Post: #1

I have a lot of free time this summer, I'm going to work part time to make enough to travel at the beginning of August, but apart from that I have at least 6 hours a day where I could be doing some productive stuff. I am going to be interning full time in fall so I want to be productive now over summer.

So far the one thing I have set in stone is that I want to learn Spanish - I have a lot of friends who speak the language and I only know it on a very basic level. I speak English/German, so I'd like to be multilingual soon. The two other ones that have kind of piqued my interest are dancing (seems to always impress girls and having gone out a lot in college I realize most guys have no clue how to dance) and some form of fighting (for self defense).

I see a lot of different ideas all over the Internet for things that might be worth taking some time to learn or explore. However, I would like to ask the Roosh forum (where the majority of guys are older/more experienced than me but have similar mindsets and outlooks on life) what members here would spend their time doing if they were at the start of their 20s?

Edit: I'm already very active, always have been, so gym/fitness is already a major component of my life. I assume that will be a popular answer. I'm looking more for things that will lead to productive outcomes down the line, be it with careers, intellect, social life, girls, etc.

Post: #2

Jeez, need more info on what you like to do. Learning more languages is good, certainly.

Where do you live? The first thing that comes to mind is get some pistol training and learn how to effectively fight with a pistol, and train live fire at least weekly. But you might live somewhere that makes that illegal or impractical.

Post: #3

Learn a language, learn a skill that can make you money without having to work for someone else, learn a self defense skill.

Post: #4

Young poosy, by far. Invest heavily in it.

Your access to it will dwindle with age.

Everything else can be done later.

Post: #5

Learn sales. Will aid you with your career, business and women.

Life is sales.

Post: #6

Learn a second language.

Post: #7

^ Sales, as said above and marketing. Both are skills that will stand the test of time, and since they are normally (if you work for someone else) largely commision-based, sales people are usually the last to be canned.

Sales builds confidence, interpersonal skills, and the ability to go after what you want. i've said before that I think everybody should spend sometime in sales - it had profounds benefits on myself, and the benefits exceeded the business realm. You deal with cold-call anxiety, which is an inner-conflict. Learning how to improve your self-talk, deal with inner-resistance, as well as rejection are pillars of a successful salesperson.

In addition, I found that with some sales under my belt, my speaking improved, as well as my witty banter. When you're on the phone all day, or selling door-to-door, you'll find that you naturally become a better speaker.

In saying that, you're already working part-time, so you'll likely not be willing to find a sales job. So here are some other recommendations:

- Copywriting (Copywriting pays)
- Consume a ton of books
- Language (of course)
- Learn a new instrument
- Improve your game; approach a ton. You have ample time, so there's no reason not to.
- Start a business; 6-hours a day downtime is perfect for experimentation.
- Join a group; I used to be apart of a toastmasters group, and despite my previous dislike for public speaking, toastmasters made me feel a lot more confident speaking in large groups.

Post: #8

I also find myself with an abundance of spare time at the moment.

Currently working on another language, reading plenty, and brainstorming.

Post: #9

25 here, sometimes I have a deep fear that I can fuck up my life, for example by choosing wrong career path or ending up in a dead end job

Plus, being born in a fucked up country doesn't help, I have to figure out things before 30, seems that after that critical age is difficult to start all over again

The general consensus is :

Read books
Learn transferable skills
Know how to sell yourself and your skills to marketplace

Post: #10

I'm into investing in hobbies that will pay off in the second half of life, when my motivation to research and learn will likely be diminished (at some point). As an aside, I do things for myself and not for women.

Currently, I'm learning to draw and watercolor paint in the hope that I eventually can be competent enough to quickly paint art that is good enough to sell.

Needs this fulfills:
It's a hobby that takes me away from consumer entertainment. That's important now, but it'll probably become even more so as I age.
I can do it anywhere and all year.
It's meditative.
It's a potential source of income producing something quickly and with low materials cost.
Better painters are a type of rock star in certain circles.
I can write off trips to anywhere in the world.
The product is always unique and an expression of what I hold to be beautiful.
Every man should have a hobby just because. It could have been furniture building, archery, guns, sailing, poker or something else. This is the one that I chose.
Negatives:
The learning curve is somewhat steep (which is a positive in terms of your competition if you put in the work).
There are no income guarantees (but that's not my primary motivation).
Oil paintings tend to sell more readily.

I also fish and play chess. However, I view these more as activities because I don't actively work to improve in either other than through participating.

The only other thing that I recommend that you do while young is to practice writing a lot. Writing well is a major boon and a skill that only gets better with a lot of practice. The method that I always recommend is to start writing a book, in earnest, even if you never print it. Pick a topic that you can write on and do it. The practice in writing and editing chapters, for print, will vastly improve your writing skill over time.

