A post on Reddit asking, "What's a 'cheat code' you discovered in real life that actually works?" has sparked colorful discussion among users on the online forum.
The post, shared by u/Soggy_BreadCrust on April 22 on the r/AskReddit subforum, has since garnered over 19,000 upvotes, with hundreds of users writing to share both practical and psychological tips for navigating everyday life.
Below, we highlight some of the life hacks highlighted by other readers, from productivity tricks to human-connection strategies.
'Lower the Resistance' for What You Want To Do
Among the most-upvoted comments was one from u/Germanspartan15, who offered a deceptively simple tactic: "Lower the resistance to the things you want to do. Want to study for 15 minutes? Tell yourself you'll do just 1 minute. Then, at the 1-minute mark, decide if you want to keep going. Chances are you will. Inertia is a powerful thing. Use it to your advantage."
Studies have suggested that breaking down goals into smaller, achievable steps can help improve motivation and consistency, notes the UK College of Personal Development.
"These smaller, incremental goals help to create a sense of progress and can foster resilience and discipline," the college says. It adds that "research has shown that, each time a person accomplishes a small goal, their brain releases dopamine, which reinforces motivation and increases the likelihood of setting and achieving future goals."
It is a method that clearly resonated with others. U/katha757 recalled using the same principle to wake up early for college classes by placing their alarm clock across the room. "By the time I got up and turn it off I'm already awake enough to keep going," the poster said.
Another user, u/jda404, applied this trick to their fitness routine. Starting with small goals—just 10 minutes on the exercise bike—often snowballed into much-longer sessions. "The brain is weird and sometimes you have to trick it," the user wrote.
Make the Problem the Enemy, Not People
Another top insight came from users advocating for healthier conflict resolution. "Treat the problem as the enemy," wrote u/Veggies-are-okay. "The other people in the conflict are your greatest allies in destroying your enemy."
Other Reddit users echoed the sentiment, stressing the importance of empathy and communication. U/Fyre-Bringer shared a lesson given to their teenage coworker: "A disagreement does not mean a fight. Most disagreements stem from a lack of information."
U/zeeboots broke down the approach further, recommending the use of "I" language for expressing personal feelings and "we" language when offering solutions. The poster said that this method fosters resolution rather than defensiveness. "It doesn't satisfy the ego but … ego probably is more harmful than helpful."
Compliment Strangers
Kindness, especially toward strangers, also emerged as a powerful tool.
An August 2020 study in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that "people misestimate their compliments' value to others, and so they refrain from engaging in this prosocial behavior."
However, "despite compliment givers' anxiety at the prospect of giving compliments across our studies, they felt better after having done so," the study said.
"Compliment people. Not every time you see them, but every once in a while," wrote u/Educational_Dust_932. "Be sincere about it."
Another user, u/ThetrueGizmo, illustrated this in action: "Recently I saw a Lady on the street who looked gorgeous in her dress … When I told her, she looked great, I could see her whole face brighten up! And was good for my mood, too."
U/Kursed_Valeth took it a step further: "Normalize saying nice things about people behind their backs too."
Be Kind To Get the Best Perks
Several users pointed out that basic courtesy—especially in customer-service situations—can go a long way. "Treating retail workers, waiting staff or customer support nice will increase the chances of them bending the rules for you," said u/Karash770.
U/DaddyyFabio, a customer support worker, affirmed this: "I will 100 percent go the extra mile if you're nice."
One user shared a practical application of this mindset when booking hotels. Instead of completing the transaction online, they call the hotel directly and ask politely for a better deal—often with great success.
U/DaysJustGoBy said: "I'll call the hotel directly 'Listen, I found a promo for a room, $100 a night. I'd rather give the money to you than them, is there anything you can do?' More often than that, if you are kind and understanding, they'll apply some discount code or promo code. The last few hotels I've stayed gave me state government rates with free upgrades. It pays to be nice."
Have Various Birthdays for Freebies
U/pinniped90 recommended manipulating the birthday fields in restaurant and food apps to enjoy free treats year-round. "Do you really want 37 different free appetizers or desserts on your real birthday? Spread 'em out throughout the year … It's always your birthday somewhere!!"
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via the Reddit messaging system.
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