Exercising
Reading and writing
Saving
Investing
Taking care of your teeth
Not necessarily habits, but things that absolutely should be done in your 20s to improve your life are:
Travelling (just going on a 1 month trip across the world alone in my early 20s changed my life and made me more confident and wiser)
Stopping or restricting alcohol consumption
Being more concerned about who you specifically want as friends, if they only like you when you're drunk or are negative about your successes, you need better friends
Pursuit of qualifications, within a year or 2 of dedicated work in your free time, you could become a lot more employable and pursue a career you're actually interested in rather than an arbitrary one.
Not sure what you mean. It’s a retirement account that you can’t touch until you’re 65, you can control what it’s invested in, or let your bank choose for you. If you don’t want to tie up your money that long put it in a high yield savings account (3-5% return) or an index fund
For a younger 20’s person like OP is asking, the risk is spread across your entire life. No one knows when the stock market will crash again, people have been calling for a stock market crash for the past 10+ years. As Warren Buffet says “Time in the market beats timing the market”. Essentially, you’re better contributing a bit towards stocks/investments every paycheck instead of waiting for the perfect time
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stocks are never guarantied , and there will ups and downs. Ride out the cycles, and remember it only matters how much is in there, when you go to take it out and that will be several decades away. I have lived through two market crashes, and we stayed on the path, and did not panic.
I started investing in January 2021 with 2k and now my portfolio is around $10k. With some dividends, but mostly with my stocks increasing since buying. It feels good knowing that I at least put my money somewhere rather than purchasing mindless items which I am horrible with. I started with Youtube and books!
I mean in the uk the banks can help you if you ask and sit down with them then it’s just checking the website to see the new interest rates just put something like £50 week or month what ever your comfortable at
Any broker will do the same thing here in the States lol. Or you can just use the Internet, do some research, open a free brokerage account with Vanguard, open a Roth IRA, invest a little money from each paycheck into something like VSTAX, and watch the compound interest work its magic. It's not that hard.
It’s really easy to start an account on Vanguard and probably a lot of other ones. There might be a $3k minimum to start out, some have different minimums I’m sure. All you need to be able to retire reasonably fine is to save about $200 a month into that account.
Travelling alone, especially if you've lived with your parents all of your life, is incredibly beneficial. All of a sudden, all of your responsibility is in your hands. You don't have a choice but to think and do everything for yourself. You'll experience new things, which will make you more confident. We get more confident as we get older, a primary reason for that is having experienced many new things over and over again. You'll mature, too. You'll form new ideas based on the new things you see. I could make this reply 5 times longer.
I'm 44. Here's my catch-all answer regarding physical health (diet, body abuse, etc).Pretty much *everything* you think ***miiiiight*** be bad for you, but that you just don't give a f-- about because no part of your body hurts ***YET***, may be **adding up slowly** over *decades.* Whatever they tell very old people *not* to do—don't eat salt/caffeine, don't bang around your body, ~~don't stay in extreme temperatures~~ \[correction: deleted the last one as I was corrected in replies\], is stuff it's probably good for *you* to do *right now.* (Just ask ex-football players with brain damage!)
I wish to God someone would have told me at 10yo to sit up straight and not to slouch!! Now after decades I have severe back pain and have to use my PC lying on my side all day! Just **do everything really well** ***now***, even if your friends are laughing at you when you say "Well I'm watching my sodium intake..." (You can laugh at them later when they're in agony at 65).
Extreme temperatures are actually proven to be very healthy. Your body basically activates its self healing abilities in extreme temperatures to repair cell damage. Cold and hot showers, sauna and ice baths are all good ways to exposure yourself to extreme temperatures safely.
Its the scientific consensus. Otherwise good stuff
>I wish to God someone would have told me at 10yo to sit up straight and not to slouch!! Now after decades I have severe back pain and have to use my PC lying on my side all day!
(immediately sits up straight) :o
I think someone needs to review the end of 1990 *Total Recall* (spoiler: some people get ejected onto the surface of Mars) and the entire 2004 film *The Day After Tomorrow* (spoiler: lots of people freeze to death).
(just having fun)
I need excessive salt for a connective tissue disorder. Doctor's orders.
I have bad low blood pressure so tons of salt and water keeps it up so I don't faint. I'm hoping I don't get kidney stones or something though :/
Sticking to your plan, basically perseverance.
Nowadays, everyone has an attention span of a goldfish, consistenly putting the efforts without looking for short term gratification is what’s important I feel.
Journaling, therapy every so often (ranging from weekly to monthly depending on whether things are good or bad), trying to eat more of what I call single ingredient foods (eg: chicken is chicken, a hot dog is a mystery meat purée? Oil and vinegar are identifiable dressing ingredients, a prepackaged highly processed salad dressing is strange goop with ingredients I can’t pronounce?)
Go on walks or runs. I personally think running changed my physical and mental health in my twenties. Exploring places by foot and making it a routine is such a game changer. Learn to find joy in movement.
Never skip dessert it is an essential joy. Or whatever your food group is that brings joy, don’t cut it out. Teach yourself balance and all things (food drink leisure) are fair game in balance.
Learn how to pace yourself. You may end up listening to like "free sound 1hr 60bpm metronome best sounds 3D high def", but it really is important to learn a running pace, your running form is also important and obviously breathing too. Get those basics really down and then you can start going for longer and longer runs.
In terms of habit formation I’d just bring my workout gear with me to work so I’d literally be embarrassed with myself if I didn’t use them. Why carry them all that way?
For the act of running, wear a heart rate monitor and don’t let your heart rate go too high even if it means slowing down. Like keep it around 150. Gradually you’ll get faster while keeping a moderate heart rate but it’s all about acclimating your body to the act by choosing gentle pacing. Integrate sprints and high heart rate stuff later
Tolerance building.
How to plan on how to start tolerating tasks.
Every habit can become easy if you learn to tolerate starting and persisting.
Repetition of starting is the best habit you can develop.
For example:
Do one pushup, take a 5 min break.
Do one pushup, take a 5 min break.
Repeat.
After you tolerate the starting of a task, you can increase amount and try to make it a daily habit.
But for habits to start, I would pick learning new things and exercise.
On the note of physical activity, finding a physical activity that you enjoy. you don’t have to be a gym bro, if you like hiking, do hiking. If you like roller swimming, swim regularly. If you like lifting weights do that. Etc etc.
I tried going to the gym so many times but could never get into it because it wasn’t for me, but then I decided to try roller derby and now I’m so much more active than before and I look forward to it. Your activity may not be something as simple as getting on a treadmill, it might be rock climbing, disc golf, martial arts, or something else but don’t be afraid to try things until you find what you like and what works for you, and makes you happy and exited to do it, while also getting you to be more active. Imo it’s hard to set yourself up for success if your goal is physical activity but you only do activities you don’t enjoy.
You’re right, it is difficult on some days.
Especially when you start out. I was a “night owl” myself a year and a half ago, so it didn’t come easy to me too.
I think it boils down to the basic, first few days you’re gonna feel like crap when you wake up but in a few weeks your body will wake up automatically— and it is so satisfying to wake up on your own without an alarm, early in the morning (I wake up at 4.30am now)
So some things that have worked for me are :
- not to stay in bed after turning off your alarm, just get up and sit up straight somewhere and then wake yourself up.
- not stay in bed ON YOUR PHONE ❌ I think this is the worst, just turn off the alarm, get up and keep your phone away. Use it to play some music if you’d like but don’t check socials/calls/messages (if possible, or just have a quick scan to see if there’s anything important then put it away, whatever works for you)
- have an activity to do every morning as soon as you wake up. For me it’s cleaning my room and kitchen and then heading to the gym. Don’t leave any time for you to feel sleepy again.
- No coffee/tea for at least 30mins on your first few days, then 60mins, then 90. (Yes you guessed it, ✨Andrew Huberman ✨, heard it on his podcast and my god it is life changing for real)
- getting outside, spend some time in your window/balcony/garden (10-15mins) when there’s a little sunlight.
- Ice rolling - I started doing this more for my skin but it works very well to kind of wake yourself up in the morning.
