如果能回到20歲，我最想告訴那時的自己這6件事 | I'm 42, here are 6 things I want to tell 20 year old me

Summary

Chao reflects on lessons he would share with his younger self, drawing on career setbacks, habit-building, and family life. His central message is to create momentum through small, repeatable actions rather than waiting for the perfect time or a crisis to force change.

Six Habits and Strategies

• Create healthy pressure before you reach a crisis. Set a deadline or a small, concrete goal to prompt action. Chao says the drive he found during a difficult period was already within him; urgency simply switched it on.
• Protect time for deliberate practice—and make distractions less accessible. Use small pockets of time, such as 30 minutes a day, to learn or work toward a goal. Chao cites Josh Kaufman’s estimate that 20 hours of deliberate practice can bring a beginner to a decent level in a new skill. To reclaim time, add “friction” to distractions—for example, remove time-consuming apps or shopping apps, or take payment cards out of a mobile wallet.
• Spend intentionally on what matters to you. Small, unnoticed purchases and forgotten subscriptions can drain money without adding much value. Spend more freely on things you genuinely care about, such as health, knowledge, or happiness, rather than letting money disappear into low-value habits.
• Go for opportunities before you feel fully ready. Chao recommends applying for roles that stretch your abilities and taking on challenging work. He argues that drive and willingness to learn can matter as much as existing expertise—and that you need to try in order to be seen.
• Follow the “Never Miss Twice” rule. Habits don’t have to be perfect, but if you miss a day, resume the next day. A single lapse is manageable; repeated lapses can become a new pattern. Chao describes maintaining regular study, exercise, and advice-seeking while preparing for career transitions.
• Produce more than you consume. Don’t stop at reading or watching information. Close the book and explain the idea in your own words, ideally so a beginner can understand it. Teaching or creating content helps reveal what you really know and reinforces learning.

Chao’s broader advice is to choose one habit and stick with it rather than trying to change everything at once.

Presenters and Sources Mentioned

• Chao — presenter
• Josh Kaufman — TED Talk on learning a skill through deliberate practice
• Atomic Habits — cited for the “Never Miss Twice” idea
• The Feynman Technique — referenced in the discussion of explaining what you’ve learned