Self Improvement

7 Rules for Trying Your Best

Steve Bloom 15 Comments

Barbell Pushup Smoke

One of the first things I often hear out of someone’s mouth, after they attempt to do something and fail, is that they tried their best. It’s good to know that even if you couldn’t get what you wanted, you at least pushed yourself hard to succeed. But what exactly does it mean to try your best?

My version of trying your best seems to be different from how a lot of other people see it. I’ve seen many half-heartedly attempt to accomplish something only to proclaim proudly they had tried their best. But to me, trying your best means actually doing everything you possibly can do to make something happen.
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4 Things That Matter More Than Talent

Steve Bloom 22 Comments

Busker in Ignoreland

Talent is one of those qualities people seem to really admire. And to a certain point, I can see why. It’s easy to look at someone successful like a big writer, artist or other professional and conclude that their path to greatness was due to some internal ability on one else has.

Even recently I fell into that line of thinking while watching the Olympic athletes this year. I certainly couldn’t do those things. But I have news for you: talent isn’t everything. In fact, I wouldn’t even consider it one of the more important qualities you need to become successful.
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Your Physical and Mental Limits Are an Illusion

Steve Bloom 20 Comments

Caution Tape

If I asked you to tell me where your physical and mental limits are, would you be able to? How would you know they’re there? These aren’t easy questions to answer.

But still many people go through their lives with the assumption that those limits are there. We tell ourselves that we can’t do something because of some limitation we imagine and come up with ways to justify these self induced restrictions. But the limitations you think you see are actually an illusion. And I’ll prove it to you.
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7 Ways to Be More Interesting Than You Ever Thought Possible

Steve Bloom 13 Comments

More on the Whole Simon Blint Fiasco

Since I’ve arrived at my school in Morocco, I’ve had the opportunity to meet a wide range of people. Because it is an American school, the faculty is primarily composed of Americans, but there are still a lot of countries represented through many of the teachers and students.

This means there are a lot of differing viewpoints and personalities to interact with. But it seems as if one of the things bringing us closer together is that we are all genuinely interesting people. You can be more interesting too. Many of the ways you can bring out that side of yourself are actually pretty simple. With just a few changes, you can become a more interesting person than you know.
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Why It’s Hard to Do Things That Are Good for You

Steve Bloom 6 Comments

AAAARRRGGGHHH

Remember when you were a little kid and your parents told you to eat your vegetables? I certainly do. And I also remember just how much I hated eating them.

Everyone knows just how important it is to eat a balanced diet. In addition to that, people know how important it is to exercise regularly, cut out junk food and stop procrastinating. But despite knowing just how beneficial all these things are, most people struggle to do them. So why is it that some of the best things you can do for your life are also the hardest?
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Make Your Life Awesome by Thinking of it as a Story

Steve Bloom 17 Comments

Make Life Awesome By Thinking of it as a Story

A few years ago I was in a class where the teacher asked everyone to finish this sentence: “life is a…”. Apparently, how you finish the sentence reveals how you see life, your place in it and your overall outlook. I don’t know if that’s entirely true, but I can tell you mine seemed pretty accurate. I put down that life is a story.

Even after all these years, I’d still say that life is a story. But not the kind where we’re just passive characters without a say in the plot unfolding around us. Everyone writes their own story. All you need to do is decide how you want it to develop; it’s up to you how awesome everything turns out.
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