Today is my 32nd birthday.
Over the last month, I asked several 90-year-olds what advice they would give to their 32-year-old selves.
Here's the life advice everyone needs to hear:
I recently came across data on who we spend our time with over the course of our lives.
The insights are simultaneously inspiring and depressing.
Here are 6 graphs everyone needs to see:
The IKEA Marriage Test
Before you marry someone, go to IKEA together and a buy a piece of furniture.
Bring it home and build it.
If you can successfully navigate that entire process without wanting to kill each other, you’re ready to get married.
In summary:
(1) Family time is limited—cherish it.
(2) Friend time is limited—prioritize real ones.
(3) Partner time is significant—never settle.
(4) Children time is precious—be present.
(5) Coworker time is significant—find energy.
(6) Alone time is highest—love yourself.
With the rapid deterioration of the Russia/Ukraine situation, you’re going to hear a lot about SWIFT in the coming days…
Here’s a quick breakdown of what it is and why it matters:
The Feynman Razor
Complexity and jargon are used to mask a lack of deep understanding.
If you can’t explain it to a 5-year-old, you don’t really understand it.
If someone uses a lot of complexity and jargon to explain something, they probably don’t understand it.
1. Now and then, break out the fancy china and drink the good wine for no reason at all.
2. Dance at weddings until your feet are sore.
3. Tell your partner you love them every night before falling asleep. Someday you’ll find the other side of the bed empty and wish you could.
I can't stop thinking about this question:
Are you willing to sprint when the distance is unknown?
In 2021, Georgia Tech strength coach Lewis Caralla delivered this epic speech to the football team.
If it doesn't get you motivated, you may need to check your pulse...
He opens…
4. Don’t fear sadness, as it tends to sit right next to love.
5. Treat your body like a house you have to live in for another 70 years.
6. Never raise your voice, except for at a ballgame.
7. Do one good deed every single day, but never tell anyone about it.
1/ An Allegory of Finance
I have been posting a lot of educational (and humorous!) threads on finance, money, and economics.
My mission is simple: to demystify these concepts and make them accessible to everyone.
All of the threads can be found below. Enjoy and please share!
8. Time doesn't heal anything when it comes to relationships. Don't delay difficult conversations.
9. Find the things that make your eyes light up. Do more of those.
10. Always remind yourself that your track record for making it through your bad days is perfect.
To outperform, you need serious competitive advantages.
But contrary to what you have been told, most of them don't require talent.
10 competitive advantages that you can start developing today:
Last year, I had a conversation that changed my life.
It caused me to upend everything and move across the country.
The lesson from it may change yours:
On January 1, 2014, I wrote a letter to my future self just before graduating.
Today, 10 years later, I opened it.
This hit me hard.
Everyone should do this.
The Harvard Study of Adult Development began tracking the lives of 268 Harvard sophomores in 1938.
It is considered the longest running study on adult life, health, and happiness.
Here are 3 powerful findings everyone should know:
The Persuasion Paradox
Have you noticed that the most argumentative people rarely persuade anyone?
The most persuasive people don’t argue—they observe, listen, and ask questions.
Argue less, persuade more.
Persuasion is an art that requires a paintbrush, not a sledgehammer.
The Feynman Technique for learning anything:
Step 1: Identify a topic
Step 2: Try to explain it to a 5-year-old
Step 3: Study to fill in knowledge gaps
Step 4: Organize, convey, and review
True genius is the ability to simplify, not complicate. Simple is beautiful.
Simple habits I’ve found to have the highest ROI:
• Sleeping 7-8 hours
• Exercising for 60+ minutes
• Getting direct sunlight
• Working in 60 minute sprints
• Journaling for 5 minutes pre-bed
• Turning on “Do Not Disturb” mode
• Expressing gratitude
Simple is beautiful.
The Luck Razor
When choosing between two paths, choose the path that has a larger luck surface area.
Your actions put you in a position where luck is more likely to strike.
It’s hard to get lucky watching TV at home—it’s easy to get lucky when you’re engaging and learning.
The hiring process is ultra-competitive.
But you’ve incorrectly been told that the only way to stand out is by having fancy degrees and credentials.
THREAD: 20 ways to stand out in a hiring process (that don’t involve your resume):
A young statistician saved their lives.
His insight (and how it can change yours):
During World War II, the U.S. wanted to add reinforcement armor to specific areas of its planes.
Analysts examined returning bombers and plotted the bullet holes and damage on them (as in the…
The Feynman Technique is a foundational mental model for unlocking growth in your career, startup, business, or writing.
A thread on how it works and how it can change your life...
The Arena Razor
When faced with two paths, choose the path that puts you in the arena.
It's easy to throw rocks from the sidelines.
It's scary and lonely in the arena—but it's where growth happens.
Once you're in the arena, never take advice from people on the sidelines.
My mom hired a writer to sit down with my 95-year-old grandmother in India and document stories from her life.
They met weekly for two years.
The process brought my grandmother immense joy—the result will bring my family joy for years to come.
I think everyone should do this:…
Early career years are intimidating—there's so much that feels out of your control.
Here are the career principles I wish I knew when I was starting out:
The Optimist Razor
When choosing who to spend time with, prioritize spending more time with optimists.
Pessimists see closed doors. Optimists see open doors—and probably kick down the closed doors along the way.
Remember: Pessimists sound smart, optimists get rich.
Time Spent With Partner
Trends upwards until death.
Key Takeaways:
• Who you choose as a partner is the most important decision you'll ever make.
• Find someone you genuinely enjoy spending time with.
Never settle for less than love.
Before I got married, a friend asked me how I knew I had found my one.
My reply: “Because I love doing nothing with her.”
Life isn’t the glamorous moments. Life is mostly the simple moments of nothing.
When you find someone you love doing nothing with, you’ve found your one.
11. If something has a minor issue, repair it. Minor issues become major issues over time. Applies equally to love, friendships, health, and home.
12. The most damning lie you can tell is the lie you tell to yourself.
13. No one has ever argued their way to happiness.
17. Never let a good friendship atrophy. Send the text, make the call, plan the trip. Good friendships must be treasured.
18. When you meet someone, look them in the eye, give a firm handshake, and call them by their name.
19. Give everybody a second chance, but never a third.
The interview process is ultra-competitive.
But with proper preparation, it is possible to stand out.
THREAD: 20 common interview questions, what they really mean, and how to nail them:
Reddit is a treasure trove of ideas, information, and insights.
You just need to know where to look.
A list of 20 interesting subreddits to get you started:
Logical fallacies are errors in reasoning that undermine the quality of an argument.
THREAD: 20 common logical fallacies to learn, identify, and avoid:
The Effort Paradox
You have to put in more effort to make something appear effortless.
Effortless, elegant performances are often the result of a large volume of effortful, gritty practice.
Small things become big things. Simple is not simple.
The Wisdom Paradox
“The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.” — Albert Einstein
The more you learn, the more you are exposed to the immense unknown.
This should be empowering, not frightening.
Embrace your own ignorance. Embrace lifelong learning.
When you find out you’re going to have a baby, you get a lot of advice.
Unfortunately, most of it sucks.
Here is the straight talk parenting advice I wish I had received: