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Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

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Re: Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

#471

Post by jesscxc »

anonu wrote: post #435
coreymaass wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Our local library, connected to seemingly every other library in the country, provides me with every book and movie I've wanted for years. Such an amazing resource. Request it online, pick it up locally, usually within two days.

It's funny I remember being in the library all the time as a kid. Nowadays when I want a book I go on Amazon and buy it. I recently rediscovered the public library. Took a bit of relearning when I realized, yeah, I get all these books for free!

Does a library support the authors/creators, though?

That's probably my biggest philosophical hurdle.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

#472

Post by ilamont »

aksx wrote: post #256
ilamont wrote: post #114

Learned how to cook easy dishes for my family. My wife and I for years went all out on cooking stovetop dishes that take an hour or more of chopping and other kitchen labor before the meal and another 30-45 minutes of cleanup afterwards. Exposure to Spanish dining habits on a vacation, use of time-saving tools such as an electronic pressure cooker and rice cooker, and learning how to use an oven for simple dishes rea…

are you following a book or a website for the recipes? I would love to cook more at home but it takes time to find good recipes.

I usually get the technical information (temps, basic ingredients, etc) from the Internet, my wife, or Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. I also have a cookbook by America's Test Kitchen about pressure cookers which is a good start. But then I modify based on what I have lying around. At a certain point I just reach a level of comfort with the tools and I can just throw something together without looking at any resources. That's pretty much the way it is with cooking meat in the pressure cooker now.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

#473

Post by halfimmortal »

Become more approachable and proactively try to strike up conversations with strangers. I've been working remotely for 5 years and felt the need to have a social circle. I didn't have work colleagues who I could meet up on a Friday night or do exciting stuff with. I realised I had to build my social life through unconventional means and also make myself more outgoing (and be okay with rejection if a stranger doesn't want to talk).

This habit has been incredibly powerful because a year since I took this resolution, I have a fairly interesting bunch of people I've met who I'm also in touch with. I found a friend who I could talk about work with (my industry), a friend who goes out with me for gigs, a friend who regularly hosts parties and makes me meet new people. Recently, I started talking to someone in my coworking space, asked her out on a date and she & I have been dating for a little over a month. It's truly wonderful if you make yourself more approachable and also make the effort to go talk to that stranger.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

#474

Post by glastra »

sAbakumoff wrote: post #468
glastra wrote: post #458

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're right. I don't know if there's anything further than what I currently perceive, but this is definitely orders of magnitude better than before I started. And that's pretty much the only thing that has changed (other habits haven't changed, such as meditation and weight-lifting).

Okay, the last one - quasi-trolling on HN IS the exciting things to do :-)

It must be frustrating when you run into threads like this, though.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

#475

Post by lypextin »

heckanoobs wrote: post #122

Stopped using any feature with infinite scroll implemented. It's the common thread between social media feeds, app store lists, streaming services, etc. For sites like HN I stop after the first page. I was bored at first but then I started filling my time with more productive hobbies, which was the point. Infinite content providers are designed to steal all your time. It's crazy how little I use the internet now. I n…

Relevant for those who don't want to get rid of infinite scroll sites completely:

When opening such site, go several pages down immediately and work your way up instead of down. That way, you have a clear end and you've decided already how much time you want to spend there and can just quit when you get to the first post.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

#478

Post by ycombinete »

H1Supreme wrote: post #236
jihadjihad wrote: post #89

Replacing alcohol with water, except for occasional social events. Too many times I’d come home dead tired mentally and reach for a cold one, which inevitably led to…another cold one haha. Replace with water (bonus if you add a little apple cider vinegar to it!), you’ll feel better and your body will thank you. No non-social drinking allowed!

This is my biggest vice. I *try to limit my drinking to Friday & Saturday, but one or two (or three) ultimately slip in on a Wednesday or other random day. Working out definitely curbs my alcohol consumption, but it's something I find myself having to actively keep in check.

You really shouldn't have alcohol in your house at all.

It sounds like you are an alcoholic to some degree, and expecting yourself to keep it under control with the substance in your house is a little unfair.

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