Hello friends,

I'm gonna let you in on a little secret—growth and transformation is one big paradox.

It's HARD, yet incredibly simple, and often the more you TRY, the less you're able to DO.

The more you WANT, the more prone to disappointment you are when things don't go your way.

I've worked with hundreds of clients, and after being in the trenches for so long, it's easy to spot patterns.

I've seen what works and what doesn't, so, for you, my trusted readers, I've compiled:

7-Steps to Better Living: A Formula That Works When Nothing Else Does

1) Reclaim Your Mind

Culture "brainwashed" you.

The majority of Western thought can be traced back to either Plato or the Bible.

This foundation has shaped everything from our moral frameworks to our concepts of truth, often without our conscious awareness or permission.

I ask: Have you taken the time to investigate why you think the way you do or why you believe the things you believe?

Have you considered the intellectual or cultural roots in which your mind was molded?

Don't underestimate the impact, it shapes more than you may realize.

The first step to better living is to Reclaim Your Mind.

Here are a few starter questions to spark original thought (treat these questions as an exercise in meditative thought. One in which you can explore YOUR own mind, not what you've heard someone else say or what you think you're supposed to believe):

• Who and what are you willing to die for?

• Who and what are you willing to kill for?

• What do you know to be true that other people think is false?

• What do you know to be false that other people think is true?

These questions, especially the first and second, have profoundly shaped my decision making in recent years.

Take the time to explore them, they're worth it.

2) Rewind Your Mind

Most people are burnt out from digital overload.

The constant flow of stimulation is zapping their energy and creative resource.

It's a sad reality that technology is now weaponized against our attention and mental well-being. Your brain wasn't designed to process the amount of information being forced upon it daily.

In order to grow into the person you're meant to be, you must Rewind Your Mind. 

This means creating intentional space for your thoughts to settle and your nervous system to reset. Here are four powerful practices:

• Breathwork - 5 minutes of deep, intentional breathing can shift your entire physiological state

• Meditation - Start with just 2 minutes daily and gradually build your capacity for stillness

• Walking - Preferably in nature, without your phone, allowing your mind to wander freely

• Journaling - Capture your unfiltered thoughts to process emotions and gain clarity

Prioritize these habits in terms of weeks, not days.

Set a WEEKLY quota and hit the mark. For example, commit to 3 walking sessions, 4 journaling sessions, and 5 breathwork sessions per week. This approach allows for flexibility while ensuring consistency.

These aren't quick fixes—they're lifelong practices that compound over time.

3) Master the 24-Hour Habit

Your life is nothing but a repeating 24-Hour Habit.

In order to master your life, you must master your day. The good news, nature has provided rythms for you to tune into.

Trust them and self educate on your:

• Circadian Rhythm

• Digestive System

• Nervous System Regulation

When you’re able to accurately diagnose your bodies needs, you’re able to accurately diagnose your life.

When people feel inspired to change, they very often begin by looking at the macro, the bigger landscape of their goals and life, while ignoring the micro—the repetitive days that hold our true baseline.

These daily rhythms aren't separate from your grand vision, they're the very soil from which it grows. The quality of your attention, energy, and presence in each 24-hour cycle determines whether your bigger goals remain fantasies or become inevitable outcomes.

People resist focusing on these daily patterns because they feel too simple and our ego craves complexity and novelty. It's much more exciting to envision a complete life transformation than to go to bed 30 minutes earlier each night. But this resistance is precisely what keeps us stuck.

4) Be a Bouncer

Most people lack boundaries.

They’re conflict avoidant and live in a perpetual cycle of people pleasing and unchosen obligation.

The unfortunate reality is that committing to positive change may require that some "friends" get left behind. Misery loves company, relationships hold a pattern, and when pattern interrupts are introduced people FEEL it.

Setting boundaries are more than saying "no." They’re about creating a protected space where your growth can thrive.

