I am 21-years-old (by the time you read this).
And it looks like people online like to make these lists on their birthday. Something like 30 Bits of Life Advice at 30. So let me try it out.
Major caveat though, I don’t have a lot of life experience nor am I crazy qualified in a particular field. But this should still be interesting. And it’ll certainly be fun to read in the future. Maybe I’ll have moments like what was I thinking when I wrote that?
Anyways, please note that this list is not 100% original (is there such a thing as 100% original?). That being said, I still try to provide sources where possible. Here goes.
21 Tips at 21
Everyone is weird in their own way. So do what makes you “weird”.
When you want to get to the root of something, look at the incentives.
Compliment others while they’re still alive, not at their funeral. They’re not there to appreciate it when they’re dead.
I have regretted every single time I’ve gotten angry. So the next time you feel yourself filling with rage, withdraw yourself and keep quiet. Because anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.
We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality - Seneca. (Book on Amazon US | Singapore)
We live in a world of nuance, but we communicate in black and white.
Getting less sleep so you can get more time is like borrowing money from a loanshark. It works for now, but you’re going to pay up big time in the future.
Say this more often: “If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.”
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. (Wikipedia)
Add time to achieve greatness. Writing once is okay, anyone can do it. Writing 1000 times over time is greatness.
Give value to get value.
Discipline equals freedom. Are you truly free if you’re held hostage by your temptations? (Book on Amazon US | Singapore)
Remember that you’re going to die.
The days are long, but the decades are short. (Sam Altman)
Work on things that continue working for you when you’ve stopped. This is one such example. I could be sleeping right now, but here you are reading my writing.
Every time you say yes, you’re saying no to everything else.
If you don’t like the book you’re reading, try a little longer. Still don’t like it? Drop it. Don’t let it ruin the joy of reading.
If it’s taught in school, you can be replaced by a newer graduate (no AI disruption, machine learning, or other buzzwords necessary).
You are what you create, not what you consume. So create more, consume less.
80% of phone notifications should be disabled.
If you add up all the advice in the world, they’ll eventually cancel each other out. And that includes this list too. (Naval Ravikant on Amazon US | Singapore)
What do you think? Let me know.
That’s all from Incandescent. I’m going to enjoy my birthday now.
See you next week!
- Guan Jie