Everyone has days when things don’t go your way. Maybe you messed up at work, or had a fight with your partner, are dealing with some weather-related blues, or perhaps you just can’t find the motivation to seize the day—and you don’t really know why. Well, Ryan from Canada has shared the self-help tips on Reddit that might just turn things around.
Ryan offered a lengthy comment on Reddit after another commenter on the platform shared that they were personally struggling with their mental health. The original post reads: “I have lots of things I want to learn and do with my life, but I can’t even bring myself to do what I’m required to do… I have no money, no one who really cares about me, shitty grades, shitty diet and exercise, and the worst part of it? It’s not even that I hate any of this. I hate feeling like this, but not even enough to do something about it.”
The response, shared by Ryan several years ago, resurfaced yesterday with countless posters saying they shared, printed, or were helped by his advice—his comment has even been liked more than 10,000 times and is going viral right now among the mainstream media.
This is the advice Ryan shared that’s going viral right now:
“My name’s Ryan and I live in Canada. Just moved to a new city for a dream job that I got because of the rules below. I owe a lot of my success to people much cooler, kinder, more loving and greater than me. When I get the chance to maybe let a little bit of help out, it’s a way of thanking them,” he wrote.
He then delivered four simple rules.
- Have as many ‘Non Zero Days’ as you can.
- Be grateful to the three you’s (Past, Present and Future you)
- Forgive
- Exercise and read books. (You get endorphins and exercise your mind)
His concept of Non Zero Days in particular has really resonated with Reddit users: “There are no more zero days. What’s a zero day? A zero day is when you don’t do a single f**king thing towards whatever dream or goal or want or whatever that you got going on. No more zeros,” Ryan wrote.
“I’m not saying you gotta bust an essay out everyday, that’s not the point. The point I’m trying to make is that you have to make yourself, promise yourself, that the new SYSTEM you live in is a NON-ZERO system. Didn’t do anything all f**king day and it’s 11:58 PM? Write one sentence. One pushup. Read one page of that chapter. One. Because one is non zero. You feel me?
“When you’re in the super vortex of being bummed your pattern of behaviour is keeping the vortex going, that’s what you’re used to. Turning into productivity ultimate master of the universe doesn’t happen from the vortex. It happens from a massive string of CONSISTENT NON ZEROS. That’s rule number one. Do not forget.”
Rule two, “being grateful to the three you’s,” involves being grateful for all the positive things you have done in the past—and doing “favours for the future you like you would for your best bro. Feeling like shit today? Stop a second, think of a good decision you made yesterday. Salad and tuna instead of Big Mac? THANK YOU YOUNGER ME.” He then explains you treat future you like your best friend, doing things for them. “The cycle of doing something for someone else (future you) and thanking someone for the good in your life (past you) is key to building gratitude and productivity. Do not doubt me. Over time you should spread the gratitude to others who help you on your path.”
Want more of Ryan’s pearls of wisdom? Head over to Reddit to read all of his self-help tips.
