Good life and happiness advice for my 18 year old self

Fuck there is so much.

Get a wedge pillow so that you can get actual sleep. You have sleep apnea.

Study things you are interested in. Actually.

Actually this list is a problem. Why? Because, well, it should be things I have learned since I was 18.

I am happy where I am and it is really difficult to gauge where you would be or how things would affect things.

I would rather be where I am and I am happy now.

Perhaps all of that stuff had to happen in order to get me where I am now.

There are people who could sleep and went to medical school, and are in debt, and still do not understand retirement. Or financial freedom.

There are people who do not understand happiness. Mindfulness. Teachings from philosophy.

There are people who do not have physical health. Much less that understand weight lifting, diet, and physical self defense.

There are people who do not have a hobby. Writing, drawing, playing piano, martial arts.

There are plenty of people who do not have a great partner in life. Someone loving, caring, good person, and fun to laugh. Get along with everything.

It is impossible to really know how things would play out with this knowledge. The premise is that it would be better to know these things, but you really do not know.

People complain about 2020 lockdowns. How they had to cancel a bunch of international travel. Well you got your money back. Plus, like, maybe if you went abroad, you could have gotten hit by a bus and spent months in a hospital.

You just do not know.

So the article, should really be about things I have learned. And I would probably tell an 18 year old looking for advice.

But that I cannot presume to give a previous self this advice.

After all, I have done well without having it then.

  1. Get a wedge pillow. You have sleep apnea.

  2. You can be happy and wealthy and successful without being a doctor. Maybe you can while doing it also. Learn financial independence and early retirement.

  3. FIRE = frugality + investments + DIY skills + minimalism = financial independence. Early retirement extreme is the best example here. Mr Money Moustache is more accessible for mainstream.

  4. Good state is related to Good Actions and Good Decisions

  5. Writing is cornerstone for understanding yourself. Reading is cornerstone for understanding the world.

  6. Hot girls, hot clubs, spending lots of money, dressing well, drugs, high level connections are pretty much zero. Fun memories, but building a castle on sand. Instead learn how to be happy sitting in a room by yourself. Learn how to close your eyes and sit in the dark for an hour without looking at a clock or falling alseep. Spend time loving and with loving people.

  7. Clean in the morning, clean your room, make your bed, do the dishes, do the laundry, something.

  8. A home weight lifting set is really worth it. Kettlebells and a pull-up bar if you have limited space and money. A set of barbells and plates if you have more. A squat rack (get a full cage, even short) and a bench if you have even more money. Spend on weights.

  9. If you live somewhere and the temperature is regularly below 30 F, then tights help. If if it below 0 F, a second pair of pants help. Sweat pants and canvas pants two sizes too big for you are great.

  10. Minimalism.

  11. Writing things out, manually, by hand, allows you to remember and process better than if you type it out. Physical flashcards are better than digital for learning things for you. Writing a lecture summary and questions after class makes the biggest difference.

  12. Via negativa. Removing 'bad' things (toxic people, toxic actions) can have an equal or larger effect than continuously adding 'good' things.