m-chael

Principles

A list of guiding principles I would offer to someone in their 20s, (or anyone for that matter)[1]. Also I feel compelled to note that I am not so arrogant as to believe that I don't need to follow my own advice; writing this has served as a helpful reminder for me as well. These points are listed in no particular order of importance:

  1. Be impatient about taking action on the things you want. This includes marriage/kids.
  2. Don't wait for permission.
  3. Think long-term, but act short-term.
  4. Engage in activities that have a compounding effect.
  5. Consider the opportunity costs. You can have anything you want, but you can't have it all.
  6. Lift weights. You want to be fit when you're old? You're not even fit now!
  7. Dress in a way that signals care, not neglect.
  8. Twenty somethings: take more calculated risks. Thoughtful risks not negligent risks.
  9. Build and maintain social capital.
  10. Network effects play a significant role in shaping your life. Actively seek out and engage with high value networks.
  11. Read more old books than new ones.
  12. Newer doesn't always mean better. Don't be a chronological snob[2]!
  13. Define what you want and actively pursue those goals. At the very least, define what you don't want and avoid those things.
  14. Days build life[3].
  15. Determine when to keep exploring new opportunities/ideas and when to exploit existing ones.
  16. Take more actions that have asymmetrical returns, such as sending cold messages or simply asking for things.
  17. Broadcast your desires to the world. Put yourself out there. Make it easy for luck to find you.
  18. But remember you're more than your desires.
  19. Care deeply about your endeavors, both big and small.
  20. Don't evade duty; embrace it.
  21. Cultivate humility.
  22. Seek commitments worthy of your sacrifice and dedication
  23. When feeling down, remember that things could always be worse[4].
  24. Aim to be useful.
  25. Adopting a mindset of radical responsibility is likely a good heuristic.
  26. A good set of mental models is worth a few IQ points.
  27. Be cautious of assumptions. Reason from first principles.
  28. Consider the secondary and tertiary consequences of your actions.
  29. Love is a conscious creation, not a chance discovery.
  30. The modern idea that a job needs to be a passion, is bad. Work funds life, it doesn't define it.
  31. Filter modern ideas and practices through the lens of evolutionary skepticism, traditional wisdom, and the Lindy effect.
  32. Limits cultivate freedom. Freedom flourishes within the frame of limits.
  33. Be a snob. Snobbery is just a term for passionately pursuing quality.
  34. Commitment = Sacrifice
  35. Good health is a moral/ethical duty
  36. Action creates clarity.
  37. Envy exposes core values. If you feel it, translate it into worthy action.
  38. Notice your insecurities to discover your revealed values.