Implementing Avid Excel At Your School: Fill & Download for Free

I’m going to go crazy on this one. I hope that’s alright. But before I do, I don’t think there is much benefit in making a distinction between what a college student should read and what any decent human being who is trying to understand life on this crazy planet should read. The only distinction I can think of is that student have more time—and their parents might be picking the tab for said books—and so they should be reading more avidly and aggressively than say a mom with two kids under five.In fact, as a college student, I used to go around and ask every smart person I met—even emailing important people I didn’t know— “What books do you recommend to a kid like me?” That’s how I was introduced to the Stoics. That’s how I found many of the books on the list below. The quake books—as Tyler Cowen put it—that shake you to your core. Having been introduced to them by those kind, patient individuals, I try now to recommend many of those same books which shook up my life and helped make me the person that I am. It’s a list that has changed over time—and will continue to change—but it’s a good enough place to start.Pick one of them up and let it lead you to another. And then when you come to a dead end, come back to the list.The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius To me, this is not only one of greatest books ever written but perhaps the only book of its kind. Just imagine: the private thoughts of the most powerful man in the world, admonishing himself on how to be better, more just, more immune to temptation, wiser. It is the definitive text on self-discipline, personal ethics, humility, self-actualization and strength. If you read it and aren’t profoundly changed by it, it’s probably because as Aurelius says “what doesn’t transmit light creates its own darkness.” You HAVE to read the Hays’s translation. If you end up loving Marcus, go get The Inner Citadel and Philosophy as a Way of Life by Pierre Hadot that studies the man (and men) behind the work. And if you want more on the topic, Marcus inspired my book The Obstacle is the Way.Letters from a Stoic by Seneca After Marcus Aurelius, this is one of my favorite books. While Marcus wrote mainly for himself, Seneca had no trouble advising and aiding others. In fact, that was his job—he was Nero’s tutor, tasked with reducing the terrible impulses of a terrible man. His advice on grief, on wealth, on power, on religion, and on life are always there when you need them. Seneca’s letters are the best place to start, but the essays in On the Shortness of Life are excellent as well. You can draw a pretty straight line from Seneca to the essays of Montaigne (also read: How To Live, a biography of Montaigne) to the modern day writings of Nassim Nicholas Taleb (read: The Black Swan, Fooled By Randomness and The Bed of Procrustes).Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl Frankl is one of the most profound modern thinkers on meaning and purpose. His contribution was to change the question from the vague philosophy of “What is the meaning of life?” to man being asked and forced to answer with his actions. He looks at how we find purpose by dedicating ourselves to a cause, learning to love and finding a meaning to our suffering. His other two books on the topic, Will To Meaning and Man’s Search for Ultimate Meaning have gems in them as well.48 Laws of Power and Mastery by Robert Greene There is no living writer (or person) who has been more influential to me than Robert Greene. I met him when I was 19 years old and he’s shaped me as a person, as a writer, as a thinker. You MUST read his books. His work on power and strategy are critical for anyone trying to accomplish anything. In life, power is force we are constantly bumping up against. People have power of over us, we seek power ourselves that we might be free enough and influential enough to accomplish our goals—so we must understand where power comes from, how it works and how to get it. But pure power is meaningless. It must be joined to mastery and purpose. So read his book Mastery so that you can figure your life’s task and how to dedicate yourself to it.Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son by George Horace Lorimer and Letters to His Son by Lord Chesterfield These two books of letters are great—I wish my father had written me stuff this good. The first book is the (supposedly) preserved correspondence between Old Gorgon Graham, a self-made millionaire in Chicago, and his son who is coming of age and entering the family business. The letters date back to the 1890s but feel like they could have been written in any era. Honest. Genuine.Packed with good advice. Chesterfield wrote his letters to his illegitimate son, tutoring him on how to learn, how to think, how to act, how to deal with important people. I don’t agree with all his advice but most of it is great.Average Is Over: Powering America Beyond the Age of the Great Stagnation by Tyler Cowen In terms of business/economics, this is one of the more important books I’ve read in a long time. I even keep a framed passage from it on my wall (it also inspired the apiece of writing I am proud of). Cowen’s books have always been thought provoking, but this one changes how you see the future and help explain real pain points in our new economy–both good and bad. Although much of what Cowen proposes will be uncomfortable, he has a tone that borders on cheerful. I think that’s what makes this so convincing and so eye opening. A hollowing out is coming and you’ve got to prepare yourself (and our institutions) as best you can.Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Life and Love from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed and Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott It was wonderful to read these two provocative books of essays by two incredibly wise and compassionate women. Cheryl Strayed, also the author of Wild, was the anonymous columnist behind the online column, Dear Sugar and boy, are we better off for it. This is not a random smattering of advice. This book contains some of the most cogent insights on life, pain, loss, love, success, youth that I have ever seen. I won’t belabor the point: read this book. Thank me later. Anne Lamott’s book is ostensibly about the art of writing, but really it too is about life and how to tackle the problems, temptations and opportunities life throws at us. Both will make you think and both made me a better person.The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh A few years ago, I read The Education of a Coach, a book about Bill Belichick which influenced me immensely (coincidentally, the Patriots have also read my book and were influenced by it). Anyway, I have been chasing that high ever since. Bill Walsh’s book certainly met that high standard. Even if you’ve never watched a down of football, you’ll get something out of this book. Walsh took the 49ers from the worst team in football to the Super Bowl in less than 3 years. How? Not with a grand vision or pure ambition, but with what he called the Standard of Performance. That is: How to practice. How to dress. How to hold the ball. Where to be on a play down the very inch. Which skills mattered for each position. How much effort to give. By upholding these standards—whatever they happen to be for your chosen craft—success will take care of itself.FictionI don’t read fiction for fun—I try to read novels that express some fundamental part of the human condition or some hard won truth. I hope you’ll enjoy these (though for a fuller list, read my article onthe 24 Fiction Books That Can Change Your Life).Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk I’m amazed how many young people haven’t read this book. Truly life-changing. This is the classic of my generation; it is the book that defines our age and ultimately, how to find meaning in it. It’s a cautionary tale too—about being too caught up in revolutionary ideas.The Moviegoer by Walker Percy The Moviegoer is exactly the novel that every young kid stuck in their own head needs to read. The main character—who lives in New Orleans just a few blocks from where I lived—is so in love with the artificiality of movies that he has trouble living his actual life. The Moviegoer—it is like a good Catcher in the Rye but for adults. Just a perfect book. An equal cautionary tale: The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe.What Makes Sammy Run? and The Harder They Fall Budd Schulberg Budd Schulberg’s (who wrote the screenplay for On the Waterfront) whole trilogy is amazing and each captures a different historical era. His first, What Makes Sammy Run? is Ari Gold before Ari Gold existed–purportedly based on Samuel Goldwyn (of MGM) and Darryl Zanuck. His next book, The Harder They Fall is about boxing and loosely based on the Primo Carnera scandal. All you need to know about Schulberg’s writing is captured in this quote from his obituary: “It’s the writer’s responsibility to stand up against that power. The writers are really almost the only ones, except for very honest politicians, who can make any dent on that system. I tried to do that. And that’s affected me my whole life.” Fiction can do that, and sometimes it does it even better than non-fiction.The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler What a book. It’s not as good as What Makes Sammy Run but it’s so damn good. “A boy can be two, three, four potential people,” Duddy’s uncle tells him, “but a man is only one. He murders the others.” Which potential person will you be? Which part of you will you allow to rule? The part that betrays your friends, family, principles to achieve success? Or are there other priorities?Some other novels I like: Civil War Stories by Ambrose Bierce, Company K by William March and Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison.BiographiesOne