Improve Outputs by Improving Inputs

Inputs -> Outputs.

Your Outputs come from Your Inputs. Garbage in, garbage out. Excellence in, excellence out. Feed greatness, reap greatness.

Diet, content, people.

Your outputs are tied to your inputs. It’s not even a question of “if”—it’s a question of how much. Think about it: the energy you’ve got to tackle a project comes from the food you eat—good fuel, good focus; junk in, sluggish out. The ideas you spit out? They’re remixes of what you’ve read, heard, or bounced around with other people. Hang out with sharp, driven folks, and you’re more likely to churn out something clever or ambitious. Surround yourself with negativity or stale vibes, and your output’s probably going to reflect that—uninspired, flat.

Take a concrete example: if you’re coding all day, your productivity might depend on the caffeine you downed, the tutorials you skimmed, and the teammate who sparked a workaround idea. Or if you’re writing, the words you produce are shaped by the books you’ve read, the conversations you’ve had, even the mood you’re in from that last meal. Studies back this up—nutrition impacts cognitive performance, social circles influence behavior, and exposure to new ideas drives creativity. It’s not woo-woo; it’s just how humans work.

Now, it’s not 100% deterministic. You’ve got some wiggle room—your personality, your grit, your ability to filter the noise. But a big part of what you put out? Yeah, that’s downstream of what you let in. So, if you want to level up your output, audit your inputs: what’re you eating, who’re you talking to, what’re you feeding your brain? What’s your take—what inputs do you think are driving you most right now?

1. People: Curate Your Crew

Ditch the Drains: Cut ties—or at least distance yourself—from energy vampires. You know the ones—complainers, cynics, or those who drag you into mediocrity. They’re like junk food for your social diet.
Find the Sparks: Surround yourself with people who push you—thinkers, doers, creators. Join communities (online like X, or IRL) where ambitious folks hang out. Ask yourself: “Would I want to be this person?” If yes, get closer.
Mentors & Models: Seek out someone who’s already crushing it in what you want to do. Don’t just admire—study them, ask questions, soak up their habits.

2. Ideas: Feed Your Brain Premium Fuel

Read Voraciously: Books, articles, deep dives—not just clickbait. Aim for stuff that challenges your assumptions or teaches you something hard. Mix classics (like Meditations by Marcus Aurelius) with cutting-edge (say, AI papers or biotech news).
Filter the Noise: Quit doomscrolling or binging low-value content. X can be gold, but mute the outrage bait and follow sharp minds instead—scientists, entrepreneurs, weirdos with big ideas.
Learn Actively: Don’t just consume—wrestle with it. Take notes, argue with the text in your head, teach it to someone else. That’s how it sticks.

3. Food: Optimize Your Engine

Eat Clean: Ditch processed crap—sugary snacks, fast food, anything that spikes then crashes you. Go for whole foods: lean meats, veggies, nuts, fruits. Think fuel, not filler.
Hydrate Like a Boss: Dehydration tanks focus. Aim for 2-3 liters of water daily, more if you’re active. Coffee’s fine, but don’t lean on it like a crutch.
Time It Right: Experiment with eating windows—some swear by intermittent fasting (like 16:8) to sharpen mental clarity. Find what keeps you steady, not sluggish.

4. Environment: Stack the Deck

Control Your Space: Declutter your desk, your room, your digital life. Chaos outside breeds chaos inside. Make your setup signal “go time”—think bright light, minimal distractions.
Move Your Body: Exercise isn’t just physical—it’s an input for your brain. Lift weights, run, do yoga—whatever gets blood and oxygen pumping. Even a 20-minute walk flips a switch.
Sleep Hard: No shortcuts here. 7-9 hours of quality sleep is non-negotiable. Bad sleep = bad inputs = bad everything else. Fix your bedtime routine: no screens an hour before, cool room, pitch dark.

5. Mindset: Hack Your Wiring

Reflect Daily: Spend 5-10 minutes journaling or thinking—what worked today, what didn’t? Spot patterns, tweak your inputs. Clarity compounds.
Challenge Yourself: Seek discomfort—cold showers, tough conversations, new skills. It rewires your brain to handle more, produce more.
Gratitude Check: Sounds soft, but it works. List 3 things you’re thankful for daily. Keeps you grounded, not drowning in stress.

Quick Plan to Start Today

Immediate: Swap one junk snack for an apple, follow 5 smart people on X, read 10 pages of something solid.
This Week: Reach out to one person you admire, block an hour for deep learning, cut one toxic influence.
Long Game: Build a routine—say, morning workouts, evening reading, weekly check-ins with a mentor.