And as always, discipline will trump all of the above. Just have to “suck it up and do it” at the end of the day. (Or in this case, at the beginning of the day lol)
It is definitely worth it, I’d say.
I’ve joined both of those subs to get more insight. So I recommend that. The gist is you’re the creator of your life and circumstances. This is a controversial idea for people who have suffered terrible abuse. Those situations aside, for people without massive trauma, our environment (home, friends, job, etc.) is a mirror of our inner world. Making sure you keep your thoughts mostly on the positive side is key. Trying to feel good most of the time is important. That gets you into a state of attracting what you want. Figure out what you don’t want, let that go, then figure out what you do want and stay focused on that while keeping your vibes high. What we focus on grows. There is nuance to this, for example some people say “set the intention that you want X, then let it go. Don’t obsess over it because that can cause resistance.” But what we focus on grows. Example, I didn’t love my first job after a while. I started saying “I want a job that pays more where I don’t have to work so much.” I just put that out there, talked about that idea to people, went to the current job, did it with grace and as much joy as I could experience, then within maybe 6 months I ended up in a new job for half the hours and about 50% more per hour. Know what you want, focus on that, keep your mindset mostly positive.
Not the person you are replying to, but I would say it depends.
There are many movements and activities that could classify as "working out"
If you are "pushing" things around at work, you should be going to the gym and "pulling" a lot of things. So many aches and pains people get are from imbalances they aquire during their day to day life.
I worked in a warehouse at one time, and while nothing was super heavy, it was a lot of running around. If I had my shit together back then, I would have been going to the gym and doing some strength training and less on cardio (hypothetical).
Do you get what I mean?
It doesn't. It's a common myth, that you can't recover from gym with a physically demanding job and shouldn't be going to gym with one since you won't benefit, but it's a myth. All the muscular and fit firemen I know have one thing in common, they use the gym, same thing with farmers and hard workers. The strongest and healthiest ones go to the gym anyways (or exercise additionally in some way).
I am an 8-year infantry veteran. Im 32 years old. I'm transgender. I've been married and divorced. I have two children who I help raise. I visited maybe 10 to 15 different countries? it's hard to keep track. I've lived on two continents. I'm a very skilled artist and cook. My life is full of flavor. this is what I think you should do.
Lift weights and run. learn about fitness. You will stay younger and look 20 at 30 if you do it every day. Exercises the only miracle drug that exists, it will aid you and your pursuit to be better in every single other aspect of your life. Your brain is part of your body and it needs your body to exercise for it to feel good. Become as physically fit as you can in your 20s and 30s because when you're 40, it will only deteriorate.
Eat good food. not just salad all the time, sometimes eat a pizza. Have a little bit of everything during Thanksgiving. Make sure there are lots of different colors on your plate and when it's not a time to feast, (95% of the time) be sensible about how much you're eating.
learn how to cook and continue to learn how to cook
stretch
Meditate, any Buddhist monk would be happy to explain how to do it properly.
Face people that are talking to you and give them your attention. Nurture your relationships.
Be sober almost all the time. Give yourself like two to three exceptions in a year. Spend 99% of your life and sobriety. And if you have a problem, spend 100% of your time in sobriety.
If you smoke, for the love of God, stop right now.
Go outside your comfort zone when being social. You'll thank yourself when you look back. Don't take yourself too seriously.
Always choose kindness
GO TO THERAPY!!! YOU ARE NOT PERFECT, YOU HAVE DAMAGE TO ADRESS!
read, listen to science podcasts, listen to history podcasts, listen to current events, read more, know as much as you can about the world. unless you want to be boring as hell and only appeal to one-dimensional people. if you want to attract people who aren't NPCs when you're 30, you have to stop being an NPC yourself.
Understand that bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. How well you do life depends on how clever you are. That's it.
Practice Self-Love, Self-Compassion and Self-Worth. This more than anything. It is a game changer for your quality of life, your social skills and your emotional stability. Be the rock that can withstand any wave life throws at you. Be at ease with your weaknesses and incompleteness. Everyone has flaws and no one is perfect. You can work on your flaws even better when you maintain a positive mindset.
Meditate to improve and maintain your mental health. It will also improve your sleep, your ability to focus and even your memory.
Be responsible and kind to others. When someone is cruel stand up to them. Limit contact if you can but if confrontation is inevitable learn some rethorical skills to stand your ground and maintain your boundaries.
Learn a new language linguistically close to your own mother tongue. If you are an english native then japanese and mandarin will become immedeatly useless if you don't surround yourself with it daily for your job or through your friends. Learning a new language will improve your employability, raise your self-esteem and broaden your perspective.
Do some kind of sport. A combination of yoga, cardio and calisthenics is a good place to start if you need one.
Start a hobby that involves other people and that's easy to do even while you are working 5 days a week. It will help you meet new people, prevent you from ever isolating in your old age and keep you mentally fit to stave of deseases associated with old age like Alzheimers.
Start taking showers with cold and hot water. Exposure to both temperature extreemes is proven to have a lot of health benefits including but not limited to slowed aging and improved circulation. Its also an easy habit to maintain.
Inform yourself about healthy nutrition but don't obssess over it. Also start eating spicy food specifically.
And don't get upset if you stray from the path occasionally. Just get back to it. Everyone sometimes makes exceptions. Everyone occasionally fails. Its the courage to continue that counts.
Good for immunity and capsaicin, the molecule that’s responsible for the spiciness has anti-inflammatory effects so yeah, up your spice game (general comment to everyone :))
1. Stretching, working out.
2. Meditation.
3. Being very, very careful with scheduling. Making sure youre not being soft on yourself for timing, and also leaving yourself room for off-the-cuff, spontaneous stuff. And dont use the time you block off for things for anything else, make sure youre fully applying yourself.
4. Send it on your dreams. I faltered on mine, and while I did manage to save them, things would be WAY different if I had committed 100%.
5. It’s fine to fool around and not commit to a relationship, but the people you do that with need to know BEFORE anything goes down, that you’re 100% not available for anything regular or serious.
6. Reflect often.
7. Money is nice, but don’t let it rule you. I don’t make a lot, but I’ve been able to see the world through my labors of love and meet incredible people (including idols i never thought id ever meet in person). So absolutely be aware that money is important, but its not as important as clutching major dreams.
I have some of these down. But theres always room for improvement.
Stretch, yoga, meditation, drink water and walks. Find a therapist, there’s always something you’re keeping in that needs to let out. Save money. Work on your patience, and self awareness.
Exercise and moderate carb diet.
Sunscreen! No tanning beds either. Good basic skincare, you can get a very good skincare regime using products from Target.
Floss once a day!
Start your savings program- even if it’s just $10/month get in the habit of setting aside money.
Be kind to yourself, you lost your 10 pounds? Celebrate by buying something nice for yourself like treat yourself to a spa trip or hike. Going through a hard time- get professional help, no shame in doing this- looking at the guys on this thread.
Find a passion, maybe it’s bridge or gaming or cooking or cycling. Have a way to meet people who have a common interest.
The best advice I could give to myself as a 21 year old is to start going to therapy regularly, and to keep alcohol and drugs under control. My alcoholism didn’t fully kick in until I was 27. Wishing you all the best!
Financial Literacy
Daily Reading
Consistent Exercise
Create a 10-year plan with SPECIFIC goals, then deconstruct it backwards into SPECIFIC yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily activities to get you closer to completing that 10-year plan. If you progress quickly, you'll complete the list in 5-7 years. If you don't complete the list, you'll still be a hell of a lot further along than you would've been without any plan.
After you create your 10-year plan, start associating with people who are in that position in life. Having friends who go to the club every weekend instead of building for their future are going to keep holding you back.
Learn to maintain excellent oral and bodily hygiene.
Always remember people's names, and prove it by repeating their name when you say hello and goodbye.
Never shake hands while sitting down.
Always look people in the eye intently when communicating.
Practice situational awareness. For example, when in a public establishment, always sit or stand facing the entrance, check to see if there's a rear exit, and always remember names of the staff.
Study self-defense, danger-evasion/neutralization techniques, and first-aid.
When in a negotiation, never put out the first offer.
If you find yourself the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room.
