Earlier this year I posted an interesting article that outlines 26 reasons why you are biased. This bias not only impacts the way you view the external world, but also, as this LifeHack article suggests, the way you view your own habits, beliefs, and methods of going through your day.

Most of you likely base your decisions about life on assumptions. You assume that you’re taking the fastest, most direct route to work, you assume that your typical breakfast of cereal and milk is best for you, and you assume that your work routine (9-12, lunch, 1-5) is efficient.

But how do you really know that?

This article suggests a novel approach -- conducting personal science experiments on yourself to find out what really works.

Conducting personal experiments is simple, and many of you reading this may have already tried some. Let’s say you always exercise three days a week, and want to determine if you feel better exercising every day instead.


Finding out is simply a matter of changing your routine, sticking to it for a month or two, and documenting the changes in the way you feel. You might also want to try conducting personal experiments on:

• Your Internet use (how many times should you check e-mail everyday?)
• Your diet (do you feel better eating more protein or more carbs?)
• Your most effective working time (are you more efficient in the morning or the evening?)
• Your time usage (could you free up time in your day by making some changes?)
  

I am a huge fan of personal experiments, and am always open to changing my beliefs and habits if I find out that a different method works better. In fact, trying things out for yourself, when it comes to diet, nutrition, exercise, time management, and just about every facet of life, is one of the best ways to live your life to its fullest.

This newsletter and Web site are full of simple ideas that you might want to implement in your life. So use the Search Feature to your advantage, and enter something you’ve been thinking about changing, such as your:

• Sleep environment
• Diet
• Outlook on life

Then, once you make the change in your life, see if it was beneficial.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Lifehack.org August 30, 2007