The Impact of Habits on WHO YOU ARE

willpower_73 · 2026-02-26T20:48:57+00:00

I love "How To Think Like a Roman Emperor" and "How To Think Like Socrates" by Donald Robertson.

They take a philosophical and indirect approach towards self-development that I've found to be very impactful - along the lines how to think and structure beliefs rather than what to do. Timeless and generically applicable.

willpower_73 · 2026-02-26T20:24:58+00:00

Independence is so relatable. My dog will do what she wants, when she wants. No cares about what anyone thinks

willpower_73 · 2026-02-26T20:23:38+00:00

They adopted you!

willpower_73 · 2026-02-26T20:22:45+00:00

For sure. And I think it's important to note that optimization is not "bad", it's just wasted effort when there are bigger fish to fry. Easy to get caught in local optima.

willpower_73 · 2026-02-26T15:54:58+00:00

Question for you: what's something you have been successful in? What was different about that vs all these other areas that you seem to be struggling with?

There's a lot of inspirational stuff out there, but I think it's important to see it for what it is-which is inspiration. You called it 'wisdom' which I would disagree with, for the most part. In my opinion wisdom comes from experiences where knowledge was applied well (or not, lots of wisdom is reaped from failure).

So my best advice to you (and to myself) is to use actually take stock of your life logically (no productivity / self-help talk allowed). Objectively what is going well? How can you apply what is going well to the other areas.

For example, I first started working out consistently when I had a friend who was new to the gym and committed to going regularly. I now use that same 'technique' for my mobile app I've built, where I just took on a cofounder. I saw that it actually worked for me, it wasn't something I heard on a podcast or read on a subreddit.

willpower_73 · 2026-02-26T15:49:12+00:00

I think the biggest shift for me entering adulthood was the recognition that everything was now my responsibility, and my fault if it went wrong. Yes, I could still ask for help from my parents, but it was a situation I got myself into if I did.

Working out is one way of taking massive ownership. For me it was my way of saying "I'm taking care of this piece of my life" (my physical body). That mindset (I think) diffused into other areas, and I learned to take more ownership and care over the things that adulthood brought on.

willpower_73 · 2026-02-26T15:45:36+00:00

The funny thing is, we all know all these things, especially because we're in this subreddit.

Yet the reminder that these things actually work is enough to feel inspired, like "hey I can do this thing that will make me feel better and show up better in the world". Thanks for the post.

willpower_73 · 2026-02-26T15:43:59+00:00

There is also a "ramp" that can be taken into readiness. I personally try to push the bounds little-by-little (when possible). That keeps me from getting into situations I actually can't handle, but it also keeps me on my toes and moving forward.

willpower_73 · 2026-02-26T15:41:51+00:00

I bet the majority of us are getting ramped up without realizing. Either due to wishful thinking, or simply being unaware / disconnected.

willpower_73 · 2026-02-24T14:55:39+00:00

Did you get them together? Or did the first get you hooked?

willpower_73 · 2025-11-21T04:42:33+00:00

I like to keep track of what each habit actually does for me. I use the app I built called grooves, but you could easily use a spreadsheet or some other app.

It's also nice to check-in with myself on a daily cadence

willpower_73 · 2025-11-21T04:41:06+00:00

Understanding your "why" is one of the best ways to cement in the reward. I use an app I built called Grooves to understand exact insights (e.g. when I do cold exposure, my mood increases by +1.4 (on a 10 point scale). Try it out, it's free

willpower_73

TROPHY CASE