of my favorite categories of books: moral biographies. That is, the stories of great men and women in history, written with an eye towards practical application and advice.Plutarch’s Lives by Plutarch Clearly the master of this genre, Plutarch wrote biographies of famous Greeks and Romans around the year 100 AD. As always, I tend to default to the Penguin collections. I strongly recommend Plutarch’s Lives Vol. I & II, Essays, and The Makers of Rome: Nine Lives. His book On Sparta is also a collection of biographies (and aphorisms) from the famous Spartans. There is a reason that Shakespeare based many of his plays on Plutarch—not only are they well-written and exciting but they exhibit everything that is good and bad about the human condition. Greed, love, pain, hate, success, selflessness, leadership, stupidity—it’s all there.The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects by Giorgio Vasari A friend and peer of Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Raphael Titian and all the other great minds of theRenaissance sat down in 1550 and wrote biographical sketches of the people he knew or had influenced him. What I like about this book is that the profiles are not about statesmen or generals but artists. There are so many great lessons about craft and psychology within this book. The best part? It was written by someone who actually knew what he was talking about, not some art snob or critic, but an actual artist and architect of equal stature to the people he was documenting.Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi The book has sold something like 5 million copies in Japan alone (an insane number). Totto-Chan is a special figure in modern Japanese culture—she is a celebrity on par with Oprah or Ellen, with a magazine, news show and exalted position to boot. The book describes a childhood in pre-WWII Japan as a poorly misunderstood girl who obviously suffered from attention disorders and excess energy. It wasn’t until she met a special school principal—unlike any I have ever heard of—who finally GOT her. And I mean understood and cared about and unconditionally supported her in a way that both inspires me and makes me deeply jealous. If only all of us could be so lucky…Titan by Ron Chernow I found Rockefeller to be strangely stoic, incredibly resilient, and, despite his reputation as a robber baron, humble and compassionate. Most people get worse as they get successful, many more get worse as they age. In fact, Rockefeller began tithing his money with his first job and gave more of it away as he became successful. He grew more open-minded the older he became, more generous, more pious, more dedicated to making a difference.The Power Broker by Robert Caro It took me 15 days to read all 1,165 pages of this monstrosity that chronicles the rise of Robert Moses. I was 20 years old. It was one of the most magnificent books I’ve ever read. Moses built just about every other major modern construction project in New York City. The public couldn’t stop him, the mayor couldn’t stop him, the governor couldn’t stop him, and only once could the President of the United States stop him. But ultimately, you know where the cliché must take us. Robert Moses was an asshole. He may have had more brain, more drive, more strategy than other men, but he did not have more compassion. And ultimately power turned him into something monstrous.Sherman: Soldier, Realist, American by B.H Liddell Hart This was someone I knew little about before I read the book, and by the end of it found myself referencing and thinking of him constantly. It is equal parts due to the greatness of the man himself and to Hart’s vivid and engrossing portrait. I almost feel like I have lost something not having known this of him my whole life. There is a stunningly profound quote from Hart in the book that I’ll paraphrase here that defines his genius: Sherman’s success was rooted in his grasp that the way to success is strategically along the line of least expectation and tactically along the line of least resistance. It is that kind of thinking that immediately displaces any preceding notions about Sherman’s reputation as a general or a legend. All these myths belies his strategic acumen, his mastery of terrain and his deep understanding of statesmanship and politics. There is much to learn from the man and this biographer—who himself was a great strategist and mind.Some others:– My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass and The Autobiography of Malcolm X, two of the most inspiring men of the last 150 years. (also in this vein, My Life and Battles by Jack Johnson and Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington)– The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris. Dr. Drew recommended this book to me, it is spectacular. He’s my favorite president.The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America’s Banana King by Rich Cohen The book sucked me in completely. Everyone I’ve recommended it to loves it.–Asylum: An Alcoholic Takes the Cure and No Hiding Place by William Seabrook (I actually ended up helping get Asylum back in print if you want to hear that story)For more biography recommendations from me, see this list.Practical PhilosophyI don’t believe that philosophy is something for the classroom–it’s something that helps you with life. As Epicurus put it: “Vain is the word of the philosopher which does not heal the suffering of man.” I’ve already recommended a couple of practical philosophy books in different sections but a couple more worth reading:The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus A Syrian slave in the first century BC, Publius Syrus is a fountain of quick, helpful wisdom that you cannot help but recall and apply to your life. “Rivers are easiest to cross at their source.” “Want a great empire? Rule over yourself.” “Divide the fire and you will sooner put it out.”Essays and Aphorisms by Arthur Schopenhauer Schopenhauer is a brilliant composer of quick thoughts that will help us with our problems. His work was often concerned with the “will”–our inner drives and power. “For that which is otherwise quite indigestible, all affliction, vexation, loss, grief, time alone digests.” But he also talks about surprisingly current issues: “Newspapers are the second hand of history”–and that the hand is often broken or malfunctioning. And of course, the timeless as well: “Hope is the confusion of the desire for a thing for its probability.”Fragments by Heraclitus While most of the other practical philosophy recommendations I’m making are bent towards hard, practical advice, Heraclitus might seem a bit poetic. But those beautiful lines are really the same direct advice and timeless, perspective-changing observations as the others. “Try in vain with empty talk / to separate the essences of things / and say how each thing truly is.” “Applicants for wisdom / do what I have done: / inquire within.” “Character is fate.” “What eyes witness / ears believe on hearsay.” “The crops are sold / for money spent on food.”War/Strategy BooksRules for Radicals and Reveille for Radicals Saul D. Alinsky This is the 48 Laws of Power written in more of an idealist, activist tone. Alinsky was the liaison for many civil rights, union and student causes in the late 50’s and 60’s. He teaches how to implement your radical agenda without using radical tactics, how to disarm with words and media as opposed to arms and Utopian rhetoric.Boyd: The Fighter Pilot who Changed the Art of War by Robert Coram Boyd was probably the greatest post-WWII military strategist; he developed the F-15 and F-16, revolutionized ground tactics in war and covertly designed the US battle plans for the Gulf War. He shunned wealth, fame, and power all to accomplish what he felt needed to be accomplished. Coram captures his essence in a way that no other author has touched.Of course you also need to read 33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene, The Book of Five Rings by Musashi, The Strategy Paradox by Raynor, Machiavelli’s The Prince, and Von Clausewitz’ On War. In terms of classics, The History of the Peloponnesian War is an obligation for every student of history.For a whole list of books on the US Civil War, start here. For a more complete list of recommendations see my list of 43 Books About War and 24 Books To Hone Your Strategic Mind.Evolutionary PsychologyAs important as philosophy and moral fiction are, they’re just ideasif they’re not counterbalanced with an understanding of our biology and psychology.The Moral Animal by Robert Wright This is probably the definitive beginner text on evolutionary psychology and one of the easiest to get into. It’s a little depressing at first, realizing how ruthless many of our so called “good” feelings are. But then you realize that truth is better than ignorance, and you emerge seeing the world as it truly is for the first time. Also, a similar read is Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters, which is more of a Q&A approach to the subject and has contemporary edge.Sex on the Brain by Deborah Blum One of the better books on evolutionary biology that focuses almost entirely on the biological and psychological differences between men and women. It’s written by a journalist (who cites scientists) so it’s easy to read if you’re not studied in the field. If you want to get into evolutionary psychology–which you totally should–this is a good starting point because it covers all the basics. Essentially, it discusses how men and women have benefited evolutionarily through different behaviors and strengths so it would only make sense that they would have developed into two very different entities.I would also recommend: The Game by Neil Strauss (as well as The Truth), The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, The Evolution of Desire by David Buss, and the The Origins of Virtue by Matt Ridley which asserts that we had morality before religion, trade before capitalism and cooperation before government.The InternetInstead of giving descriptions for these, I’m just going to list titles. You need to read ALL of them. Especially the ones marked with an*, as they are the ones the illustrate the darker side of the web.Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations by Clay ShirkyBrave New War: The Next Stage of Terrorism and the End of Globalization* by John RobbThe Pirate’s Dilemma by Matt MasonYou Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto* by Jaron LanierThe New New Thing by Michael LewisFounders at Work by Jessica Livingston (interviews with technology founders from one of the best investors of all time)The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom* by Evgeny MorozovHackers and Painters: Big Ideas from the Computer Age by Paul Graham (or you can read his essays here)Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything by Don TapscottThe Cathedral and the Bazaar: Musings on Linux and Open Source by Eric S RaymondNarrative Non-FictionSome of the most pleasureable books I’ve read in my life belong in the genre of narrative non-fiction—epic true stories and sagas that are almost too good to believe.The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant Holy shit, this book is good. Just holy shit. Even if it was just the main narrative—the chase to kill a man-eating Tiger in Siberia in post-communist Russia—it would be worth reading, but it is so much more than that. The author explains the Russian psyche, the psyche of man vs predator, the psyches of primitive peoples and animals, in such a masterful way that you’re shocked to find 1) that he knows this, and 2) that he fit it all into this readable and relatively short book. The story is nuts: a tiger starts killing people in Russia and a team is sent to kill it (Russia is so fucked up, they already have a team for this). At one point, the tiger is cornered and leaps to attack the team leader…and in mid-air the soldier’s rifle goes into the tigers open jaws and down his throat all the way to the stock, killing the tiger at the last possible second. Wow. (His other book The Golden Spruce is also great)The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard I thought I knew about Theodore Roosevelt. This book opens with him stranded in the Amazon jungle begging his son to let him kill himself so he wouldn’t be a burden on their exploring party any longer. And then it gets better from there. I mean, did you know he is credited with being the first to chart and navigate a totally unknown river as long as the Nile? And that he did that after he was President, just for fun? I’m not sure I need to explain much else, but if you needed more convincing, I will say that Candice Millard who wrote Destiny of the Republic (which I highly recommend) wrote this too and it’s better than her last book. Not only is there a bunch of great history and drama here, it shows a human side of Roosevelt I had not understood before.Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing 50 plus years old, this is a story that more than stands the test of time. Sir Ernest Shackleton makes his daring attempt to cross Antarctic continent but his crew and boat are trapped in the ice flows. What follows are 600 days of harrowing survival, first from the elements, then from hunger, then from the sea as he makes a daring attempt in a small lifeboat to reach land 650 miles away, then again as he struggles over land and mountains to bring relief to his men. And when he finally arrives with it, Shackleton simply boards them on the boat and returns home as if nothing had happened. He was an immensely brave man in the midst of terrible adversity and we see this so clearly in a book based on the remarkable diaries of his men. He never quit, never seemed to despair. This book (and his life) were living proof of his family motto: “Fortitudine vincimus” (By endurance we conquer).Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson This book is a work of art. It is like The Tiger-good. A diver (whose life principles we can all learn from) and a ship captain find the wreck of an unknown German U-Boat in 1991…on the coast of New Jersey. That’s a thing? Apparently. And they spend the next five years diving the wreck 230+ feet underwater until they identify it. This book is narrative nonfiction writing at its finest. Please read.Classics:As you have probably gathered, I’m a bit of a nerd. I didn’t graduate from college but I still love to read the classics and I’m slowly making my way through them. I thought I’d put together a quick list that everyone should check out:The Aeneid by Virgil (translated by Robert Fagles) I made an effort to read some classical poets and playwrights few years ago. The Aeneid was far and away the most quotable, readable and memorable of all of them. There’s no other way to put: the story is AMAZING. Better than the Odyssey, better than Juvenal’s Satires. Inspiring, beautiful, exciting, and eminently readable, I loved this. I took more notes on it that I have on anything I’ve read in a long time. The story, for those of you who don’t know, is about the founding of Rome. Aeneas, a prince of Troy, escapes the city after the Trojan War and spends nearly a decade wandering, fighting, and trying to fulfill his destiny by making it to Italy. I definitely recommend that anyone trying to read this follow my tricks for reading books above your level (that is, spoil the ending, read the intro, study Wikipedia and Amazon reviews, etc).Candide by Voltaire I read this book as I waited for my wedding to start. It might seem like a strange choice, given that it’s a 200 year old book mostly about unimaginable hardship, torture, death and misfortune. Somehow, despite this, the book is a light hearted satire that pokes fun at optimism, philosophy, politics, and power. In the end, Voltaire concludes, all we can do is tend to our own garden. Il faut cultiver nos jardins.The Epic of Gilgamesh by Unknown I read this on my honeymoon (probably the only person on the beach reading it, if I had to guess). Especially when I learned after that a new introduction paragraph had been discovered only recently. His tomb may have been found recently too. Imagine if Homer’s works had only been discovered in the mid 1800’s after being lost to history for thousands of years. How crazy would that be? Reading the classic epics can feel like work but there is value in it. These works are timeless and universal. Such a great line“He will face a battle he knows not,he will ride a road he knows not.”Epigrams by Martial These are hilarious. I have one hanging on the gate in front of my house. Martial also served as a partial inspiration for my writing on the Canvas Strategy.Hamlet by Shakespeare Philosophy runs through this play–all sorts of great lines. There are gems like “..for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so” which I used in my last book and “Beware of entrance to a quarrel; but, being in, bear it, that the opposed may beware of thee.” was a favorite of Sherman.Satires by Juvenal These are bitter, sarcastic attacks on Rome. They partially inspired my book Trust Me, I’m Lying.I also love Seneca’s plays, Joseph Addison’s Cato, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Demosthenes and Cicero’s speeches.******Anyway, you don’t need anymore recommendations from me right now. Start with any of these and you’ll fall down the rabbit hole soon enough. Oh and don’t forget to follow me as I read my way through life with monthly recommendations of books like these, join the 55,000 other subscribers and sign up.If you have already read all these and want some other lists of books from me:My Favorite Reads of 2015 My Favorite Reads of 2014My Favorite Reads of 2013My Favorite Reads of 2012My Favorite Reads of 201124 Books You’ve Never Heard Of But Will Change Your LifeA Practical Philosophy Reading List43 Books About War Every Man Should Read24 Books To Hone Your Strategic Mind24 Fiction Books That Can Change Your Life25 Recommendations For Life Changing Biographies For The Voracious Reader In You13 Moral Biographies That Make You A Better Person And Teach You About LifeLoving Los Angeles: 36 Books To Help You Finally “Get” LA36 Books Every Young and Wildly Ambitious Person Should ReadLike to Read?I’ve created a list of 15 books you’ve never heard of that will alter your worldview and help you excel at your career.Get the secret book list here!

