small tip for the anons is when you have a friend having a hard time or facing some difficulties, make sure to occasionally check in and give them some support. 1) makes you a good friend 2) they’ll remember when they do better later on if they’re good people
Feb 28, 2023·edited Feb 28, 2023Liked by BowTied Bull
This was an A+ post.
I was about to type “I wish I had read this years ago”, but then I realised that some of these lessons are new to me.
Hence I’ll go glass-half-full and presume those apply just as aptly as the others.
I want to reiterate my own experience with a few of these lessons (and hope to convince others of their importance in doing so).
1/ Focus on One Priority - If anyone seriously believes they are multitasking efficiently (and not just rapidly task-switching at a massive detriment to productivity), I recommend testing it out for yourself. Compare the amount of work you get done with 1 day of pure focus vs 1 day of multitasking.
(you can also read books like “Deep Work” by Cal Newport and “Stolen Focus” by Johann Hari. But you don’t need to - test it for yourself).
2/ Food Isn’t Fuel - Did the whole IIFYM thing many years ago. While it “worked” for muscle gain (i.e. I was still able to gain muscle), I noticed significant increases in energy levels after swapping to a higher micronutrient-dense diet. Friends have all had similar experiences.
Aim for ~90%+ of calories from nutritious and minimally processed foods—minimum 80%.
3/ Tendons, Flexibility and Elasticity - Don’t. Neglect. Your. Tendons. Tennis and golfers’ elbow are NOT exclusive to playing tennis or golf.
Overly specific practical recommendation—avoid preacher curls (you can do them with a spot, but honestly, just skip it).
4/ Assume Incompetence + Terrible Days For Everyone Else - If it wasn’t clear from BTB, this benefits both you and the person in question.
For you, it provides psychological relief, helps you focus on what’s important, and leads to better outcomes (as your negative emotions are no longer projected through your tone + facial expressions).
For the person in question, you’re now nicer to them since you don’t think they are acting out of malice (it’s easier to forgive an idiot than a villain).
Bull, I always assumed you were young 30's, but you shared some real 40+ wisdom here. Or maybe you are young, and I was slow to mature.
To the younger 20yo readers, you should take a lot of this advice to heart. Print it. Re-read it. Underline it. It could lay the foundation to a very satisfying life. Especially the things like Focus, Flexibility, and Life Experiences. But I would offer a word of caution.
Take risks early, build an amazing life, but be prepared for it to take longer than you expect and be ready to fight self-doubt along the way. If you're truly going out on a limb, you will be exposed, and it will be extremely uncomfortable *even if no one is looking*. That voice in your head can be vicious. The indifference of others can be even worse. Be doggedly persistent. Leverage this community. And if you fail, dust yourself off and go again, and again, and again until you win. It will hurt to get where you want to go, but wasting away is worse.
In 2001 I left an analyst position on a major MBS trading desk to join the military. I don't regret the decision, but I'd be lying if I said the loss of that financial opportunity didn't haunt me. Then I think of the experiences I had, the friends I made, and the guys who didn't live beyond their 20's. Don't obsess over billionaire status. Having a roof over your head and children that love you are all you need to have a life worth living -- I have to remind myself of this all the time.
I was lucky enough to retire under 50. Work forced me to live on 6 hours a night for many years. I found out I live much better on 9 hours a night. Not always easy to get when you’re young but don’t be ashamed if you need more sleep than the “average”. You body will thank you for it longer term.
I miss these lifestyle posts a lot. Loved the content man.
I'm still doing work I dont like even though I can live off 4% returns **if I downgraded my lifestyle**. Currently spending spending way tooo much lol... I probably need to fix that.
I would add meditation and mindfulness to the list. Being quite and recognizing that body and mind is not You will help you navigate bad days, dark times. Becoming aware is a habit that needs to be developed...much easy when you hear about it, but quite difficult to put in practice. Jiddu Krishnamurty, OSHO, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Eckhart Tolle, Sadhguru....are some good content to follow when it comes to becoming mindful.
Great advice. The way I see it is the world is a lot like a dance class: everyone is looking in the mirror to make sure they don't look stupid. Nobody notices you unless you mess with that self image one way or the other.
One thing that made a huge difference for me was Once you are 30-35, Skip the iron and start doing power yoga. Not only will you create longevity, flexibility and build the small stabilizer muscles that help maintain your joints you’ll be surrounded by people in a better headspace, way less agro and better looking too. I’m leaner and look better now than I ever did lifting with the bros chasing PRs.
Great post. Regarding stress and being on the edge all the time, take a deep look on your role models/ family. I copied many of my father’s bad habits which I actually really dislike. Always good to self evaluate after busy times.
small tip for the anons is when you have a friend having a hard time or facing some difficulties, make sure to occasionally check in and give them some support. 1) makes you a good friend 2) they’ll remember when they do better later on if they’re good people
This was an A+ post.
I was about to type “I wish I had read this years ago”, but then I realised that some of these lessons are new to me.
Hence I’ll go glass-half-full and presume those apply just as aptly as the others.
I want to reiterate my own experience with a few of these lessons (and hope to convince others of their importance in doing so).
