Skip to content

Chris Loper

Chris Loper has been writing about self-improvement and helping busy adults with habit formation since 2017. He also writes an education blog for parents and students for Northwest Educational Services. Along with Greg Smith, Chris is the cocreator of Parenting for Academic Success, a series of transformative classes that create empowered parents, confident students, and harmonious families. His most recent endeavor combines his academic and habit-formation expertise to help students thrive in college. Visit SmartCollegeHabits.com to learn more. In 2021, Chris published a humorous memoir titled Wood Floats and Other Brilliant Observations, a book that blends crazy stories with practical life lessons. He lives in Issaquah, WA where he is the owner of South Cove Tutoring.

The Example of Mark Shields: The Power of Being Kind

Last month, the PBS News Hour said goodbye to Mark Shields and honored his decades of work with a praise-filled tribute. Shields was a political commentator, but don’t worry – this isn’t about politics. It’s about character. It’s about how to interact with people in a way that consistently adds to the marble jar. I should also clarify that this piece isn’t me telling you to be more like Mark… Read More »The Example of Mark Shields: The Power of Being Kind

How to Steal Like an Artist: Creative Thievery Done Right

“Art is theft.” –Pablo Picasso In my breakdown of where new ideas come from, we explored how “new” ideas aren’t entirely new. They’re either amended versions of old ideas or combinations of preexisting ideas. (And again, if you’ve got a counterexample, I’d love to hear about it.) I also suggested a few ways you can enhance your creativity based on this understanding: Learn both deeply and broadly. Try applying solutions… Read More »How to Steal Like an Artist: Creative Thievery Done Right

How to Use the Ikigai Diagram to Find Fulfillment

In Japanese culture, there is this concept called “ikigai,” which loosely translates as “the reason why you get up in the morning.” Every person, it is believed, has an ikigai that they must search for. The search is long and deeply personal, but once your ikigai is found, it is what you devote your life to. It is your calling, your one true purpose. At first glance, you might think… Read More »How to Use the Ikigai Diagram to Find Fulfillment

The Uniform Effect

A couple of years ago, I went to a bachelor party in Alaska. The location could not have been more epic: our friend Luke’s cabin on Chandalar Lake in the Brooks Range, which you can only get to by small plane (Luke flew us in). Certainly, the location alone would have been enough to make everyone feel like they were at a true Alaskan bachelor party, but someone had a… Read More »The Uniform Effect

New here?

For over a decade, I’ve been focused on one question: How do we actually become better, in ways that last?

This blog shares the lessons, tools, and ideas I’ve found most useful—grounded in research and experience.

Subscribe to get new insights delivered to your inbox.