The hottest Self-Improvement Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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The Art of Emails

Niko McCarty • 79 implied HN points • 25 May 24
🚌 Education Writing Skills Communication Professional development Literacy Self-Improvement
  1. Cold emails are powerful tools for making connections. They show you are proactive and really want to connect with someone.
  2. Writing cold emails can improve your writing skills. It helps you think clearly about what you want to say and how to say it to the right person.
  3. When writing, treat it like you're emailing one person. This helps you focus and makes it easier to express your ideas simply.

Meet the Sons of Now

Deep Fix • 432 implied HN points • 17 Feb 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Masculinity Emotional Well-being Self-Improvement Personal Growth
  1. The Sons of Now is a men's group addressing the crisis in masculinity and aiming to redefine modern masculinity within a supportive community.
  2. Masculinity is unfixed and evolving, and men benefit from reclaiming the Father archetype by understanding emotions, providing a safe space, and prioritizing relationships.
  3. Men cultivating expansive consciousness can provide power, bravery, vitality, and leadership, becoming stewards of the spirit of evolution.

Grace.

The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past • 48 implied HN points • 03 Nov 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics Existentialism Spirituality Self-Improvement
  1. Grace is about being kind and understanding, especially during tough times. It's important to respond with patience instead of anger.
  2. Having grace means showing forgiveness and empathy towards others. This helps create a supportive environment where everyone feels valued.
  3. Grace also involves accepting our own imperfections and handling challenges with dignity. It's about staying calm and composed even when things get difficult.
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Rational beliefs

VS Blog • 99 implied HN points • 28 Apr 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Beliefs Psychology Health Mindset Self-Improvement
  1. Believing in rational beliefs unlocks immense energy and motivation, unlike irrational beliefs.
  2. To hold rational beliefs, it's key to ground them in what we know to be true and frame them as possibilities rather than certainties.
  3. Maintaining a positive state of mind is beneficial for leveraging beliefs, alongside reframing and reducing them.

Week in review

André Casal's Substack • 19 implied HN points • 05 Aug 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Marketing Learning Self-Improvement Product Development
  1. Mastery cycles help you learn skills quickly by breaking the process into steps: try, review, and improve. This keeps you organized and focused on growth.
  2. The Dunning-Kruger effect shows that people often think they're smarter than they are at first. Overcoming challenges makes you more aware of how much there is to learn.
  3. Reflection and planning are just as important as doing the work. Taking time to think about what you've done helps you get better and avoid falling into bad habits.

My First McSweeney’s Submission

Shades of Greaves • 393 implied HN points • 15 Mar 23
📚 Literature Writing Satire Feedback Progress Self-Improvement
  1. The author reflects on their five-year writing journey, from initial rejections to significant career milestones, showing that progress in writing takes time and perseverance.
  2. They compare their first and most recent submissions to McSweeney's, highlighting improvements in storytelling and satire techniques over the years.
  3. Through self-critique and analysis, the author demonstrates the importance of continuously learning and evolving as a writer, emphasizing that growth and skill development in writing occur over years and decades.

Kindness

Venture Prose • 379 implied HN points • 25 Jun 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Kindness Trust Happiness Values Self-Improvement
  1. Kindness should be a default currency when engaging with people, not something to reserve only for special situations.
  2. Expressing kindness can help to quickly determine if someone is trustworthy or not.
  3. Kindness is a valuable attribute that triggers positive responses, builds trust, and fosters happiness.

Crushing It

Atlas of Wonders and Monsters • 407 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Love Relationships Mental health Self-Improvement Emotions
  1. Developing feelings for fictional characters in video games or simulations is possible, showcasing the power of romantic attraction.
  2. Having a crush can result in a unique state of mind, where tasks become easier and energy levels heighten, presenting an opportunity to harness that energy for personal development.
  3. Crushes, even if unsatisfiable or deemed inappropriate, can still offer energy that can be redirected positively, such as using the crush on a boss to excel at work.

Defaults: how to make them work for you

Tranquil Thoughts • 59 implied HN points • 01 Jun 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Personal Growth Mental health Habit formation Self-Improvement Lifestyle changes
  1. Defaults are the choices you make without really thinking, like how you introduce yourself or what you watch on TV. It's good to be aware of them.
  2. Choosing the right defaults can save you time and help you build better habits. For example, listening to podcasts can improve your language skills.
  3. You have the power to change your defaults so they work for you instead of against you. Think about how to make your daily choices support your goals.

#97: Không thỏa hiệp

Many One Percents • 353 implied HN points • 16 Apr 23
🚌 Education Writing Blogging Communication Self-Improvement Online Courses
  1. Make decisions for your health based on personal needs, like supplementing with vitamins and taking cold showers.
  2. Engage in deeper conversations using tools like '36 questions in love' to connect with others on a more meaningful level.
  3. Consider joining courses or workshops to enhance your skills and knowledge, like a 30-day blogging course to improve writing habits.

