21 Ways to Live a Little More Each Day

Every life hack and lesson I've learned in the past year that's made life easier, sweeter, and healthier.

Sep 02, 2025

LIVE A LITTLE is a style and lifestyle journal for the adventurous man—written from the pen of a full-time menswear copywriter.

A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, I wrote an essay on the “8 Great Life Lessons I Learned From Anthony Bourdain.” That story got me reflecting more about how my life has changed in the past year. I left my journalism job in NYC. Moved to Austin, TX to work at Huckberry. Started writing here on Substack.

It’s true that a core purpose of LIVE A LITTLE is to encourage myself and others to pursue a life of intent. To be curious and strive for constant forward motion. To be one step better than the man you were yesterday.

So this list is really a collection of discoveries in the last 12 months (and a few beyond) that have improved my life in some small way. There’s some gear in here, but there’s also a treasure trove of lessons that require a sound body and mind, mixed with repeated actions of stepping our of your comfort zone.

I hope by the end of this post you’ve found some ways to make life easier, sweeter, and healthier. Now, let’s get to it.

Charge Your Phone in the Kitchen

In an effort to stop before-bed scrolling, I opted for the most extreme method to get my phone out of sight and out of mind. What’s resulted is a nightly ritual that intentionally requires me to walk out to the kitchen in my one bed apartment, plug my phone in, set the alarm, and walk back into the bedroom to read myself to sleep.

The secondary effect this has had is my phone alarm requires me to physically force myself out of bed and walk into the kitchen.

And guess what else is in the kitchen? The coffee maker, which allows me to immediately start with a fresh cup of joe and not be tempted to crawl back into bed.

Create Easy Work Outfits with an Oxford Shirt

The Oxford shirt has been my most-worn shirt this year for work. You can ask any co-worker of mine and they’ll say that’s true.

Part of why I’m wearing an Oxford so much is due to simplicity. It’s timeless and polished. Goes with everything from light wash denim to proper chinos.

The other part is due to the comfort and ease of movement, and that’s specifically due to the Flint and Tinder Oxford Draftsman.

The email ad we ran at my company for the Draftsman.

It’s soft (garment dyed), cropped a bit higher to wear it untucked, and has gentle stretch. So it bucks the crisp and classic Oxford. However, I do have a few Gitman Vintage shirts I wear from time-to-time to get that original Oxford feel.

Find a Men’s Group

I believe men need a support group that meets regularly. It doesn’t necessarily have to be religious, but it needs to be a group where we can be vulnerable and truthful about what’s going on in life.

Thanks to a mutual friend, I was brought in on a morning coffee club here in Austin with a group of six guys. We meet every Friday at 7am, and we go around sharing our challenges and successes we’re experiencing. Then, we talk things out. Give advice. Offer support.

To all the guys out there, don’t go at life alone. Find a group. Start one if you gotta. Meet once a month if that’s all you can accommodate for time.

Make Packing Healthy Airport Snacks Enjoyable

One ritual I’ve started in order to help avoid junk food at the airport and on flights is stocking up on healthy snacks at REI.

Why REI? Well, they have a ton of unique jerkies, dried fruits, protein bars, and energy snacks with fun packaging and conscious ingredients. My two current favorites are the Kate’s Food Dark Chocolate & Cherry Almond Bar and the Loucks Sesame Seed Snacks.

Write Morning Pages

My morning pages from Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way is one of core practices that keeps me mentally in-sync. I try to do my morning pages at least a few times a week.

One of my earlier notebooks I filled up.

When I first received the book, I followed the question prompts and assignments. Now, I just re-purchase the lined notebook and try to write three full pages. Mostly train-of-thought writing. I’ve got notebooks that reach back 5+ years now. I cherish them immensely. Sometimes, I’m brought to tears when I read old pages from years past.

Master the Art of “No”

It’s hard to say “no” to invitations and opportunity when you’re trying to maintain relationships, make friends, and advance your career.

I’ve learned this year that saying “no” protects my time and sets boundaries. Saying no has also helped me discover what I value the most in life. (After all, it’s how and who we spend our time that shows what we truly value.)

Just make sure to say no respectfully and get to the point. My common go-to is, “I’m going to pass this time, but appreciate you thinking of me. Let’s plan something for next week.”

Welcome Waffle House with Open Arms

There is a charm about Waffle House that makes it a true 1-of-1. The coffee is always a little burnt. You’re handed plastic silverware (because they ran out of clean). Across the bar there’s a manager yelling at the short-order cook to fix his attitude.

