Seven Life Hacks Matt Gray Wishes He Knew at 19

In a recent LinkedIn post, Matt Gray shares seven “life hacks” he wishes he had understood at 19, offering insights that he believes can significantly impact personal and professional growth. Gray frames these as essential skills and mindsets for achieving long-term success, emphasizing their “intangible ROI.”

The Power of Storytelling and Strategic Health

Gray begins by highlighting the critical importance of storytelling, calling it the “highest intangible ROI skill.” He asserts that fundamental aspects of business, such as sales, hiring, and marketing, are all rooted in effective narrative. To master this, Gray suggests starting with basic storytelling frameworks like the Hero’s Journey and understanding the seven fundamental emotions. According to Gray, mastering these elements can transform listeners into believers.

“Sales, hiring, marketing, it’s all storytelling. Start with basic storytelling frameworks (e.g. the Hero’s Journey) and the 7 fundamental emotions. And watch how listeners turn into believers.”

Beyond communication, Gray emphasizes a significant shift in perspective regarding health. He introduces the concept of “Symbiotic Success,” positing that personal health is directly linked to one’s ability to achieve goals, even if the connection isn’t immediately apparent. As Matt Gray notes, “Success is a game of longevity and health is your competitive moat.” This realization led him to prioritize meditation, weightlifting, and proper nutrition.

Optimizing Work Habits and Mindset

The post then delves into work methodologies. Gray critiques the conventional approach of long hours and low focus, comparing it to cows grazing. Instead, he advocates for a more intense, focused work style, drawing an analogy to a hunting lion. This involves working in short, high-intensity sprints followed by periods of rest and recovery. This approach, he argues, leads to higher output with less time spent working.

Finding Peak Energy and Concise Communication

Gray further advises readers to identify and leverage their peak energy states. He stresses that optimal work hours, environments, and styles are unique to each individual. Continuous experimentation is key to discovering one’s most productive state, where work feels effortless. As Matt Gray points out, once this state is found, “energy flows where your focus will be.”

Another key takeaway from Gray’s post is the importance of concise communication. He criticulates the prevalence of “fluff” in professional messages and emails, such as pleasantries or indirect phrasing. Gray believes that brevity increases value by saving the reader’s time and effort.

“Most people’s emails and messages are full of fluff: ‘Hope you’re well!’ ‘I just wanted to ask…’ ‘Could we circle back on…’ Stop. Be concise and get to the point, your value increases with the effort your readers save.”

The Role of Positivity and Discipline

Shifting to interpersonal dynamics, Gray highlights the value of celebrating others’ successes. He frames the world as a positive-sum environment, citing the large number of millionaires in the U.S. According to Matt Gray, recognizing that one person’s success does not equate to another’s failure and offering genuine congratulations can lead to future positive outcomes for oneself. “Joy for others manifests future accolades for you,” he writes.

Finally, Gray champions the practice of “being boring.” He suggests that much of success hinges on resisting the allure of cheap dopamine and instead focusing on mundane, yet crucial, habits. This includes prioritizing sleep, safeguarding time for workouts, and adhering to a healthy diet. In Matt Gray’s view, this disciplined, “boring” approach is a secret weapon of the successful.

“A lot of success comes from just saying no to cheap dopamine. And instead, focusing on the mundane: Maximizing sleep, Guarding time for workouts, Not eating out in favor of your nutritious diet. Boring’s the secret the successful don’t want you to know.”

Gray concludes his post by encouraging engagement, suggesting that readers repost his insights and follow him for more. He also offers to share a more comprehensive system based on his 15 years of business experience via direct message.