The following are great products that I personally use every day to improve my health, wealth, and happiness. These are the products I recommend to my friends and family. I made this page so you can have a reference for my top recommendations. I will continue to add to this list as I find more world-class products I want to recommend. So consider bookmarking it or checking back in.
Great Resources For Writers
MasterClass: I am currently enrolled in the Aaron Sorkin Screenwriting MasterClass, the James Patterson Teaches How To Write a Best-Selling Book MasterClass, the Shonda Rhimes Writing For Television MasterClass, the Werner Herzog Filmmaking MasterClass, and the David Mamet Dramatic Writing MasterClass. They have a mid-range price tag (90 bucks is cheaper than a lot of inferior Writer’s Digest stuff) but these courses consistently over deliver. The teaching is world class with structured video lessons, a week-by-week syllabus, office hours, homework, and a vibrant student hub. I always learn dozens of new writing principles from MasterClass and have a lot of fun doing it. So far, each class has helped me to finish my work-in-progress.
Scrivener: Scrivener is hands-down the best writing program on the face of the planet. I can’t believe I battled with Word for so long. Scrivener actually gets what writers need. It is intuitive, packed with features, and extremely useful (as well as a joy to use) in every step of every writing endeavour – from the first conception of a novel to self-publishing, writing academic essays and compiling bibliographies, to writing television or movies scripts in the correct format – Scrivener does it all and does it better than anyone else. There’s a small learning curve when you start but it pays dividends. You’ll never use another writing program again.
Great Resources For Students
The Great Courses Plus: This is Netflix for nerds. Compelling, extremely professionally produced, thoughtful, and insanely bingeable lectures on any topic you could want to study. I’ve put together a list of my current favourite lectures (which actually needs updating because I’ve recently loved some more) in my Great Courses Plus Teaching Company Review. If you’re a life-long learner and perennial nerd like me or you just need an extra boost in your academic endeavours, I highly recommend you take advantage of the Great Courses Plus one-month free trial.
Audible: You already know the deal about Audible. If you’ve haven’t tried it out yet, consider this a friendly nudge in the right direction from me. You get 2 free books when you sign up and, if you don’t love it in the first month, you can cancel without paying. You probably will love it though. I know I can’t live without it. I found my adherence to a daily workout routine (e.g. 30-minute bike cardio sessions) hit 100% when I anchored listening to audiobooks to my workout. It’s a great way to learn new information or get lost in a story and it gives your eyes a nice rest from the constant screen bombardments.
Schmoop: I’ve spoken about how I credit study guides for helping me get into Oxford. I can’t remember the exact ones I used back then (it was a while ago now) but I’ve recently fallen in love with Schmoop. These guides are comprehensive, funny, and super informative.
Anki: This is a great bit of spaced repetition software or SRS (you know, flashcards) that has really helped me learn Japanese. The desktop version is totally free and totally versatile. I personally recommend the app. It’s pricy but so worth it because it allows you to study on the go. Whenever I’m waiting in line or doing cardio at the gym, I take my phone out and I fit in some valuable study time.
Bacopa Monnieri: I have a lot of favourite supplements but my favourite is an adaptogen called Bacopa. This supplement helps improve memory and has a noticeable anxiolytic affect. I use it to improve my sucky memory, remember more Japanese vocab and grammar concepts, and to just feel relaxed.
Great Resources For Health & Well-Being
The Wim Hof Method: The Wim Hof Method is hands-down the best course I have ever taken. It has positively impacted my life in so many ways. I cannot imagine life without it. Anxiety gone. Depression gone. Anger gone. Flexibility is way up. Productivity is through the roof. Happiness and optimism is my default frame of mind. I owe Wim Hof so much. On the face of it, the course just looks like a breathing, cold water therapy, and yoga course. But, with application, your life will be better than you ever could have imagined. Sounds like crazy hype but I am 100% behind Wim and his method. He’s doing great work. You can check out my review after 5 weeks of the Wim Hof Method. You can also check out how the Wim Hof Method helped my writing. It’s been over a year since I started so I’m definitely due an update.
Foam Roller: I spend 15-20 minutes a day on my foam roller. It’s probably the best 15 minutes of my day. It’s painful as hell when you’re doing it but you feel so good afterwards. It’s like have a deep tissue massage. Your muscles feel all nice and limber and it relieves a lot of stress.
Great Resources For Productivity
Habitica: This is easily the best productivity app I have ever tried (and I’ve tried a ton). It’s basically a habit tracker and to-do list that turns your life into an RPG (role-playing game). You really have to try it out for yourself just to believe how great it is. It’s completely free and available online, iOS, and Android so go check it out now. You get a little avatar, battle monsters, join guilds, find pets, level-up skills, and win rewards. For motivation, day-to-day fun, and a sense of accomplishment, Habitica is unbeatable.
Forest: This is another beautiful productivity app. It’s beautiful aesthetically and concept-wise. Like Habitica, it takes advantage of the process of gamification – creating motivation by making your tasks a game. It’s a pomodoro timer that blocks you from using your phone for a pre-set time. The more you concentrate, the more your little virtual forest grows and you win coins. These coins can be used to buy different virtual trees or cool little features. Even better, if you get enough coins you can plant a real life tree!
Brainwave Hub: This is my favourite binaural beats and isochronic tones YouTube channel. This is my go-to whenever I need to get in the zone for writing, coding, or meditation ASAP. This is my favourite track for focus and productivity. This is my favourite track for unwinding or writing some fiction.
Great Resources For Websites
Bluehost: I’ve been using Bluehost to host several websites for the last few years. They’re affordable and easy to use. They don’t have the best reputation as a host and, two years ago, I would have agreed. I was ready to switch because I didn’t find them reliable. But they have made massive improvements in the last couple years and things now run smoothly. I will investigate other hosts whenever my traffic necessitates (I’ve heard good things about Pagely) but, for now, Bluehost do the trick and I recommend them to anyone starting a website for the first time.
Canva: This is my favourite free resource for designing professional looking blog titles, presentations, graphics, book covers, marketing materials, and more.
Metro Pro Genesis Theme: I’ve used a few different WordPress themes but this one works the best and is the easiest to use. This sight looks a bit basic at the moment but that’s on me, not the theme. When I’m ready to jazz it up, this theme will make it much easier to do than others I’ve played with.
Note: Some of these resources are free but some of the ones that aren’t contain affiliate links. If you use them and end up purchasing a product based on my recommendation, I’ll get a small commission at no cost to you.