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Ask HN: What is something important I should start doing in my 20s?

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Re: Ask HN: What is something important I should start doing in my 20s?

#81

Post by helij »

chuckdotis wrote: post #11

Don't be afraid to experiment, but "partying" should be kept to a minimum and only for socializing. Also, avoid debt as much as you realistically can. If you're taking out loans for school, don't be afraid to pick up a flexible part time job doing retail or waiting tables (this helped me keep my student loans much lower than they could have been). Source: personal experience

In my opinion partying that makes you happy should be kept at maximum in your 20'. That doesn't mean you should overconsume alcohol and substances. Go out, meet new people, have fun. Travel and party at various places around the world. Experience.

I was a hardcore party type in my 20'. Some say that I overdid it but I have no regrets. I am now in my 40' and still party.

Re: Ask HN: What is something important I should start doing in my 20s?

#83

Post by ID1452319 »

tommiegannert wrote: post #75
behnamoh wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How about cardio activities? I think those contribute more to getting rid of unhealthy fat and cholesterol, but I may be wrong.

I was given The Barbell Prescription[1] by a friend for my 40th birthday. It is pretty thorough in suggesting why weightlifting (or rather; resistance training) is more important than endurance/cardio. In summary: they train different muscle types, and the anaerobic types age worse than e.g. the heart, so it's better to focus on that. They do suggest that you complement it with some cardio exercise, but it's a side g…

I've not heard of this, thanks for the recommendation

Re: Ask HN: What is something important I should start doing in my 20s?

#84

Post by hdjjhhvvhga »

selcuka wrote: post #36

- Start saving, even for very small amounts. Compound interest can work wonders. - Start seeing a dentist every ~6 months. You won't have any issues for many years, so you may think that it's wasted time/money, but one day things will start going downhill and you will be prepared. Note that many tooth or gum issues cannot be reversed. - As someone else mentioned, don't be afraid to experiment. You will mostly regret…

> Compound interest can work wonders.

This used to be great advice.

Re: Ask HN: What is something important I should start doing in my 20s?

#85

Post by hdjjhhvvhga »

kristiandupont wrote: post #63
chuckdotis wrote: post #11

Don't be afraid to experiment, but "partying" should be kept to a minimum and only for socializing. Also, avoid debt as much as you realistically can. If you're taking out loans for school, don't be afraid to pick up a flexible part time job doing retail or waiting tables (this helped me keep my student loans much lower than they could have been). Source: personal experience

I partied quite hard and I don't regret that. It can obviously be a bit hard on the body and you should avoid getting addicted to alcohol or other substances, but I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with it..

Personally, the amount of substances I need to consume in order to enjoy a party is inversely proportional to the quality of the party. After some time it's easy to tell which ones make you happy and which ones just leave you dehydrated and feeling bad. I believe it's about a right mixture of good friends and unknown individuals that makes it tick.

Re: Ask HN: What is something important I should start doing in my 20s?

#86

Post by selcuka »

hdjjhhvvhga wrote: post #84
selcuka wrote: post #36

- Start saving, even for very small amounts. Compound interest can work wonders. - Start seeing a dentist every ~6 months. You won't have any issues for many years, so you may think that it's wasted time/money, but one day things will start going downhill and you will be prepared. Note that many tooth or gum issues cannot be reversed. - As someone else mentioned, don't be afraid to experiment. You will mostly regret…

> Compound interest can work wonders. This used to be great advice.

It still is, but even if it is not it may be in the future. The OP has many years ahead.

Re: Ask HN: What is something important I should start doing in my 20s?

#87

Post by newacc9 »

Nic Carter said offhandedly, "I think writing is one of the most high leverage activities available to young people". What a brilliant observation! Learn about urbanism because you'll have to choose many places to live. Don't get drunk and then lose the next day because you have a hangover. Learn to read books on your laptop (I like amazon cloud reader with OLED laptop), so you can have less physical stuff to move. Learn at least one crowd-pleaser meal so you can invite people over for dinner. Buy assets. Switch jobs every year (its a dumb system but this is how you increase your pay).

Re: Ask HN: What is something important I should start doing in my 20s?

#89

Post by hdjjhhvvhga »

selcuka wrote: post #86
hdjjhhvvhga wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Compound interest can work wonders. This used to be great advice.

It still is, but even if it is not it may be in the future. The OP has many years ahead.

As the gap between the inflation and interest rates on saving increases, you lose more and more money in the long run. I'd go for a more general advice, that is trying to diversify your savings maximizing them while avoiding unnecessary expenses.

Re: Ask HN: What is something important I should start doing in my 20s?

#90

Post by adingus »

kasperni wrote: post #76
roughly wrote: post #14

Therapy - learn how you think, learn where your blind spots, implicit assumptions, and tendencies are. Learn this before you learn you need it. Exercise - helps you think better, helps you feel better, helps you emotionally. Find something you like doing - I do power lifting and yoga - and get in the habit of doing it daily. Explore - odds are your career isn’t really going to take off until your late 20s at the earl…

> I do power lifting and yoga This is probably the last two kinds of sports I would combine. Especially if you are serious about any of them. You could really hurt your back down the line. Generally powerlifters shouldn't do yoga [1]. Because in powerlifting you really want to stiffen your back so it can handle heavy weights. In yoga you are trying to "unstiffen" your spine so you can get into those flexible position…

As someone who can only deadlift moderate weight (405lbs) I can tell this advice is almost completely wrong for anyone except maybe a record level lifter. This sounds like someone from the 1950s saying muscular people are "muscle-bound" and can't be flexible.
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