5 Habits I Ignored in My 20s
About this video
Jeff, who says he just turned 30, lists five unexpected habits he regrets not starting in his 20s, distinct from conventional habits like working out, sleep, using a calendar, and reading. One, wish people happy birthday: he says it is low-effort, high-return for keeping contact so asking for a favor or referral later is not awkward. He says he exported friends’ birthdays from Facebook into Google Calendar using a Chrome extension he calls Birthday Calendar Exporter, downloading an .ics file and importing it, ideally into a separate toggleable calendar. Two, moisturize and apply sunscreen daily: he describes a simple routine — morning water, moisturizer, wait two minutes, sunscreen; night cleanser, moisturizer — spending under 10 minutes a day, and cites Ali Abdaal’s evidence-based skincare video recommending Eucerin, CeraVe, and La Roche-Posay, a moisturizer under US$30, and broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF50, matched to skin type. Three, close the loop: he says he sent 347 cold emails networking for his first job, about 20% replied, but he failed to thank or follow up with those roughly 70 professionals, and was largely ignored two years later when pivoting away from management consulting; he now makes closing the loop a default action item in his meeting notes template. Four, read less, review more: he uses Readwise, which sends him five highlights every morning taking about three minutes to review, and quotes Alex Hormozi that if behavior does not change from reading a book, nothing was learned. Five, be a guide, not a guru — a concept he attributes to Ali Abdaal fans — learning and teaching from someone one level above, documenting work topics like budget forecasting and project management, sharing them, which he says gave him confidence to host training and inspired his YouTube channel. As a bonus, he cites re-racking weights at the gym as a reminder to do the right thing when no one is watching.
Key takeaways
- Wish people happy birthday to maintain yearly contact so future asks feel less awkward; Jeff exported Facebook birthdays to Google Calendar via the Birthday Calendar Exporter extension and an .ics import
- Use a simple daily skincare routine — moisturizer and broad-spectrum SPF50+ sunscreen in the morning, cleanser and moisturizer at night — with brands Eucerin, CeraVe, or La Roche-Posay and moisturizer under US$30
- Close the loop after any ask: Jeff sent 347 cold emails, got about 20% replies, failed to thank those helpers, and was largely ignored when he reached out again two years later
- Review more than you read: Readwise sends five highlights each morning for about three minutes of review, lowering friction so concepts are actually applied
- Be a guide, not a guru: document what you are learning at work and teach people one level below you, which Jeff says built confidence for training sessions and led to his YouTube channel
Episode details: published December 27, 2022 · 8:28 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Jeff Su’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.
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