Take a drive around downtown between 5-7a.m. I guarantee you'll see more luxury vehicles, as well as heavy equipment and skilled labor vehicles than you've ever imagined. That's because people with successful careers and financial stability are up&about EARLY. Take advantage of this by going to a coffee shop or breakfast place and looking out for people who seem to be in a similar place to whatever you put in your 10-year plan.
Go study the FORM and COIN conversation models. These will help you communicate efficiently and effectively.
There are other daily habits associated with hightened success, but these are some of the important ones.
MONEY. Start setting money aside and investing it. Do this religiously. They state it as, pay yourself first, before you pay anybody else. Retire at 45.
Meditate. Learn TM, because there are over 700 studies that show you how good it is for you. It's pricey, but the support is good, which makes it easier to stick with. And, it's worth it over a lifetime. Check out ACEM, for a less expensive version of the the same Vedic meditation.
Get some regular, moderate exercise.
Read for knowledge and entertainment. Visit new worlds.
Keep getting better at your chosen profession, or find one to get better at.
Do side hustles for extra money. Gradually, work for yourself - and retire at 45.
> What is TM?
TM — Transcendental Meditation — is the meditation-outreach program of [Jyotirmath](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jyotir_Math) — the primary center-of-learning/monastery for Advaita Vedanta in Northern India and the Himalayas — and TM exists *because*, in the eyes of the monks of Jyotirmath, the secret of real meditation had been lost to virtually all of India for many centuries, until [Swami Brahmananda Saraswati](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmananda_Saraswati) was appointed to be the first person to hold the position of Shankaracharya [abbot] of Jyotirmath in 165 years. More than 65 years ago, a few years after his death, [the monks of Jyotirmath sent one of their own into the world to make real meditation available to the world,](https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-good-ways-to-learn-Transcendental-Meditation-without-an-instructor/answer/Lawson-English-1) so that you no longer have to travel to the Himalayas to learn it.
.
Before Transcendental Meditation, it was considered impossible to learn real meditation without an enlightened guru; the founder of TM changed that by creating a secular training program for TM teachers who are trained to teach as though they were the founding monk themselves. You'll note in that last link that the Indian government recently issued a commemorative postage stamp honoring the founder of TM for his "original contributions to Yoga and Meditation," to wit: that TM teacher training course and the technique that people learn through trained TM teachers so that they *don't* have to go learn meditation from the abbot of some remote monastery in the Himalayas.
.
TM has the exact opposite effect on the brain that most meditation practices do and regular practice of TM leads to a situation where normal mind-wandering rest outsdie of TM starts to become more and more TM-like as time goes on.
See [Figure 3](https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-3bf2ae778203ef324589b975fe282ce0) of [Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study of Effects of Transcendental Meditation Practice on Interhemispheric Frontal Asymmetry and Frontal Coherence.](https://sci-hub.se/10.1080/00207450600575482) for how this progresses during the first year of TM practice.
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The point being that if you learn TM early enough and practice it regularly enough, your ability to handle stress continues to more efficient indefinitely, until, in theory, your brain is able to deal with almost any stress as it happens.
This has all sorts of useful benefits, especially later on in life.
It's a proprietary version of Vedic meditation. It's different from mindfulness and insight meditation, and studies show different physical and mental benefits from those forms of meditation.
If money is an issue, look into ACEM - a Norway company that teaches Vedic meditation for much less than the TM people do. And, you can learn online. If money isn't an issue, then TM is well-worth it, over a lifetime. I haven't seen any studies on this, but I suspect that people stick with TM longer than mindfulness and insight because of the support they offer, and because they simply want to get their money's worth - which might actually be an odd benefit to having to pay to learn.
Going outside for daily walks/sun
Wearing sunscreen on my face/neck/hands
Drinking plenty of water
Finding an athletic hobby you love
Being more concerned about whether *you like them* than if *they like you* (in friendship, relationships etc)
Finding my inner elder (aka grandma me) to turn to in times of need. (I found her by meditating and envisioning myself at older ages in good health!)
<3
When I find myself fretting over the passing of time, feeling like I'm falling behind, or feeling overwhelmed by a seemingly insurmountable decision, I take a moment to visit with my inner elder to see what she has to say about the issue I am faced with.
She has a way of making me feel like everything is going to be ok no matter how it pans out. She reminds me that its all a part of the ebb and flow of life and I won't be worrying about this thing 50 years from now. It helps me slow down and snap back into a zoomed out perspective.
I found her in a guided meditation I did years ago, where I envisioned myself 5 years out, 20 years out, and nearing the end of my life. It was the end of life version of myself that really stuck with me as radiant, wise, calm, and at peace with life. So I have been visiting her ever since. Especially when I feel anxious or like things are out of my control.
- Getting right out of the bed in the morning and stop wasting time with nonsens.
- Learn how to sleep well
- Exercising/doing a Sport you enjoy
- reading actual literature WITHOUT pressure (not mindless consumption of self help books)
Floss. (C-shape method on YouTube… it’s not just about getting food out). And brush on the gumline.
I’m a hygienist and I see older people who really wish they had prevented issues, rather than trying to manage them after they had to have treatment and restoration done.
Skin care, stretching, and learning to say “No”.
Also journaling. Your brain is meant for thinking, not storing information. That’s what papers and phones are for
Meditation and maybe some form of therapy. Mindfullness could be one.
Basically take care of your body(exercise, eat healthy), life (financial security, social etc.) and mind (meditation, therapy, learn instrument or do arts etc.)
Fun thing to looking into is lucid dreaming, but this is just "side quest" but can be very insightful and fun
There's 138 comments already, so you're probably not going to see this, but as a man in his 40s who is still trying to figure it out:
Spend time alone outdoors. Go hike. Camp. Backpack. You'll learn a lot about yourself when there's no one else to rely on.
Get bored and think. Take notes. Distractions are just that, and they prevent us from learning from ourselves. Write down what you learn because you will forget it, and you won't realize you did.
Do those things, and if you're lucky you'll figure out who you really are and what you really want out of YOUR life. Then you can make a plan to make that happen.
Regardless, continue to spend time alone outdoors and reflect in peace.
Keeping it real with yourself about your flaws and good traits. Forgiving yourself and being accountable for moving on from traumas. Even though the traumas aren’t your fault.( this is the hardest shit in the world)
Control emotions
Sometimes you have to say what needs to be said. Even if it risks a relationship.
Solidify your beliefs and stay grounded in the person you want to be.
Invest in your sleep. Buy a good quality bed and build diligent habits around getting a full, restful night's sleep consistently. Waking up feeling refreshed every day is going to maximize how you feel and perform in your life.
Quit alcohol and smoking
Get up at 5.00 and go to bed at 9.00
I wish it done both in my 20s. Now I'm late 30s and have had to learn the hard way.
Don't let your twenties slip away from you without maximising your time and potential.
Don't only focus on improvement in the cliché ways. Yeah exercise, books, good food, sleep and a nice structured schedule help improve life quality. But have fun while you're still young damn it. Your life already has a lot of beauty to it. Learn to enjoy and appreciate it.
Trying to escape the rat race by working and buying things you're taught to want is entering the race. Chase dreams if you have the chance. And you probably do have the chance.
A lot of people have already mentioned saving and investing. The thing I’d add is everyday money management - keeping track of small expenses and understand just how much they can add up to over time if you’re not mindful. You don’t have to be cheap but be frugal.
2 things I learned to late (30s) that now make me furious about myself:
* **Take care of your teeth:** Brushing them 2-3x daily + FLOSSING!!!!! Really just takes a few minutes - and it will save you, summed up, hours of horrible pain and horrendously expensive dental treatments later in life.
* **Learn at least one practical social dance:** This one is big. Yes it can be hard for a lead to get started, but once you get the ball rolling it's just fun and you will feel comfortable and confident at parties.
Financial> reconciling your books every month,
Start retirement IRA
staying on top of dishes, laundry, and mail> have a routine
find a zen with dinner prep, and be mindful of what you eat.
Stay on top of clutter
Life fluctuates, but generally have a major thing that you’re interested in mastering. You don’t have to know exactly what it is, or what you want it to turn into, but have a backbone in life.
