Inspired by this post but I wanted to change the question a bit to avoid the really vague answers as well as lower the age bar of target audience for the advice.

I’ll start with a bunch myself, to give a better example of what I’m talking about:

  1. Read The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Ironically, because this is a post about specific advice, dude wrote a book with vague rules on how to do war, but the way it is worded is ridiculously good. If you take your time to think about the advice, you can find their appliances in the most unexpected fields.

I, for example, have improved my skill in videogames, out of all places, after reading the book. Sun Tzu said “If it is not advantageous, do not move”. Instead of rushing into combat, I now consider whether my position, current health, location of health packs etc. work to my advantage. Sun Tzu made me realise team-based PvP shooters give you room to avoid and disengage combat, you can make more impact for the team if you choose your battle and have everything work for your advantage.

  1. Exercises are not just about a lot of dedication, long commutes to the gym, expensive memberships and the fear of being judged by other gym members. 7 minute workout is a thing and it will give you all the benefits at your own home without the need for equipment, and it won’t take much time either.

  2. Buy an old used Kindle. For dirt cheap, you will get a device with a good e-ink screen that works without Internet connection, still has decent battery, is light and small. A new thing that makes reading so comfortable will trick you into reading more and books still happen a good medium for sharing information.

  • PunkFlame@lemmy.ml
    0·
    8 months ago

    You have time on your side. You can afford to make a few mistakes.

    And wear sunscreen (can’t believe that song is >25 years old now)

  • ulkesh@beehaw.orgEnglish
    0·
    8 months ago

    Save money, invest money. And enjoy what you have for as long as possible.

  • Dem Bosain@midwest.socialEnglish
    0·
    8 months ago

    If you can be a good boy/girl, get a credit card. Start with something that returns actual value, like a grocery store card or gas card. Something you can use for ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING and then use the points or cash-back or whatever on necessities. Pay your bills with it, buy your groceries, use it everywhere you can.

    Now, here’s the important part: pay the statement balance IN FULL on or before the due date. If you pay the statement balance every month, you’re basically getting a short term, 0% interest loan, and building your credit score at the same time.

    Oh, and never get a credit card with any kind of annual fee or membership requirements. And when I said useful, I didn’t mean the Belle Tire card that gives you discounts on tires. WTF Belle Tire, how many tires do you think I’m going to buy?

    In case you missed the part where I told you to pay off the statement every month, here it is again. Pay off the statement every month. No excuses. If you can’t pay for something in cash, don’t buy it with the card. Once you miss a payment, they start charging that ridiculous interest rate on everything you buy on the day you buy it. Once you miss a payment, you must STOP USING THE CARD until the balance is zero.

    But if I find out you’re carrying a balance, I’ll find you and kick your ass myself.

    • donuts@kbin.social
      0·
      8 months ago

      I’d also say to develop a healthy attitude towards soft drugs like alcohol and weed.

      Hard drugs can fuck your life up faster, but addiction to soft drugs can also do a lot of damage. Have fun, but keep perspective. You’re probably gonna be around people do stupid shit from time to time, but resist the temptation to be the person doing the stupidest shit.

        • ComradeSharkfucker@lemmy.ml
          0·
          8 months ago

          I don’t genuinely think there are hard and soft drugs. I categorize them by physical and emotional dependence. Emotional dependence sucks and is hard to remove yourself from but drugs that lack a physical dependency are much easier to handle. Drugs you get physically dependent on and experience withdrawal symptoms from fucking suck and you should be very hesitant to use them. Drugs that have both should just be avoided (I include alcohol here but make an exception due to it being a social norm). There are also drugs that aren’t worth it for other reasons beyond these.

          To give some examples of what I mean

          emotional dependency:

          • weed
          • lsd
          • mushrooms
          • ketamine
          • MDMA

          Physical dependency:

          • SSRIs (brain zaps suck ass brother)
          • anti psychotics
          • benzos (therapeutic doses)
          • Ambien
          • amphetamines (therapeutic doses)

          Both:

          • alcohol
          • opiates
          • benzos (recreational)
          • (meth)amphetamines (recreational)
          • cocaine

          Other:

          • deliriants (trauma + organ damage)

          Obvious this is very subject to personal bias because it’s a classification system that is very useful to me. There are certain substances that could be argued in an out of their placement but I’ve placed them where they are with respect to how dangerous they would be to me if I were to try them.

          • intensely_human@lemm.ee
            0·
            8 months ago

            No, drugs that produce physical dependence are so much easier to quit that drugs that create an emotional dependence.

            To quit a drug with physical dependence requires staying off the drug for a week. To quit a drug with emotional dependence often requires years of therapy to resolve trauma.

  • donuts@kbin.social
    0·
    8 months ago

    Whatever you want to do in life, start right away.

    • If you want to start a business, start developing it and putting the pieces into place as soon as you can.
    • If you want to be a artist/musician/writer/etc, take yourself seriously and start gigging or creating right away.
    • If you want to reach the top of the academic pyramid, study more than what you’re assigned and start developing your ideas.
    • If you want to be involved in politics, then start getting involved in politics.
    • etc…

    I’m not saying this because it’ll be too late if you don’t, or anything like that. It’s never really too late to change course or start doing what you want.

    But don’t wait until you’re finished school. Don’t wait until you feel “ready”. Dispel is the idea that you’re still a kid or that you’re just going through the motions until your life really begins. Life is now. So, plant the seeds of your future as soon as you possibly can.

    • pingveno@lemmy.mlEnglish
      0·
      8 months ago

      Speaking of, get a bidet. It can be attached to most toilets, though you should check to make sure your toilet works. Actually get clean for once and you will never be satisfied with just toilet paper again.

  • essell@beehaw.org
    0·
    8 months ago

    Start a pension, now.

    By the time you retire they’re going to be even more valuable than they are today.

    And thanks to the way they work, starting early with a small amount has a bigger impact than putting loads in when you’re earning more later.

  • wrath_of_grunge@kbin.social
    0·
    8 months ago

    learn HOW to drink.

    drinking isn’t just about finding out how much it takes before you black out. AND FOR EVERYONE ELSE’S SAKE, DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE. if you’re gonna drink, arrange transportation, or stay where you are.

    also, read the Hagakure. there’s some good stuff in there.

  • Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    0·
    8 months ago

    If you have any issues (like mental health or physical health) that you feel you should address, do it. I didn’t address my mental health problems until I was almost 30, yeah I should have definitely done it sooner. I also didn’t really start fixing my teeth until my mid to late 20s, yeah I definitely should have done it sooner.

    If you don’t currently drink alcohol, don’t start.

  • 0xtero@beehaw.org
    0·
    8 months ago

    Mimimize social media usage.
    Start a pension fund.
    Study. Get a higher education or professional qualifications.
    Exercise regularly.
    Take care of your dental hygiene. It’s costly to fix.
    Find a companion to share your life. Human or animal. Having to make compromises because you have someone depending on you is great.

    Don’t be a selfish prick. Show compassion and caring to your near and dear.

  • 1984@lemmy.today
    0·
    8 months ago

    Don’t think you know it all. It’s extreamly common to see young people being confident and cocky, despite having almost no life experience. Understand the enormous value of listening to people who have been in your shoes before. Almost everyone you see was your age before.

    And with listen, I don’t mean “do what they say”. Just listen and think about what they say. Maybe they are wrong. Maybe not.