What can people start doing now that will help them a lot in 5 years.
If
you do anything, do this first one: learn how to work hard and stick
with something. Learn how to turn off Facebook and control your
addiction to social media. You'll instantly be ahead of a majority of
your generation.
Video games are a time sink. If you can play
for an hour and say "That was fun, let's do something else" then you're
ok. Otherwise, just get rid of them.
Pick up an athletic hobby
that you can do through the years, or your sedentary academic lifestyle
will do horrible things to your posture, back, and gut.
Learn
as much programming as you can. It's never a bad idea to learn a
programming language (unless that language is COBOL—just kidding, you
can even make money coding in COBOL). I've found Treehouse is worth the investment.
Learn how to display data in R.
Learn
how to talk on the phone with people you don't know. It still terrifies
most people. Get a phone sales job and quit after a few weeks.
Start
some kind of little side venture to learn entrepreneurial principles.
Start a window washing business, buy and sell stuff on Craigslist, do
anything. You might need them if you're in between jobs.
Take a
course on statistics and how they're misused, specifically how faulty
causal arguments are made. It will change the way you approach almost
any discussion, quantitative or not. (Read How to Lie with Statistics: Darrell Huff)
Always
have a private place where you can talk out loud to God every day. Even
if you're not religious or don't believe in God. Talk out loud to the
universe. Sort out your thoughts, verbalize them, and then write down
what comes to mind. Something wiser than you is listening and
responding, even if it's just another side of you.
Use http://Mint.com
to track your expenses. Make a budget and learn how to stick to it.
Learn to live lean now while you can, so you won't be forced to later
on.
Learn a foreign language, but only if you anticipate using it. Sure, there are side benefits, but you'll forget it.
Learn how to network. Read "Never Eat Alone." Hint: it's about doing things for other people.
Find
music that inspires you and makes you feel alive. Listen to it every
morning and if it's something embarrassing just don't tell your friends
about it.
Save up a few thousand dollars and go somewhere crazy
with a few friends. Live in a hostel for a few weeks. Get malaria if you
have to. It will change your life and you will think about it forever
(not the malaria part - you'll get over that.)
When someone promises you easy money, run the other way. Yes, it IS a scam.
Read a book a week (I listen to Audible.com the car). When you get ridiculously wealthy, read a book a day. Read fiction too.
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