A simple life hack:

Treat your people right, or someone else will. Because the value of your character is the sum of your habits, and sooner or later, someone you care about will ask, “What’s yours worth?”

Here’s another silver bullet: Spend as little time as you can with people who are perpetual disappointments.

A few things to remember about the dead-enders in your life:

  1. If they’re even capable of changing for the better, it’ll probably take ages.
  2. Trying to facilitate that change is probably a waste of time and energy.
  3. Trying to make them into who you want them to be is definitely a waste of time and energy.

Also: Stop associating with people who always try to convince you that your goals are too ambitious, difficult, complicated, unrealistic, etc. Especially when they say they’re just trying to help you. They aren’t.

And since we’re disposing of interpersonal deadwood, give the heave-ho to people who are prone to jealousy. They’re almost always more trouble than they’re worth—the proverbial crabs in the bucket.

Finally, disregard the opinions of anyone who tries to undermine your efforts at self-improvement by refusing to recognize that you’re no longer the “old you” who made them feel better about themselves.