Twenty Great Life Hacks That Most of Us Learn Far Too Late

I am a sucker for the various lists of "life hacks" that get posted on the web, particularly when they make sense to me (see: 20 Things I Should Have Known at 20). The list below, copied from the referenced note, resonates with me. 

1. The world is trying to keep you stupid.
2. Do not have faith in institutions to educate you.
3. Read as much as you can.
4. Connect with everyone, all the time.
5. Don’t waste time being shy.
6. If you feel weird about something during a relationship, that’s usually what you end up breaking up over.
7. Have as much contact as possible with older people.
8. Find people that are cooler than you and hang out with them too.
9. You will become more conservative over time.
10. Reduce all expenses as much as possible.
11. Instead of getting status through objects (which provide only temporary boosts), do it through experiences.
12. While you are living on the cheap, solve the money problem.
13. Learn to program.
14. Get a six-pack (or get thin, whatever your goal is) while you are young.
15. Learn to cook.
16. Sleep well.
17. Get a reminder app for everything.
18. Choose something huge to do, as well as allowing the waves of opportunity to help you along.
19. Get known for one thing.
20. Don’t try to “fix” anyone. Instead, look for someone who isn’t broken.

One of the items in the list that may seem to be the most trivial -- get a reminder app for everything -- may be one of the most important. Actually, having access to a reminder/do-list is a relatively simple matter. What's hard is keeping it up-to-date and comprehensive. That's really hard and requires dedication and commitment. 

I have finally discovered the secret of keeping my personal task list current. I have access to it in a floating window on my computer screen. It's always staring at me as a reminder of what I haven't yet done. I am fond of the task list that comes with Gmail. An added bonus with this particular app is that I can access my list from the browser on my smartphone so I can add items to it when away from my desk. The best thing about keeping a task list is one's sense of satisfaction when you complete a task and can then legitimately remove it from the list.