20 Things I Should Have Known at 20

1. The world is trying to keep you stupid. From bank fees to interest rates to miracle diets, people who are not educated are easier to get money from and easier to lead. Educate yourself as much as possible for wealth, independence, and happiness.

2. Do not have faith in institutions to educate you. By the time they build the curriculum, it’s likely that the system is outdated– sometimes utterly broken. You both learn and get respect from people worth getting it from by leading and doing, not by following.

3. Read as much as you can. Learn to speed read with high retention.Emerson Spartz taught me this while I was at a Summit Series event. If he reads 2-3 books a week, you can read one.

4. Connect with everyone, all the time. Be genuine about it. Learn to find something you like in each person, and then speak to that thing.

5. Don’t waste time being shy. Shyness is the belief that your emotions should be the arbitrators of your decision making process when the opposite is actually true.

6. If you feel weird about something during a relationship, that’s usually what you end up breaking up over.

7. Have as much contact as possible with older people. Personally, I met people at Podcamps. My friend Greg, at the age of 13, met his first future employer sitting next to him on a plane. The reason this is so valuable is because people your age don’t usually have the decision-making ability to help you very much. Also they know almost everything you will learn later, so ask them.

8. Find people that are cooler than you and hang out with them too. This and the corollary are both important: “don’t attempt to be average inside your group. Continuously attempt to be cooler than them (by doing cooler things, being more laid back, accepting, ambitious, etc.).”

9. You will become more conservative over time. This is just a fact. Those you surround yourself with create a kind of “bubble” that pushes you to support the status quo. For this reason, you need to do your craziest stuff NOW. Later on, you’ll become too afraid. Trust me.

10. Reduce all expenses as much as possible. I mean it. This creates a safety net that will allow you to do the crazier shit I mentioned above.
 

11. Instead of getting status through objects (which provide only temporary boosts), do it through experiences. In other words, a trip to Paris is a better choice than a new wardrobe. Studies show this also boosts happiness.

12. While you are living on the cheap, solve the money problem. Use the internet, because it’s like a cool little machine that helps you do your bidding. If you are currently living paycheck to paycheck, extend that to three weeks instead of two. Then, as you get better, you can think a month ahead, then three months, then six, and finally a year ahead. (The goal is to get to a point where you are thinking 5 years ahead.)

13. Learn to program.

14. Get a six-pack (or get thin, whatever your goal is) while you are young. Your hormones are in a better place to help you do this at a younger age. Don’t waste this opportunity, trust me.

15. Learn to cook. This will make everything much easier and it turns food from a chore + expensive habit into a pleasant + frugal one. I’m a big Jamie Oliver fan, but whatever you like is fine.

16. Sleep well. This and cooking will help with the six pack. If you think “I can sleep when I’m dead” or “I have too much to do to sleep,” I have news for you: you are INEFFICIENT, and sleep deprivation isn’t helping.

17. Get a reminder app for everything. Do not trust your own brain for your memory. Do not trust it for what you “feel like” you should be doing. Trust only the reminder app. I use RE.minder and Action Method.

18. Choose something huge to do, as well as allowing the waves of opportunity to help you along. If you don’t set goals, some stuff may happen, but if you do choose, lots more will.

19. Get known for one thing. Spend like 5 years doing it instead of flopping around all over the place. If you want to shift afterwards, go ahead. Like I said, choose something.

20. Don’t try to “fix” anyone. Instead, look for someone who isn’t broken.

 

 

Hmm... very noteworthy.

Hey rethink, those are very wise suggestions.I feel the same way.  Number 13 not very sure. By the way how old are you now, just curious. 

I did not realize it was written by somebody else.    Anyways, thanks for sharing

As a guy in late 20s, I'd make following addition

21. Stop giving crap about what others think about you. No matter how nice you are, you'll always have naysayers and assholes talking crap about you.

22. Travel as much as you can. Be adventurous. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

23. Develop friendships. Ditch shittalkers and naysayers.

24. Learn to play sports/musical instruments. Don't waste time on the internet (FB, Twitter, instagram etc) or watching TV. Pick up a hobbie. Learn new language, enhance your skills.

25. Start saving (doesn't have to be a big life project).

26. Be kind to people. Love people around you - especially family. Once they're gone, they're not coming back.

27. Volunteer. Dedicate your time to improve others' lives.

28. Don't stress on fashionable/trendy goods, especially electronic gadgets. You can get a brand new cell phone by spending your entire paycheck but guess what, after a month, some new technology will have been developed. Don't pay full price on clothes. Wait for holidays. Don't buy things based on urges.

29. Read "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff: And It's All Small Stuff" - Richard Carlson.

30. Never drink and drive. It's quite easy to make a stupid decision of that sort when you're that young, but it's not really that hard to avoid making such a stupid mistake. Also, don't start/try smoking if you haven't. QUIT if you smoke! It gets harder as you get older! 

Absolutely agree with points: 3, 4 and 5. If you want to compete in today's world, you can't still be friends with shy. Network and be a good genuine human being with everybody else. Don't force your beliefs onto others and show interest in others, you will be well liked.

thanks to internet many 20 year olds will be aware of these things in time. I think even people who are 50 years should be able to learn from this.

hey guys, what classes and training one need to do to get into development job. I am talking about somebody who is not from the computer background. Thanks for any input.

How abt...never ever make woman of 18 pregnant end end up paying child support all those years.

All the points are just advice from grown up, If I was twenty, I would not follow any of these thing and learn later, that's how life works. Did I listen to parents , elders when I was teenager, early 20s...nope...

17. Get a reminder app for everything. Do not trust your own brain for your memory. Do not trust it for what you “feel like” you should be doing. Trust only the reminder app. I use RE.minder and Action Method. <--- been there, you really cannot trust your brain to remember it! lol