The 50 Best Mind Hacks on the Web


Image: JanneM/Flickr

Mind hacks. Ever since Tom Stafford and Matt Webb introduced us to the hidden logic of our upstairs system in their 2004 neuroscience tome, these simple tricks have taken the blogosphere by storm.

Nowadays, there’s a hack for everything, from your sex life to your kitchen stove. We compiled the Web’s 50 best mind (and life, and career, and…you get the point) hacks. These self-improvement gleanings are bound to make you a better, well, everything:

Work and Career

Five rules for keeping your inbox empty. If you have hundreds of unread emails like I do, these tips will keep your inbox (and brain) clutter-free.

How to control your workday before it controls you.

Make your to-do list fun by turning it into one big game.

Here’s a nifty system for keeping your desk clean and tidy.

Boring, but valuable: How to automatically back up your hard drive.

This is the ultimate procrastination hack.

10 things to do right now to cultivate a superior leadership year.

Your Finances

9 methods for mastering your money.

How to find out exactly what your job is worth…then ask for that raise.

Want to know how to save money? Stop wasting it on these 18 things.

How to go from $25/hour to $75/hour in 2 weeks.

Portfolio management made easy.

Life Skills

Common regrets that dying people have–and how to avoid those regrets in your own life.

These three words will solve 99% of your problems.

The secret to infinite energy in life.

10 ways to earn others’ respect.

How to be funny.

63 ways to build self-confidence.

42 practical ways
to improve yourself.

One simple thing you can do to be brilliant.

How not to hurry.

What is happiness? And what do you have to do to attain it?

How to control negative self-talk.

How to create daily habits as consistent as brushing your teeth.

Want to be happy? Avoid buying into these ten myths.

How to improve your patience.

Lacking enthusiasm? Here’s how you can genuinely become enthusiastic.

How to flourish.

7 skills to become super smart.

Fitness and Health

How to gain weight and build muscle.

The ultimate how to get lean guide.

How to get a good night’s sleep (and what to avoid).

8 tips for eating healthy on a budget.

Family and Relationship

How to decide when to end a long-term relationship.

How to get over a broken heart.

20 principles for a happy marriage.

If you want to be a good parent, remember that discipline is not a four-letter word.

5 tips for motivating your kids to organize.

All kinds of hacks for the parents of newborn babies.

7 ways of resolving conflict easily and effortlessly.

Home Hacks

Fixing up your home? Here’s how to avoid devaluing it with your great ideas.

Theft-proof your house by knowing the 21 things burglars won’t tell you.

Household cleaning hacks that save you money.

5 things to always keep in your car to save money and frustration.

Find many more home hacks here.

Other Useful Hacks

How to build your tribe.

How to read 70+ books in a year.

How to generate ideas when you’re drawing a blank.

How to write a speech in five minutes.

How to raise funds for a cause.

Written by Drea Knufken

Currently, I create and execute content- and PR strategies for clients, including thought leadership and messaging. I also ghostwrite and produce press releases, white papers, case studies and other collateral.