A lot of people answering this struggle to understand what highly-specific means. I’m looking to, for the sake of experiment, highly-specific advice that gives a reader clear understanding of what they should do. Unlike the vague advice, on the contrary, that may be too abstract to get implementing it right away.
Inspired by this post but I wanted to change the question a bit to avoid the really vague answers as well as lower the age bar of target audience for the advice.
I’ll start with a bunch myself, to give a better example of what I’m talking about:
- Read The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Ironically, because this is a post about specific advice, dude wrote a book with vague rules on how to do war, but the way it is worded is ridiculously good. If you take your time to think about the advice, you can find their appliances in the most unexpected fields.
I, for example, have improved my skill in videogames, out of all places, after reading the book. Sun Tzu said “If it is not advantageous, do not move”. Instead of rushing into combat, I now consider whether my position, current health, location of health packs etc. work to my advantage. Sun Tzu made me realise team-based PvP shooters give you room to avoid and disengage combat, you can make more impact for the team if you choose your battle and have everything work for your advantage.
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Exercises are not just about a lot of dedication, long commutes to the gym, expensive memberships and the fear of being judged by other gym members. 7 minute workout is a thing and it will give you all the benefits at your own home without the need for equipment, and it won’t take much time either.
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Buy an old used Kindle. For dirt cheap, you will get a device with a good e-ink screen that works without Internet connection, still has decent battery, is light and small. A new thing that makes reading so comfortable will trick you into reading more and books still happen a good medium for sharing information.
Consume some “older” media. Like Predator, Terminator 2, Kindergarten Cop, Cyborg, Star Trek TOS, Black Sabbath, David Bowie, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (book), Biggles.
Given your examples are “Do this” kinds of advice, here’s one with no malice or sarcasm: figure it out on your own.
Here’s a question with no malice or sarcasm: how on Earth did you manage to read the whole thing and then proceed to give the most vague advice in the whole thread?
If you start college (assuming you’re an American) do not under any circumstances drop out. This goes double for grad school. What will happen is the at you’ll still owe money on your student loan, but will not have whatever advantages you might have accumulated as a result of having a degree.
Go to party every day. Fuck everyone you can. Use all the drugs. You’re going to miss this time when your body could take it all without problems.
Solid advice
Use protection!
Yes, exactly! Wear a seatbelt!
And sunscreen!
Edit: sunscreen even if you have dark skin. Moisturizer of some kind regardless
Fuck everyone you can
…with a caveat:
Don’t stick it in crazy.
Nah, that crazy is going to be great memories for when alone and without wifi.
Great, terrifying memories
No, not great memories. Crazy will ruin your life and it won’t be fond memories it will be horrible memories.
Save 15%. Even if it absolutely sucks to do so. If you have to dip in to the 15%, it better be for life or death. Skip meals to save that 15%.
1$ saved at 20 is like 20$ saved at 40.
Also, don’t cash advance from a credit card, ever, for any reason. I once bought a 6$ taco at age 18 on cash advance, and once I finally cleared it off, that taco had cost me almost 500$. I did the math.
If you make less than $20K, there’s no real way to save up. 15% of 0 is 0. But if you can afford some extras, definitely send an automatic 10% to 20% of your paycheck to your 401k plan or whatever. You will genuinely not notice it.
Use this calculator to see how saving for the future will benefit you:
https://www.bankrate.com/retirement/retirement-plan-calculator/
Starting at 22 saving 15% of 35K will get you $1.8 million by age 62.
Smoke weed erry day.
The gals at the strip club don’t actually care about you.
Start a pension, now.
By the time you retire they’re going to be even more valuable than they are today.
And thanks to the way they work, starting early with a small amount has a bigger impact than putting loads in when you’re earning more later.
Shit yourself
- Read The Courage To Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga It is a mind blowing book that can help to improve your life and that of others.
Don’t be afraid to be average. There’s nothing wrong with high aspirations and if that’s what you want then go for it but down the line should you realize that the effort you’ve put in has not brought the future you may have hoped for please don’t beat yourself up about it. Not everyone needs to be the best in their field or a CEO or whatever it is you want to do. There’s no shame in being mediocre in your career. As long as you can provide a comfortable life for yourself and the people you care about you’ve succeeded.
I find that this mentality helps me especially because while I do want to be exceptional I am not at all afraid of failing in that goal. It’s significantly less stressful.
You should do 10 minutes of metta meditation per day.
Set the timer, sit up straight, bring your hands together, then think to yourself (one thought per exhalation)
- May I be protected and safe
- May I be free from sickness and suffering
- May I be peaceful and happy
- May I be free from troubles and worry
- May I be healthy and strong
- May there always be kindness and friendship in my life
- May I take care of myself with ease and joy
Once that’s finished - seven breaths - pick someone else and say these things to them (silently in your own head), again one breath at a time.
Pick someone whom it’s easy to wish well upon.
Once that’s finished, pick someone of medium difficulty to feel good about. Maybe someone neutral.
Once that’s finished, pick someone who’s hard to feel good about. Maybe an enemy, or someone who disgusts you.
Then medium.
Then easy again.
Follow the pattern easy-medium-hard-medium-easy-medium-hard-medium-easy-… until the timer goes off.
Normally I recommend starting a meditation practice with 5 minutes per day, but with 5 minutes and slow breaths you barely get through one person this way.
Here’s my highly specific (hypocritical) advice:
Don’t take advice from Reddit or Lemmy on any important matter. You don’t know these people, and they don’t know you. Some people have good ideas. Most don’t. The ability to think for yourself and determine what’s best for you is the best skill you can have. A review from Lemmy or Reddit on a product is fine. Life advice from internet strangers is almost always garbage.
Here’s some more highly specific meta advice: Change your socks every day. What the fuck people…
Also listen to that other dude in this thread that mentioned dental hygiene. That’s bangin’ advice.
Get a good, ergonomic mattress, don’t spare expenses. It will pay off in a decade when you’d otherwise start getting back pains.
Gardening. Start with a cherry tomato plant. There’s nothing better than picking food you grew, and tending to a garden is a joy.
My plant of choice are strawberries.
Easy to grow and offshoots can be planted again. No need to buy new ones.
Bonus: They are way sweeter than the ones from the store and may be only beat (barely) by farmer markets.
Nothing beats a fresh plucked sun warmed strawberry.
