- Have as much fucking fun as possible because what’s the point of living if you never have fun? Don’t wait to have fun; life is short enough.
- Investing in the stock market, i.e., index funds. If you invest 10% of your monthly wage, you’ll be a millionaire in 30–40 years.
- Getting in the best shape possible. Socrates said, “It is a disgrace for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” Why would you not want to look and feel your best?
- Going on daily walks, even just 30 minutes per day, is the most effective stress buster I know. Aristotle, Friedrich Nietzsche, and many other great minds included daily walks in their routines.
- Speaking to friends and family, and building and maintaining relationships. Even just texting one person per day goes a long way. Isolation kills, and no man is an island, so reach out to others.
- Having a side hustle. If you’ve got a consistent job, great, but there’s no harm in putting your effort into something on the side—it may even be writing. If you’re a success, great, but if you aren’t, you’ve got a job anyway to support you, and as you’re investing, you’ll eventually be rich anyway.
- Investing in yourself. I know this is cliche, but it’s true, the more you know, the more you can do, and the more you can do, the more opportunities you’ll have to succeed. Read good literature, take courses, etc. Once you have the know-how, remember to take action.
- Travel—You want to travel when you look and feel your best. You don’t want to travel when you’re old, fragile, and frail. It’s better to travel when health isn’t an obstacle.
- Quitting bad habits ie smoking, heavy drinking and watching porn. You can cause lots of damage to your brain and body if you never break these habits. Cut yourself free of them asap.
- Cut your credit cards in half and avoid lending except when buying a house with a mortgage. You do not want to pay the extortionate interest that credit cards charge; investing that spare capital is better.
- Walk along the beach and hike mountains. There’s nothing better than being one with nature.
- Petting a dog or cat, I find this very relaxing. A dog is a man’s best friend, whereas cats are, in my opinion, just as friendly and make great companions, although it depends on the dog/ cat you have.
- Enjoy good food, especially by trying foods from different cultures. If you’re a fussy eater, stop—you’re missing out on one of life’s greatest pleasures.
- Go skiing, it’s something I love to do; last time I went, I skied down a black run in Les Arcs, France, and must have fallen about 20 feet down the slope; it was terrifying at the time, but I’ve lived to see another day. Life’s boring without some near-death experiences (I’m joking), but skiing is an adventure, and life’s about adventures.
- Go to concerts. One of the greatest feelings is when you’re at a concert and singing the lyrics alongside thousands of others, thoroughly enjoying the moment. I’ve seen the Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, the Stone Roses, Foo Fighters, and many more. Definitely experience live music before you die.
- Finding the right spouse, although easier said than done, many people end up settling for someone they shouldn’t be with for convenience; the most potent reason to be with someone is simply loving their company. Another thing I’ve learned is that when you date someone, take them at face value; don’t expect them to change or be anything other than they already are. Sometimes, we build up people in our minds, and who we think they are usually turns out not to be true. Don’t see them as anything else other than what they are.
Author: Henry Paget
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16 Things To Start Doing Early In Life
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We Gain Far More From Trial And Error Than From Reasoning Alone
“The knowledge we get by tinkering, via trial and error, experience, and the workings of time, in other words, contact with the earth, is vastly superior to that obtained through reasoning, something self-serving institutions have been very busy hiding from us.” – Nassim Taleb
How did you learn how to ride your bike?
Did you learn how to ride a bike by reading about it or through trial and error?
If you’re like me, then this is how it probably went.
You started riding your bike with stabilisers, and then, when you got confident in your ability, you’d attempt riding the bike without stabilisers.
Maybe your father would help keep you stable while you kept your balance, but eventually you’d start riding the bike properly.
You probably had a few falls, which caused some minor cuts and grazes.
But the more you tried to ride the bike proficiently, the better you got.
Eventually, with enough practice, riding a bike becomes a breeze.
You see many facets of our lives mimic this same process.
For example:
Learning how to drive a car.
Learning how to read and write.
Becoming proficient at our jobs.
Learning how to invest.
Learning how to lose body fat and build muscle.Every skill you hope to improve requires trial and error.
Trial and error gives you the best wisdom of all.
Learned wisdom.
Whereas when you read books, you understand the theory of specific subjects.
It’s not until you apply that wisdom in real life that it becomes learned wisdom.
This is the most valuable wisdom, and it is also the most difficult to obtain.
Remember that reading should supplement action.
Action shouldn’t supplement reading.
Without action, we achieve nothing in this world.
