+100 of my life hacks and mental models

May 21, 2023

+100 of my life hacks and mental models

Understand “reality” is unreachable, and the best you can do is to make your own incomplete and inaccurate map of it.
A bad moment is sometimes just a bad moment. Never let it define who you are.
Don’t strive for perfection. Strive for rapid and consistent iterations.
Design a morning routine aligned with your goals, stick to it, and optimize it over time.
Use seat belts even when in the back seat. It takes seconds and can save your life.
Never trust the advice of someone without skin in the game.
Never expect people to guess what you’re thinking. Learn to express your emotions and thoughts with clarity and empathy.
Don’t be ashamed of saying you don’t understand something.
Study something of your interest a little bit every day to keep your mind sharp and creative.
Learn Excel. You’ll thank yourself in the future for this.
Don’t send people files to download if you can simply host them in the Cloud.
Create the habit of investing as soon as possible. The time you’re investing is often more important than the amount you’re investing.
Aim for 10%/year in investment returns.
Don’t send audio over 1 minute long on chat apps.
Make notes. You don’t need (and you won’t) be able to store everything in your head.
Use a calendar to organize your life. An organized life is a happier life.
Use Calendly to avoid back-and-forth emails and text messages.
Don’t practice exercises exclusively for the health benefits. Practice exercises that make you feel joy.
Set time to interact socially with friends and family. You’ll wish you kept contact with them as you grow older.
Do something random at least once a month (i.e., taking a different route to work, signing up for a forge workshop, etc.).
Attend a clown workshop.
Use a bike as a way of transportation. It’s fun, healthy, and cheaper.
Use a helmet and lights on your bike.
Cuddle a cat or dog when you see one.
Assume people are friendly (sometimes they’re just having a bad day).
Donate money or time to some cause you think is important.
Reply to people, even if it’s just an “ok”.
When you feel shame about something, remember everyone will die someday.
Learn English. If you already speak English fluently, learn another language.
Don’t be afraid of mathematics. Probably, you’re traumatized from your time in school, but it’s easier and more fun than you think.
If you feel stuck when trying to understand something, don’t give up too quickly. Breathe, give yourself time, and try again.
If you know a child with problems in school, check their eyesight before assuming they are lazy.
Live life as a romance writer. Notice and appreciate small things by default.
Instead of trying to be interesting, be interested.
Make an effort to remember people’s names.
Look into other people’s eyes when talking to them.
Create a good LinkedIn profile, even if you think you’ll never need one.
Attend therapy, even if you think you don’t need it.
Learn the rule of three. 80% of your math problems in life can be solved with it.
Make your bed when you get up.
Ask for help when you need help.
Don’t confuse who you want to be with what you want to do.
Greet people in the street.
Smile, even to strangers.
Compliment people when they do something you like.
Breathe through your nose.
Use comfortable clothes.
Leave your parent’s house as soon as possible.
Adopt an old dog or cat. They are always lovely and need people to adopt them.
Learn the 80/20 principle.
Don’t assume you’re your job.
Lock your doors and windows.
Practice jiu-jitsu (at least try it).
Install a door lock by password.
Set up security cameras if you live in a house.
When you screw up, simply say sorry and ask if you can do anything to fix it.
Learn to say “no” politely.
Make your home a nice place to live.
Use Grammarly.
Stop browsing social media and the internet. Consume your content through newsletters.
Don’t leave emails sitting in your mailbox.
Invest in a good mug of coffee (one that doesn’t spill).
Learn to tie your shoes fast.
Wash the sink at the same time every day. Make it a meditation.
Listen to audiobooks.
Install the Kindle app on your phone.
Remove social media apps from your phone. But if you’ll use any social media, choose Quora.
Floss your teeth daily in the shower.
Put the toilet lid down.
Hang as much as you can.
Squat as much as you can.
Get sunlight as much as you can.
Walk around.
Go to the dentist and cardiologist regularly.
If you have doubts about buying something, don’t buy it.
Invest in a good chair.
Invest in good shoes.
Walk barefoot sometimes.
Avoid discussing politics.
Learn the basic graphs to represent data.
Don’t cross your arms when talking to people.
Learn to handshake with confidence.
Call people by their names.
Follow up with interesting people you’ve met.
Be punctual.
Set a monthly date and time to reflect on your life, goals, and challenges.
Make peace with the fact that life is full of challenges.
Learn to read academic papers.
If you’re feeling something weird with your body, just go to the doctor.
Drink water while you drink alcohol.
Never mix two kinds of alcoholic beverages on the same night (and enjoy a good night of sleep without throwing up).
Refrain from assuming people are well-organized and will remember what was discussed.
Invest in good and lasting jeans, shoes, and watches.
Be kind.
Surround yourself with people you trust (even if you disagree with them).
If you are shy, when you meet someone new, trick your brain by assuming he/she is a friend you know but haven’t seen for a long time.
Break huge boring tasks into many small boring tasks.
Listen to podcasts or audiobooks when doing something boring.
Send thank you notes to people you admire on the internet.
Make an effort to value what you have on a regular basis.
When you mess up with someone, say you’re sorry and ask if there is anything you can do to fix the damage.
When you feel grumpy, take a nap.
When you receive a compliment or hear something nice about yourself, record it somehow so you can go back to it when you feel down.
If you work more than 3 hours a day on a computer, get a second screen (I recommend at least 27 inches).
Get rid of bad knives.
Remember: how you spend your days is how you spend your life.
Create a recurring task on your calendar to re-read this at least once a month.
Avoid commuting as much as you can.
Stop watching news on TV.
If you need an alarm, use an analog one, so you don’t need to look at your phone first thing in the morning.
Design your workspace and your home in a way that helps you do what you have to do.
Aim for the stars, reach the moon.
If you say you’ll do something, do that thing. Bad reputation is a silent killer.
Seek to be a fast learner, not perfect.
When the stakes are low, avoid overthinking. Just use your instinct.
Make a conscious, active effort to keep in contact with your friends.
Never let anger drive your decisions. It NEVER pays off.
To understand any human system, understand its incentives.
Don’t attach your identity to anything (job, status, physical body).
Hold opinions about things that matter to you, but be open to changing them in front of strong evidence and/or good reasoning.
Learn to cultivate a healthy indifference about what happens with your life.
Choose a safe and quiet neighborhood.
If you want radical change, radically change your environment.

About Igor Scaldini

Marketing, Business & Growth