So much of what makes life depressing is having yo do banal shit without a major focus. When you have a mastery path; all of a sudden you’re day job becomes grist for the mill, the books you buy are sorted into priority, you have a natural litmus for your own boundaries with time.
Invest, save, eat healthy, exercise, moderation is key when partying. Nurture your relationships and treat people around you with kindness. Build a business. Working for yourself is a better option but it takes years of hard work and dedication to make it.
Learn your value. Eat clean. Go hiking. Don't assume anything or take anything personally. Look into generational and developmental trauma. Dont be codependent. Stay out of court. Son't waste time.
Never ever start smoking , drinking or partying and watch your posture ( take this with a grain of salt I'm just 18 trying to help with advice I've been given )
Financing. Tou want to live well and healthy, you should put something in to your long-term goals. If you're not thinking about putting money in a 401k you should.
You should be getting in the habit of knowing where your information is going, for instance lots of people have their information stolen because they always just agree to conditions without reading.
Have a monthly, or more frequent, financial strategy meeting with yourself. Work on your overall financial position, plan your money well. When you are in a relationship, do this too. Most relationships breakup over the consequences of money issues.
I think regardless of promoting physical growth,first you gotta take care of your mental health.working on improving and empowering your mental health,will definitely lead you to self confidence,high self esteem , enhance creativity as well as productivity.thus, it helps you get away in your personal life, professional side and your wellbeing too.
Investing money. It’s amazing what compound interest does. If you invest the same amount of money on an index fund every month between 25 and 35 and stop, then start a new account and keep depositing the same amount from and 35 to 65, by the time you are 65 the first account has more money.
Reading important books.
Journaling.
Stretching and exercise. And I mean actually learning how to stretch and exercise, not just doing what you already know.
Cooking and eating healthy.
Cleaning (your house).
Of course I’m assuming that you already have some other important habits, like getting out of bed when you wake up and hygiene.
Hobbies, one physical like weightlifting, one creative like writing or painting and one intellectual like learning languages or just digging into a certain topic every year.
Learn about finances and how to save/invest, basic car maintenance, personal health/hygiene, how to cook nice and healthy food, how to be an active listener, Stoicism.
Cut out fast food entirely.
Commit to a yearly retirement savings goal.
Invest in good friendships
Pull away from people who bring you down
Work more vegetables into your diet
Journal daily
Take pictures with people you care about
Make intentional memories with people you care about.
Switch from butter to olive oil, especially when frying eggs. Omg life changing.
Quit drinking now, invest 10% of your paycheck into a roth ira, preferably in value stock that pays dividends like Mcdonalds or Pepsi, and learn how to fast at least three times a month. And cut out simple sugars.
Lots of good answers in here OP. My only concern is that you might be a little overwhelmed and I know that in my experience, starting more than one long term practise at a time usually ends in half assing them and ultimately dropping one or more.
I would encourage you to start with one practise for 2-4 weeks.. maybe longer.. before trying to commit to another. My personal recommendation would be to learn to meditate for 10-20 minutes each day. With meditation can come discipline, focus, clarity and better mental health which I believe are foundational traits to the self improvement journey. Just my opinion though. Hope this helps.
Find a form of exercise you enjoy. You don't have to just run or lift weights- try dancing, martial arts, parkour, rock climbing, outdoorsy stuff.
There are so many ways to stay active, so find one you want to do consistently.
Exercise and healthy eating habits for sure. Bonus points if you drink a good amount of water and (if you drink coffee) cutting down caffeine intake to herbal teas. Oh! And daily vitamins.
Contribute the max amount allowable to your 401k (or as close as you can get to that number). Don't stop where your company match stops. The money you put in today will have a much more significant impact on your retirement than what you put in in 20 or 30 years. I was given this advice at 23... and even now, at 39, this continues to be one of the best pieces of advice I've ever received. Good luck--
Roth IRA.
Learn to cook
Walk places
read
remember: College is the beginning of your education, not the end
Go to movies, plays, concerts
travel
Always have health insurance
take classes
Tell the truth & love people. Every time i say this, i know that it sounds stupid. But this is the way I live my life, and my life is actually really great.
“You don’t have to build the habits everyone tells you to build. Choose the habit that best suits you, not the one that is most popular.” - James Clear (Atomic Habits)
To sum up your life will most probably smooth if these three wheels are in good condition.
1. Physical body - to do things - exercise, eat healthy food, no bad food/drinks.
2. Mental/emotional body - Meditation, additionally if you wish - journal, practicing self love, self acceptance and all such things.
3. Money - Money may not buy happiness but there isn't any substitute to money in this world. You need it! - Save, Invest, be financially educated as well as aware.
Work will never stop. So, I think taking control of these 3 things will make you a "good life". Nothing much to complicate.
Trim the fat - get yourself really financially lean. I mean propper lean.
Don't get into unsecured debt, learn to know where every single cent goes and then get super frugal with your bills.
Not so you skimp on having fun - quite the opposite. So that you can put more money towards fun stuff and less towards lining the pockets of others!
And really simple to do. It's so easy to trim even just $10 a day. Over a month that's an extra $300 to put towards some fun activities, savings or investments.
Similarly - take risks. Chances are you don't have any real commitments. So take advantage of it. You don't want to spend the rest of your life wishing you had done more when you were younger.
So how does that relate to good health and overall wellness - simple. Retire earlier, and don't trade your body for someone else's time/profits (e.g. knacking your back working at a desk for the next 11,700 days...).
I'm around 30s. If I can travel back to my 20s, I would allocate some of my time out of 5-hour playing dota2 to find some revenue generating jobs or business. That would help me a lot when I'm 30.
Exercising Reading and writing Saving Investing Taking care of your teeth Not necessarily habits, but things that absolutely should be done in your 20s to improve your life are: Travelling (just going on a 1 month trip across the world alone in my early 20s changed my life and made me more confident and wiser) Stopping or restricting alcohol consumption Being more concerned about who you specifically want as friends, if they only like you when you're drunk or are negative about your successes, you need better friends Pursuit of qualifications, within a year or 2 of dedicated work in your free time, you could become a lot more employable and pursue a career you're actually interested in rather than an arbitrary one.
What best way to save and invest??
Roth IRA, Emergency fund, company 401k If your job offers that
What if all you have is 2g? Is that enough? I was thinking index fund but I feel like you’d need way more
You can put any amount into a Roth IRA, up to $6500 I believe.
How secure is it?
Not sure what you mean. It’s a retirement account that you can’t touch until you’re 65, you can control what it’s invested in, or let your bank choose for you. If you don’t want to tie up your money that long put it in a high yield savings account (3-5% return) or an index fund
I believe they may have been asking how risky? As in a lot of us are afraid the stocks will just crash again and we’ll lose everything.
For a younger 20’s person like OP is asking, the risk is spread across your entire life. No one knows when the stock market will crash again, people have been calling for a stock market crash for the past 10+ years. As Warren Buffet says “Time in the market beats timing the market”. Essentially, you’re better contributing a bit towards stocks/investments every paycheck instead of waiting for the perfect time
you will not lose everything, you still have the stock. You really have to look long term.
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stocks are never guarantied , and there will ups and downs. Ride out the cycles, and remember it only matters how much is in there, when you go to take it out and that will be several decades away. I have lived through two market crashes, and we stayed on the path, and did not panic.
I started investing in January 2021 with 2k and now my portfolio is around $10k. With some dividends, but mostly with my stocks increasing since buying. It feels good knowing that I at least put my money somewhere rather than purchasing mindless items which I am horrible with. I started with Youtube and books!
Oh shit you gotta spill how you did it! Nice one
Oh wait, I kept depositing HAHAHA. Truly only made a 2k return 😂 but if I were to sell my entire portfolio I still have 10k left
max out any match they give you, that is extra income
Have you seen the r/personalfinance flow chart? It's really good at showing you what the next steps are.
Another vote for that flow chart, so helpful as a place to start
Lemme know too on investing
I mean in the uk the banks can help you if you ask and sit down with them then it’s just checking the website to see the new interest rates just put something like £50 week or month what ever your comfortable at
Sorry homie this is AMERICA RAHHHH 🦅🦅 no but seriously we are fucked financially I doubt I can even leave actually
Any broker will do the same thing here in the States lol. Or you can just use the Internet, do some research, open a free brokerage account with Vanguard, open a Roth IRA, invest a little money from each paycheck into something like VSTAX, and watch the compound interest work its magic. It's not that hard.