But then there’s the food. $13 for the biggest breakfast that will hold you over all afternoon.

Yes, Waffle House is truly worth a visit at least once a year.

Clean Out Your Closet

If it’s not a heck yes, it’s a no. That’s true for many things in life, but I follow that rule the hardest when it comes to clothes.

At least 2-3 times a year, I do a purge of clothes and shoes I’ve accumulated and donate everything I’m not excited about. It helps keep a lean closet and makes you realize how much you appreciate specific articles of clothing or shoes.

For me, those valuable pieces of clothing include my Vuori Kore Shorts and my Blundstone 550s.

Rekindle a Childhood Hobby

Since moving out of NYC, I’ve found myself with a little more disposable income. I’ve used some of that money to reignite my childhood hobby of collecting baseball cards.

My inspiration came from my best friend who lives in Jacksonville, FL. He got the collecting bug and now buys and sells baseball cards for fun as a side hobby. Baseball cards have become a common conversation we can hold weekly and keeps us connected.

My favorite player to collect: Bobby Witt Jr.

So there’s really two things collecting baseball cards again has done for me. The first is it has brought in another community for me to be a part of and have conversations with other likeminded collectors. The second is the hobby makes me feel like a kid again.

Go to the Movies on Opening Weekend

Not only do I love going to the movies, but I love seeing a film on opening weekend. The excitement of being in a packed theatre where everyone is seeing a highly anticipated film for the first time is just incredibly special.

Me when I decided to go see the new *Lilo & Stitch* at the theatre alone this summer.

I’m not picky of where I sit. If it’s a Friday night and there’s only one seat left in the second row, I’ll take it. (I actually did this for the new Superman film.)

The takeaway is I get from it is to be a part of the zeitgeist. Similar the community aspect of collecting baseball cards, I get to be in on fresh conversations about a new movie—and my friends and I can go back and forth about our opinions.

Order An Iced Americano

Coffee shops are getting way too comfortable these days. I’ve found myself ordering an iced coffee, only for the barista to turn behind them and pull out a pitcher of “cold brew” and pour it into a cup right in front of me.

Who’s to say how fresh that coffee is? Sometimes it’s fine. But others times I’ve found the quality to be trash. It wasn’t that long ago when ordering an iced coffee meant the barista would brew it hot and then add a heap of ice. That’s good iced coffee to me.

My go-around to avoiding the cold brew pitcher issue is ordering an iced americano, because in order to make it baristas have to pull a fresh espresso shot. It’s true iced americanos are strong and bitter (which I personally like), but adding milk or sugar can mask that right away.

Start Practicing Nickels and Dimes

David Goggins coined the “nickels and dimes” workout. It’s five pull-ups, followed by ten pushups. Repeatable as many times as you can.

I warm up on lifting days with nickels an dimes. Sometimes it’s only for several rounds. Other days, I make it an entire workout by adding bodyweight squats or kettlebell goblet squats. That way, I’ve created a better full body workout.

Golf Barefoot

I’m not sure where the barefoot golf movement started, but I like it. Golfing barefoot is really just another form of grounding—the practice that involves making direct contact with the Earth's surface. The woo-woo science is that grounding can “electrically reconnect you to the Earth” and realign your energy. I don’t really believe that. It just feels good to walk around on grass barefooted.

I only golf barefooted at laid-back public golf courses. Almost always towards the end of a round where you’re not in sight of employees at the clubhouse—and I only do this for a couple holes.

Last week though, my friend got away with playing an entire round barefoot at Hancock Golf Course here in Austin.

Listen to Sports on the Radio (As Opposed to Watching It on TV)

Watching sports takes up a ton of time. At the beginning of the year, I started listening to the NFL playoffs on national radio stations while I did other tasks like cleaning my apartment and working out at the gym.

This summer I’ve been listening to baseball a ton on the radio. My favorite time to listen to games lately has actually been when I go to Barton Springs. I lay out in the sun and place the phone near my ear with the volume on low. Basically day nap and listen to the game. Highly recommend.

Create An Abstract Painting

At some point during the winter, I found this video about the life of a 99-year-old painter living in New York. His name is Joe Barnes, and his work deals in “meditative monochromatic painting.” I was so interested in his work that I ordered a beginners painting kit on Amazon and tried some abstract painting.

I only break out my painting easel about once or twice a month, but when I do, I sit and let whatever come to mind become the project. I don’t plan. I don’t try to paint any complex objects. Just simple stuff like patterns, gradients. This painting above is an interpretation of ocean waves.

The whole process has become a small hobby I can do without a phone. Abstract painting has become therapeutic for me.

