I’m Mark Manson—author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck (20M+ copies, 70+ languages) and a decades-long voice in evidence-based, BS-free personal development. My work lives at the intersection of psychology, philosophy, and occasional profanity—helping smart, skeptical people figure out what actually matters and ruthlessly ignore the rest.

Over the past 10 years I’ve:
- Grown a newsletter to 1M+ subscribers and a social audience north of 8M.
- Published three #1 New York Times bestsellers, plus a feature documentary with Universal Pictures.
- Keynoted at Google, LinkedIn, and the Sydney Opera House.
- Built multiple seven-figure digital brands—always bootstrapped, always reader-first.

Current kicks:
- Launching a new podcast called SOLVED to help people sort through all of the noise and figure out what works. 
- Building out a private membership community, Momentum, for those who want to deep-dive personal growth.
- Advising a handful of startups on product-led growth and narrative strategy.

What I’m about:
Cut through noise -> surface core values -> act with conviction. If it doesn’t move the needle on meaning, I don’t hit “publish.”

Let’s connect:
📩 Get the weekly newsletter: markmanson.net/newsletter
🎤 Inquiries: mark@markmanson.net

Mark Manson

These 10 challenges will unf*ck anyone’s life.

Prove me wrong. 

1. Join a Gym… And Go.

Exercise is a magic pill that:

• Eases anxiety and depression
• Improves focus and mood
• Helps you lose weight
• Makes you live longer
• Boosts your sleep
• Improves sex

Oh… and it has no known side effects.

2. Meal Prep Healthy Options

Learning to cook might be the simplest way to change your life.

What you eat is the most important determinant of your health—physical and emotional.

3. Read More Books

Reading is proven to:

• Improve cognition
• Improve concentration
• Get you ahead in your field
• Lengthen your attention span

And just generally make you a more interesting person to talk to.

Pick a book you actually want to read. Read it. Do it again.

4. Try Something New

Your brain loves surprises.

Go salsa dancing, learn to make risotto, join a book club.

Or just take a different route to work.

Stay out of ruts by switching things up.

5. Learn a New Skill

You’ll feel better about yourself.

And that feeling will compound.

Take that thing you’ve always wanted to do, and go learn how to do it.

Once you no longer suck and—if you still enjoy it—double down and see if you can master that skill.

6. Cold Plunge

Yep, we’re doing this one.

Cold exposure is scientifically backed to activate “brown fat” in your body, which helps with weight loss and improved circulation.

Start with 30-second ice-cold showers and work your way up.

7. Go Out And Be Social

Every day, force yourself to speak with one person with a mindset of curiosity.

Ask questions, listen attentively, and learn one thing about them you didn’t already know.

You’ll be surprised at the result. 

8. Show Your Appreciation

Fact: Saying “thank you” literally makes brains happier.

It doesn’t take more than half a minute, and it’s guaranteed to make your day and strengthen your relationship with the person you express gratitude toward. 

9. Apologize to Someone 

Saying sorry is way healthier than just stewing in your own guilt juices.

Caveat: You must mean it.

Nothing cheapens an apology like saying it when you don’t think you’ve done anything wrong.

10. Apologize to Yourself

Stop being a jerk to yourself.

Forgive yourself.
Accept yourself.
Let it go.

You’re the only person you’ll spend eternity with.

Play nice.

♻️ P.S. Repost this to be the reason someone starts to unf*ck their life.

10 Ways to Unfuck Your Life  (1).pdf

Rome's last king walked into his garden and started chopping the heads off the tallest flowers with a sword. His son got the message: 

Kill the most successful, the most accomplished. 

The consequences of this action, we’re still dealing with today… 

King Tarquin the Proud sent his son Sextus to infiltrate a neighboring city, Gabii. Once Sextus seized power there, he sent a messenger back to his father, “What next?”

But there was a problem. Tarquin didn't trust the messenger. He had seen plenty of messenger spies. So he needed a coded way to send a message without the messenger realizing. 

So he stepped outside, quietly walked through his garden, and began whacking the heads off the tallest poppies. 

The messenger left baffled. He returned to Sextus and relayed his father’s strange behavior. 

Sextus thanked and dismissed the messenger. He understood immediately. 

Over the following nights, Sextus murdered, one by one, the richest, most skilled and most accomplished residents of Gabii. He killed the upper-class, anyone notable or talented. 

And without its leaders and visionaries, when the Roman Army arrived weeks later, they waltzed in with barely any resistance. 

The infiltration of Gabii is a distant memory, but we still live with the consequences of Tarquin’s coded message today. We call it “Tall Poppy Syndrome.” 

This impulse—to punish people simply for succeeding—didn’t die with Rome. In many parts of the world today, from Australia to Scandinavia to South Asia, it is alive and well today. 

What was once a military strategy is now a daily reality for billions: “Don’t succeed too much, or you might have something coming to you.” 

It’s the friend group that freezes out whoever starts to make money, the family that mocks the kid who got into a good school, your coworker who waits until you’re out of office to raise “concerns.”

We assume society rewards success. But often, it quietly penalizes it—socially, emotionally, even professionally. 

It’s a sad reality: if you reach for more, expect some people to reach for a reason to cut you down. 

But when they start swinging, that’s how you know you’re growing.

Co-Founder and CGO at Purpose AI. 3x #1 NYTimes Bestselling Author. Host of the Solved Podcast.

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