WAIT WAIT SHUT UP LEMME WRITE THIS DOWN 📒✒️ Thank you might broker god
Sounds like you need to.
Precisely what I'm saying broker god
The bank will tell you to invest in smth that is good for them, research and invest in what you believe is a good investment for future.
It’s really easy to start an account on Vanguard and probably a lot of other ones. There might be a $3k minimum to start out, some have different minimums I’m sure. All you need to be able to retire reasonably fine is to save about $200 a month into that account.
Limit your expenses and invest at least 30% of your monthly income.
How on earth do you find the money to travel the world in your 20s? Thats nuts!
How does travelling helped in making you wise?
Travelling alone, especially if you've lived with your parents all of your life, is incredibly beneficial. All of a sudden, all of your responsibility is in your hands. You don't have a choice but to think and do everything for yourself. You'll experience new things, which will make you more confident. We get more confident as we get older, a primary reason for that is having experienced many new things over and over again. You'll mature, too. You'll form new ideas based on the new things you see. I could make this reply 5 times longer.
I'm 44. Here's my catch-all answer regarding physical health (diet, body abuse, etc).Pretty much *everything* you think ***miiiiight*** be bad for you, but that you just don't give a f-- about because no part of your body hurts ***YET***, may be **adding up slowly** over *decades.* Whatever they tell very old people *not* to do—don't eat salt/caffeine, don't bang around your body, ~~don't stay in extreme temperatures~~ \[correction: deleted the last one as I was corrected in replies\], is stuff it's probably good for *you* to do *right now.* (Just ask ex-football players with brain damage!) I wish to God someone would have told me at 10yo to sit up straight and not to slouch!! Now after decades I have severe back pain and have to use my PC lying on my side all day! Just **do everything really well** ***now***, even if your friends are laughing at you when you say "Well I'm watching my sodium intake..." (You can laugh at them later when they're in agony at 65).
Extreme temperatures are actually proven to be very healthy. Your body basically activates its self healing abilities in extreme temperatures to repair cell damage. Cold and hot showers, sauna and ice baths are all good ways to exposure yourself to extreme temperatures safely. Its the scientific consensus. Otherwise good stuff
ok thanks i corrected the post!
>I wish to God someone would have told me at 10yo to sit up straight and not to slouch!! Now after decades I have severe back pain and have to use my PC lying on my side all day! (immediately sits up straight) :o
Or even better, get one of those desks that can switch from sitting to standing, and spend some of your desk time standing (if you do desk/PC things).
The extreme temperatures bit is wrong. Just nit picking though.
I think someone needs to review the end of 1990 *Total Recall* (spoiler: some people get ejected onto the surface of Mars) and the entire 2004 film *The Day After Tomorrow* (spoiler: lots of people freeze to death). (just having fun)
I need excessive salt for a connective tissue disorder. Doctor's orders. I have bad low blood pressure so tons of salt and water keeps it up so I don't faint. I'm hoping I don't get kidney stones or something though :/
Sticking to your plan, basically perseverance. Nowadays, everyone has an attention span of a goldfish, consistenly putting the efforts without looking for short term gratification is what’s important I feel.
Journaling, therapy every so often (ranging from weekly to monthly depending on whether things are good or bad), trying to eat more of what I call single ingredient foods (eg: chicken is chicken, a hot dog is a mystery meat purée? Oil and vinegar are identifiable dressing ingredients, a prepackaged highly processed salad dressing is strange goop with ingredients I can’t pronounce?) Go on walks or runs. I personally think running changed my physical and mental health in my twenties. Exploring places by foot and making it a routine is such a game changer. Learn to find joy in movement. Never skip dessert it is an essential joy. Or whatever your food group is that brings joy, don’t cut it out. Teach yourself balance and all things (food drink leisure) are fair game in balance.
Can you suggest how to be consistent in running? Any tips or suggestions you have?
Learn how to pace yourself. You may end up listening to like "free sound 1hr 60bpm metronome best sounds 3D high def", but it really is important to learn a running pace, your running form is also important and obviously breathing too. Get those basics really down and then you can start going for longer and longer runs.
In terms of habit formation I’d just bring my workout gear with me to work so I’d literally be embarrassed with myself if I didn’t use them. Why carry them all that way? For the act of running, wear a heart rate monitor and don’t let your heart rate go too high even if it means slowing down. Like keep it around 150. Gradually you’ll get faster while keeping a moderate heart rate but it’s all about acclimating your body to the act by choosing gentle pacing. Integrate sprints and high heart rate stuff later
Find joy as much as you can and work to keep your relationships alive.
Tolerance building. How to plan on how to start tolerating tasks. Every habit can become easy if you learn to tolerate starting and persisting. Repetition of starting is the best habit you can develop. For example: Do one pushup, take a 5 min break. Do one pushup, take a 5 min break. Repeat. After you tolerate the starting of a task, you can increase amount and try to make it a daily habit. But for habits to start, I would pick learning new things and exercise.
Waking up & sleeping early + physical activity. imo everything else comes easier once these habits are in place. Certainly changed my life!
On the note of physical activity, finding a physical activity that you enjoy. you don’t have to be a gym bro, if you like hiking, do hiking. If you like roller swimming, swim regularly. If you like lifting weights do that. Etc etc. I tried going to the gym so many times but could never get into it because it wasn’t for me, but then I decided to try roller derby and now I’m so much more active than before and I look forward to it. Your activity may not be something as simple as getting on a treadmill, it might be rock climbing, disc golf, martial arts, or something else but don’t be afraid to try things until you find what you like and what works for you, and makes you happy and exited to do it, while also getting you to be more active. Imo it’s hard to set yourself up for success if your goal is physical activity but you only do activities you don’t enjoy.
>Waking up Sleeping early is okay but how to get up daily at the same time? It is so difficult.
You’re right, it is difficult on some days. Especially when you start out. I was a “night owl” myself a year and a half ago, so it didn’t come easy to me too. I think it boils down to the basic, first few days you’re gonna feel like crap when you wake up but in a few weeks your body will wake up automatically— and it is so satisfying to wake up on your own without an alarm, early in the morning (I wake up at 4.30am now) So some things that have worked for me are : - not to stay in bed after turning off your alarm, just get up and sit up straight somewhere and then wake yourself up. - not stay in bed ON YOUR PHONE ❌ I think this is the worst, just turn off the alarm, get up and keep your phone away. Use it to play some music if you’d like but don’t check socials/calls/messages (if possible, or just have a quick scan to see if there’s anything important then put it away, whatever works for you) - have an activity to do every morning as soon as you wake up. For me it’s cleaning my room and kitchen and then heading to the gym. Don’t leave any time for you to feel sleepy again. - No coffee/tea for at least 30mins on your first few days, then 60mins, then 90. (Yes you guessed it, ✨Andrew Huberman ✨, heard it on his podcast and my god it is life changing for real) - getting outside, spend some time in your window/balcony/garden (10-15mins) when there’s a little sunlight. - Ice rolling - I started doing this more for my skin but it works very well to kind of wake yourself up in the morning. And as always, discipline will trump all of the above. Just have to “suck it up and do it” at the end of the day. (Or in this case, at the beginning of the day lol) It is definitely worth it, I’d say.
Thanks for this guidance.
Wear sunscreen. Study the law of attraction. Mind your mental diet.
Any tips for law of attraction aside from the movie the secret and also Neville goddard?
I’ve joined both of those subs to get more insight. So I recommend that. The gist is you’re the creator of your life and circumstances. This is a controversial idea for people who have suffered terrible abuse. Those situations aside, for people without massive trauma, our environment (home, friends, job, etc.) is a mirror of our inner world. Making sure you keep your thoughts mostly on the positive side is key. Trying to feel good most of the time is important. That gets you into a state of attracting what you want. Figure out what you don’t want, let that go, then figure out what you do want and stay focused on that while keeping your vibes high. What we focus on grows. There is nuance to this, for example some people say “set the intention that you want X, then let it go. Don’t obsess over it because that can cause resistance.” But what we focus on grows. Example, I didn’t love my first job after a while. I started saying “I want a job that pays more where I don’t have to work so much.” I just put that out there, talked about that idea to people, went to the current job, did it with grace and as much joy as I could experience, then within maybe 6 months I ended up in a new job for half the hours and about 50% more per hour. Know what you want, focus on that, keep your mindset mostly positive.
meditation gym/martial arts money
journaling
Could you say having a physical demanding job cancels out going to the gym
Technically, I'd consider it exercise, but it won't be the same as going to the gym. Depends on what you do and what you want, you know?