What's got my attention this week #27

The Shift With Sam Baker • 279 implied HN points • 24 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Literature Self-Improvement Lifestyle
  1. The post discusses various interesting reads and experiences, like a New Yorker piece by Zadie Smith, aging on your terms by Anita Bhagwandas, and learning to ride a motorcycle at 50.
  2. There's a piece on surviving sibling rivalry as an adult, overcoming shame tied to perfectionism, and the rise of selfishness among the super-rich.
  3. The content is for paid subscribers, emphasizing the support needed to access more exclusive material.

On Clean Living

Castalia • 499 implied HN points • 18 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction Sobriety Mental health Self-Improvement Lifestyle
  1. Switching from drinking to not drinking can change your life. It might seem tough at first, but it can lead to feeling better overall.
  2. Noticing how alcohol and caffeine affect your moods and energy levels is important. Quitting them can give you a clearer view of yourself.
  3. Sobriety opens up a chance to see other habits, like phone use or gaming, as potential addictions. Learning to be okay with free time without substances can help you discover a different way to live.

The Eristics Test: The Scariest Personality Quiz You'll Ever Take

normality’s Substack • 17 HN points • 27 Jul 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology Self-Improvement Emotions
  1. The Eristics Test is a unique personality quiz that helps you understand your emotions and archetype based on your responses. It asks you 16 sharp questions designed to tap into your feelings.
  2. This test categorizes emotions into six basic types and combines them to form complex emotions, resulting in nine distinct personality archetypes. Each archetype highlights different emotional strengths and responses.
  3. Taking the test may help you discover and address inner conflicts or traits you weren't aware of, potentially leading to personal growth and positive change.

The cupboards of perfection

De Pony Sum • 294 implied HN points • 19 Sep 23
📖 Philosophy Self-Improvement Perfection Identity Ethics
  1. The concept of perfect self-improvement cupboards is explored, where individuals step in to be improved in different ways.
  2. Different versions of the cupboards were created to address issues like changing preferences and ensuring consent at each stage of improvement.
  3. Ultimately, a MetaUltimate cupboard was designed, allowing individuals to go through their preferred self-improvement process, raising questions about what the perfect self-improvement process truly is.

Entourage

Venture Prose • 359 implied HN points • 26 Feb 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Relationships Communication Bias Self-Improvement
  1. Entrepreneurs need a variety of support and feedback from different types of people in their circle, including friends, family, collaborators, and external contacts.
  2. Effective communication with one's circle involves sharing, confiding, and receiving feedback authentically and purposefully.
  3. Being aware of biases in interactions and being open to feedback and self-reflection can help entrepreneurs navigate their relationships and improve their decision-making.

How I've Been Transcending Jealousy

Val's Pals • 137 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Emotions Self-Improvement Personal Growth
  1. Jealousy often stems from insecurity, and it's important to remember that the people we envy are also just humans with their own insecurities.
  2. Interacting with those we're jealous of can reveal that our perceptions are not always accurate, and they may even seek advice from us despite our feelings.
  3. Taking concrete steps to confront and navigate jealousy, such as interacting with those we envy and addressing our insecurities, can help us tame this complex emotion.

Tackling Imposter Syndrome: You’re Not Alone!

Mindful Matrix • 139 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Self-Improvement Therapy Personal Growth
  1. Imposter syndrome is common - that feeling of not being good enough or like a fraud.
  2. Setting too high standards can lead to feeling like a failure even when you're doing well.
  3. To tackle imposter syndrome: remember it's just a feeling, celebrate your wins, talk about your feelings, learn from mistakes, and don't hesitate to seek help.

On Scary Chess

Poczwardowski Notes • 177 implied HN points • 13 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Games Learning Self-Improvement Mistakes Judgment
  1. Playing chess is not about intelligence but about practice and a systematic approach to learning.
  2. Chess is a game of skill and strategy, with no luck involved. It's a battle of brains where the better prepared player usually wins.
  3. Overcoming fear of judgment can lead to valuable experiences. Trying new things, like learning chess, can be rewarding and fun.

GRANTED: Connecting with your future self and learning from the past

Granted • 399 implied HN points • 30 Nov 22
🚌 Education Learning Self-Improvement Work
  1. Learning isn't complete just by acquiring knowledge, but by consistently applying it to evolve and improve.
  2. Closing the gap between awareness and action is the ultimate test of growth.
  3. Reject the illusion of continuity for wiser choices; emotional labor is as important as physical and cognitive labor; consider reimagining work methods from hunter-gatherer societies.

The Golden Algorithm: The One Key to Unlock All of Life's Problems

The Leadership Lab • 137 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Emotional Wellbeing Mindfulness Self-Improvement Leadership Mental health
  1. Avoiding emotions or ways of being can lead to those exact things manifesting in a stronger way in our lives.
  2. Reactive patterns often stem from avoiding certain emotions we don't want to feel, leading to unconscious behavior.
  3. Freedom and personal growth come from allowing ourselves to feel and be vulnerable, even if it is uncomfortable.