Effective Mental Models

This could be its own list. This is "the process of boiling problems down to their simplest form." For example, for good health cut carbohydrate consumption and lift weights. It can be that simple, not easy maybe but simple. We could go on for hours about why that is but at the end of that session, it would still be cut carbs and lift weights.

Another example, for financial freedom live below your means, save money and don't trade up. Nine words and you're financially free.

I've mentioned this one many times, making life better by removing things. Remove carbs and you get healthier. Figure out how to remove a daily commute and a big source of aggravation disappears.

“If an action will take less than two minutes, it should be done at the moment it’s defined.” While I have never framed it as 2 minutes, I usually quickly knock out things that won't take long.

"Work expands to fill the time allotted to it." This applies to other things too. For the fire department our annual physical requirement is the pack test which requires a 3 mile hike on a track in 45 minutes or less wearing a 45 pound pack. I have long believed that if the requirement were lowered to 44 minutes or upped to 46 minutes, it wouldn't change that pass/fail rate.

"We overestimate what we can do in one year and underestimate what we can do in ten years."

Let's if I can give some examples. We bought the house we live in back in 2012. The seller first put it up for sale in 2002 at a number that back then we could not afford. I doubt we could afford his original number now but time went on and the price went down and so in that ten years the combination of the house falling into disrepair and our making and saving a little more and we were able to buy it and fix it up.

I've been chief of Walker Fire for ten years and we are doing things now related to off-district assignments and the new engine we are buying that ten years ago had zero visibility for ever happening. In both instances I underestimated what we could do in exactly ten years.

"The only way to get to a place of freedom is through discipline.” Attributed to Jocko Willink.

I guess I agree but frame it differently. Habits become easier the longer you do them and sticking with those habits is a way of investing in your future self or you could say you're doing your future self a huge favor.

Once you get to your 40's or 50's your life can either be much easier thanks to habits/behaviors you adopted in your 20's or not. If not, it is not too late start.