1/ Focus on One Priority - If anyone seriously believes they are multitasking efficiently (and not just rapidly task-switching at a massive detriment to productivity), I recommend testing it out for yourself. Compare the amount of work you get done with 1 day of pure focus vs 1 day of multitasking.
(you can also read books like “Deep Work” by Cal Newport and “Stolen Focus” by Johann Hari. But you don’t need to - test it for yourself).
2/ Food Isn’t Fuel - Did the whole IIFYM thing many years ago. While it “worked” for muscle gain (i.e. I was still able to gain muscle), I noticed significant increases in energy levels after swapping to a higher micronutrient-dense diet. Friends have all had similar experiences.
Aim for ~90%+ of calories from nutritious and minimally processed foods—minimum 80%.
3/ Tendons, Flexibility and Elasticity - Don’t. Neglect. Your. Tendons. Tennis and golfers’ elbow are NOT exclusive to playing tennis or golf.
Overly specific practical recommendation—avoid preacher curls (you can do them with a spot, but honestly, just skip it).
4/ Assume Incompetence + Terrible Days For Everyone Else - If it wasn’t clear from BTB, this benefits both you and the person in question.
For you, it provides psychological relief, helps you focus on what’s important, and leads to better outcomes (as your negative emotions are no longer projected through your tone + facial expressions).
For the person in question, you’re now nicer to them since you don’t think they are acting out of malice (it’s easier to forgive an idiot than a villain).
Bull, I always assumed you were young 30's, but you shared some real 40+ wisdom here. Or maybe you are young, and I was slow to mature.
To the younger 20yo readers, you should take a lot of this advice to heart. Print it. Re-read it. Underline it. It could lay the foundation to a very satisfying life. Especially the things like Focus, Flexibility, and Life Experiences. But I would offer a word of caution.
Take risks early, build an amazing life, but be prepared for it to take longer than you expect and be ready to fight self-doubt along the way. If you're truly going out on a limb, you will be exposed, and it will be extremely uncomfortable *even if no one is looking*. That voice in your head can be vicious. The indifference of others can be even worse. Be doggedly persistent. Leverage this community. And if you fail, dust yourself off and go again, and again, and again until you win. It will hurt to get where you want to go, but wasting away is worse.
In 2001 I left an analyst position on a major MBS trading desk to join the military. I don't regret the decision, but I'd be lying if I said the loss of that financial opportunity didn't haunt me. Then I think of the experiences I had, the friends I made, and the guys who didn't live beyond their 20's. Don't obsess over billionaire status. Having a roof over your head and children that love you are all you need to have a life worth living -- I have to remind myself of this all the time.
I was lucky enough to retire under 50. Work forced me to live on 6 hours a night for many years. I found out I live much better on 9 hours a night. Not always easy to get when you’re young but don’t be ashamed if you need more sleep than the “average”. You body will thank you for it longer term.
I miss these lifestyle posts a lot. Loved the content man.
I'm still doing work I dont like even though I can live off 4% returns **if I downgraded my lifestyle**. Currently spending spending way tooo much lol... I probably need to fix that.
I would add meditation and mindfulness to the list. Being quite and recognizing that body and mind is not You will help you navigate bad days, dark times. Becoming aware is a habit that needs to be developed...much easy when you hear about it, but quite difficult to put in practice. Jiddu Krishnamurty, OSHO, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Eckhart Tolle, Sadhguru....are some good content to follow when it comes to becoming mindful.
Great advice. The way I see it is the world is a lot like a dance class: everyone is looking in the mirror to make sure they don't look stupid. Nobody notices you unless you mess with that self image one way or the other.
Good at first impressions hit home BTB
Since kids, we have always been uneasy with that super likable person. 99/100 times it was proven to be correct - either completely vapid or a snake.
Our longest & best friend was the 1/100 times a super high EQ dude was also a real G.
One thing that made a huge difference for me was Once you are 30-35, Skip the iron and start doing power yoga. Not only will you create longevity, flexibility and build the small stabilizer muscles that help maintain your joints you’ll be surrounded by people in a better headspace, way less agro and better looking too. I’m leaner and look better now than I ever did lifting with the bros chasing PRs.
This is great stuff! I have learned most of this the hard way, but there was some good stuff here for me going forward. I'd add a few things:
- Save a dime for every dollar you make
- Some people like a _____ ass, but nobody likes a smart ass
- Don't obsess over your weight, focus on your fitness level (blood pressure, resting heart rate, blood sugar, performance goals, etc.)
- Do yoga (I counted 12 things on the list that yoga helps with)
Great post.
Quick note:
> generally speaking older people have more energy at night and younger people tend to be more energetic at night.
Should this say "older people have more energy in the morning"?
Great post. Regarding stress and being on the edge all the time, take a deep look on your role models/ family. I copied many of my father’s bad habits which I actually really dislike. Always good to self evaluate after busy times.
Read The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal. Stress can be good for you. It’s all about mental framing
Excellent post...full of ideas to incorporate!!!
What makes a personality flaw?
Thanks, much appreciated