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Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

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Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#141

Post by rayalez »

1. Good diet, exercise, and generally taking care of my health. Seriously, this should be the top priority, if you know that you're being stupid about how you treat your body - fix it as soon as possible.

2. Writing regularly(fiction or nonfiction). I think it's one of the most awesome skills you can develop, and the younger you are when you start practicing - the easier it will be. Just create a blog, and try to regularly post something valuable there. It's truly awesome, in so many ways, and the longer you keep doing it - the more awesome it gets.

3. Reading and information diet. Trying to minimize inane internet browsing, news, social media, and maximize the healthy information that I consume. Audiobooks are the best thing ever. Enjoyable and satisfying to listen to, and incredibly valuable. Just get in a habit of reading/listening, and you will soon learn a massive amount of great information.

Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#142

Post by sosborn »

jbb555 wrote: post #47
phillc73 wrote: post #43

Leave London. I moved there when I was 26 and left when I was 40. I should have left at least 5 years earlier. It took a marriage and imminent birth of a child to finally push me into leaving. I now live in a small city (250k-300k people) in a great environment with plenty of outdoor space, mountains, rivers, lakes etc. I am not paid nearly as much as I was in London, and it took me a good 12 months to establish myse…

Move to London. I moved there when I was 44 and wish I'd done so earlier. much more to do, pay is better. I feel my quality of life has drastically improved in the last two years since moving to London. (But probably I'll want to move away some time too!)

It is true that the grass is always greener on the other side.

Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#143

Post by OhHeyItsE »

chollida1 wrote: post #126

3 things for me: 1) Meditation, I used to think it was something hippies did. I now think its worth 10 IQ points. I honestly can't recommend it enough. 2) Sleep, I'm getting close to 40 and the last 2 times I pulled all nighters I ended up deleting pretty much all the code I wrote from 11pm onward. 3) Occasional Fasts. I normally fast from 6pm until noon the next day but I now do one 3 day fast each month. I think th…

Any meditation tips? I've gone through multiple fits & starts but I just can't keep my mind from wandering.

Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#144

Post by umbs »

chollida1 wrote: post #126

3 things for me: 1) Meditation, I used to think it was something hippies did. I now think its worth 10 IQ points. I honestly can't recommend it enough. 2) Sleep, I'm getting close to 40 and the last 2 times I pulled all nighters I ended up deleting pretty much all the code I wrote from 11pm onward. 3) Occasional Fasts. I normally fast from 6pm until noon the next day but I now do one 3 day fast each month. I think th…

Agree with all three, but #2 for me has now become the very important due an incident last week.

I pulled an all nighter and next day rear ended a vehicle near a traffic signal because I dozed off for a second. The impact was minimal and no one was harmed. It was the first accident with my fault in 15 years of driving. I am approaching 40 and have 2 young kids. I cannot get my priorities wrong at this point. Many lives depend on me and hence it is imperative that I take care of my health.

I am sharing so people in my situation may recognize importance of our health at this stage in life.

Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#145

Post by awt »

arcanus wrote: post #128
awt wrote: post #111

Learning to read Ancient Greek. The insights into language and culture just keep coming...

What have you been reading? I loved Anabasis (not too tough for a beginner like me), trying to read Ethics.

I'm still mostly working through my textbook, but I've read part of an interlinear translation of the Anabasis. I'm reading through parts of Plato's Apology with a group. My goal is to be able to read at least one of Aristotle's books, and perhaps Herodotus and Homer.

Regarding Anabasis, the scene in which the 10000 put on a show for the Queen of Kilikia (who is rumored to be sleeping with Cyrus), ending it with a fake charge scattering the onlookers struck me as profoundly humorous.

Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#146

Post by sosborn »

atemerev wrote: post #38
jugg1es wrote: post #7

Running... outside... I didn't start until I was like 26. It feels great.

Lucky people who felt the joy of running immediately. I tried to start running many times. I got myself to 5k. But I hate it, it is boring, and just about any other physical activity feels better than running for me.

> it is boring

It might not work for you, but for me, the joy in running comes from using that time to let my mind wander. Sometimes I use it to think about work and sometimes I just daydream. It can be a great meditative conduit.

Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#147

Post by rtcoms »

atemerev wrote: post #38
jugg1es wrote: post #7

Running... outside... I didn't start until I was like 26. It feels great.

Lucky people who felt the joy of running immediately. I tried to start running many times. I got myself to 5k. But I hate it, it is boring, and just about any other physical activity feels better than running for me.

I would suggest you to try swimming. So much fun compared to running .

Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#148

Post by hellogoodbyeeee »

atemerev wrote: post #38
jugg1es wrote: post #7

Running... outside... I didn't start until I was like 26. It feels great.

Lucky people who felt the joy of running immediately. I tried to start running many times. I got myself to 5k. But I hate it, it is boring, and just about any other physical activity feels better than running for me.

You might try adjusting your pace some. If you are 100% spent after your runs you should slow down a lot and see if that helps. Alternatively, if you aren't dying at the end of your runs maybe try and run a little faster. A fun workout to do is to start slow and warm up for 1-2km then pick out a landmark that is relatively close like a telephone pole or a tree and then sprint to it. Once you get there show down to a recovery pace and pick out another landmark at which you begin sprinting again. This is called a "fartlek" it is characterized by sprints and recovery periods that are irregular distances. You are not sprinting for 400m every time.

Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#149

Post by eldavido »

pbnjay wrote: post #14

Freelancing. Had I started just 2 years earlier (when I started grad school) I would have been able to knock out my debt much faster by the time I graduated.

Where do you live?

In SF, it seems most freelancers are in it for the lifestyle benefits, rather than the pay. When you factor in the lack of vacation time, no benefits, often worse career development and networking vs. working at a proper tech company (one that hires good people, pays well, encourages learning/skill development) it seems a losing proposition. But then, this assumes you have the right kind of companies around, which most people don't.

Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#150

Post by iamben »

chollida1 wrote: post #126

3 things for me: 1) Meditation, I used to think it was something hippies did. I now think its worth 10 IQ points. I honestly can't recommend it enough. 2) Sleep, I'm getting close to 40 and the last 2 times I pulled all nighters I ended up deleting pretty much all the code I wrote from 11pm onward. 3) Occasional Fasts. I normally fast from 6pm until noon the next day but I now do one 3 day fast each month. I think th…

Wow, took the words out of my mouth. Mediation has been a game changer for me. Understanding the amount of sleep I need has been a big one as well.

Also, trying to optimise the way I do things / my systems. We all have them, whether we realise it or not. I'm just trying to better get on top of mine: wake -> meditation -> exercise -> breakfast -> office -- etc.

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