Huge impact over long term with minimal input.

[plusalpha]

So, Have you guys found out things that makes huge impact over long term with minimum input. Here input can be anything like time, money, energy, a study , or brain power etc one such thing is a good book, What other things are there which may lead to luge impact over long term like 20-30 years. Thanks :)

[thepupil]

So this is a weird and potentially outdated answer but if you have smart middle / high school kids, I think the PSAT is an incredibly undervalued test that a lot of high achieving kids ignore or dismiss as a “practice for the SAT”. Because PSAT determines National Merit Scholarship, and becauee many good schools give full rides to National Merit Finalists, in my view the PSAT is the most important test in high school for those in the top 0-5% who have a chance of being the top 0.5% of scorers in their state. I studied for a year for the PSAT with a privat tutor and was recruited like a freaking athlete for honors programs at decent schools because of it. I didn’t end up going to one of those but the point stands. I assume it helped my admission to my school. Many of my high school peers were smarter but didn’t emphasize the PSAT as much.

 

If you have a smart kid, investing a year and a few grand of time into PSAT prep could have huge ROI for the right circumstance. That said think national merit is generally being de-emphasized as its kind of being recognized as an arbitrary thing that benefits privileged schmucks like me who prepped for it and had the guidance to do so.

 

I am aware of the douchiness of this post.

[LC]

So, Have you guys found out things that makes huge impact over long term with minimum input. Here input can be anything like time, money, energy, a study , or brain power etc one such thing is a good book, What other things are there which may lead to luge impact over long term like 20-30 years. Thanks :)

 

"Constant effort is life's greatest shortcut."

[Jurgis]

So, Have you guys found out things that makes huge impact over long term with minimum input. Here input can be anything like time, money, energy, a study , or brain power etc one such thing is a good book, What other things are there which may lead to luge impact over long term like 20-30 years. Thanks :)

 

"Constant effort is life's greatest shortcut."

 

https://www.cornerofberkshireandfairfax.ca/forum/books/peak-secrets-from-the-new-science-of-expertise-anders-ericsson-et-al/

 

...

 

here goes the "minimal input" part...  :-\  8)

[Gregmal]

Regular reading and physical activity.

[Guest cherzeca]

learning how not to sweat the small stuff

[boilermaker75]

Don't eat sugar.

 

Sugar causes inflammation all over the body. A bad thing.

 

Your brain will function better today and in old age.

 

You will likely not get type 2 diabetes.

 

You will likely not get type 3 diabetes, Alzheimer's.

[BG2008]

Don't eat sugar.

 

Sugar causes inflammation all over the body. A bad thing.

 

Your brain will function better today and in old age.

 

You will likely not get type 2 diabetes.

 

You will likely not get type 3 diabetes, Alzheimer's.

 

I want to bump this.  Since I started running a fund, I work mostly from home.  This means that I took out 7,000 steps that I normally would get by walking around in NYC.  Over the years, this reduction of 7,000 to 10,000 steps translated into 5-10 pounds of weight gain a year.  A friend casually told me about intermittent fasting.  Just eat in an 8 hour window.  It was tough for 2-3 days, but then my body got used to not eating for 16 hours.  It didn't matter what I was eating.  It did wonders.  I no longer get hangry and I started losing a little bit of weight. 

 

Then I started to cut out sugar and carbs.  In a year, I lost something like 45 pounds without really exercising.  Now I actually crave the fasted state where I am more alert. 

 

Try it.  Just cut out sugar and all that processed food.   

[Guest cherzeca]

well I suppose someone is going to move this thread somewhere else now that we are on intermittent fasting, but I agree totally.  if you want to lose weight, the fasting period serves to use up stored glycogen so that you actual do start burning fat.  but even if you dont want to lose weight, I find the discipline and focus translates over into daily life.  and having one meal a day (OMAD) tends to help you appreciate the meal more than if that meal is just one of three meals.

[DooDiligence]

well I suppose someone is going to move this thread somewhere else now that we are on intermittent fasting, but I agree totally.  if you want to lose weight, the fasting period serves to use up stored glycogen so that you actual do start burning fat.  but even if you dont want to lose weight, I find the discipline and focus translates over into daily life.  and having one meal a day (OMAD) tends to help you appreciate the meal more than if that meal is just one of three meals.

 

Guru status  ;)

[Spekulatius]

I have developed some persistent lower back pain last year and then did some research on YT and settled on dong these exercises every morning for 10-15 minutes as well as some pushups. Worked wonders for me.

[boilermaker75]

Don't eat sugar.

 

Sugar causes inflammation all over the body. A bad thing.

 

Your brain will function better today and in old age.

 

You will likely not get type 2 diabetes.

 

You will likely not get type 3 diabetes, Alzheimer's.

 

I want to bump this.  Since I started running a fund, I work mostly from home.  This means that I took out 7,000 steps that I normally would get by walking around in NYC.  Over the years, this reduction of 7,000 to 10,000 steps translated into 5-10 pounds of weight gain a year.  A friend casually told me about intermittent fasting.  Just eat in an 8 hour window.  It was tough for 2-3 days, but then my body got used to not eating for 16 hours.  It didn't matter what I was eating.  It did wonders.  I no longer get hangry and I started losing a little bit of weight. 

 

Then I started to cut out sugar and carbs.  In a year, I lost something like 45 pounds without really exercising.  Now I actually crave the fasted state where I am more alert. 

 

Try it.  Just cut out sugar and all that processed food. 

