Some Things I Wish I Had Been Told as a Kid

February 23, 2021

Some things I wish I had been told as a kid: 1) A lot of your life will be determined by your mindset. Be pessimistic and your fears will be fulfilled. Be optimistic, and at least you'll face challenges with your full will power. 2) save money. Even a dollar a paycheck. 3) Incremental progress. Slice a goal into tiny daily steps. The “compound interest” on this is powerful. 4) Your teenage years will mess you up mentally. It's biology. Don't worry too much. It'll get better. 5) Making connections with people using empathy will make your life better. 6) Learn to write and tell stories. Storytelling is the fundamental unit of the universe. 7) Sleep. Eat ( not junk ) . Exercise ( even just walking ) — will change your life. ( esp. sleep ) 8) Learn how to manage your finances. I lost 10 years of life to Capital Gains Tax. The emotional toll is devastating. 9) Find folks who are like minded. Find your “peeps”. And cultivate relationships. 10) Read. A lot. Nonfiction and Fiction. 11) Get a sense about Math. It's really not “that bad”. Having an intuitive sense about math at an early age changed my life. 12) Have a pet. Love is a universal healer. 13) Do not put others down. It only pulls you down. 14) Be learning every day. You are an eternal Student. 15) Find a way to share what you've learned. Teaching can be very fulfilling. 16) Declutter. Remove visual noise, throw that old jacket away ( or donate it). eBay is your friend ( sell! ) 17) When you feel bad – Go To The Doctor. I had undiagnosed Diabetes for years. Metformin changed my life. 18) Do not wait. Seriously. Don't wait. Do the THING. You know what it is. The thing you long to do — write, sing, art, build. Whatever. GO DO IT. Life is super short. 19) Be thankful. Be grateful. Make a list of the things you are grateful for and keep adding every day. This will change your life. 20) Make a list of 10 ideas a day. It could be “10 ideas for better investing” or “10 ideas about fantasy characters” or anything. Getting ideas down trains your brain to be an idea machine.