Before I answer this question, I want to start by pointing one thing out…You’re not supposed to work long hours!According to all of the best research, after 35 hours of work, your weekly productivity will begin to declineThis means that if you were working at a level 8–10 for the first 35 hours of the week, you’ll be working at a level 5 or below for hours 35+.While there are many people like Gary Vaynerchuk who seem to be able to bend reality to their will and work insane hours for extended periods of time, the simple fact of the matter is this:You only have so much mental energy to expend in a week.You cannot be operating at 100% for 60, 70, or 80 hours a week. It’s just not possible.And if you try… Then you are going to wear yourself out and lower the quality of the other hours that you work.It’s far better to work 35 or fewer hours per week where you are hyper focused and productive than it is to work 60 where you are burnt out and frustrated.But I digress…If you’re anything like I was 2–3 years ago, you’re going to read this and completely ignore it, and that’s fine. Most people have to experience things firsthand before they will really believe them.So with that disclaimer out of the way, here are a few tips and tricks for increasing your energy, focus, and productivity so that you can work long hours effectively.(Note: Some of this content is pulled from my Ultimate Guide to Limitless Productivity where I share the most scientifically validated ways to increase your productivity and get more done in less time)1. Sleep at Least 7.5 Hours Each NightIf you want to have the stamina to work long hours, then you need to make sure that your body and mind are fully rested and equipped to handle an arduous work load.According to Medical Daily, 40.6 million Americans, more than 30% of the workforce, are chronically sleep deprived.Now, at first glance, you might think, “C’mon Andrew, who gives a crap? You can sleep when you’re dead, these people just need to work more!”But when you consider that sleep deprivation has been linked to:DepressionDeliriumHallucinationsImpaired Cognition and an Increased Risk of Preventable AccidentsNot to mention, an increased risk of infections, cancer, and overall mortality.You begin to realize that sleep deprivation is a big deal.Like a really big deal.I know that most young people love the #hustle mentality and believe that there is something noble or productive in sleep deprivation.But nothing could be further from the truth.Unless you have the rare genetic mutation, DEC2, (present in less than 5% of the population) sleeping less than 6 hours a night is literally killing you.And the worst part?You aren’t even aware that it’s happening.Now, let’s consider the positive effects that studies have shown to be present when an individual gets sufficient sleep.Improved memoryLower systemic inflammationImproved immune functionElevated moodLearning and problem-solving abilities improvedI don’t know about you, but I personally believe that having a better memory, experiencing less illness, feeling happier, learning faster, and solving problems more rapidly all strongly correlate to being more productive.This isn’t just my opinion either. In fact, some of the world’s top performers report sleeping more than 8.5 hours a night.Podcast Guest, Neil Patel sleeps 9.25 hours a night while running three multi-million dollar businesses.Arianna Huffington, Co-founder of the Huffington Post and multimillionaire claims that sleeping 8 hours a night was partially responsible for her success.James Altucher, multi-millionaire investor, and hedge fund manager includes “Sleeping 8 Hours” as one of the keys to his financial successAt this point, it should be clear that getting more sleep is, indeed, one of the quickest ways to boost your productivity.But the question still remains, “How much sleep do I need, and how can I get better quality sleep?”According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults need 7-9 hours in order to prevent the effects of sleep deprivation from affecting your life and productivity. (slightly more if you’re an avid athlete)As for increasing the quality of your sleep, it’s actually pretty simple.Go to bed before 11 p.m.Wake up at the same time each daySleep in a completely dark and cold room (research shows that 65-67 F is ideal for sleep)Exercise dailyTurn off all electronics 60 minutes before bed.I know that this particular section was a little bit long-winded, but this point is so important that I couldn’t simply breeze through it.If you want to be more productive, you need to sleep. Period.Until you are getting 7.5-9 hours of sleep on a consistent basis, the other tactics included in this guide will simply fan the flames of burnout until, eventually, you collapse in a stressed out, sleep deprived panic attack.Take it from me (and thousands of scholarly studies), quit trying to join the sleepless elite and get your 7 hours. M’kay?2. Sweat for At Least 20 Minutes a DayStudy after study after study has illustrated the tremendous importance of daily exercise.From:Decreased depressionElevated mood, reduced stress, and less anxietyImproved blood flow to the brainThe production of new brain cellsImproves memoryImproved discipline, impulse control, and decision makingIn fact, there are SO many benefits to exercise, that the Harvard Business Review has stated that regular exercise should be a mandatory part of any job description.Luckily, studies have shown that you don’t have to exercise for hours every day to reap these benefits.In fact, just 150 minutes of weekly exercise (that’s 30 minutes every weekday) is more than sufficient to improve your productivity, mood, and general well being.If you are exercising exclusively for increased productivity, studies have shown that 2-3 moderately intense sessions of aerobic exercise each week will have the most dramatic impact on your ability to focus and concentrate.However, this does not mean that you should exclusively train your aerobic capacity.Further research has indicated that combining regular aerobic conditioning with an intelligent weightlifting regimen (I recommend this one) and regular yoga will have the greatest impact on your ability to be more productive and stay focused throughout the day.3. Eat Clean Burning Foods and Reduce Your Carb Load Early in the DayMost people underestimate the effect that your diet has on cognitive performance and general productivity.Think about it this way…Your brain is the center of all productivity.Although that tiny little supercomputer takes up only 2-3% of the total mass of your body, it burns more than 20% of the calories that you consume!In and of itself, this should clearly illustrate the link between food and productivity.Studies from the Harvard Business Review have shown an inextricable link between the calories that you consume and the ability for your brain to focus and achieve long-lasting concentration.I won’t bore you with all of the science, but I will suffice it to say that what you eat matters… A lot.If you want to be as productive as possible, you will want to clean up your diet.Here are a few guidelines to get you started.Eliminate as many processed foods as possibleConsume slow burning foods such as raw vegetables and fibrous carbohydrates throughout the day to properly regulate glucose levels in the brainConsume your biggest and highest carb meal after your workout or at dinnerSkip breakfast and opt for coconut oil coffee or eat a very protein and fat rich breakfast (no carbs!)Although you can dive much much deeper into the world of productivity and focus through dieting, simply eliminating processed foods, increasing the number of vegetables you eat, and waiting until later in the day to consume carbs will dramatically improve your productivity almost overnight.If you are interested in learning more about how your dietary choices and productivity are related, check out this awesome infographic from Hubspot.4. Bring the JoyAlthough it might seem like common sense, happy and excited people are more productive.How much more productive?Well, according to a study compiled by Professor Andrew Oswald, Dr. Eugenio Proto and Dr. Daniel Sgroi from the Department of Economics at the University of Warwick, happy employees are 12% more productive than their unhappy peers!I don’t have time to dive into all of the amazing research that has been compiled in recent years that details what determines human happiness, (you should check out the Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor if you’re interested in this), I want to share a quick tactic I picked up from Brendon Burchard.The tactic, called “Bring the Joy” is simple enough, but the results you will experience are profound.All I want you to do is to set 3 alarm on your phone titled Bring the Joy.Set them to go off at different times throughout the day and, when you see the notification pop up on your screen, I want you to ask yourself three questions.What level of joy and presence am I bringing to this present moment?What am I grateful for today?How can I bring more joy and excitement into my current interactions and activities?Like I said, simple right?I challenge you to try this tactic for the next 30 days and genuinely pause and become aware of your state every time your alarm goes off.You will be amazed at how much more productive and joyful your life will become.5. Meditate for at Least 10 Minutes a DayAlthough the scientific community needs to further evaluated the direct link between meditation and productivity, several studies like this one, conducted at a Fortune 100 company, show a very clear link between a regular meditation practice and increased productivity at work.The reason for this is simple.Meditation is proven to help: (source)Lower blood pressureAlleviate symptoms of insomniaReduce depression and anxietyReduce painReduce symptoms of IBSAid in smoking cessationOh, did I mention that it has also been shown to rebuild grey matter?As I’ve already discussed, happiness and productivity are inextricably linked and it should be pretty clear that any practice which decreases depression, anxiety, and sleeplessness will, by default, improve your productive output.I challenge you to take up a meditation practice for the next 30 days and record how you feel.Arnold Schwarzenegger, the infamous bodybuilder, real estate tycoon, and “Governator” of California stated that his one year of intense TM (Transcendental Meditation) practice has created results that6. Take Strategic Breaks Throughout the Day to Maintain Your Energy and EnthusiasmOne of the most surprising ways to increase your energy and boost productivity is actually to work less and take breaks more frequently.Study after study has shown that the human brain cannot focus (effectively) for more than 90 minutes.Eventually, your brain needs a break from any given task to consolidate and process information, renew our focus, and ensure that our tasks are ultimately congruent with our goals.Later in this article, I’ll discuss the Pomodoro method which helps cement these findings into your daily workflow.But for now, I simply want to encourage you to start taking a 45-60 minute break in the middle of every workday.During these breaks, I recommend that you:Practice meditationWalk outsideEat a light snackDo some calisthenicsReadTalk with friendsTest out different methods of recharging yourself and renewing your focus throughout the day and it will pay dividends in the long run.7. Eliminate Email as Much as PossibleNothing will drain your focus and stamina more than wasting nearly 30% of your work week responding to emails!In the United States alone, the average employee spends more than 28% of their time or 13 hours a week responding to emails.That’s more than 650 hours a year wasted on largely unproductive, reactive, and unnecessary correspondence!Over the average employee’s lifespan (45 working years) that equates to more than 29250 hours wasted on email.For those of you who are quick with a calculator, this means that the average employee will spend 3 years of their life responding to and clearing out emails!That’s a jaw-dropping amount of time to spend on such an insignificant and largely unimportant task as email.So what in the hell are we going to do about it?Although entire books have been written on the topic of reducing email overload and reclaiming your inbox (and your life) I will keep things simple.I recommend that you:Check email only twice a day (I do it at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.)