The copy-paste technique is the most effective self-improvement hack

New research from top researchers tested a simple self-improvement hack called the copy-paste technique. The study demonstrated that one of the easiest, most effective ways to change your life is to simply catch new habits from friends and associates.

The easiest route to healthy habits is to catch them from others

In a study researchers, assigned more than 1,000 volunteers to one of three groups. One was simply instructed to make a plan to get more exercise. One was told to see what their acquaintances were doing to stay fit and copy one of their techniques. And the third was given a suggestion — say rewarding yourself after every exercise session. Which group made the most significant progress improving their lifestyle? “We saw that having any

new exercise-boosting technique to copy worked better than just making a plan, regardless of where the technique came from. But interestingly, it

was more helpful if people found strategies to copy and paste themselves than if the strategies came from someone else,” reports Wharton researcher, Katy Milkman. Stealing self-improvement hacks from people you know seems to work better than just reading up on random advice for a handful of reasons. What's more, taking a more active approach to information gathering increased the time participants spent with their role models, increasing their

exposure to good habits, Milkman explains.

Minimum effort, maximum reward

This research reminds us that your social circle is also one of the easiest ways to improve yourself, as long as you actively remind yourself to mine the people in your life for good ideas. Which makes the practical takeaway from this study as easy as it is useful. “The next time you're falling short of a goal, look to high-achieving peers for answers,” concludes Milkman. “You're likely to go further faster if you and the person who's already achieving what you want to achieve and copy and paste their tactics than if you simply let

social forces influence you through osmosis.”