The guilt you'll feel when first establishing boundaries is normal and temporary. This discomfort is actually a sign you're breaking unhealthy patterns—your temporary discomfort is the price of your permanent freedom.

Bottom line: Entry to your life should be exclusive and it’s time you start curating your VIP list.

Think of yourself as a private club with limited membership, the people you allow in should align with your highest vision of yourself, not just your current reality.

You must be ruthless with your time and energy. Say no more than yes—healthy discernment equals freedom.

5) Universal Gifts

Please stop stressing about “finding your purpose.”

Inherent in the idea of looking for something lies the reality that you currently lack it.

Purpose is not something you need to find; in truth, under the right circumstances, it finds you.

The conventional "search for purpose" creates a pressure-cooker of anxiety. It makes purpose into some elusive entity rather than a natural expression of who you are. This approach leaves people feeling perpetually victimized, as if their life is on hold.

The best way to create more “purpose” in your life is to share Universal Gifts:

• joy

• energy

• curiosity

• creativity

• desire to serve

• desire to connect

I've had many clients tell me that these qualities are lost forever, buried under stress and obligation. But, like clockwork, when they begin to heal and do their deeper emotional work, these gifts resurface.

This approach represents a shift from the exhausting pursuit of "finding yourself" to the liberating practice of expressing yourself.

Your purpose is not a destination—it's the natural byproduct of living authentically.

6) Lay Bricks

People constantly preach the importance of building your mind (like I did in point #2 and #3), but the real magic happens when you start building heart.

The best way to do this is through embodying moral virtues.

Because your identity (as father, boss, employee, etc.) is static. Your guiding virtues are not, and they define your life.

Our achievement-obsessed culture, prioritizes skill development and status over character formation. We track followers, likes, and income, but rarely measure our growth in patience, integrity, or compassion. This imbalance explains why so many "successful" people feel empty despite their accomplishments.

Building heart means developing the internal qualities that guide how you show up in life. While your mind processes information and solves problems, your heart determines what problems are worth solving and how you treat others along the way.

Take a look at these four Foundational Virtues:

• Prudence (common sense)

• Temperance (moderation in all things)

• Justice (fairness, honesty, and respect)

• Fortitude (fight for what is morally right)

To begin cultivating these, focus on one each week. For example, during a "temperance week," notice opportunities for moderation in eating, speaking, spending, and digital consumption.

This simple practice creates awareness that gradually reshapes behavior.

7) Down the Ladder

"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear."

This ancient wisdom only tells half the story. Seeking mentors is valuable, but the most profound growth comes when you become the teacher.

I discovered this unexpectedly when struggling with my own plateaus. Despite working with incredible mentors, something was missing until I began sharing what I'd learned.

My client Jasper experienced this firsthand. After battling anxiety for years, he started a small support group at his church. He said that teaching others forced him to articulate what worked and what didn’t. Suddently he saw what concepts were fuzzy to him and which were crystal clear. Think of it like an active journaling session with live feedback. It’s the singular best way to clarify your own inner life.

Now, this isn't about positioning yourself above others or seeking disciples. It's about creating collaborative learning relationships.

The moment you teach something is the moment you truly integrate it. Consider how you might share your experience and knowledge with people facing challenges you’ve already overcome.

Humans evolved as knowledge-sharers. Our success comes not from individual brilliance but from our ability to learn collectively.

To the untrained eye, these 7-Steps to Better Living may seem like typical self-improvement advice, but they're actually about reclaiming your authentic humanity in a world designed to disconnect you from it.

I've witnessed these principles spark profound transformation, but I've never seen two journeys look exactly the same. Your path will be uniquely yours.

Some steps will come naturally while others will challenge you deeply. Trust the process. Return to these principles often. And remember that growth isn't linear—it's cyclical, seasonal, and ultimately, inevitable when you align with these timeless truths.

With love and healing,

Brian Maierhofer (Professional Human)

P.S. Which of these 7-Steps is your favorite? Personally, my favorites are #3, #5, and #6.