“Touch it once”. Either respond to, archive or delete an email. Never leave it in your inboxStop using email folders and simply search for emails when you need themKeep your emails to 5 sentences or less and inform people of this policy in your signature (shoutout to Chris Bailey for this one)Go on an email vacation and let co-workers know you won’t be responding to email until you are done with your biggest project (they will survive I promise)If you do nothing other than implementing these five tips your productivity will skyrocket.Imagine if you could reduce the amount of time you spend on email to only one hour a week.How much more could you accomplish with 12 extra hours in your work week?How much income could you create? How many promotions could you secure?The more you think about it, the more you will realize that email is the scourge of productivity and, although it is a necessary evil, it is an evil nonetheless.8. Embrace the Power of “No”The most powerful word in the entire English language is composed of only two letters.“No”The word “No” has started wars, ended wars, overthrown oppressive governments, and, as it pertains to our conversation, revolutionized personal productivity and fulfillment for people all over the world.Just think about it for a moment.How much pain, discomfort, and genuine wasted time have you experienced in your life because you said “Yes” when you should have said “No”?How many times have you spent an afternoon with people that you didn’t like, in a setting that made you uncomfortable, for a purpose you couldn’t ascertain simply because you didn’t have the courage to say “No”?If you are anything like me, the answer is probably “A lot”.I know from first-hand experience that implementing the power of “No” into your life can be very challenging.For years, I was a chronic people pleaser.I would go to parties I didn’t want to attend, stay late at work, go on dates with people I didn’t care for, and generally lived my life for the approval of others instead of my own personal satisfaction.Until one day, I had enough.I was burnt out, stressed out, wallowing in unfinished projects, unmet personal expectations, and general angst about my existence.So I decided to say “No” more often.I said no:When family members wanted to hang out during my workdaysWhen audience members asked to take me to lunch (I love you guys but I literally cannot meet with 30,000+ men 1-on-1)When friends wanted to go out and I didn’tWhen people made unfair requests of me and my timeWhen people asked for unwarranted favors because they were “My friend”I said “No” to the bad and even the good so that I could say “Yes” to the great.And if you want to be as productive as possible and create a truly prolific life, then you must learn to do the same.9. Use the Pomodoro TechniqueRemember how we talked about the importance of taking breaks way back in Path #1 (yeah, I know this is a long ass article)?Well, it turns out that taking breaks every 50-90 minutes can be just as effective at increasing your productivity and focus throughout the day as the 45-minute renewal exercise we already discussed.The reason for this lies in something called the Ultradian Rhythm.Effectively our brain waves are cyclical and go through peaks and troughs roughly every 90 minutes.In the same way that your brain cycles through different wavelengths during a 90-minute sleep cycle, so too does your brain cycle through wavelengths in a “basic rest-activity cycle”.If you are interested in learning more about the science, you can check out this article from Tony Schwartz.Knowing that cognitive output is cyclical, meaning that you physically cannot sustain high levels of concentration without intermittent periods of rest, changes the entire approach to productivity and focus.This is where the Pomodoro technique comes in handy.Instead of fighting against your Ultradian Rhythm, the Pomodoro technique works with it.Here’s what you do.Instead of simply sitting down at your desk to work, you are going to pick one of your most important tasks of the day (which I will talk about in the next point) and focus on it for a definite length of time between 25 and 90 minutes.Then, you are going to set a timer, eliminate all distractions, and get to work on that project with single-focus until the timer goes off.When the timer buzzes, you are going to take a break anywhere from 5-22 minutes (depending on the length of your work session) before sitting back down to begin the process all over again.All you need to complete the Pomodoro Technique is:A physical or online timerSomething to work onYour brainIt really is that simple.I’ve tested this tactic out for myself and have noticed that I am consistently more productive, more efficient, and more happy with my output when I use the Pomodoro technique on a regular basis.10. Create Locational Anchors to Build Productive StatesAn underground tactic that I’ve found to be immensely effective in recent months is the use of locational anchors.This concept was first introduced to me when I listened to an excellent podcast with Jairek Robbins.Jairek discussed the concept of locational anchors by explaining that the brain works through the power of association and that, the more associations we can build for a specific task, the easier it will be to accomplish it.This is why doctors tell you to only use your bed for sleep and sex.You want to make sure that when it’s time to unwind or *ahem* perform, that your body and brain associate your bed with those activities.This is also why it’s so much easier to have an awesome workout at your local gym than it is with an Iron Gym in your living room.However, Jairek took things a step further and recommended that you actually develop locational anchors for ALL major tasks that you must complete throughout the day.For example:Check email at the kitchen tableTake conference calls at your local cafeWrite at your desk while looking out the windowDesign sales funnels at your desk with your back to the windowComplete all administrative work at a specific nook in your houseThe list goes on and on.Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any direct research to back up this particular hack, however, after experiencing its effectiveness first hand, I couldn’t leave it off this list.Give it a go for 90 days and I promise you will get more done than you ever believed possible.Final Thoughts: Take it Easy on Yourself!Before I leave you to take on the big bad world of getting sh*t done and becoming a productivity machine, I wanted to leave you with one final tip.Take it easy on yourself.The most unproductive thing you can do is to berate and belittle yourself because you haven’t been as successful or productive as you want.Yes, it’s important that you are honest with yourself and your clients and don’t sugarcoat the reality of your current capacity.However, you must remember that you were never taught this in school. You weren’t born with the knowledge of how to be massively productive.You’ve simply been operating on whatever systems you picked up from the people around you and, hopefully, you now have better systems to test and implement.Productivity and focus are both acquired skillsets.You aren’t born productive and it’s not something that is determined by your genetics. It’s a matter of principles and systems, testing, failing, and figuring out what works for you.So take it easy on yourself as you strive to get more done.The journey will take time, but it will be worth it.Good luck!Closeout this article and go get some shit done!

