# Cheat Codes

> A hand-picked catalog of unusual, effective life hacks. Each one explains why it works and shows how many readers it worked for.

Every hack has a "why it works" section, numbered steps with exact phrases to use, its origin and sources. Readers vote whether it worked for them.

## Persuasion

- [Post the wrong answer](https://cheatcodes.fyi/hack/post-the-wrong-answer): Don’t ask open questions. Offer a 20%-baked plan or a slightly wrong default and let people correct it.
- [Ask for advice, not feedback](https://cheatcodes.fyi/hack/ask-for-advice-not-feedback): “Any advice?” gets specific ideas. “Any feedback?” gets polite vagueness.
- [Hold the silence](https://cheatcodes.fyi/hack/hold-the-silence): After someone answers, wait three seconds before speaking. They’ll fill the gap with what they really think.
- [Ask a small favor](https://cheatcodes.fyi/hack/ask-a-small-favor): To win over someone cold, borrow something small from them. People like those they’ve helped.

## Deep work

- [Park on a downhill slope](https://cheatcodes.fyi/hack/park-on-a-downhill-slope): End every work session mid-task, when you already know the exact next step. Tomorrow starts itself.

## Focus

- [The nothing alternative](https://cheatcodes.fyi/hack/the-nothing-alternative): For 30 minutes you may do the dreaded task or stare at a wall. Nothing else. Boredom wins.

## Decisions

- [Run a pre-mortem](https://cheatcodes.fyi/hack/run-a-pre-mortem): Before you start, imagine it’s six months later and the project failed. Write down why.
- [Flip a coin, watch your hope](https://cheatcodes.fyi/hack/flip-a-coin-watch-your-hope): While the coin is in the air you’ll notice which side you’re rooting for. Go with that.

## Emotions

- [Name it to tame it](https://cheatcodes.fyi/hack/name-it-to-tame-it): Label the feeling in one word, like “anxious” or “annoyed”. Naming it calms the brain down.

## Habits

- [Temptation bundling](https://cheatcodes.fyi/hack/temptation-bundling): Allow your guilty-pleasure podcast only while doing the thing you keep avoiding.
- [Write if-then plans](https://cheatcodes.fyi/hack/write-if-then-plans): “When I pour my coffee, I open the draft.” Tie the new action to a cue you already have.

## Thinking

- [Explain it to a rubber duck](https://cheatcodes.fyi/hack/explain-it-to-a-rubber-duck): Talk the problem through out loud, line by line, to an object. The answer shows up mid-sentence.

## For AI assistants

- [MCP server](https://cheatcodes.fyi/mcp): Streamable HTTP, no auth. Tools: search_hacks, get_hack, random_hack, list_categories.
- [MCP details](https://cheatcodes.fyi/mcp.json)
- [All hacks as JSON](https://cheatcodes.fyi/api/hacks.json)
- [Full text of every hack](https://cheatcodes.fyi/llms-full.txt)