Of course, sometimes, you need to know how to achieve a set task that requires some knowledge, such as getting in shape or investing.
However, knowledge is only about 10% of the battle, and behaviour is 90%.
If you want to get in shape or learn how to invest to make the most of your money, I recommend reading the top three books in that genre and getting to work immediately.
As a rule of thumb, don’t read more than three books about an area of your life you’d like to improve before taking action, because by reading any more than that, you’re avoiding the most important part: taking action and doing the work.
Reading the top 3 books in a specific genre should help you understand the first principles of any subject.
Throw away all the self-improvement books and instead improve your life. It’s much more practical than improving “self”.
Nassim Taleb has coined the term intellectual yet idiot ( IYI) for certain people who are all theory and reasoning yet have never done anything concrete and worthwhile in the real world.
In stark contrast, some people, such as Richard Branson, are not intellectual but are successful, practical people who know how to deal with the world as it is, rather than through complex reasoning formulated from an Ivy League university.
Our job is to avoid becoming IYI’s, and instead to deal with the world on an earthly level.
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Having The Same Daily Routine Kills Your Soul
Nassim Taleb said:
“If you know, in the morning, what your day looks like with any precision, you are a little bit dead—the more precision, the more dead you are.”
What I believe Nassim is saying here is that we need spontaneity in our lives.
Going through the motions and doing the same things daily can feel like Groundhog Day.
We all have jobs, and the majority of our days will be very similar.
At least for a fixed number of hours.
For example, if you go to work from 9-5 and you do the exact same things every night. Over time, your life will feel boring and stale.
How I’m implementing this advice is to:
1. Go on holiday spontaneously.
2. In my free time after work, I do something random, e.g., go to the beach, watch a film at the cinema, go for a long walk in nature, or even read and write in a coffee shop or meet up with friends. For example, I’m thinking about climbing a mountain soon. I don’t know when, but when I’ve got the time, I’ll just go and do it.How do I know Nassim Taleb’s advice is correct?
I’ve put it into action.
Recently, I randomly went to the beach at night after work and enjoyed the spontaneity of doing so.
Last month, I went on a last-minute trip to Rome. Nothing was strictly planned. I flanuered my way through the city, stumbling upon the major attractions such as the Colleseum, Vatican, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, etc.
I also talked to people from all over the world, including Italians, Canadians, and Germans, and I had a great time doing so.
In life, we seek adventure.
And spontaneity can be the catalyst for adventure.
Some of the best times I’ve had were the result of spontaneous action.
I urge you to give some time every day to spontaneity and randomness.
And you’ll notice that sometimes beautiful things come from that randomness.
We aren’t robots, so we shouldn’t live life like one.
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“What Can You Do For Me” Is The Currency Of This World
Everyone you meet has your best interests at heart.
Wrong!
Not everyone does.
Usually, only a few people do.
Close family and friends.
However, many people will try to gain power over you, especially if they perceive you as a threat.
Especially if you show too much of your talent, maintain humility.
Suppose you provide nothing to benefit them. The currency of life is “ what can you do for me?”.
You’ll get lost in oblivion if you have nothing to offer the world.
That’s why you must show your worth when you get a chance at a vocation or any opportunity.
Especially when employed.
Help your manager, help your colleagues.
Provide as much value to them as you can, so you would be a massive miss if you weren’t there.
This makes you a linchpin.
And not easily replaceable.
We all need to be linchpins.
A linchpin is “a person or thing vital to an enterprise or organisation.”
If we’re not linchpins, we can be easily replaced.
And we don’t want to be disposable.
So the key thing to remember is:
The lazy and ignorant get swallowed up, and the linchpins thrive.
And that’s why the improvement journey, the journey to mastery, never ends.
Because there isn’t a finish line saying when you’ve reached your potential.
Your potential is always a moving target with no end.
And that’s why we need to find joy on the journey to self-mastery.
Remember this heuristic:
The people who are the best at what they do are rewarded the most handsomely in society since time immemorial.
Alexander the Great was one of the greatest rulers ever, conquering the known world at only 30 years old.
Lionel Messi has become the greatest footballer ever, and he will be immortalised in history books.
The point is that the people who are the best at what they do are rewarded the most.
But mostly, the game is its own reward.
Because they’ve come as close as possible to their potential.
What would your life be like if you were the best at what you do?
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How To Be Happy (Delay Instant Gratification)
Sit on the couch, eating Cheetos and watching friends.
Joking.