Haha, this is interesting. A class of nations.. So let me try to put this down as I see it.I personified countries and have written headcanon-ish storylines for each of them. If you want me to do any more countries, let me know in the comments.DISCLAIMERS:The stereotypes used are for satirical purposes onlyHistorical exaggeration and trivialization is not meant to offend any perosn, their beliefs, nationality, identity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, race or world-viewThe humor is dark in places and have been used, again, to employ satire and irony, as well as to build personality for the “countries” as “people”.Please view the facts and jokes presented in an unbiased manner as a consumer of art.Now lets dive in.USA:USA wins. Always.He’s got the game, the name and the babes. He always wins by hook or by crook. A rich, powerful, tanned handsome, arrogant son of the powerful yet unlikely couple, city’s second biggest businessman and the well-respected school Principal. Captain of the football team and by far the best player as well (he broke the leg of every player who ever tried to play better than him).He is the kid who throws the most parties and everybody wants to be friend’s with him. He doesn’t know the meaning of ‘minding one’s own business’ and once got in trouble for interfering in Iran’s homework.He comes from an old and rich family related to that of Poland, France and his old childhood rival, UK. Canada is his first cousin. He lives in a huge suburban mansion with his own swimming pool.He is best friends with Australia and Canada and he leads the Big League (USA, UK, China, France and Russia). He however, has a rocky history with Russia who he fought with in middle school. Though they do sometimes work together, they are still at silent war with each other for the top spot within the league. China avoids them both. Apart from Russia and China, he maintains amicable relations with the rest of the league. he is now friends with UK, his playschool rival.Africa used to be his father’s gardener. USA made Africa build his father’s mansion for free, whipping and beating him into submission. He has a bad history with this gardener’s children as well. His gardener has a lot of children; Nigeria, Niger, Liberia, Libya and their many brothers and sisters. As a child, USA used to be racist and bullied the gardener’s sons and made sure they never got the opportunities and freedom that he deserved. But the entire school teamed up to knock some sense into his head. Africa has since left job at USA’s father’s and has setup his own agricultural implements store with which he takes care of his children. USA has become more tolerant recently, at least in public, though people still say he is secretly a big racist even now.He is not a bad fighter as well. In 4th grade, he helped his fellow Big League-ers and friends to fight Germany, Italy and Japan in a huge cataclysmic showdown that wrecked the class. He was initially disinterested in the fight since he considered it a little trifle between Russia and Germany but soon got involved when Japan threw a baseball at him, and called him “sissy” for not joining the fight. USA then proceeded to personally draw the pulp out of Japan and stuck pepper bombs on his seat which literally set fire to Japan’s bottoms. He then worked with Russia, probably for the first and last time to fight Germany who was more than a little stubborn . After the fight became a mess, USA regretted and urged rest of the Big League to be more tolerant.Another country he hates is North Korea. He hates North Korea, vehemently.Rumor has it that anybody who fights with him gets transferred. Recently, his businessman father has changed. He has become more alcoholic and more erratic than ever. This has had a toll on USA’s personality. His father has also now become friends with Russia’s and plays poker with him.RussiaYou wouldn’t like him angry. Ever.Russia rarely gets angry, but whenever he does, he never comes down before drawing blood. He’ll punch your nose to pulp.He is sulking Hulk of the Big League and he never really talks to his other so called ‘friends’ in the league - USA, China, UK and France. He was the most popular guy in school after UK and before USA. USA and Russia got into a fight in middle school, which toppled Russia from it’s position as the class chick-magnet. He has had a long standing rivalry with USA ever since.It all happened in 7th grade. He was the captain of the school football team but when USA tried to break his leg in the locker room, he broke USA’s nose. He got sent to detention the next day becausea) USA had only provoked him with a hockey stick and didn’t actually attackand b) USA’s mother was the Principal.He never really recovered.He is huge. Tall, athletic and exceptionally well built with untamed hair. He sometimes feels like a playboy and has had his share of girlfriends despite his reclusive lifestyle. He never really smiles nor frowns. His lips are always set in an uncomfortable straight line. He is a master at MMA and Jiu Jitsu.Germany once sat at his place in 4th grade and refused to get up. This pissed him off so much, he punched Germany on his face. Agitated Germany ganged up with his friends, Japan and Italy and tried to fight Russia. Bad move, definitely, because immediately Russia instigated the Big League and with their support as well as most of other like India, Canada, Australia and Africa beat the shit of Germany’s gang. The whole class was wrecked and they all got time out after which the Big League took it upon themselves to keep peace in class at all costs despite their differences.He works hard on his studies and does well in science. In fact, in middle school, he led the Science decathlon team. Despite being smart in Physics, he does not take part in decathlons any more. Nobody knows why. He sits in the left corner of classroom smothering down USA with his looks or chatting quietly with his best friends, Kazakhstan and Belarus. He earlier used to live in a hostel with them, but has since separated and moved out to their own homes.Counter-intuitively, however, he works exceptionally well with India, both of whom were lab partners once and share a lot of common interests. He has known China for long, since their fathers had the same political ideas but they are not the best of friends. With China, he never really talks, but they acknowledge each other with nods.Recently his dad has become friends with USA’s and have started playing poker together, much to his dismay.Canada:USA’s younger first cousin.Cute, well mannered, ambivert teenager. Friends with UK, both of them being babysitted together as children (along with Australia and New Zealand). Well liked and easily lovable. Soft spoken but has been known to be extremely aggressive under circumstances. Likes his pancakes with a lot of maple syrup. Aces most tests though he is known to often ask India’s help to complete his homeworks.He is the biggest friend of USA, UK and France and helps them always. He even joined them when they fought Japan, Germany and their friends in 4th grade.Rarely speaks against USA, whether he agrees with him or not. Though not part of the Big League (USA, UK, China, France and Russia), he hangs out with them a lot. Has changed a lot since he started dating France. Some parts of him are almost French.France:She’s hot and she knows it.The first chick of the class and the only girl on the Big League. Shopaholic, arrogant, sassy, smart and talented, she is a stereotypical popular chick. She is on the dance team and plays on the girls’ baseball team. She is the Quidditch team captain and she leads the cheerleading squad as well.She looks down on other girls except those who fan her. She is very friendly with USA though they disagree sometimes and has a frenemy relation with UK, one of her oldest friends as well as rivals.In 3rd grade she revolted against her father. Her father was a very oppressive man who regularly beat her up and abused her mother. She stood up against him knowing that it’d be in vain. But her Revolution, inspired her mother to divorce her father and move out. Her mother has since become a successful Fashion designer who earns more than France can ever spend.She is a pro at fencing and is a ruthless MMA fighter like Russia. Her bestfriend is Italy but she once fought with her as well. Back in 4th grade she teamed up with USA, China, UK, Russia, India, Canada, Pakistan and others to beat the pulp out of Germany, Italy and Japan. Germany had placed a frog on her table once and she hated frogs. Japan had then derogatorily exclaimed that it was a surprise she hated frogs because she ate snails! France, not able to take it any more sided with Russia when he fought these kids, including her erstwhile friend Italy, who in her paranoid mood swings decided that France was an unfaithful friend and therefore helped Germany and Japan. She herself delivered a huge blow on Italy’s ears, it bled straight for an hour. She later apologized to her and they reconciled.She has been dating Canada for a long long time, right from Elementary school and they are very good friends. He always stands by her and that’s what she loves the most about him.She can be very mean but is generally easy to please.UK:He used to be the most popular guy in school, once.A likable kind of guy and he was the Class Prefect once.But he also has a history of misusing his powers. Sometime in 4th grade, when he first became the class prefect, he made a lot of money behind the dark by being a very very mean jerk then who stole South Africa’s lunch money and sold crack to China also to make money. Back then, he used to be in an abusive relationship with India and he used to boss her around. He once forced India to ghost write an essay for him, promising her 50% of the cash prize but went back on his words soon enough. Around the same time, Germany and Russia got into a little fight that escalated into a huge schism. UK then proceeded to defend his Big League friends and forced India and Pakistan to do the same. They together settled the issue by kicking Germany’s ass and making him quiet. This fight however, also gave some nice ideas to India, China, South Africa and the other kids UK had oppressed. As soon as the class was cleaned up, these kids teamed up and kicked UK’s ass. He has become pretty much decent since.Impeccably dressed and handsome in the gentlemanly sense of the word. He reads classics, drinks tea and is on the Shakespearean drama team. He is also an excellent bowler on the Cricket team. He is chivalrous and holds doors open for girls, not that all of them like it.He often keeps to himself and avoids conflicts. Close to USA and extremely close to Canada. He has a dynamic relation with France. He used to be close friends with other European kids and was added by France in their Whatsapp group with Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Austria, Portugal and so