Post: #11

Don't overdo anything.
Dancing is good, but by learning the basics / beginner level you'll be ahead of 95% ofguys. You don't need to be good enough to be on TV.
Chasing women is good but don't let it take up your whole life. If you have interests,hobbies etc. you'll meet women by accident and be an interesting person. If you spend your entire free time chasing skirts, ou'll be a bore.
Exercise/working out is good;but again, to a point. Do it to the point you're in good shape, not to the pointwhere you spend allthe time in the gym and read bodybuilding magazines.
Starting a sideline business is good.
When you becomean intern use it as a learning opportunity. Ask lots of questions, read upon the company/industry, ask to borrow industry publications. Use the knowledge at your next job.
Get to know your parents. They'll be gone too soon.
Make friends -- people you can trust and have serious conversations with. Only way to do this is to getto know people and eliminate fromyour life those who are untrustworthy or shallow.

Post: #12

How about breaking it down

Physical: Strength training, Scuba diving ...

Mental: Classical studies, Philosophy

Social: Sales, Cold approach pickup

Spiritual: Christianity, QiGong or Tai-Chi

Pick something you like in each category and hammer away.

Misc tips

- Excelling in one or two disciplines beats being a jack of all trades. Whatever hobby you pick, make sure you have the ability & interest to pursue it to a degree where it can net you either money, status or women.

- Pick something you already have a natural advantage in. If you have Germanic genetics with big bones go into Powerlifting. If you're somewhat gifted at writing, start blogging. If you're mechanically inclined ... get into sailing, classic cars etc ... While hard work can even the playing field, natural talent will always give you an edge over the competition.

- Pick a hobby that doesn't have a short shelf life. If you like football or wrestling ... you'll be done by age 30. I've met fat 40 year old former D1 wrestling champions who now have nothing except stories from the good old days. You can pursue and improve upon hobbies like painting, flying helis or Shaolin Kung Fu well into old age.

- Try doing things like fucking 18 year old girls or dead lifting 500lbs while you're still young. Just to minimize regret further down the line as these activities get harder as you get older.

Post: #13

Game, get good with women, will free alot of your mind to focus on other endeavors. Get in good shape and maintain it.

Post: #14

At the end of the day, the most valuable skill in life is the ability to make other people like you. When people like you, they do things for you. They'll buy things from you or do business with you. They'll introduce you to their friends and connections. They'll give you opportunities they would deny to others. If they're women, they'll fuck you. If they're men, they'll respect you. Having the right person do you a favor at the right time can literally change your entire life. A man - even the greatest of the great men - is only a man. His reach and power are limited (i.e. no matter how hard he works or how much he learns, he still only has two hands, one brain and 24 hours in the day). True power is the ability to influence others to act on your behalf. Leverage the work, experience, know-how and social circle of others and you suddenly multiple your opportunities exponentially. And how do you do that? It all starts with making people like you.

How do you make people like you? Obviously there's no one size fits all answer. Learning sales is a great start. It gives you a foundation of social skills and an ability to create rapport with a wide range of people. Secondly, always seek to provide value to other people - be a giver, not a taker. Your time and generosity will occasionally be taken for granted, it's true, but you'll be surprised how often they're repaid - and sometimes repaid tenfold. And practice the art of boldness. People love and respect a man who isn't afraid to be bold. They're also more inclined to do such men favors.

Social skills remain the most valuable skills on the planet. Cultivate them and you will reap the benefits both personally and professionally.

Post: #15

I'm going to have to also say a second language, and then a third depending on how well you enjoyed learning a second one.

But also learning to tell stories would be of great use to you.

Since you say you're active, but not just active an actual martial art makes a world of difference. While I myself have an extremely strong base in grappling, a striking art is something I would say to look at first. Boxing for example, those gyms tend to be more legitimate and you'll notice a change quicker. Just for the love of god don't become one of those BJJ cult idiots. I can get a guy and snap his ankle within a few moments should I feel so inclined but I would much prefer a hook to his jaw seeing as how I'd still be standing while he's toppling over.

Post: #16

(05-14-2016 05:02 PM)scorpion Wrote:  At the end of the day, the most valuable skill in life is the ability to make other people like you. When people like you, they do things for you. They'll buy things from you or do business with you. They'll introduce you to their friends and connections. They'll give you opportunities they would deny to others. If they're women, they'll fuck you. If they're men, they'll respect you. Having the right person do you a favor at the right time can literally change your entire life. A man - even the greatest of the great men - is only a man. His reach and power are limited (i.e. no matter how hard he works or how much he learns, he still only has two hands, one brain and 24 hours in the day). True power is the ability to influence others to act on your behalf. Leverage the work, experience, know-how and social circle of others and you suddenly multiple your opportunities exponentially. And how do you do that? It all starts with making people like you.

How do you make people like you? Obviously there's no one size fits all answer. Learning sales is a great start. It gives you a foundation of social skills and an ability to create rapport with a wide range of people. Secondly, always seek to provide value to other people - be a giver, not a taker. Your time and generosity will occasionally be taken for granted, it's true, but you'll be surprised how often they're repaid - and sometimes repaid tenfold. And practice the art of boldness. People love and respect a man who isn't afraid to be bold. They're also more inclined to do such men favors.

Social skills remain the most valuable skills on the planet. Cultivate them and you will reap the benefits both personally and professionally.

I could not agree more.