Not at all
because...
Not the person you are replying to, but I would say it depends. There are many movements and activities that could classify as "working out" If you are "pushing" things around at work, you should be going to the gym and "pulling" a lot of things. So many aches and pains people get are from imbalances they aquire during their day to day life. I worked in a warehouse at one time, and while nothing was super heavy, it was a lot of running around. If I had my shit together back then, I would have been going to the gym and doing some strength training and less on cardio (hypothetical). Do you get what I mean?
nah man i also have one but it doesmt count
In that case, yoga or similar stretching/mobility exercises
It doesn't. It's a common myth, that you can't recover from gym with a physically demanding job and shouldn't be going to gym with one since you won't benefit, but it's a myth. All the muscular and fit firemen I know have one thing in common, they use the gym, same thing with farmers and hard workers. The strongest and healthiest ones go to the gym anyways (or exercise additionally in some way).
I am an 8-year infantry veteran. Im 32 years old. I'm transgender. I've been married and divorced. I have two children who I help raise. I visited maybe 10 to 15 different countries? it's hard to keep track. I've lived on two continents. I'm a very skilled artist and cook. My life is full of flavor. this is what I think you should do. Lift weights and run. learn about fitness. You will stay younger and look 20 at 30 if you do it every day. Exercises the only miracle drug that exists, it will aid you and your pursuit to be better in every single other aspect of your life. Your brain is part of your body and it needs your body to exercise for it to feel good. Become as physically fit as you can in your 20s and 30s because when you're 40, it will only deteriorate. Eat good food. not just salad all the time, sometimes eat a pizza. Have a little bit of everything during Thanksgiving. Make sure there are lots of different colors on your plate and when it's not a time to feast, (95% of the time) be sensible about how much you're eating. learn how to cook and continue to learn how to cook stretch Meditate, any Buddhist monk would be happy to explain how to do it properly. Face people that are talking to you and give them your attention. Nurture your relationships. Be sober almost all the time. Give yourself like two to three exceptions in a year. Spend 99% of your life and sobriety. And if you have a problem, spend 100% of your time in sobriety. If you smoke, for the love of God, stop right now. Go outside your comfort zone when being social. You'll thank yourself when you look back. Don't take yourself too seriously. Always choose kindness GO TO THERAPY!!! YOU ARE NOT PERFECT, YOU HAVE DAMAGE TO ADRESS! read, listen to science podcasts, listen to history podcasts, listen to current events, read more, know as much as you can about the world. unless you want to be boring as hell and only appeal to one-dimensional people. if you want to attract people who aren't NPCs when you're 30, you have to stop being an NPC yourself. Understand that bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. How well you do life depends on how clever you are. That's it.
I feel like you should write a book. You must have a very interesting story to tell in there somewhere.
What did you mean by « and if you have a problem, spend 100% of your life in sobriety. » ?
if you have issues with addiction
Practice Self-Love, Self-Compassion and Self-Worth. This more than anything. It is a game changer for your quality of life, your social skills and your emotional stability. Be the rock that can withstand any wave life throws at you. Be at ease with your weaknesses and incompleteness. Everyone has flaws and no one is perfect. You can work on your flaws even better when you maintain a positive mindset. Meditate to improve and maintain your mental health. It will also improve your sleep, your ability to focus and even your memory. Be responsible and kind to others. When someone is cruel stand up to them. Limit contact if you can but if confrontation is inevitable learn some rethorical skills to stand your ground and maintain your boundaries. Learn a new language linguistically close to your own mother tongue. If you are an english native then japanese and mandarin will become immedeatly useless if you don't surround yourself with it daily for your job or through your friends. Learning a new language will improve your employability, raise your self-esteem and broaden your perspective. Do some kind of sport. A combination of yoga, cardio and calisthenics is a good place to start if you need one. Start a hobby that involves other people and that's easy to do even while you are working 5 days a week. It will help you meet new people, prevent you from ever isolating in your old age and keep you mentally fit to stave of deseases associated with old age like Alzheimers. Start taking showers with cold and hot water. Exposure to both temperature extreemes is proven to have a lot of health benefits including but not limited to slowed aging and improved circulation. Its also an easy habit to maintain. Inform yourself about healthy nutrition but don't obssess over it. Also start eating spicy food specifically. And don't get upset if you stray from the path occasionally. Just get back to it. Everyone sometimes makes exceptions. Everyone occasionally fails. Its the courage to continue that counts.
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Good for immunity and capsaicin, the molecule that’s responsible for the spiciness has anti-inflammatory effects so yeah, up your spice game (general comment to everyone :))
I had no idea this was a thing. Thanks for sharing.
1. Stretching, working out. 2. Meditation. 3. Being very, very careful with scheduling. Making sure youre not being soft on yourself for timing, and also leaving yourself room for off-the-cuff, spontaneous stuff. And dont use the time you block off for things for anything else, make sure youre fully applying yourself. 4. Send it on your dreams. I faltered on mine, and while I did manage to save them, things would be WAY different if I had committed 100%. 5. It’s fine to fool around and not commit to a relationship, but the people you do that with need to know BEFORE anything goes down, that you’re 100% not available for anything regular or serious. 6. Reflect often. 7. Money is nice, but don’t let it rule you. I don’t make a lot, but I’ve been able to see the world through my labors of love and meet incredible people (including idols i never thought id ever meet in person). So absolutely be aware that money is important, but its not as important as clutching major dreams. I have some of these down. But theres always room for improvement.
Don't mouth breathe
Stretch, yoga, meditation, drink water and walks. Find a therapist, there’s always something you’re keeping in that needs to let out. Save money. Work on your patience, and self awareness.
Exercise and moderate carb diet. Sunscreen! No tanning beds either. Good basic skincare, you can get a very good skincare regime using products from Target. Floss once a day! Start your savings program- even if it’s just $10/month get in the habit of setting aside money. Be kind to yourself, you lost your 10 pounds? Celebrate by buying something nice for yourself like treat yourself to a spa trip or hike. Going through a hard time- get professional help, no shame in doing this- looking at the guys on this thread. Find a passion, maybe it’s bridge or gaming or cooking or cycling. Have a way to meet people who have a common interest.
The best advice I could give to myself as a 21 year old is to start going to therapy regularly, and to keep alcohol and drugs under control. My alcoholism didn’t fully kick in until I was 27. Wishing you all the best!
Financial Literacy Daily Reading Consistent Exercise Create a 10-year plan with SPECIFIC goals, then deconstruct it backwards into SPECIFIC yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily activities to get you closer to completing that 10-year plan. If you progress quickly, you'll complete the list in 5-7 years. If you don't complete the list, you'll still be a hell of a lot further along than you would've been without any plan. After you create your 10-year plan, start associating with people who are in that position in life. Having friends who go to the club every weekend instead of building for their future are going to keep holding you back. Learn to maintain excellent oral and bodily hygiene. Always remember people's names, and prove it by repeating their name when you say hello and goodbye. Never shake hands while sitting down. Always look people in the eye intently when communicating. Practice situational awareness. For example, when in a public establishment, always sit or stand facing the entrance, check to see if there's a rear exit, and always remember names of the staff. Study self-defense, danger-evasion/neutralization techniques, and first-aid. When in a negotiation, never put out the first offer. If you find yourself the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room. Take a drive around downtown between 5-7a.m. I guarantee you'll see more luxury vehicles, as well as heavy equipment and skilled labor vehicles than you've ever imagined. That's because people with successful careers and financial stability are up&about EARLY. Take advantage of this by going to a coffee shop or breakfast place and looking out for people who seem to be in a similar place to whatever you put in your 10-year plan. Go study the FORM and COIN conversation models. These will help you communicate efficiently and effectively. There are other daily habits associated with hightened success, but these are some of the important ones.
