The Technium – 103 Bits of Advice I Wish I Had Known – “Today is my birthday. I turn 70. I’ve learned a few things so far that might be helpful to others. For the past few years, I’ve jotted down bits of unsolicited advice each year and much to my surprise I have more to add this year. So here is my birthday gift to you all: 103 bits of wisdom I wish I had known when I was young (Previous years here and here.). A sample of the lessons:

• Cultivate 12 people who love you, because they are worth more than 12 million people who like you.
• Don’t keep making the same mistakes; try to make new mistakes.
• Life lessons will be presented to you in the order they are needed. Everything you need to master the lesson is within you. Once you have truly learned a lesson, you will be presented with the next one. If you are alive, that means you still have lessons to learn.
• Productivity is often a distraction. Don’t aim for better ways to get through your tasks as quickly as possible, rather aim for better tasks that you never want to stop doing.
• Immediately pay what you owe to vendors, workers, contractors. They will go out of their way to work with you first next time.
• The biggest lie we tell ourselves is “I dont need to write this down because I will remember it.”
• Buy used books. They have the same words as the new ones. Also libraries.
• The consistency of your endeavors (exercise, companionship, work) is more important than the quantity. Nothing beats small things done every day, which is way more important than what you do occasionally…”