That sounds completely lame.
And boring.
Well, then what should we strive towards?
Something worthwhile.
And most of the time worthwhile pursuits take work and effort.
And the ability to delay instant gratification.
Have you heard of the marshmallow test?
If you haven’t it was a study where several children were asked if they wanted 1 marshmallow now or if they waited they would get an additional marshmallow to eat later.
The kids who managed to delay instant gratification and wait for 2 marshmallows later had much better results in life when the studies were followed up.
The lesson is this:
If we want to be happy in our lives we must delay instant gratification.
Instead of indulging in cheap sex, delay instant gratification and pursue a worthwhile partner.
Instead of sitting and eating the Cheetos on the couch watching friends, delay instant gratification and focus on healthy eating and working out several times per week.
Instead of settling for your dead end job delay instant gratification and pursue your life’s purpose on the side.
Giving up on your life’s purpose is falling victim to instant gratification.
It’s giving up who you can be for who you are.
Instead, you need to give up what you are for what you can be.
In regards to what makes us happy, we all have different purposes in life.
So we all need to get in touch with our intuition.
And direct our lives to the one purpose only we can fulfil.
Having a purpose in one’s life is the most important thing to be happy.
I would say it’s about 60% of your happiness quota.
The extra 40% comes from:
Being healthy.
Having hobbies.
Having a good family life and relationships.
No financial worries.
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10 Things You Should Do Before You Die
- Make a list of all the places you want to travel to and visit them as soon as possible. That way, you’ll have no regrets about not visiting them on your deathbed.
- Regularly show your friends and family how much they mean to you, even if it’s just a “ thank you.” If the worst happens, they’ll always know how you felt about them.
- Follow your life’s purpose. Are you a writer, a doctor, a YouTuber, an engineer? Pursue whatever you think you are destined for in this life; that way, you’ll have know-what-ifs on your deathbed.
- Be wise with your money so that you don’t leave your spouse and loved ones in financial trouble should you pass away. Get life insurance and have a nest egg saved up for the worst-case scenario.
- Avoid unpleasant people and circumstances, life’s too short to deal with bullshit, like Alexander The Great cut The Gordian Knott you need to cut ties with people and circumstances that negatively effect your life.
- Live for the now. The present moment is all there is and all there ever will be. Make sure you make the most of it; if you do, the world is your oyster.
- Go skiing, I’m biased, but it’s one of the activities I love the most in the world.
- Get in the best physical shape you can. Socrates said, “It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”
- Don’t live in the past. Sometimes, in my life, I’ve been so fixated on my past that I failed to live in the present. And because I’ve been fixated on the past, I’ve completely wasted time in the present. Thinking about the past is unhelpful; apart from happy memories and lessons you’ve learned, don’t get too fixated on it.
- Live your life on your terms; don’t let anyone tell you how you’re meant to live. Know what you want from life, and go and get it—one action at a time.
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What Is The Best Way To Stay Healthy ( 13 Tips)
- Clean your butt, I know you can’t see it but clean it, it’s the hygienic thing to do.
- Sleep 7–9 hours per night.
- Eat 80–90% of your diet from whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and grains.
- To reduce stress levels, do meditation or belly breathing exercises, and identify the things in your life that are causing you stress so you can remove them and make your life as stress-free as possible.
- Work out with weights at least three times per week. I follow the push, pull, and leg split training program.
- Eat enough protein and fat. Aim for at least 30% protein and 25% fat in your diet. Protein is required to build and maintain muscle and soft tissue health, whereas fat is essential for good hair, nails, and hormone functions.
- Limit alcohol to only a couple of drinks a week, and no, that doesn’t mean a couple of bottles of vodka.
- Don’t smoke at all. Everyone knows how bad smoking is.
- Hydrate—aim to drink at least 3- 4 litres of water per day. Being hydrated is essential for every physiological process in your body to function correctly.
- Have good air quality in your home, open your windows several times daily, even if that means only opening them a crack.
- Don’t drink caffeine after 11 A.m. Caffeine has a half-life of 6 hours. This means that it takes your body 6 hours to process only half the caffeine you’ve consumed. If you have no more caffeine after 11 AM, then when you go to sleep at an average of 11 p.m., the majority of the caffeine will be out of your system and It wil have a minimal impact on sleep.
- Wash your hands, as per germ theory. Washing your hands ( and body) is essential to avoid bacterial diseases and infections. WASH YOUR BUTT.