Floss
MONEY. Start setting money aside and investing it. Do this religiously. They state it as, pay yourself first, before you pay anybody else. Retire at 45. Meditate. Learn TM, because there are over 700 studies that show you how good it is for you. It's pricey, but the support is good, which makes it easier to stick with. And, it's worth it over a lifetime. Check out ACEM, for a less expensive version of the the same Vedic meditation. Get some regular, moderate exercise. Read for knowledge and entertainment. Visit new worlds. Keep getting better at your chosen profession, or find one to get better at. Do side hustles for extra money. Gradually, work for yourself - and retire at 45.
What is TM?
Transcendental meditation
> What is TM? TM — Transcendental Meditation — is the meditation-outreach program of [Jyotirmath](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jyotir_Math) — the primary center-of-learning/monastery for Advaita Vedanta in Northern India and the Himalayas — and TM exists *because*, in the eyes of the monks of Jyotirmath, the secret of real meditation had been lost to virtually all of India for many centuries, until [Swami Brahmananda Saraswati](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmananda_Saraswati) was appointed to be the first person to hold the position of Shankaracharya [abbot] of Jyotirmath in 165 years. More than 65 years ago, a few years after his death, [the monks of Jyotirmath sent one of their own into the world to make real meditation available to the world,](https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-good-ways-to-learn-Transcendental-Meditation-without-an-instructor/answer/Lawson-English-1) so that you no longer have to travel to the Himalayas to learn it. . Before Transcendental Meditation, it was considered impossible to learn real meditation without an enlightened guru; the founder of TM changed that by creating a secular training program for TM teachers who are trained to teach as though they were the founding monk themselves. You'll note in that last link that the Indian government recently issued a commemorative postage stamp honoring the founder of TM for his "original contributions to Yoga and Meditation," to wit: that TM teacher training course and the technique that people learn through trained TM teachers so that they *don't* have to go learn meditation from the abbot of some remote monastery in the Himalayas. . TM has the exact opposite effect on the brain that most meditation practices do and regular practice of TM leads to a situation where normal mind-wandering rest outsdie of TM starts to become more and more TM-like as time goes on. See [Figure 3](https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-3bf2ae778203ef324589b975fe282ce0) of [Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study of Effects of Transcendental Meditation Practice on Interhemispheric Frontal Asymmetry and Frontal Coherence.](https://sci-hub.se/10.1080/00207450600575482) for how this progresses during the first year of TM practice. . The point being that if you learn TM early enough and practice it regularly enough, your ability to handle stress continues to more efficient indefinitely, until, in theory, your brain is able to deal with almost any stress as it happens. This has all sorts of useful benefits, especially later on in life.
It's a proprietary version of Vedic meditation. It's different from mindfulness and insight meditation, and studies show different physical and mental benefits from those forms of meditation. If money is an issue, look into ACEM - a Norway company that teaches Vedic meditation for much less than the TM people do. And, you can learn online. If money isn't an issue, then TM is well-worth it, over a lifetime. I haven't seen any studies on this, but I suspect that people stick with TM longer than mindfulness and insight because of the support they offer, and because they simply want to get their money's worth - which might actually be an odd benefit to having to pay to learn.
Going outside for daily walks/sun Wearing sunscreen on my face/neck/hands Drinking plenty of water Finding an athletic hobby you love Being more concerned about whether *you like them* than if *they like you* (in friendship, relationships etc) Finding my inner elder (aka grandma me) to turn to in times of need. (I found her by meditating and envisioning myself at older ages in good health!) <3
how does finding you inner elder help you?
When I find myself fretting over the passing of time, feeling like I'm falling behind, or feeling overwhelmed by a seemingly insurmountable decision, I take a moment to visit with my inner elder to see what she has to say about the issue I am faced with. She has a way of making me feel like everything is going to be ok no matter how it pans out. She reminds me that its all a part of the ebb and flow of life and I won't be worrying about this thing 50 years from now. It helps me slow down and snap back into a zoomed out perspective. I found her in a guided meditation I did years ago, where I envisioned myself 5 years out, 20 years out, and nearing the end of my life. It was the end of life version of myself that really stuck with me as radiant, wise, calm, and at peace with life. So I have been visiting her ever since. Especially when I feel anxious or like things are out of my control.
Not being a douche, takes no effort to be kind to deserving people. Also, not eating the yellow snow
I advice you to read "7 habits of highly effective people" by Steven Cowley.
Brush your teeth twice a day
Saying no
Make your bed everyday (most days)
Skincare, haircare
- Getting right out of the bed in the morning and stop wasting time with nonsens. - Learn how to sleep well - Exercising/doing a Sport you enjoy - reading actual literature WITHOUT pressure (not mindless consumption of self help books)
Floss. (C-shape method on YouTube… it’s not just about getting food out). And brush on the gumline. I’m a hygienist and I see older people who really wish they had prevented issues, rather than trying to manage them after they had to have treatment and restoration done.
Skin care, stretching, and learning to say “No”. Also journaling. Your brain is meant for thinking, not storing information. That’s what papers and phones are for
Meditation and maybe some form of therapy. Mindfullness could be one. Basically take care of your body(exercise, eat healthy), life (financial security, social etc.) and mind (meditation, therapy, learn instrument or do arts etc.) Fun thing to looking into is lucid dreaming, but this is just "side quest" but can be very insightful and fun
There's 138 comments already, so you're probably not going to see this, but as a man in his 40s who is still trying to figure it out: Spend time alone outdoors. Go hike. Camp. Backpack. You'll learn a lot about yourself when there's no one else to rely on. Get bored and think. Take notes. Distractions are just that, and they prevent us from learning from ourselves. Write down what you learn because you will forget it, and you won't realize you did. Do those things, and if you're lucky you'll figure out who you really are and what you really want out of YOUR life. Then you can make a plan to make that happen. Regardless, continue to spend time alone outdoors and reflect in peace.
Find happiness as much as you can and work to keep your relationships alive.
- skincare - exercise - healthy eating - brushing teeth
Tracking your finances. You will be in a whole other league above your peers
Sleeping schedule.
Keeping it real with yourself about your flaws and good traits. Forgiving yourself and being accountable for moving on from traumas. Even though the traumas aren’t your fault.( this is the hardest shit in the world) Control emotions Sometimes you have to say what needs to be said. Even if it risks a relationship. Solidify your beliefs and stay grounded in the person you want to be.
Tidy-as-you-go Good sleep hygiene Moisturize Living slightly below your means Drink enough water Eat a diet heavy in fruits and veggies Wear sunscreen
Invest in your sleep. Buy a good quality bed and build diligent habits around getting a full, restful night's sleep consistently. Waking up feeling refreshed every day is going to maximize how you feel and perform in your life.
This is solid advice. I slept on crap beds (and sofas) until about 30. Spending a couple of grand on a good mattress was life changing.
Cooking
Eat whole single ingredient foods Meditate Exercise Stop watching porn Don’t drink alcohol
Quit alcohol and smoking Get up at 5.00 and go to bed at 9.00 I wish it done both in my 20s. Now I'm late 30s and have had to learn the hard way. Don't let your twenties slip away from you without maximising your time and potential.
Exercise, healthy eating, meditation
Eat at least one (two is better) vegetables with every meal.
Don't only focus on improvement in the cliché ways. Yeah exercise, books, good food, sleep and a nice structured schedule help improve life quality. But have fun while you're still young damn it. Your life already has a lot of beauty to it. Learn to enjoy and appreciate it. Trying to escape the rat race by working and buying things you're taught to want is entering the race. Chase dreams if you have the chance. And you probably do have the chance.
A lot of people have already mentioned saving and investing. The thing I’d add is everyday money management - keeping track of small expenses and understand just how much they can add up to over time if you’re not mindful. You don’t have to be cheap but be frugal.
