Self-improvement shouldn’t be complex. Sure, it’s hard to put into practice.

But it shouldn't be complex. It is, in fact, simple.

Yet, the internet is flooded with advice. Morning routines, ice baths, dopamine detoxes, journaling techniques—some helpful, most just noise.

So, let’s cut through the noise.

Before we dive into specific topics in future letters, you need a blueprint. A foundation that actually makes everything else easier.

In this letter, you’ll find three core principles and five pillars—distilled from years of trial and error in self-improvement and productivity. They’re what truly matter.

Because sometimes, we chase focus hacks when all we really need is to analyze what we’ve been eating.

Modern life has created new challenges, but our biology hasn’t changed.

Instead, welcome to the world’s shortest self-improvement course. Let’s dive in.

All self-help you need:

• Module 1: Core Principles

  • Principle 1

  • Principle 2

  • Principle 3

• Module 2: Pillars

  • Pillar 1

  • Pillar 2

  • Pillars 3 & 4

  • Pillar 5

Module 1: Core Principles

Principle 1: Consistency is key, but…

It doesn't mean doing a lot of things—and definitely not doing them every single day.

Consistency is about showing up when you can.

It's letting the compounding effect work its magic. You just need to improve 1% most of the time, without expecting to be at 100% all the time.

Avoiding stagnation most days is what counts. Because after 2, 5 years, that 1% will have compounded.

The math is clear. If you improve by 1% most of the year (let's say 300 days), in one year you’ll have:

1.01³⁰⁰ = 19.79

But after five years (1,500 days) of consistency:

1.01¹⁵⁰⁰ = 3,034,315

Crazy, right? If you improve by just 1% most years, you go from 20 times better in year one to over 3 million times better in year five.

Principle 2: Find what works for you, one step at a time

You already know that you don't need to do a lot in order to succeed.

Now, here's why you shouldn't do a lot of things.

You need to figure out what works for you. People love quick fixes and easy answers. But with self-improvement, we have to learn what works for us individually.

However, It’ll be very hard to figure that out if you change too many things at once. Plus, trying to maintain multiple new habits will make the process even more challenging.

So pick one habit. Test it for 2-4 weeks. Keep what works, drop what doesn’t.

It’s all about consistently doing what sticks for us—not copying what looked cool in a YouTube routine video.

There’s no universal formula. The "perfect routine" is the one that fits you. 

Experiment. Keep what feels right, discard what doesn’t.

Principle 3: It's forever

It’s third not because it’s less important, but because it ties the first two together.

Understand that this is for the rest of your life. Truly internalize that. 

Life is not like a video game, where you unlock a skill and you don't have to think about it ever again.

You do get better at discipline over time, and neuroscience shows that the brain can be trained in this way.

However, things happen and you can lose good habits you used to have. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve picked up and dropped the habit of reading books.

It might sound discouraging, but it’s actually liberating.

Once you really understand that “it's forever”, you stop chasing short term solutions.

If you’re prone to gaining weight like me, you’ll stop trying 3-month diets. Because you know it’s not something you fix once and forget about forever. It's about what you eat. Forever.

You also stop beating yourself up.

If you know it’s forever, you understand that failure is part of the process. But you’ll catch yourself and stop it from spiraling. That’s what counts.

See how it ties the first two together? If you know what works for you, you can bounce back after a setback. And by understanding consistency, you’ll see that the long term is what truly matters.

Module 2: Pillars

We are animals. But animals with an incredible brain and an absurd amount of external stimuli.

It makes so much noise that we forget we’re animals.

So here are the pillars, ranked by importance (meaning how much they affect your life):

Sleep → Diet → Mind → Body → Projects

Let’s break them down.

Pillar 1: Sleep

It took me way too long to understand the importance of sleep.

I used to be the type of person who said, “I'll sleep when I'm dead.” I had this toxic idea of productivity. I felt proud of myself for surviving on just 4 hours a night.

Then I became constantly anxious.

My mind felt foggy all the time.

The gym never gave me results. 

Add that to a toxic work environment, and boom—I had two panic attacks. After that, I started respecting sleep. My life changed immensely.

So find your optimal sleep schedule:

✅ From 6 to 9 hours
✅ Wake-up times: between 5 AM and 10 AM

Just don’t lie to yourself.

Very few people actually function well on less than 6 hours or need more than 10. And despite what night owls say, very few people truly work better waking up past noon.

Most people are naturally more productive during typical working hours. There’s a reason 9-to-5 jobs exist.

That said, some people have peak mental clarity early in the morning. Others hit their stride in the late afternoon—or even past midnight.

If your schedule allows, experiment. Figure out what works best for you.