on. He has since left the group because their messages confused him. Gracefully accepts his lost position at the top the big league and is now concentrating on improving his grades.ChinaHe works hard. Very Hard.China comes from a very old and proud Communist family. His late father used to be a hard-task master who believed in equality of opportunity and meritocracy. His Tiger Mom further ensured that this happened by forcing him to work harder than he possibly could.In 5th grade he fought with depression and broke down under this stress. That’s when UK sold him crack, without completely knowing what it was and eventually got him addicted. This went on for a year, until his father barged into the school and got UK suspended for a week. China was then taken to rehab and he rejoined the next year, as a changed man.His family is overcrowded. He has 8 siblings and a half sibling. He also has a cousin, Taiwan, who he is not allowed to talk to because Taiwan’s father (China’s uncle) and China’s mother are still fighting over the ownership of Grandpa’s house. Despite his autocratic home, his parents’ falling marriage and civil war, his father’s subsequent death, his family conflict with his uncle, his short addiction phase and consequent rehab and all the other challenges he faced, he did not give up. He just worked harder.Despite being smart from the beginning nobody noticed him till ninth grade. That’s when he began to work uber hard. He began to ace all his tests and tops every single paper except Math, which India tops. This has sparked off a rivalry between India and China. Despite being bestfriends in playschool, they don’t talk anymore. His rivalry with India goes so deep that he secretly started dating India’s most hated rival, Pakistan.Initially he did not mind others business . But back in fourth grade when Germany, Italy and Japan were busy pranking others, they made the mistake of pranking China as well. This infuriated China and he teamed up with Russia when fight broke out between him and Germany and contributed some cool karate moves to Japan’s abdomen.He wakes up at 5 and sleeps at 11. He does Karate, Kung Fu and Taekwondo in his free time. He never rests. He is a master tinkerer and knows how to apply science in real life. He has won the Science Fair, every year since 8th grade and sometimes makes super-cheap life hacks for his classmates, which most of them buy, including India, albeit reluctantly.Despite being a straight A student and martial arts expert, he does not have much friends. This is because he is insanely introverted, something that can be justified given his rough past. He also gets pissed off very easily. Emotionally unstable and not very matured in actions. ‘Nerd’ is his trigger word.South Korea has a crush on him and hates Pakistan for being with him. He is the smartest in the Big League.India:India never gives up. She is a fighter.India is a fighter. She never gives up. No matter what you throw at her, she just shakes it off and walks away.India is all about fluidity. Dynamic and fiery. All though, anatomically female, India is genderfluid, sometimes identifying as male at other times female. She is the only genderfluid student in the class and despite her non-binary gender, she prefers the pronouns she/her, a habit that must have come from being closeted so long in such a conservative family. India doesn’t actually mind misgendering and she is quick to forgive even if you bully her, but only after she breaks your nose-ridge.Her inhumanely beautiful mother is a staunch Hindu but her father is an atheist. She has a half sister, Pakistan. India is not in good terms with Pakistan or her mother.India can speak over a dozen languages and can smooth talk better than anyone; the latter quality could have been acquired while she was working at a fast-food joint in Middle School to help support her family. Despite having a rich background, she was forced to work hard and earn when her father’s company went bankrupt during the stock market crash. Her father was subsequently arrested for corruption and money fraud, causing huge distress in the family. India and her crowded household of four siblings worked hard along with her parents to put the family back on track. The owner of the joint where she worked even tried to sexually assault her but she ran away and successfully sued him. Due to her dedicated hardwork, she rebuilt her family and helped free her dad. Her father, has since reformed and is now running a Dosa and Tandoor restaurant. She is very close to her parents and lives in a closely knit household.When India came out in 6th grade, Pakistan and her mother told India that her sexual fluidity was a sin. India refused to change and her dad supported her. Conflicted with their religious ideals, Pakistan and her mother moved out to another apartment. Later, India and Pakistan fell in love with the same boy, Kashmir. Kashmir goes to a different school and really just wants to be left alone, but India and Pakistan are decidedly pursued him. This fanned the conflict between them and they became bitter rivals. Pakistan later began to secretly date China, though she still has her eyes on Kashmir.India comes from a very, very, very old family. It is said, that her grandmother kept a family tree that went back hundreds of generations. Her mother is a strictly conservative, uber-religious, hard-tasking person but her father is more to the liberal side.India is the hot-nerd type of person. She is an uber geek and slaves over her homework. She aces all the tests and always finishes second to China or even defeats China when it comes to Math. China hates her for it and they are bitter rivals, both of them refusing to even share notes.She is quite easily, the most beautiful girl in the class. Most boys have secret crushes on her and find it really awkward when she switches gender. Funny, charismatic, pretty eyes, she is also wild, chaotic and insanely talented. Back when she was poor, China, USA and UK used to laugh at her for her being dirty and is now very fussy about cleaning up her mess. She is known for her strict Yoga regimen and her inhumane flexibility. She is dancer par excellence, specializing Bharatanatyam and is also on the school gymnastics team. She is an exceptionally talented bats-woman and is the captain of the girl’s cricket team.Almost always sweet, but beware, if she gets pissed, then she will piss everybody else off too. In fourth grade she teamed up with UK (with whom she had been in an abusive relationship), USA, China, Canada, France, Russia and others to fight Germany and his buddies when he got into a feud with Russia. By sixth grade UK and India were dating but UK was an abusive boyfriend. One time in 6th grade, UK had made India ghost-write an essay for him by promising her that he would give her 50% of the cash prize that he wins. When he failed to give her the promised prize, she protested outside of Principal’s room, threatening to starve to death if the prize was not repealed. UK’s prize was repealed and the cash prize was given to India. A couple of days later UK got suspended after China’s father complained against him. After UK returned after suspension, guilty and remorseful, India was the first one to re-befriend him and India still remains UK’s friend.USA is always neutral about India, though it is rumored that USA has a thing for Pakistan. Russia and India were lab partners once and they are still very close friends. India’s best friend is Israel and they both help each other always but that hasn’t stopped her from having good friendship with Arabia too, India often acting as a mediator between them. She also sometimes shares her lunch with her neighbor, Bangladesh. India is also Afghanistan’s role model after she helped him rehabilitate from his psychological trauma. Many a times India, tried to get into the Big League, but she never made it.EDIT 1: This is my first answer to cross 300 upvotes in just 10 hours. Thank you so much people. I’ll update soon with the rest of the class.Arabia:Arabia is rich. R-I-C-H rich.Arabia is the rich kid in town. Remember how USA’s father was the second richest businessman? Arabia’s father is the first. He comes to school in a customized Lamborghini and lives in a palatial mansion in the desert that fringes the city. His father became rich in the end of the last century when he discovered oil in their backyard. At age 15, he got into oil business with his dad.He goes on and off at school. Most of his life, he was home-schooled and thus is still a bit socially awkward. He comes from a super-uber religious Muslim family and he is an ardent theist. He even comes to school in his traditional attire and is known for his austere discipline, especially during the month of Ramadan. In fact, it is wonder how he survives the entire month fasting till sundown given that he is otherwise an avid foodie who gorges on his lambs, camels kebabs, hummus and falafels. He however has a no alcohol policy. He grew a mustache when he was 13 and a full beard by 15. He has a wizard’s mastery business . He is the Commerce teacher’s favorite and helps strategizes bake sales for his juniors.He has been accused of being overly conservative and a little extremist. He hates when people disagree with him and he has a peculiar humor sense. Therefore, not many friends.He is however, quite friendly with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey with whom he shares a lot of ideological similarities. He has an amicable relationship with India as well and they help each other out on projects. He hates Israel and that is the only disagreement he has with India. He and Israel often raze each other in stare-off contests from across the class. Afghanistan once pranked USA by placing explosive balloons in his locker and Arabia silently supported Afghanistan when Afghanistan was suspended. USA and Arabia were close