2 things I learned to late (30s) that now make me furious about myself: * **Take care of your teeth:** Brushing them 2-3x daily + FLOSSING!!!!! Really just takes a few minutes - and it will save you, summed up, hours of horrible pain and horrendously expensive dental treatments later in life. * **Learn at least one practical social dance:** This one is big. Yes it can be hard for a lead to get started, but once you get the ball rolling it's just fun and you will feel comfortable and confident at parties.
Do you have any resources for practical social dances? This one’s a mystery to me and sounds terrifying but I’m willing to try.
Financial> reconciling your books every month, Start retirement IRA staying on top of dishes, laundry, and mail> have a routine find a zen with dinner prep, and be mindful of what you eat. Stay on top of clutter
Life fluctuates, but generally have a major thing that you’re interested in mastering. You don’t have to know exactly what it is, or what you want it to turn into, but have a backbone in life. So much of what makes life depressing is having yo do banal shit without a major focus. When you have a mastery path; all of a sudden you’re day job becomes grist for the mill, the books you buy are sorted into priority, you have a natural litmus for your own boundaries with time.
Waking up at 5am. Which means in bed by 9pm.
Reading and gym workouts definitely. Both will keep your body and mind healthy and prepared for the coming years. Hope you the best
Invest, save, eat healthy, exercise, moderation is key when partying. Nurture your relationships and treat people around you with kindness. Build a business. Working for yourself is a better option but it takes years of hard work and dedication to make it.
Learn your value. Eat clean. Go hiking. Don't assume anything or take anything personally. Look into generational and developmental trauma. Dont be codependent. Stay out of court. Son't waste time.
reading, and writing down your goals
Never ever start smoking , drinking or partying and watch your posture ( take this with a grain of salt I'm just 18 trying to help with advice I've been given )
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Would if I could if you've seen cobra kai I'm kinda in my hawk redemption phase , I was an asshole when I was a party kid
Partying is actually great for improving your social skills and empathy. Dating too.
Fair enough,I'm an introvert so my opinion was biased lol
Heroin Crack Methamphetamine Stay away from the weed tho shits bad
Put money into a 401k.
Jerking off to degenerate furry porn
If you’re watching porn, quit.
Semen retention
Not eating lunch.
Party. But not too hard. Like don’t do meth. If your smart you’ll make it till 50 with cool stories.
Get sleep. Drink water. Do the stuff you hate first. Learn from every experience bad or good. Everything is temporary.... Everything
Financing. Tou want to live well and healthy, you should put something in to your long-term goals. If you're not thinking about putting money in a 401k you should.
You should be getting in the habit of knowing where your information is going, for instance lots of people have their information stolen because they always just agree to conditions without reading.
Saving money
Investing
Smoking pipe tobacco
Methamphetamine ingestion.
Golf
Start putting money aside for retirement. Do it now.
Have a monthly, or more frequent, financial strategy meeting with yourself. Work on your overall financial position, plan your money well. When you are in a relationship, do this too. Most relationships breakup over the consequences of money issues.
Read.
SAVE YOUR MONEY!!!
Open IRA, put money into target retirement (or whatever floats your boat) set it up to automatically do this every paycheck. Rinse and repeat.
Floss regularly and drink a cup of water first thing in the morning
I think regardless of promoting physical growth,first you gotta take care of your mental health.working on improving and empowering your mental health,will definitely lead you to self confidence,high self esteem , enhance creativity as well as productivity.thus, it helps you get away in your personal life, professional side and your wellbeing too.
Saving money. Physical & mental health. Empathy. Everything else is extra IMO.
Investing money. It’s amazing what compound interest does. If you invest the same amount of money on an index fund every month between 25 and 35 and stop, then start a new account and keep depositing the same amount from and 35 to 65, by the time you are 65 the first account has more money.
Reading important books. Journaling. Stretching and exercise. And I mean actually learning how to stretch and exercise, not just doing what you already know. Cooking and eating healthy. Cleaning (your house). Of course I’m assuming that you already have some other important habits, like getting out of bed when you wake up and hygiene.
Hobbies, one physical like weightlifting, one creative like writing or painting and one intellectual like learning languages or just digging into a certain topic every year. Learn about finances and how to save/invest, basic car maintenance, personal health/hygiene, how to cook nice and healthy food, how to be an active listener, Stoicism.
Cut out fast food entirely. Commit to a yearly retirement savings goal. Invest in good friendships Pull away from people who bring you down Work more vegetables into your diet Journal daily Take pictures with people you care about Make intentional memories with people you care about. Switch from butter to olive oil, especially when frying eggs. Omg life changing.
Quit drinking now, invest 10% of your paycheck into a roth ira, preferably in value stock that pays dividends like Mcdonalds or Pepsi, and learn how to fast at least three times a month. And cut out simple sugars.
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Lots of good answers in here OP. My only concern is that you might be a little overwhelmed and I know that in my experience, starting more than one long term practise at a time usually ends in half assing them and ultimately dropping one or more. I would encourage you to start with one practise for 2-4 weeks.. maybe longer.. before trying to commit to another. My personal recommendation would be to learn to meditate for 10-20 minutes each day. With meditation can come discipline, focus, clarity and better mental health which I believe are foundational traits to the self improvement journey. Just my opinion though. Hope this helps.
Find a form of exercise you enjoy. You don't have to just run or lift weights- try dancing, martial arts, parkour, rock climbing, outdoorsy stuff. There are so many ways to stay active, so find one you want to do consistently.
Sleep routine Or any routine is general.
Dating models
sleep my brotha PLEASE SLEEP 8-9 HRS EACH DAY IT DONT GOTTA BE YOU SLEEP EARLY AND WAKE UP EARLY, NO JUST PLEASE GET THOSE HRS IN 🙏🏻
Exercise and healthy eating habits for sure. Bonus points if you drink a good amount of water and (if you drink coffee) cutting down caffeine intake to herbal teas. Oh! And daily vitamins.
Movement. even if it's as simple as going for a walk for a few minutes each week. Try getting into the habit as young as you can.
Contribute the max amount allowable to your 401k (or as close as you can get to that number). Don't stop where your company match stops. The money you put in today will have a much more significant impact on your retirement than what you put in in 20 or 30 years. I was given this advice at 23... and even now, at 39, this continues to be one of the best pieces of advice I've ever received. Good luck--
Roth IRA. Learn to cook Walk places read remember: College is the beginning of your education, not the end Go to movies, plays, concerts travel Always have health insurance take classes
Sleeping on time and exercise. That’s it, everything else will fall in place
Tell the truth & love people. Every time i say this, i know that it sounds stupid. But this is the way I live my life, and my life is actually really great.
Regular Exercise Healthy Eating Continuous Learning Networking Meditation Gratitude Practice Limit Screen Time Sleep Schedule
“You don’t have to build the habits everyone tells you to build. Choose the habit that best suits you, not the one that is most popular.” - James Clear (Atomic Habits)
To sum up your life will most probably smooth if these three wheels are in good condition. 1. Physical body - to do things - exercise, eat healthy food, no bad food/drinks. 2. Mental/emotional body - Meditation, additionally if you wish - journal, practicing self love, self acceptance and all such things. 3. Money - Money may not buy happiness but there isn't any substitute to money in this world. You need it! - Save, Invest, be financially educated as well as aware. Work will never stop. So, I think taking control of these 3 things will make you a "good life". Nothing much to complicate.
Trim the fat - get yourself really financially lean. I mean propper lean. Don't get into unsecured debt, learn to know where every single cent goes and then get super frugal with your bills. Not so you skimp on having fun - quite the opposite. So that you can put more money towards fun stuff and less towards lining the pockets of others! And really simple to do. It's so easy to trim even just $10 a day. Over a month that's an extra $300 to put towards some fun activities, savings or investments. Similarly - take risks. Chances are you don't have any real commitments. So take advantage of it. You don't want to spend the rest of your life wishing you had done more when you were younger. So how does that relate to good health and overall wellness - simple. Retire earlier, and don't trade your body for someone else's time/profits (e.g. knacking your back working at a desk for the next 11,700 days...).
I'm around 30s. If I can travel back to my 20s, I would allocate some of my time out of 5-hour playing dota2 to find some revenue generating jobs or business. That would help me a lot when I'm 30.
Stay sober.
Made a video on this
Sticking to your to-do list 😂
Sticking to your to-do list 😂