15 SMART WAYS TO GET AHEAD IN LIFE (BY DOING LITTLE THINGS BETTER)

Self-improvement needn't be a slog. You can make gains-both marginal and meaningful-simply by approaching your day-to-day tasks with a little extra know-how. We raided the MH archives to compile these truly life-enhancing tips from our expert contributors. It's time to level up.

01 MASTER A NEW LANGUAGE By Benny Lewis, who speaks 10 languages and is the author of Fluent In 3 Months

Whatever you practise doing is what you’ll become good at. So, if you write out Xhosa cue cards, you’ll just be great at writing Xhosa cue cards. I recommend conversing in the language from day one. Find an affordable teacher online, then find some fluent speakers to socialise with. Totally immerse yourself: read books in the language, listen to songs, watch subtitled TV shows. Dedicate as much time as you can to it for the first three months— you can always dial it down a bit after that.

02 FINALLY STOP PROCRASTINATING By James Clear, author of bestseller Atomic Habits

01/ Focus on identity, not outcomes. Don’t think, “I want to be great at playing guitar.” Think, “I want to be a man who gives time to his passions.”

02/ Be specific about when and where you will do things. You won’t paint the hall “at some point”—you’ll paint it from 11am to 4pm this coming Sunday.

03/ Don’t wait for inspiration. If you want to write a blog, sit down and write every weekend, even if you have nothing to say.

04/ Scale down tough tasks. Need to deep-clean the kitchen cupboards? Give it five minutes every night. Starting is the hard bit.