- Go on two daily 30-minute walks. In this Brave New World, we sit way too much. Getting out to walk is vital for our cardiovascular and back health. I get such a stiff back from sitting for too long.
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You’re In Control If You Want To Be
It’s easy to blame the world when things don’t go as planned in our lives.
It’s easy to blame others.
But it’s most difficult to look in the mirror and blame ourselves.
But we are to blame.
Each one of us is where we are today because of the choices we made yesterday.
For example, I neglected to go out with my friends in my past relationship.
Which I felt bad about.
Good friendships started to wither.
And I almost didn’t realise it because I was so much under the spell of my ex-spouse.
And now the relationships ended.
I’m having to build those relationships up from scratch again.
I now need to make more of an effort.
By being in that relationship ( which was my choice).
I undone a lot of the good work I was doing towards being a better person.
For example I was getting into martial arts, I joined a running group, and I was in tip top shape.
And then I let myself get manipulated by an ex-spouse who ultimately didn’t have my best interests.
But I don’t blame her.
I don’t blame the world.
I blame myself.
They were all choices I made.
And now I can make better choices to get on the right track again.
One choice at a time.
The big lesson I learned the hard way is to never stop being you.
Especially in romantic relationships.
Because that’s the one place you should be unapologetically and authentically you.
Some people blame their lack of good health on lots of things, such as:
“ I’m just not a gym person”.
“ I like chocolate too much”.
“ I don’t enjoy working out”.
“ I’m too lazy”.When people make excuses for their lack of progress in improving their health, they are not really taking responsibility.
If they took ownership of their health, they’d realise.
“Well, I got myself unhealthy, but I can get myself fit again with consistent effort.”
“If I’m not as healthy as I want to be, it’s completely up to me to change it, I’m not big boned”.
“ I can change my situation at any moment”.
Taking ownership of our lives is extremely important because we are the only ones who can do anything about it.
When we blame others and the world, we’re saying we have no agency to improve our lives.
We’re not all destined for doom.
We all have free will.
And we can make our lives whatever we want them to be like.
As long as we do three things.
Take 100% ownership of our lives.
Take 100% responsibility for our actions.
And devote 100% of our energy to what we can control. And avoid what we can’t control.
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4 Tips To Instantly Boost Your Sleep Quality
Over the years, I’ve had great sleep and sometimes poor sleep.
During the periods when my sleep has been good, there are certain things I almost instinctively do.
- Use Ear Plugs
I use the Loop reusable earplugs from Amazon. Naturally, I’m susceptible to noise when I sleep, so wearing earplugs is a must because if I don’t, the slightest noises wake me up. So, if you’re a light sleeper wearing earplugs is a necessity to
boost your quality of sleep. - Have Black Out Curtains Or Wear A Sleep Mask
Blackout curtains are the best option; that way, you don’t have to rely on putting your sleep mask on every night. But in essence, they’re both effective because they do their job, which is to block out light. Naturally, when we are exposed to light at night, especially artificial light, this can affect our bodies’ production of the sleep hormone melatonin (the hormone responsible for making you sleepy). So if you try to make your room and house as dark as reasonably possible 1-2 hours before bed and sleep with a sleep mask on (or have black out curtains) then your bodies production of melatonin should be more effective throughout the night resulting in you falling asleep faster for longer and more deeply.
- Eliminate Caffeine, Sugar, And Alcohol Completely Or Reduce Your Intake Of Them
I was unknowingly caffeine-dependent for the past couple of years. I’d have 4-5 coffees every day from when I woke up in the morning to around 4 pm. Caffeine undoubtedly affects your sleep because it’s a stimulant. Caffeine has a half-life
of around 6 hours, so if you have a coffee at 4 pm then at 10 pm, half of the caffeine you ingested will still be in your body. This can dramatically affect your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. So the remedy to this is either to completely eliminate caffeine or have it in the morning, say 10 am. Say, for example, you usually sleep at 11 pm. Then, if you had your caffeine at 10 am, the caffeine would be completely cleared out of your system at 11 pm because it would be 13 hours after you ingested the caffeine.Alcohol, for some people, can help them fall asleep fast, but usually, the common experience is that people wake up several times during the night.
So, in essence, alcohol can help you fall asleep, but it affects your quality of sleep negatively due to persistent waking. Alcohol also dehydrates you, which also hurts sleep quality.
Eating too much sugar before sleeping isn’t helpful because consuming a large amount of sugar gives you a sugar rush ( a boost of energy), which is not what you want before sleeping.
