72 Tips For Living A Better Life Flashcards
What is the primary factor for success in health, wealth, and wisdom?
Building good habits
Success in these areas is heavily dependent on the habits one forms.
What is the recommended book on habits by James Clear?
Atomic Habits
This book is highly regarded for its insights on habit formation.
What should you focus on instead of the end goal when forming habits?
The process
Focusing on the process helps avoid discouragement and promotes daily success.
To change a habit, what aspect of yourself should you change?
Your identity
Adopting the identity of the person you want to become supports habit formation.
What is one way to make good habits easier to stick to?
Make it easy
For example, lay out workout gear the night before to encourage exercise.
What is the Two-Minute Rule?
The new habit shouldn’t take more than two minutes to complete
This makes it difficult to skip the habit due to time constraints.
What is a strategy to break bad habits?
Make them hard
Removing unhealthy food from the house makes it harder to consume it.
How can you make yourself accountable when trying to stick to a habit?
Implement a penalty and be accountable to someone
Using money as a stake can increase commitment.
What is habit stacking?
Linking new habits with old ones
For example, doing pushups when making coffee links a new habit to an existing one.
What is a visual method to track habit completion?
Using a calendar or an app like Streaks
Crossing off completed habits creates a visual representation of progress.
What are the three components to being physically healthy?
Eat, sleep, and exercise.
What is Michael Pollan’s advice about food?
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
How does the amount of calories you eat affect your health?
How many calories you eat does matter.
What foods should you eat to feel full?
Eat lots of protein and veggies.
What is intermittent fasting (IF) known for?
It tends to lead to lower calorie intake.
What should you generally avoid if trying to lose weight?
Avoid carbs.
What is the Slow-Carb diet?
A diet optimized for maximum fat loss and adherence.
List the rules of the Slow-Carb diet.
- No ‘white’ carbohydrates
- Repeat the same meals
- Don’t drink calories
- Don’t eat fruits
- One day a week, anything goes
Why is the rule ‘Don’t drink calories’ important?
It decreases calorie intake and keeps you more hydrated.
What can you drink on the Slow-Carb diet?
Water, tea, coffee, and maybe some diet soda.
What is the advice regarding food age?
Don’t eat or drink anything less than 2000 years old.
What percentage of weight loss results come from diet?
90% of the results will come from eating better.
What is a benefit of eating local?
Foods are often less processed and raised with fewer pesticides.
What is a recommended starting exercise for weight loss?
Start by walking more.
What does HIIT stand for?
High-intensity interval training.
Why is making exercise fun important?
If exercise isn’t fun, we’re less likely to do it.
List some ways to make exercise more enjoyable.
- Go to a class with friends
- Make the workout easier
- Work out somewhere beautiful
- Go biking at night
- Learn a new skill
What are some basic exercises for strength training?
- Squats
- Bench press
- Pullups
- Situps
- Pushups
What should you do to track your sleep?
Buy a WHOOP band or an Oura Ring.
How can you improve sleep quality with your bedroom environment?
Black out your bedroom.
What temperature is generally best for sleeping?
Most people sleep better when it’s cold.
What should you avoid consuming before bed?
Avoid alcohol and caffeine.
What is the recommended amount of sleep per night?
Aim for 8 hours per night.
Why is sleep consistency important?
Our bodies learn when to be awake and when to sleep.
What should you avoid doing late in the evening?
Avoid eating late.
What is the primary reason people dream of getting rich?
Freedom from bills, stress, and the constraints of a 9-5 job.
According to Morgan Housel, what is more important than what you know in becoming wealthy?
How you behave.
What is the first skill you must master to become wealthy?
Saving more than you spend.
What is a key component in building good saving habits?
Automation.
What percentage of your take-home pay should you aim to save?
20%+.
True or False: It is advisable to upgrade your lifestyle as your income increases.
False.
What is dollar-cost averaging?
Automatically investing a fixed dollar amount at regular intervals.
What should you do to get a taste of a minimal lifestyle?
Live in a different city with minimal possessions for a short period.
What should you do to figure out your exact dream number?
Put specific dreams into a monthly calculator to determine the amount needed.
What is a common misconception about debt?
Buying a house is a foolproof investment.
Why should you pay off your credit cards?
They have some of the worst interest rates of any financial product.
What is the recommended percentage of your credit limit you should use?
Less than 30%.
How should you view money in relation to time?
Use money to buy time.
According to Morgan Housel, how do possessions impact perception?
No one is impressed by your possessions as much as you are.
What is a good strategy for big-ticket purchases?
Look to buy used items when possible.
What is one rule of thumb for buying a house?
Only buy if you plan to live there for more than 10 years.
What should you aim to cover in your emergency fund?
6 months of expenses.
What is wisdom often built through?
Experience
Wisdom is associated with elders who have gathered knowledge over time.
How can you make better decisions according to the text?
Give yourself the advice you’d give a friend
This helps escape personal biases.
What does cultivating curiosity in others achieve?
Increased empathy, better conversation skills, and reduced judgmental attitudes
It encourages learning from everyone.
What is the difference between being productive and being intentional?
Intentionality leads to happiness without the need for productivity
Unproductive time planned as productive causes unhappiness.
What is the formula for happiness presented in the text?
Happiness = Results - Expectations
Lowering expectations can lead to increased happiness.
What should you do to align your actions with your beliefs?
Only say what you believe and do what you say
This reduces feelings of hypocrisy.
What does Taleb define as antifragile?
Anything that has more upside than downside from random events
Examples include avoiding debt and diversifying income streams.
Why is it important to accept that the world is not black and white?
It recognizes degrees of truth and allows for open discussions
A black-and-white perspective leads to stagnation.
What does the concept of ‘Via Negativa’ suggest?
Focus on what to avoid rather than what to pursue
Many successful strategies involve reducing risks.
What is the Lindy Rule used for?
Predicting the lifespan of non-perishable knowledge
It helps in selecting books and evaluating the rationality of beliefs.
What psychological benefit comes from listening more?
People attribute more authority and wisdom to you
Listening encourages others to share and enjoy conversation.
What does the saying about the average of the 5 people you spend time with imply?
You are influenced by those around you
Surrounding yourself with admirable people cultivates good habits.
What is Hanlon’s Razor?
Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity
It encourages assuming ignorance over intentional harm.
How can being a positive presence affect relationships?
People prefer to be around those with a positive attitude
Negative individuals are often avoided.
What are the two steps to mastering your emotions?
1) Recognize emotional reactions 2) Use emotions to your advantage
This leads to better communication and control over mood.
What should you do early in your career regarding opportunities?
Say yes to everything, then say no to almost everything
This helps you discover what you truly enjoy.
What does ‘Less but Better’ encourage?
Eliminate clutter and focus on things that bring joy
It promotes a more fulfilling life.
What is the concept of Extreme Ownership?
You are responsible for everything in which you are involved
It encourages solutions over blame.
What is a flow state?
A state of focus where you lose track of time
It brings inherent happiness and joy from the activity itself.
What does ‘You Can Have Almost Anything You Want, but Not Everything’ imply?
Everything has a price, and choices must be made
Trade-offs are essential in life decisions.
What is the equation for progress according to the text?
Pain + Reflection = Progress
Growth often involves discomfort and feedback.
What is the benefit of writing online?
It clarifies thinking and can lead to wealth
Writing shapes arguments and ideas.