To add to the "be a giver, not a taker", the best thing you can give is not money or favors (although those are good too) - it's your interest in the other person. Everyone is self-absorbed to a certain extent. If you can break the mold and become absorbed in someone else, they will love you. However, you shouldn't go around faking interest in people you're not interested in as a life rule. Seek out people who you're naturally interested in at first. Eventually, you'll find a way to become genuinely absorbed in everyone you spend time with while you're with them.

It's amazing how much people like people who are interested in them for the right reasons. It's also a key characteristic of leadership.

Post: #17

(05-14-2016 05:02 PM)scorpion Wrote:  At the end of the day, the most valuable skill in life is the ability to make other people like you. When people like you, they do things for you. They'll buy things from you or do business with you. They'll introduce you to their friends and connections. They'll give you opportunities they would deny to others. If they're women, they'll fuck you. If they're men, they'll respect you. Having the right person do you a favor at the right time can literally change your entire life. A man - even the greatest of the great men - is only a man. His reach and power are limited (i.e. no matter how hard he works or how much he learns, he still only has two hands, one brain and 24 hours in the day). True power is the ability to influence others to act on your behalf. Leverage the work, experience, know-how and social circle of others and you suddenly multiple your opportunities exponentially. And how do you do that? It all starts with making people like you.

How do you make people like you? Obviously there's no one size fits all answer. Learning sales is a great start. It gives you a foundation of social skills and an ability to create rapport with a wide range of people. Secondly, always seek to provide value to other people - be a giver, not a taker. Your time and generosity will occasionally be taken for granted, it's true, but you'll be surprised how often they're repaid - and sometimes repaid tenfold. And practice the art of boldness. People love and respect a man who isn't afraid to be bold. They're also more inclined to do such men favors.

Social skills remain the most valuable skills on the planet. Cultivate them and you will reap the benefits both personally and professionally.

This is invaluable advice for a young person, and I wish I had it drilled into me when I was a teen.

OP -- I mean it. This is $million+ advice.

I would add that one of the easiest ways to bring value to the table (so you can be a giver) is to polish up a skillset or two, particularly ones that you are very passionate about or interested in.

When people ask you "what's up" or "how's it going", and you can tell them about the cool insight you just read about or the tip you just tried about your skillset, it's really powerful.

Especially if you can relate it to an issue they have, that such info might solve.*

Or barring a need that you can fulfill (let's say your interlocutor is just so much more successful than you, and it would seem presumptuous to offer them any advice), ask for their opinion on it.

Then sit back and listen listen listen.

(* this assumes you are talking to a man... obviously don't try to solve anything for a woman)

Post: #18

General "power" skills:

Sales
Negotiation
Persuasion
Effective writing (copywriting / business writing)

These are all kinda "know how" skills in that you only get them by applying them. They're also not too dense though, you can read a couple of the best books in each area and grasp some fundamentals.

Maybe google around a bit for each of these and pick the one that sound most interesting, read the best two books you can find on it, and then put it into action.

2) Doing something you really love

P.S. I also strongly second doing something that taps your natural strengths and passions. If techy/analytical, learn to program and build a simple app/website, if you love writing, start a blog, if you love the cold approach game, do a 30-day challenge see how far you can push it.

If you love the idea of learning more Spanish, DEF do it man! Such a useful language. You could do one mental, one physical - e.g. Spanish and dancing. Sick.

I never regret one minute "producing" with something that really appealed to me, even if it had no immediate payoff, it always opened doors and benefited me highly some way.

Post: #19

I left home soon after high school (over 30 years ago, now), and even soon after leaving, I was introduced to financial self-help topics, and thereafter always considered ways to build my personal finances in order not to be at all dependent upon my parents.

Accordingly, I constantly figured ways to "live within my means" in order to have a considerable percentage of my income go towards investment (building a nest egg).

There are frequently consumption and recreation temptations, yet frequently, we can find that we are able to still consume and entertain ourselves while setting aside a certain amount of our income flow every month and put that money to work for us.

Even though I did go in a bit of a debt for college (by the way, I did not go to college immediately after high school, but instead about 4 years later began to delve part-time into college while i was still in a full-time job), I did attempt to leverage some of the subsidized nature of my college loans in order to get a higher return on part of that and to continue to build my nest egg. I also sometimes used zero % credit cards for nest egg building... and I would never pay interest on those (except some of them have initial transfer fees that need to be calculated into the costs).

When I look back, I don't really regret the quantity of money that I set aside on an ongoing basis for investing; however, sometimes, I ended up lump summing some of the set aside monies and sometimes would make some relatively bad investment choices (maybe gambling a bit too much with certain portions of it to cut back my overall returns).. while at the same time some of my investment vehicles, in retrospect, seem too conservative.. so there is some foresight and luck, too.. (all of it adds up, the good, bad and the ugly, and can be difficult to calculate overall performance of various assets because some years are real good and others are not so good, but overall my assets appear to have grown by between 5-6% per year, outside of my additional and ongoing investments into them.. which really adds up).

Overall, it is difficult to determine how, exactly, to apportion your various investments, but in my thinking it remains a good practice to start early in setting aside money (anywhere between 10% and 50% can be good), living well within your means and to continue to build upon and to attempt to become better at those kinds of good financial practices.