The Most Effective Life Hacking Experiments that Really Changed My Life

Over the years I've conducted a series of mini experiments that have served me very well.  Although some of them were meant to become life long habits, I still enjoyed the benefits of incorporating a new behavior even for a short period of time.  We're constantly receiving advice to incorporate various habits into our lives because of the potential benefits.

Sometimes, it makes sense to carry out an activity on a daily basis for a short period of time to accurately measure the impact of the new behavior.  This is what I'm referring to when I talk about carrying out an experiment. Once you realize the immediate impact of your behavior change, you can decide if the impact is enough to continue the activity.

I thought it would be a good idea to take a look back at my most amazing mini-experiments and share which ones had the most impact. Of all the life enhancing mini-experiments I've conducted over the years, these are my all-time favorites.


Drink A Gallon of Water a Day Experiment.
A few years ago I discovered that if I drank out of a giant water bottle, my water intake increased considerably.  So I purchased that largest water bottle I could find and set a goal to drink a gallon of water a day.  When I was faithful with this habit, I was rewarded greatly.  I just went back and reread my experience and, apparently, I was hydrated from head to toe and from the inside out.  Although I make sure to drink water every day, I don't drink nearly enough to make a positive impact on my outer appearance.  Lately, my skin and scalp have been a bit dry and I'm very certain that my water intake has a lot to do with it.  The surest way to find out of lack of water is the culprit is to increase my intake to see if I (once again) experience a visible difference.

What I remember from the experiment, I drank most of my daily allotment in the morning.  Then finished my second water bottle throughout the day.  I'm realizing now that I'm not loading up on water in the morning like I used to.  This was my downfall.  To counteract this, I'm making sure to drink at least a liter of water before taking my first bite of food for the day.  I also want to continue to wrap up the day by guzzling down a smaller bottle of water an hour or so after dinner.   This should help bring back my glow again.

Daily Meditation Experiment
I can't tell you how many times I've heard that meditation is a keystone habit of many successful people.  I dabbled in incorporating meditation off an on for 5-15 minutes a day. But there was this one time that I got really serious about implementing it as a daily exercise to observe the benefits.  I committed to practicing 20-30 minutes of quiet meditation each and every morning.  The results I experienced from that time were pretty powerful.  A clear, focused mind has the ability to accomplish pretty much anything.  My productivity was at an all-time high. I was stress free. I felt like I was some sort of superhuman.  It's hard to explain but things change dramatically when we remove the limited thinking that bombards our minds all day long.

Another similar experiment I conducted was the time when I practiced "living meditation."  Basically, instead of sitting still for 20 minutes in order to create a focused mind, I practiced being fully focused on everything single task.  I did this for about a week and it was life-changing.   Accomplishing everything you set out to do gives you such a high!  It boosts your confidence which allows you to effortlessly step outside of your comfort zone.  Most of us don't realize how scattered our brain is until we try to single-mindedly focus on the matter at hand until completion.  It requires a lot of mental energy but it's so very worth it.

Do One Thing Different Experiment
Another experiment that I can't wait to try again is my "Do One Thing Different" experiment inspired by the book.  After realizing that I was reliving the same day over and over again, I decided to try this concept of making one small change in my behavior.  I call a lot of things life changing but this actually changes the course (and direction) of one's life.  It's like you're practicing the butterfly effect in your daily habits.  I'm fascinated by the idea that you can shift your current path simply by making small, intentional changes to your day.  Making a different decision than you made yesterday has the power to change everything!

 Whenever I'm in a rut, I revisit the concept of making a small tweak in my normal pattern of behavior and always works like a charm.  I also apply this concept in how I interact with people as well. Sometimes we carry out the same pattern of behavior with people over and over.  By altering my behavior, I find that I have the ability to impact the other person's behavior as well.   If you aren't happy with the state of your life, please apply this concept as an experiment and watch what happens.

Always Look My Best Experiment
Again, one of my most powerful experiments is when I dedicated a good amount of effort in making sure that I presented my best self to the world every day.  This had such an impact that I felt like I was granted access to someone else's life.  The "pretty" version of me experiences life very differently than the "basic" version. I would have never known this if I hadn't carried out this experiment.  Now I fully understand why some people choose to put in the additional investment in their appearance.  Before I used to secretly judge them but now I completely get it.  Our appearance even affects our earning potential.  Putting in the extra effort to look your best is actually an investment that can pay off big time.    I recommend everyone to try all the experiments I listed above but this one is really a game changer.  I'll notice the impact it has on your life almost immediately.  At the very least, your confidence will go up and we all can benefit from that.