose to work in the morning after a run or half hour of reading. And you can do the same by replying to the questions yourself.

How to Increase Motivation Frequency

The duration increase is a mind trick you can use to feel motivated for longer, even if you are not. Start with a small, insignificant task, and your mind will do the trick. However, you must reach deep focus for at least a few minutes. So, avoid distractions, multi-tasking, interruptions, etc.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify"><a href="https://www.cosmopolitanmindset.com/deep-work-and-flow/">Deep work </a>is the ability to focus on a task and leave everything out until it’s finished.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Flow is the ability to carry over motivation from finishing a task to another related one.</li></ul>If you master these techniques, you will build a result-oriented mindset and maintain your motivation for longer.

How to Increase Motivation Duration

Boredom is an underrated feeling. Everybody hates it, but its mastery could change your life.I couldn’t control boredom and waiting. I lived for new stimuli to fill up my days. And when I didn’t find them, I felt lonely and bored.But I learned that I can’t have something new every day. And you will never have the time to learn your lessons if you live a new experience every day.Yet, boredom has a hidden power – you can use it to improve excitement or become more productive.

2 – The Secret of Waiting

When I’m excited about something, waiting always boosts that experience. And I learned to use this mental trick in my everyday life.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">I always wait before starting any new project to understand if the initial excitement remains.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">I wait before any experience to make it more enjoyable.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">And I wait <a href="https://www.cosmopolitanmindset.com/10-ways-how-not-to-become-a-millionaire/">before buying anything expensive </a>to be sure I need it.</li></ul>Waiting has the power to increase excitement and reduce insecurities or reckless decisions. Learn to use it, and you will improve your productivity.

How to Improve the Excitement

Sometimes, you wait to get clarity and motivation. But other times, life forces you to wait. And there’s nothing you can do about it.When it happens, people take out their phones and give up on the scroll of doom. But if you know the power of waiting, you can use this time proactively.While waiting, I listen to podcasts and audiobooks or watch online courses. You can consume content instead of queueing at your doctor’s office or cleaning the hours.The more passive activities you find, the more productive you will be during your waiting time.

How to Use Productive Waiting

Nowadays, everybody focuses on productivity and goals. And that tendency can define the outcome of your success or failure.When I started my newsletter, I wrote ten issues without a break. But they all sucked. So, I had to start over and take it easy.If you learn to take frequent breaks, you will have an easy life. Your recovery time will be short. And you will never burn out.But you must understand when to take breaks and how to maximize their impact.

3 – The Secret of Break/Work Sessions

I always used the Pareto Principle to take breaks:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">80% of work</li><li class="ql-align-justify">and 20% of a break at the end.</li></ul>But don’t work for too much, keeping all the free time at the end. As a rule of thumb, I would split my work session into 1-hour slots. Work for about 45-50 minutes, and take a break for 10-15.

When to Take a Break

I often check out my X profile and answer people when I take a break. But that’s not an effective break because it’s part of my job.Your free time helps you unload all the stress and negative emotions you get from your tasks. So, don’t overload it with useless information. And don’t use it for less demanding tasks. Keep it free.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Leave your phone on the side and do some exercise. Go for a walk, for example.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Don’t use breaks for low-priority tasks like answering e-mails or making phone calls. Call a friend or relative if you have to.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Use your breaks to build up motivation for your next task. </li></ul>

How to Take a Break

Learn to control the three secrets of productivity:<ol><li class="ql-align-center">Use the zone to reach deep work and focus on your tasks.</li><li class="ql-align-center">Use boredom to consume content and generate new ideas.</li><li class="ql-align-center">Keep a safe relationship between work and breaks.</li></ol>

Cut Through the Noise & Boost Productivity Now! 3 Powerful Secrets You Won't Find in Typical Self-Help. Get More Done & Achieve Your Goals Faster!

remotework

Remote Work

3 Secrets to Unlock Your Productivity Now

Since I was a child, I wanted to be the center of attention. And I remember telling a lot of lies to reach that goal.They weren’t big life-changing lies. And they always had something true beneath them. But I thought the truth was not interesting enough. So, I choose to exaggerate.When I got older, those lies didn’t work anymore. On the contrary, they made people distant. And I couldn’t understand why.I thought people loved my stories. But then, they stopped because my lies became too childish.

Lying as a Child

Later, I discovered what I was doing back there was storytelling. But I didn’t make it evolve. I remained in my comfort zone for so long that I became stagnant. So, I needed a way to get my friends back.That’s when everything started, and I discovered the 7 personality traits of the top 1% of people. In this issue, I will show you how to master them ( or, at least, how I did it.)

The Comfort Zone

When I think about the top 1% of people, I think about solopreneurs who succeeded in building an empire from nothing.I admire their strength, intelligence, and skills. And I would like to become one of them. I would love to enter the club.However, when you think about the top 1%, your priorities might be different. We didn’t inspire the same people. So, we might have opposite aspirations.

How to Enter the Top 1% of People (1)

Emulate the Success Mindset: Discover the 7 Traits of Top Achievers & Learn How to Develop Them in Yourself. Unlock Your Potential & Reach New Heights!

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

How to Become More Creative Than 91% of People and Spark Stunning Ideas

3 Secrets to Unlock Your Productivity Now

Cosmin Angheluta