Also, remember: it’s okay to break your sleep schedule sometimes. It happens to me all the time. The key is getting back on track as soon as possible. The long run is what matters.

Pillar 2: Diet

Diet isn’t just about what you eat—it’s also about how you eat.

✅ Two meals or six?
✅ Breakfast or no breakfast?
✅ Are you eating too much highly processed food?

I used to think we had to eat five or six meals a day. I didn’t enjoy it, but I thought that’s just how it was. I grew up seeing it on TV.

Then, years ago, I discovered intermittent fasting. It changed everything. Skipping breakfast fit perfectly into my routine.

It also helped me control my weight and stay focused in the mornings.

This pillar is huge—let me know if you’d like me to dive deeper in a future letter.

But to simplify:

1. Test and figure out how many meals per day work for you.

2. Avoid eating too many carbs and fats in a single meal. Be aware of your portion sizes. Our lack of focus often comes from our bodies busy digesting.

3. Cut down on highly processed food. It'll boost your energy levels like crazy.

Pillars 3 & 4: Mind and Body

These two are deeply connected, so they belong together.

Everything we’ve covered so far directly impacts your mind. If you’re anxious, stressed, unfocused, or exhausted, fixing the basics—sleep and diet—will help.

And if you’re dealing with a mental health condition, getting professional help should always come first. That’s the foundation for improving your life.

But even with the perfect routine, there are parts of your mind that only your body can impact directly.

Motivation.
Self-image.
Confidence.

Moving your body changes your brain. It doesn’t have to be intense—even a short walk can clear your head in ways no hack or supplement can.

But if you push yourself further—whether it’s lifting, running, or playing sports—you’ll unlock a level of motivation you didn’t think you had.

There’s a twist, though.

If you struggle with self-image and confidence like I used to, just getting fit won’t fix it. In fact, it might actually hold you back.

Because if you don’t love yourself, it’ll be much harder to find the energy and motivation for intense workouts. And if you do push through, no matter how lean or muscular you get, you’ll always find flaws—and that feeling won’t go away.

I learned this the hard way. The real work started in my mind. Once I learned to respect and appreciate myself, I saw two things happen:

1. I stuck to training effortlessly. No more hating to see myself in the gym mirrors and wanting to go home.

2. My body finally started to change in ways I actually liked.

So, to summarize:

• Need mental clarity? Go for a walk.

• Need motivation? Intensify the workout.

• If you want to get fit to improve your confidence, start with self-acceptance. When you truly respect yourself, your body will follow—if you put in the work.

Your body affects your mind. But your mind has the power to decide how much your body can improve.

Pillars 5: Projects

Main project, side project—it doesn’t matter. You need to have a project.

Why? Because having a clear goal—something to build, improve, or work toward—gives you direction and focus. Without it, it’s easy to drift, feel unmotivated, or fall into mindless distractions.

That said, we need to make a distinction:

• If you make enough money (or are on a path that leads to that)

• If you don’t make enough money (or are stuck in a dead-end job with no growth)

I say “make enough money” because I don’t believe everyone needs to chase millions or start a business. It’s completely fine to have a job that pays your bills and supports the lifestyle you want.

If you’re already there, great. You still need a side project—but you get to choose. Pick a passion, a purpose, something that excites you.

And in 2025, you can turn almost anything into a project.

Test things. Try, fail, and explore. When you find something you can’t stop thinking about, go deeper. Build something. Share it when you’re ready. It’ll give your days way more meaning.

If You Don't Make Enough Money…

Your first project needs to fix that.

That could mean studying to get into a better career. If you can find something you’re genuinely interested in, even better.

Don’t worry about passion right now. Just find something you can get good at that pays well. You’d be surprised how much more you enjoy a job when it covers your bills and you’re respected for your skills.

Also, if you don't have financial support, pick something you can learn and land a job in 6-12 months.

Now, If Business Is Your Thing…

Then you already know what your project is.

This topic alone could be an entire letter, but here are the essentials:

• No idea what business to start? Build a social media presence around anything you like. Even if it’s just a personal brand. This will help you a lot when you figure things out.

• Know what you want to build? Ask yourself: are your future customers people you’d actually enjoy talking to every day? If not, don’t enter that market. You’ll be dealing with them for years.

• Start with the problem, not the solution.

• Find your audience before you build. Nothing sucks more than creating something amazing and realizing you don't know how to sell it. (Been there, done that.)

• For software & digital products: If it took you more than 1 month to finish a usable first version, it took too long.

Makes sense? Good. Now get ready and start building some cool sh*t.

That’s it for now.

I hope this letter serves you—so you can come back to it whenever you need a reminder along your path of improvement.

Can’t wait to see you again.

– Mateus