 

Intermittent fasting is great. I usually don't eat between 8 pm and noon, about 16 hours of fasting a day for me. I do drink coffee in the morning, which does not interrupt the fasting.

 

When I grew up we didn't eat breakfast, so it is easy for me to go to noon without eating.

 

Breakfast is not the most important meal of the day. That was a very successful advertising campaign to sell cereal.

[Rod]

1) Understanding probability and how to apply it in daily life

2) Compound interest

3) Understanding sources of bias and misjudgement

4) Doing what you enjoy

 

 

[SharperDingaan]

Venereal disease and condoms  ;)

You'll always be in business!

 

SD

[Cigarbutt]

I have developed some persistent lower back pain last year and then did some research on YT and settled on dong these exercises every morning for 10-15 minutes as well as some pushups. Worked wonders for me.

I've never really experienced low back pain but have developed some kind of interest in the topic. Direct and indirect costs are hard to assess (especially the indirect component) but the issue is the poster child of rising costs (faster than nominal GDP) without any net benefit. While some of the increase in costs may be attributed to a progressively older population , that aspect has a had a minimal impact as higher costs have been driven by people receiving more treatments per episode with the more specialized forms making a progressively larger proportion. The prevalence of neck and back pain has not really changed. To link with the spirit of the thread, reading The Back Pain Revolution by Mr. Gordon Waddell was time well spent (biopsychosocial approach to a so-called mechanical problem). Anyways, this appears to be another example of your spontaneous and natural capacity to capture the essential elements of a complex situation.

1) Understanding probability and how to apply it in daily life

2) Compound interest

3) Understanding sources of bias and misjudgement

5) Doing what you enjoy

 

and 4) Try to grow the ability to distinguish fads from trends

i like 5) as the last item (as an outcome of sorts)

 

[plusalpha]

 

Received many feedback online and offline as well. Amazed to see, how most replies concentrate in physical exercises, constant effort, deliberate practice and learning.

Offline feedbacks

- Meditation and Yoga. ( very irregular in Meditation and Yoga need to make it everyday thing)

- Learning and unlearning

- Introspection

- Spending time with high achievers ( meeting over coffee and talk over phone calls)

Online feedbacks

- PSAT for middle high school kids by thepupil

- LC - suggested “Constant effort” ( constant effort over long term can be amazing , read post by Nick Maggiulli https://ofdollarsanddata.com/great-things-take-time/) 

- Jurgis recommended book  “peak : Secrets from the New Science of Expertise” ( I put it in 2020 reading list)

- Vinod1 suggested concept of “Deliberate practice” in investing and teaching to children from baseball to math. (Joshua Foer in book Moonwalking with Einstein also mentions  about Deliberate practice to get over the plateau zone)

- Gregmal suggested “Regular reading and physical activity

- Cherzeca “learning how not to sweat the small stuff

- Boiler maker 75 – do not eat sugar.  brain functions better with no sugar and likely avoid type 2 /type 3 diabetes and Alzheimer’s ( I follow this – no sugar in coffee or tea but occasionally eat dessert, will work on avoiding desserts)

- BG2008 – intermittent fasting with cutting sugar and carbs ( I also do the intermittent fasting, however need to work on doing regularly)

- Spekulatius- exercises from YT

for lower back pain and Push-ups.

- Rod – Understanding probability and application in daily life, compound interest, understanding sources of bias and misjudgment (reading Influence by Cialdini currently), Doing what you enjoy … (agree on all,  great ones)

 

Thank you all sharing good ideas. please keep sharing if you find more. Thank you Jurgis for the book “peak”recommendation. Thank you Spekulatius for posting YT link for lower back pain. :)

 

[Castanza]

- Spend time in nature

- Volunteer your time (helps others, gives you appreciation for your life circumstances, networks, etc)

- Physical labor (other than exercise). Accomplish, build, create something outside of the white box sitting on your desk. Great stress relief  (garden, split some wood, landscape your house, etc.)

[LC]

I have developed some persistent lower back pain last year and then did some research on YT and settled on dong these exercises every morning for 10-15 minutes as well as some pushups. Worked wonders for me.

 

These are developed based on Dr Stuart Mcgill's work, I do them too (in some fashion or another).

 

I also find that leg strength and abdominal strength help in supporting the trunk and keeping the spine stabilized. Stay healthy!  ;D

[Guest cherzeca]

great thread!  for those with back pain, consider chiropractic adjustment and deep tissue massage.  worked for me.  even if you are fit and exercise regularly, the spine needs its own focused movement

[Liberty]

Don't eat sugar.

 

Sugar causes inflammation all over the body. A bad thing.

 

Your brain will function better today and in old age.

 

You will likely not get type 2 diabetes.

 

You will likely not get type 3 diabetes, Alzheimer's.

 

I want to bump this.  Since I started running a fund, I work mostly from home.  This means that I took out 7,000 steps that I normally would get by walking around in NYC.  Over the years, this reduction of 7,000 to 10,000 steps translated into 5-10 pounds of weight gain a year.  A friend casually told me about intermittent fasting.  Just eat in an 8 hour window.  It was tough for 2-3 days, but then my body got used to not eating for 16 hours.  It didn't matter what I was eating.  It did wonders.  I no longer get hangry and I started losing a little bit of weight. 

 

Then I started to cut out sugar and carbs.  In a year, I lost something like 45 pounds without really exercising.  Now I actually crave the fasted state where I am more alert. 

 

Try it.  Just cut out sugar and all that processed food. 

 

This is all very good advice for almost everyone.