friends once, but after this incident friendship has deteriorated some what. They still however, invite each other to parties and their rich fathers still trade and play poker together.GermanyGermany got into serious trouble and learnt.Germany used to be the smartest kid in Elementary school. He always used to sit in the front row and always answered whenever professors asked questions. He built cool things and all was good. However, he was also a hypochondriac and germophobe, who tried to purify himself by going on a detox juice diet and maintaining exceptional cleanliness. This earned him the nickname, “Germ-Many”, a name he detested. Then third grade, began and on the first week when he put up his hand to answer, Belgium called him ‘Germ-many’ loudly and he felt deeply insulted. He began to purposely hurt Belgium during football practice and so the rest of the class led by UK, France and Russia complained to the coach and got him out of team.This apparent defeat made him depressed, paranoid and even more hypochondriac.Now fully resentful and insanely confused, he began to plot marvelous schemes on the back pages of his notebooks on how to mete out ‘justice’ to his ‘stupid’ classmates. That is when he befriended the paranoid backbencher chick, Italy and the awkward new rich kid, Japan. With their help, he began pranking his classmates. He placed a frog in France’s table, stole Poland’s lunch and sat on Russia’s place. The latter was a huge mistake because Russia does not give up easily. Russia dragged Germany by the collar and kicked him in the gut. His Big League-er friends, UK, China and France along with India, Australia, Canada, Pakistan and Africa beat Germany and his friends. Things got messy and eventually Germany gave up.Both parties, realizing their mistakes, apologized and agreed to work together to clean up the class before the next teacher came. All except Japan, who was in First aid room with burning pepper sauce on his ass and USA who had already been sent to detention for doing it.Since then, Germany has changed. Germany now concentrates on improving his grades and bettering his skills at sports. He is an admin on the European Kids Whatsapp Group along with France and others. He has also taken an interest in Classical languages and Sanskrit and has been going to India’s mom for classes. He also won a second place in the Science Fair in 9th grade and later went on to win the first place in Junior year when he designed a brilliant new car. He interns with Mercedes Benz now.JapanChina’s creative, quiet and awkward cousin.Japan is smart. Really, really smart. At age five, he built his first robot, and at age 12, he won the National Science Fair. The Forbes Magazine mentioned him as a 30 Under 30 scientists when he was 16.He is extremely introverted and talks mostly only to China, USA, India, Germany and France. Counter intuitively given his ‘quiet nerdy’ look, he however is stylishly dressed always, and rumor has it that his fashion designer mother designs his clothes for him.Both his parents are Robotics Engineers, with his mother also running a fashion designing boutique in her spare time. His rich technocratic family didn’t send him to school till 3rd grade. This made him awkward when he joined school in 3rd grade. He immediately stuck with Germany, another smart yet awkward and confused kid. They both felt frustrated that other kids weren’t noticing them enough, so got together with the paranoid chick, Italy and decided to pull pranks on rest of the school. Initially they were successful, but Germany made a misstep with Russia and the whole class began fighting. Japan acted like a big bully and threw a basketball at USA and called him “sissy” for not joining the fight. China and the USA then together kicked his ass and beat him to pulp. USA broke his arms and badly hurt him but was still seething in anger. Nobody calls USA sissy. USA in fit of rage, even filled a balloon with chili sauce and made a ‘pepper bomb’ which he placed on Japan’s seat and forced Japan to sit on it. Even the thinking back to that explosion sets fire to Japan’s bottom. USA’s mother, the Principal, for the first time ever scolded USA for this act and asked him to apologize. Filled with remorse on after thought USA apologized to Japan and they reconciled. Germany soon stopped fighting and Japan has since worked with the Big League and the other prefects to maintain peace during and after lectures.He is the only Shinto kid in class, and he is a strong believer. He eats sushi, fish and rice and loves to share it with others. He loves history and physics, an unlikely subject combo, and aces them both. He also has the sickest katana collection in school and he often invites his friends to Zen themed parties in his parents’ meticulous tea garden. He loves anime and aspires to produce his own anime series someday. He is well liked by everyone because a) he generally keeps quiet and minds his business b) he helps everyone with their physics and history quizzes. During this summer, he plans to intern with Honda on their Asimo Robot.PakistanIs China dating Pakistan? Pakistan’s parents can’t know.Pakistan is the bewitchingly beautiful conservative girl who is also happens to be India’s estranged half sister. Their atheist father had two wives, one Hindu and the other Muslim, the latter of which was Pakistan’s mother. India and Pakistan lived together and worked together till their sixth grade and back then Pakistan even supported India during her little skirmish with UK. Then the inevitable happened. Religious tension arose between the two sisters.It all happened in 6th grade, right after India broke up with UK and UK got suspended. Confused by the sudden turn of events, India decided to come out. India came out at the end of sixth grade and declared that she was genderfluid. This did not sit well with Pakistan or her mother. They asked India’s father’s opinion. He staunchly supported India and her decision and appreciated her stance. Pakistan, however, felt that India was being blasphemous and that being Genderfluid was a sin. She moved out with her mother to the neighboring apartment, their father left with no other option but to share time between his two families. Then one day India and Pakistan both fell in love with the same boy, Kashmir.Kashmir goes to another school and really just wants to be left alone. But vying for his attention, the disagreement flared between Pakistan and India and they became bitter rivals. Religious difference and rivalry for Kashmir soured the little bond they shared and they have remained ever since.Israel is one more country that hates her, otherwise, Pakistan maintains good relations with most others, especially Arabia. In eighth grade she began dating China secretly. She knows her mother would never approve of this, but China sure is a charming guy!USA also has a thing for Pakistan and he covertly helps her.Recently, however her friendship with most have dampened. This is because Afghanistan once pranked USA by placing explosive balloons in his locker and together with Arabia, Pakistan silently supported Afghanistan when Afghanistan was suspended. Her constant insult wars with India are also not very image boosting. China, USA and Arabia still remain her friends and within her small circle she is very popular.Pakistan is a dedicated and devoted student. She works hard on improving her grades but in moments of desperation has sometimes cheated on tests as well. Essentially, a person of faith, she prays five times a day and keeps staunch fast during Ramadan. She loves her Biriyani and Tikkas but no matter how much she eats she never gets fat, much to the envy of France. Known to be charming and funny, she is a martial arts expert and an excellent cricketer. Her hijab collection is quite the talk of the fashionistas and she is told to be an immensely resilient person.North KoreaThis guy is paranoid. And self-obsessed.He is more self obsessed than USA, more bossy than China and has Dunning-Kruger Effect, which literally means he “suffers from illusory superiority, mistakenly assessing [his] cognitive ability as greater than it is.”He has an estranged twin brother, South Korea. They once got into a terrible fight in 8th grade, wherein NK almost killed SK. After this, both of them were separated. Their parents divorced too, the father siding with SK and the mother with NK. After the divorce, NK has had three stepfathers, each one worse than the last, with all three of them influencing him very negatively.Due to his Dunning-Kruger Effect and self obsession, he struts around throwing weight even though nobody gives a rat’s ass about him. All of SK’s friends hate him. He has a long history of rivalry, or more accurately unrequited loathing to USA . The only person who, even though very rarely, acknowledges him with a curt nod is China.Despite his bucket-list of character defects, he is moderately smart in science and is extremely hardworking. However nobody notices this, as it pales in comparison to his disgusting superiority complex.Recently, his narcissism became insufferable and he began getting a lot hate messages slipped into his locker and lot of hate texts and DMs. Unable to tolerate this he sealed up his locker, broke his cellphone, quit from social media and internet and pulled himself into a shell of isolation and depression. He began to spend his days brooding in the back seat jealously looking at SK. He started calling SK and other names and started throwing threats at USA. Seeing that nobody takes him seriously, in 10th grade, he dropped out of High School and now is being home-schooled by his third and his personal favorite stepfather.EDIT 2: Thank you for the 120k views and 5k upvotes! You guys are awesome! Love. I’ll post other countries as soon as possible. Also, as many of you have commented/messaged, do you think I should write it down as a book?