Hannah Aster

SEO Team Lead

Hannah is a seasoned writer and editor who started her journey with Shortform nearly five years ago. She grew up reading mostly fiction books but transitioned to non-fiction writing when she started her travel website in 2018. When she's not writing or traveling, you can find Hannah working on home reno projects, crafting, or taking care of plants.

Expertise

Graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English and minors in professional and creative writing

Nir Eyal’s Precommitment Strategy: Price Pacts

Why does Nir Eyal say it’s important to make precommitments to yourself? How can making a price pact help you stay accountable to your goals? Indistractable author Nir Eyal says that precommitments help lock you into traction and keep distractions out. One precommitment strategy he mentions is to make a price pact with yourself. Price pacts make distractions tangible and give you a monetary incentive to stay on track. Here is Nir Eyal’s price pact precommitment strategy in detail.

The Charlottesville “Unite the Right” Rally

What happened during the 2017 Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally? How did this rally mark a cultural shift? In 2017, the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally marked a cultural shift because it was the largest public gathering of white supremacists in decades. Many believe this was partly inspired by the election of Donald Trump and was a prelude to the 2021 Capitol attack. Continue reading to learn what happened before, during, and after the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally, and what it means for the resurgence of racial bias.

Racial Categorization: People Aren’t Categories

What does “racial categorization” mean? Is it possible to fight the brain’s urge to categorize? What methods can you use to stop stereotypes from forming? Racial categorization is when you see a person of another race as a representative of that race, rather than as an individual. This inclination to categorize people comes from the brain’s need to sort information. However, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways to fight this urge to form stereotypes. Here is the psychology behind racial categorization and how to prevent it.

Modern Sales: The Actionables for Success

What are the three core components of modern sales? Why should you upserve rather than upsell? According to Daniel Pink in To Sell Is Human, the three components of modern sales are the pitch, the ability to improvise, and serving others. In addition, Pink says that you must always be in the mindset of “What can I do for others?” rather than “What can others do for me?”. Continue on for Daniel Pink’s modern sales tips.

How to Never Binge Again: Improve Your Diet Habits

Want to know how to never binge again when it comes to dieting? How can Glenn Livingston’s book help you kick your bad habits? In his book Never Binge Again, Glenn Livingston teaches readers how to change their mindset, create a meal plan, and ignore the pig in their brain that wants to ruin their diet. Livingston’s advice also works for other areas of your life such as social media, exercise, and working habits. Here’s a brief overview of Never Binge Again by Glenn Livingston.

Distraction in Children: Tips for Parents

Do you want to raise indistractible children in a world full of distractions? What are Nir Eyal’s four steps to reduce distraction in children? In his book Indistractable, Nir Eyal gives parenting advice on how to reduce distractions in children. The four steps are: reducing internal triggers, building a schedule, teaching them about external triggers, and improving their self-control. Continue reading to learn how to raise indistractable children.

Causes of Bias: How It Spreads Through Generations

What are the causes of bias? In what ways does bias spread through parenting and the media? How can we try to put a stop to the spread of bias? In her book Biased, Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt explains that the two major causes of bias are through parenting and through media. Luckily, parental influence fades over time it’s possible for children to develop their own views. Continue reading to learn about the causes of bias and some steps that can be taken to slow the spread.

Biased by Jennifer Eberhardt: Book Overview

What can you learn from reading Biased by Jennifer Eberhardt? What are the key takeaways from the book? In her book Biased, Jennifer Eberhardt reveals and discusses the dangers of implicit bias—the racial biases that most people don’t realize they hold. Her focus is mostly on anti-black bias in the United States and she discusses it in the context of work, the law, schools, housing, and more. Keep reading for a brief overview of Biased by Jennifer Eberhardt.

Service-Oriented Approach: To Sell Is to Serve

How can taking a service-oriented approach to selling help you close more sales? Why is moving others through persuasion more successful than manipulation? In To Sell Is Human, Daniel Pink explains that modern-day sales are no longer about manipulation tactics and elevator pitches. Today, a much more successful approach to sales is the service-oriented approach. This method focuses on what you can do for the customer, rather than what the customer can do for you. Continue below to learn the rules of service-oriented selling and for some additional tips to help you succeed.

Why Do We Binge Eat? How to Say “No” to the Pig

Why do we binge eat? How can we take back control of our urges? In his book Never Binge Again, Glenn Livingston discusses the root cause for why we binge eat. Livingston says that we all have an “inner pig” in our brains that crave mass quantities of food to ensure our survival. Unfortunately, we no longer need to store up food to survive and the inner pig isn’t easy to turn off. Continue reading to learn more about why we binge and how we can work to silence our inner pigs.