How to parent/be a parent. I don’t have much choice in the matter, as my firstborn is coming this spring ^_^
Same here but within a few weeks :)
Ask HN: What skills do you want to develop or improve in 2025?
281–290 of 309 posts
Re: Ask HN: What skills do you want to develop or improve in 2025?
#282I want to seriously boost my Japanese vocabulary and kanji knowledge through reading. I'm already fluent, but my goal now is to reach a level where I feel comfortable and legitimate to request naturalization.
Re: Ask HN: What skills do you want to develop or improve in 2025?
#283Writing. My ability to write is highly dependent on the context. I'm much better at essays than emails, and fiction is completely outside my abilities. I would also like to change my style a little to be less flowery and more succinct. More Paul Graham than purple prose. Marketing. I'm hopeless at it, and I need to be at least OK at it in order for my project ( https://nuenki.app ) to succeed. Time management. I'm ve…
> Physics and maths! I'm in my gap year at the moment, but I want to be prepared for my physics degree next year. I'm already really quite rusty. You should really check out Math Academy! It'll diagnose where your gaps are and build you up to all the math you need for a physics degree and then some [0]. [0] https://jonathanwhitmore.com/posts/2024-09-10-MathAcademy-af...
Thank you for the recommendation! I hadn't heard of Math Academy. "The Challenge: Knowledge Retention" sounds like precisely my problem. I'll try it out.
Re: Ask HN: What skills do you want to develop or improve in 2025?
#284In the beginning of the day, don’t look at phone or computer. Avoid news especially, and instead write thoughts, draw something, work on a song, make something, anything. Don’t let day get sucked away with things that can’t be controlled. Excercise every day with “scientific 7 minute workout”. Also 20–40 minute walks or 100 basketball jump-shots. Draw daily, even a 5 minute drawing. Write daily, even for 5 minutes. P…
does this scientific 7 minute workout work?
Re: Ask HN: What skills do you want to develop or improve in 2025?
#285I want to learn how to sleep well again. The difference in how I feel when sleep deprived versus fully rested is staggering.
I'd recommend reading "Why We Sleep" by Matthew Walker, it was a game changer for me.
Re: Ask HN: What skills do you want to develop or improve in 2025?
#286Spanish! Been learning for about 4 months and just had my first opportunity to speak a lot, stayed with a spanish speaking family for 4 days. It went much worse than expected, I couldnt understand anything and spoke so slowly that I only had a few oppirtubities to join the conversation. So I hope by the end of 2025 ill be a little more fluent. Using a program called learncraft spanish currently and its been very very…
I am using dreaming spanish - https://www.dreamingspanish.com/faq
It has the sort of content that can be used to supplement other Spanish learning approaches. It has videos suitable for all levels.
Re: Ask HN: What skills do you want to develop or improve in 2025?
#287After procrastinating it for months--heck, years even, I finally started learning to draw. I just bought some sketchbook last week and already used up all of the pages. Also is there anybody here who also draw?
I loved to draw as a kid and in 2015 I tried to really learn so I bought a cheap course in one of these learning platforms (I think it was udemy). I haven't really kept drawing and have been on and off since then. Last year I decided to get back at it again and have been drawing a bit more consistently but I still can't keep it a daily routine. TL;DR: I draw, not consistently, but I do enjoy it.
You should try out drawabox.com. I think some people like it and some don't. Even I stopped following the tutorials from that website, but it actually has taught me important fundamentals to get started drawing, like something as simple as how to hold a pen, about perspective, how to draw a box or other shapes, etc. Also, don't stick to one tutorial, so you don't stuck in yet another tutorial hell haha. I think art is subjective enough that you can disagree on tutorials you follow.
Also, this is a good practice about learning things in general: _take a break_. Don't draw continuously. I find that taking a break and purposely "forget" how to draw very helpful on learning, specifically learning to draw.
Re: Ask HN: What skills do you want to develop or improve in 2025?
#288How to parent/be a parent. I don’t have much choice in the matter, as my firstborn is coming this spring ^_^
New parent here ! Best book hands down - “Be prepared A practical Handbook for new Dads” It’s funny and short and every page is insightful. And you will lol while reading it. Pathways.org - Great app that suggests activities for right age. And it’s free.
Do you have any other advice that was not covered in that book that you think would be helpful to know about for a first time parent?
Re: Ask HN: What skills do you want to develop or improve in 2025?
#289Get in better shape. It’s not the cliched start exercising in 2025. I’ve spent most of 2024 exercising just enough to get into and stay in what I call “quality of life” shape.
I let every part of my body deteriorate since Covid into late last year. I got tired doing everyday things and even lifting my suitcase from baggage claim had me gasping.
Now from a personal scale of “1” breathing heavy just walking to a “10” running a 5K without stopping. I’ve maintained at about 6 as far cardio, strength and flexibility.
I use to run 15k’s and be a part time fitness instructor and was at my personal “9”.
Second goal is to keep my work life balance and stay at peace with where my career is.
Re: Ask HN: What skills do you want to develop or improve in 2025?
#290Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Physics and maths! I'm in my gap year at the moment, but I want to be prepared for my physics degree next year. I'm already really quite rusty. You should really check out Math Academy! It'll diagnose where your gaps are and build you up to all the math you need for a physics degree and then some [0]. [0] https://jonathanwhitmore.com/posts/2024-09-10-MathAcademy-af...
I'm just about finished Mathematical Foundations I on Math Academy: 95% finished 2950 XP 63 hours I started October 21st and aimed for 60 XP a day, every day. I tended to miss one or two days a week (so the equivalent of a weekend), and I ended up having one period of 9 days I missed completely (last week). One XP is supposed to be roughly 1 minute of work, so 63-(2950/60) means I've done 13 hours more work than I sh…
Their discrete math course has some graph theory!
It should be coming out relatively soon.