Your own individual accomplishments don't matter one bit. There is a 99.9999% chance anything you do will be forgotten by the time you die. Unless you are absolutely brilliant (you're probably not), get a job that pays you enough to live comfortably (easy as a software engineer) and spend the rest of your time on developing relationships and helping people.
Tell HN: I'm 18 years old today
41–50 of 87 posts
Re: Tell HN: I'm 18 years old today
#42In the long run, it's much easier to learn to enjoy things than to look for things to enjoy.
Enjoy your time when you can. But you will never regret good habits you set for yourself.
This generation is the most lonely and chronically depressed one in modern history. We don't need to emulate our grandparents' lives, but don't feel the need to emulate what others around you are doing either.
Re: Tell HN: I'm 18 years old today
#43Avoid alcohol. Starts out fun, ends up miserable.
True that.
See Allen Carr's pitcher plant analogy for a relevant mental model:
https://books.google.ca/books?id=yPlPhQNv3RcC&pg=PA29&lpg=PA...
Re: Tell HN: I'm 18 years old today
#44"Everything in moderation, including moderation."
Re: Tell HN: I'm 18 years old today
#45If you are going to college consider taking a gap year to travel, learn to surf, get a job, etc. Learn how to find a place to live, shop for groceries, cook, get a job, manage a budget, and explore a new city. Skills like these will make you better at college and post-college life.
Re: Tell HN: I'm 18 years old today
#46“God damn it, you've got to be kind.”
Vonnegut—
Re: Tell HN: I'm 18 years old today
#47Be true to yourself.
Enjoy your life. Work hard.
Treat others in a way you expect others to treat you
Be healthy and happy and don't stress. Wealth and prosperity will come
Learn meditation. I mean it
Help others. It is truly satisfying
Re: Tell HN: I'm 18 years old today
#48I love this. This reminds me of a personal tradition I have come up with for birthdays called "Two questions". If I'm invited to someone's birthday, I ask two questions:
- What was the most important thing that you learned this year?
- What was your favorite memory?
The main reason behind this is to learn about the person themselves and to also learn from their experience so maybe I don't have to first hand.
Outside of that, here's a brain dump of things I wish younger me knew and internalised sooner.
- Sleep is paramount for your long term health.
- Find an athletic pass time that you enjoy. I like mountain biking, find what you like.
- Stop consuming news and social media.
- Make reading a habit.
- Journal daily.
- Make writing second nature.
- Don't underestimate the unreasonable effectiveness of showing up every day. Doing a little of something every day is far better than doing mostly nothing every day.
- Define your sense of accomplishment. Don't be fooled by mimesis.
- You are more of a garden than a machine. Recognise that some days you don't feel good and some days you feel on top of the world.
- Appreciate your body's faculties. I've been sick recently and have realised how little I appreciate my ability to do even the most basic of things until I fall ill. Don't let that be the case.
Re: Tell HN: I'm 18 years old today
#49Re: Tell HN: I'm 18 years old today
#50Don't have kids until you're ready. Have kids when and if you're ready.
But don't overcorrect. Many people are ready for kids earlier than they think.
From my dad, "it's a lot more fun raising teenagers in your 40s than in your 60s".