Read Before Bed…Strategically

I’m a big supporter of reading before bed. In my story on the 8 Iconic Books Every Guy Should Read This Summer, I talk about how my nighttime ritual helps me power through pages and fall asleep gently. After I put my phone on the charger (in the kitchen), I get about 30 minutes of reading time before my eyes get heavy, and I start falling into slumber. This is my best reading—and sleep—hack I’m continuing to use here in 2025.

One note to make about reading before bed: the kind of material you’re reading does make a difference. There was a time when I was re-reading George Orwell’s 1984 before bed, and I noticed there was an uptick in strange dreams. Not every night, but much more than usual. It was odd. I don’t have a scientific explanation for why that was happening.

So be strategic about the material and don’t read books like 1984 before bed.

Visit the Public Library

I’m thankful to have such a beautiful public library like the one in downtown Austin. It’s modern, clean, and features a cool rooftop that overlooks Lady Bird Lake. The location definitely gives the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library in New York City a run for it’s money. (It’s another public library with a rooftop you can chill on for free.)

While it helps to have a nice public library, but there is something special about going to any public library—so long as it’s not a total dump. When I would drive home to Missouri during my summers in college, I’d go to the Cass County Library in Belton, MO.

Public libraries are one of the few true third spaces around these days. I have a routine when I go to the library now that involves stopping to grab a coffee at Merit Coffee before heading over to write on the rooftop. It puts me in a zone that allows for deep work. I can also feed curiosity by flipping through books on the shelves. Some of my favorite sections at public libraries are history, travel, and journalism.

Incorporate Daily Stretching

Last year, I went through a spell of foot pain that was caused by tight leg muscles. That’s what my PT said. What came next was a hardcore regiment of daily foam rolling and lacrosse ball work. Over time, the pain subsided.

So every morning now I roll a lacrosse underneath each foot gently to activate the muscles. Then, at some point throughout the day, I commit to foam rolling my quads, hamstrings, calves, and back. It’s not always in the morning. A lot of times it’s before and after workouts. Sometimes right before bed.

Get a Pair of Topo Athletic Shoes

Right before my trip to visit family in Denver, I discovered Topo Athletic Shoes at my local REI here in Austin. Topo advertises itself as a maker of shoes for those who prefer a wide/natural toe box and arch support.

I have wide feet with high arches, and finding shoes that are comfortable can be a literal pain. I laced on a pair of the Ultraventure 4s and was immediately sold. They’re my most worn sneaker this summer.

Eat More Tinned Fish

I’ve heard from multiple sources this year about the nutrition density of tinned fish. Solid protein. Good source of vitamins and fats.

These are lifestyle images from Patagonia Provisions. I love the creative assets for each food product they sell.

I started with tuna, and then ventured to the Patagonia Provisions variety packs. The smoked mussels and smoked mackerel have been my two favorites from Patagonia. I typically eat any three of these over rice or with crackers.

They’re fast and easy meals to make. I’ve also now got a little more variety of protein sources aside from my routine of chicken, steak, and salmon.

Frame Photos of Friends and Family

Some old buddies back in New York. We used to go to a ton of Mets games.

I was served an app for Keepsake frames earlier this year and was impressed with how simple it is to make an order. All you have to do is upload a photo from your phone and then select the frame size and type.

What else I like about Keepsake is they assemble their frames in West Virginia. They’re nice quality, and the images are crisp and clear.

There’s something special about framing a photo. It makes the memory more sentimental. Hanging and adding photos around my apartment makes my place feel more like a home.

LIVE A LITTLE

Robert Caro book I picked up at Ryan Holiday’s bookstore in Bastrop, TX last week. Can’t wait to start.

Rundown: The 21 Ways to Live a Little More

Charge Your Phone in the Kitchen
Create Easy Work Outfits with an Oxford Shirt
Find a Men’s Group
Make Packing Healthy Airport Snacks Enjoyable
Write Your Morning Pages
Master the Art of “No”
Welcome Waffle House with Open Arms
Clean Out Your Closet
Rekindle a Childhood Hobby—Collect Baseball Cards
Go to the Movies on Opening Weekend
Order An Iced Americano (Just Once)
Start Practicing Nickels and Dimes
Golf Barefoot
Listen to Sports on the Radio (As Opposed to Watching It on TV)
Create An Abstract Painting
Read Before Bed…Strategically
Visit the Public Library
Incorporate Daily Stretching
Get a Pair of Topo Athletic Shoes
Eat More Tinned Fish
Frame Photos of Friends and Family

Thanks for Reading

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