This is advice that I would like to pass along to my children. I hope to get the opportunity to share it with them over the years.
- Too little confidence = bad, too much confidence = bad
- Time is a finite resource. Money spent to free up time has a great ROI.
- Learn about compounding and how it applies to money and knowledge.
- Read. A lot. Never stop reading.
- Read a column, article, book by someone you disagree with. On a regular basis.
- Live in a foreign country for at least a month. Once you do the reasons will be evident.
- When you don’t feel like being around anyone, call up a friend and ask them to lunch or dinner. When you don’t feel like exercising, go for a walk or run. (The thing you want to do the least is probably the exact thing you need the most)
- Always ask yourself, “Then what?” Try to determine the second and third order effects of your actions. (Example: Change the color of this room and now the curtains don’t match. Replace the old curtains and now the chair looks old. Replace the chair and now what do I do with the old chair? Will these purchases keep me from saving for the trip I have been planning? And so on.)
- Rent a Jeep or other convertible while on vacation.
- Men should open doors for women. Women should let men open doors for them.
- Tip wait staff well. Tip wait staff at a 24 hour dinner or breakfast spot really well.
- Take at least one class in school that has absolutely nothing to do with your major, but sounds fun or interesting.
- Sit in on an advanced class of another major (with or without a friend). Its a quick glimpse into the lives of others and what they may become. If you get called out by the professor say you are considering a new major or career.
- Learn a second language. I mean really learn it. (I’m still working on this one.)
- Learn how to cook a gourmet meal. Before you turn 25. Cooking is a life skill that compounds.
- If you keep pasta, sea salt, a pepper grinder, and olive oil around you will always have a decent meal to cook.
- Everything in moderation. The longer I live, the more I find it applies to just about everything.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables than anything else.
- Learn where your food comes. Learn how its prepared.
- Plant a garden. If nothing else, plant some herbs. It doesn’t matter how small a space you live in, there is room.
- Shop at a local market and ask for recommendations. (Farmers, fish, meat, flowers, etc.)
- Sign up, train for, and participate in an event you think is out of reach (Marathon, etc.) Don’t worry if you don’t complete it. That’s not the point.
- It’s a lot more about the journey than the destination.
- The way you remember a trip will change over time. You usually forget the bad parts or remember them as humorous, given enough time.
*This list will be added to and revised over time.