8 Surprising Things That'll Make You Wildly Successful

Grab a sweetened drink (no caffeine necessary). Chug it. Now negotiate your raise or broker a deal. Only after quaffing soda were volunteers in a University of South Dakota study more willing to strive for more money in the long term than to settle for a lesser sum in the short term. The reason: Decisions are influenced by our "body-energy budget." Subconsciously, we become more future-focused when we have surplus energy, as we do when glucose levels soar. If blood sugar is low, as it was among diet-soda drinkers and the empty-stomached, an energy-crisis mindset prevails—and we tend to settle too soon. (Note: While soda increases glucose levels almost instantly, healthier alternatives such as apple juice could suffice.)