I look to monetize all my wasted time as much as possible. So I do those survey for cash or airline points during standup. Extremely low value, but given that I am trapped in standup (worthless to me) and it is too short to do something more valuable, I may as well.
Worth half a business class trip to Europe every year.
I just wasted a couple of days on a coding test for an agency, where the actual client job is in the US, and turns out to require US hours (10 timezones away). There are a lot of tells that either the 'client' is actually a US-based remote worker, or someone from the agency, working at least this job remotely and outsourcing the actual work, eg the only 'interview' slots are at lunch time, pitiful rates, etc (but I need any work now).
Pay more attention to your grandparents and parents, learn their common sense so you don't discover "optimizations" and "life hacks" from blogs. You will save time not having to discover things people have known for centuries just by paying attention.
Much “common sense” advice contains things are universal truths about living life and have long-term payoffs. These are quite clear looking backwards but not as obvious at the time.
In other words, about half of your life will be lived after you’re 40. Start preparing for that very long period.
This is one I use a lot! I've found coffee to be very helpful for weight loss because of this. I have my coffee black usually, though. It's probably less helpful there if you use a lot of sugar.
Exactly! I’ve lost 10lb just by replacing breakfast with coffee. The key is to make sure that you don’t over eat at lunch, so I tend to have two smaller lunches at noon and 2pm.
One thing I heard is that sometimes the brain misinterprets thirst as appetite, and that drinking (anything) instead of eating can be the first appropriate response (but obviously, if appetite doesn't go away, eat). I don't know if it's actually true, but this strategy works for me.
Know how you value your free time. That you can know when it makes sense pay other people to do things you don't want to do, or which take away from time you'd rather spend on something else. Some examples:
- Cleaning the house (not the easy stuff: do your own dishes!) but bathrooms, windows, deep-cleaning carpets etc...
- Landscaping and gardening
- Grocery delivery or ordering online for pickup
Do you really wanna spend half your weekend on this stuff?
Kettlebell swings are an incredibly efficient exercise. I’m in the best shape I’ve been in in years, for 1.5 hours per week in my bedroom with 3 weights and two yoga mats.
12kg for warmups, 24kg for 2 handed swings and 16kg for Turkish getups.
Read Kettlebell Simple and Sinister. It’s silly but very informative and detailed on how to lift safely and effectively.
Watch YouTube videos too and record video of yourself until your form is perfect.
I categorize my phone usage (in order of necessity) into information, communication and entertainment. Information would be something like using Maps, but reading news, HN, Reddit, and social media are all considered entertainment. This helps me monitor how much "tech" is stealing my time and attention.
I have 15 pairs of size 38 (thanks 'rona years) 8 pairs of size 36. It is stupid to get rid of the ones that don't fit, your weight will fluctuate throughout your life. Also you will eventually need new pants.
That's why it's called a hack, there is some luck involved along with the perseverance.
In my case I've recently been rewearing a much older less stylish belt as an example of what life was like when Ronald Reagan went from the first low-class actor in memory to become elected president of the USA.
It was just barely tight enough to begin with and I ended up having to poke some additional holes so it would still hold up my pants. For that reason it's been relatively ugly for quite some time, but has never failed to fit.
A common saying back then was "belt tightening of the '80's".
That was 40 years ago, but no better time than the present to break it out again.
I have fluctuated 36-40 (mens US) for the last 20 years. If you are gaining or losing tremendous amounts of weight in a short period of time you should probably talk to your doctor because there may genuinely be something medical going on.
Literally stated in the response that this was meant as a way to approach things other than smoking and stated that i havent smoked in over ten years but kudos to you for the one upmanship. Once the reddit strike is over take this kind of posting back over there.
It means efficiency, organization amd optimization. I have had maybe 12 different usernames since starting hn. I routinely get off the site for long periods of time because interactions like this are why I got off reddit circa 2013, and got on hn some time after that.
Years before I started, I made a habit of carrying one or more lighters around. Was real handy when somebody needed one, even if most of the time the only use I got out of it was melting stray threads coming out of my clothes.
Keep 12 oz cans of plain sparkling water cold if you are able.
Either way submerging one in ice water and spinning at the 2-minute mark will result in the contents becoming as cold as possible within 5 full minutes.
When you would otherwise consume a decent portion of beer or soda in a single elbow-raise, reach for the canned water instead.
The satisfaction of thirst combined with cooling effect will be quite comparable to either, and healthier to boot.
Talk to people. Practice it every day to get good at it. Everything gets a lot easier when you talk to people. You'll be amazed as how easily things get resolved when you call someone and talk issues over (email and messaging don't count as talking).
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[ 4.0 ms ] story [ 135 ms ] threadThe next time you visit, you won't have to bother dismissing the "plz subscribe to my shitty newsletter" box that Substack forces on you.
Worth half a business class trip to Europe every year.
I'm guessing this is quite a common scam.
In other words, about half of your life will be lived after you’re 40. Start preparing for that very long period.
- Cleaning the house (not the easy stuff: do your own dishes!) but bathrooms, windows, deep-cleaning carpets etc...
- Landscaping and gardening
- Grocery delivery or ordering online for pickup
Do you really wanna spend half your weekend on this stuff?
Goes triple when you have kids.
If anyone else wants to strip URLs of tracking and referral codes automatically, I use: https://github.com/jparise/chrome-utm-stripper
and what specific swings do yoy recommend?
thank you
Read Kettlebell Simple and Sinister. It’s silly but very informative and detailed on how to lift safely and effectively. Watch YouTube videos too and record video of yourself until your form is perfect.
1. Do not watch TV. 2. Meditate. 3. Take vitamin D supplement. 4. Only buy black socks (and always have a pair).
Which is fine, btw.
On that note, a surprising number of humans do not wash inside their belly buttons, so life optimization tip number 5. Wash your belly button.
Now, anything is fashionable.
Keep your lighter in the empty part of your cigarette pack (haven't smoked in nearly a decade, but this logic is applicable elsewhere).
Find pants that fit/look good/are comfortable and buy 15 pairs.
Black clothes/accessories match everything and require less thought.
Until your waist size changes and excess pairs go to waste.
Then keep your waist size the same over the long term as a life hack.
In my case I've recently been rewearing a much older less stylish belt as an example of what life was like when Ronald Reagan went from the first low-class actor in memory to become elected president of the USA.
It was just barely tight enough to begin with and I ended up having to poke some additional holes so it would still hold up my pants. For that reason it's been relatively ugly for quite some time, but has never failed to fit.
A common saying back then was "belt tightening of the '80's".
That was 40 years ago, but no better time than the present to break it out again.
Either way submerging one in ice water and spinning at the 2-minute mark will result in the contents becoming as cold as possible within 5 full minutes.
When you would otherwise consume a decent portion of beer or soda in a single elbow-raise, reach for the canned water instead.
The satisfaction of thirst combined with cooling effect will be quite comparable to either, and healthier to boot.
It doesn't matter you do it or not, just the fact of maintaining a todo list is a job itself.
If you're counting the number of days since you last had it, you haven't truly moved on.
Return everything slightly better than you found it.
If you want something done properly, do it yourself.
Everything has a place. And everything in it's place.
- Most of these are about avoiding mental overhead. So that you have more brain capacity left for the people around you and the task at hand.
Is this optimizing for length? lol.
Before you flush, stand up and turn around, in case you have to skedaddle cos of a blockage or something.
And when you stand up, turn around before you pull up your pants, in case your wallet flops out.
Heed these words, and the Gods of Public Lavatories shall be kind to you.