Normally, this sugar rush is temporary and is followed by a drop in blood sugar or a crash after the initial insulin spike.
Instead of eating lots of sugar and junk, eat a diet rich in whole foods, lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and grains. You’ll find your body operates much better and more efficiently, and when your body is healthier, you’ll find your sleep is naturally better and you won’t need as much of it ( a personal observation).
- Have A Consistent Sleep-wake Pattern.
This way your body will feel tired at night and you’ll wake up much easier on a morning.
If your sleep pattern is different, say you usually stay up until 2 a.m. Then you wouldn’t feel tired at your preferred bedtime of 10 p.m., and you would find it harder to wake up early in the morning.
The simple remedy is to get up at the same time every day, even if you didn’t sleep well the night before. This will make you extra tired the following night and make it much easier to fall asleep at the desired time.
The Bottom Line—If you wear earplugs, wear a sleep mask, or have blackout curtains, avoid or reduce your consumption of caffeine, alcohol, and sugar, and have a regular sleep-wake pattern, I guarantee that you’ll be doing the most essential things to boost your sleep quality.
- Use Ear Plugs
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My Current Workout Program And Nutrition Plan
I’ve massively got out of shape during the past year.
I’ve probably put on around 15 pounds of fat and lost significant muscle and strength.
My caffeine intake has gotten out of control, which has made me slightly anxious and jittery.
So here’s what I’m doing to get back on track:
I eat in a calorie deficit. This means eating around 1800 calories per day because I normally need around 2300 calories to maintain my weight.
So, you guessed it, I’m in a 500-calorie deficit every day.
If I maintain this deficit for seven days a week, I’ll lose one pound of fat each week.
This is because there are 3500 calories in a pound of fat.
And 500 x 7 = 3500.
The goal is to reach a body fat percentage of around 10% at the end of this fat loss phase.
Why did I get out of shape?
There are many reasons—call them excuses if you like—but here are the main reasons.
I had wrist surgery several months ago and haven’t been able to train properly for over a year.
This is the primary reason because, during the past year, my mental health has been at an all-time low and due to my injury it was impossible to train pain-free.
But I’m glad my wrist is improving, although it will be several months before it feels normal again.
Let’s talk about caffeine intake quickly.
Caffeine makes the world go round.
Most people have several coffees and teas per day.
They get dependent on the stuff.
And if you ever took a break from caffeine.
You’ll know you get a headache and general aches, which are withdrawal symptoms.
Too much caffeine gives you anxiety and the jitters.
I’ve been having too much and will not have any caffeine for the foreseeable future and see how things go.
I’ll keep you updated.
Anyway, I thought I’d share my current workout program, so here it is:
Day 1
Romanian deadlifts 3 x 10-20 reps.
Dumbbell row 3×10-20 reps.
Bicep curls 2×10-20 reps.
Day 2.
Dumbbell bench press 3x 10-20 reps.
Dumbbell shoulder press 3×10-20 reps.
Triceps push down 2 x 10-20 reps.
Day 3
Bulgarian split squats 3x 10-20 reps.
Lat pulldown 3×10-20 reps.
Calf raises 2x 10-20 reps.
Have at least one day off between workouts I train on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
I’m working in the 10-20 rep range because it’s easier on your joints, whereas the heavier you lift, the more wear and tear you put on your joints.
Also, the reason I’m not doing conventional deadlifts and squats is because:
- Romanian deadlifts are less stressful on your joints and body yet still work your posterior chain ( all the back musculature on the back of your body).
- With conventional deadlifts and squats, I normally get too greedy and lift too much weight, increasing my likelihood of injury. By doing Romanian deadlifts and Bulgarian split squats, I’m performing extremely effective exercises but with less weight and a lower risk of injury.
Over the past year, I’ve been anything but healthy.
The goal is to focus on health over the next several months (and for the foreseeable future).
Better sleep.
Less anxiety.
Lower body fat percentage.
More muscle.
More energy.
More confidence.
And I will update you with the results once I’ve completed this phase.
Like always, I will continue to write.
But if you’re feeling stuck or want to focus more on your health, Join me on this adventure.
I hope that we can both get as healthy as possible.
Because health is truly wealth.
“Fitness isn’t everything, but everything is harder if you aren’t fit” – Mike Matthews
Regarding my nutrition, I’m eating mainly whole foods, i.e., unprocessed meats, grains, fish, fruit, vegetables, etc.
Anything that isn’t massively altered from its original form.
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