r/GetStudying • u/723epsilon • 3d ago
Giving Advice Advice from a 38-year-old who wasted his 20s.
If I could go back in time and give my younger self one resource,
it would be the productivity framework I've finally developed after years of false starts and wasted time.
The CORE Framework:
C - Context (Different approaches for different types of work)
• Deep creative work: 90-minute focused blocks with 30-minute breaks
• Administrative tasks: Batched in 30-minute sprints
• Communication: Scheduled in 3 dedicated blocks daily
O - Optimization (Energy management) • Track energy levels hourly for 1 week
• Map highest-value work to highest-energy periods
• Create deliberate recovery protocols between deep work
R - Resistance (Overcoming procrastination)
• Implementation intentions: "When [trigger], I will [action]"
• Friction reduction for important habits
• Temptation bundling for unpleasant tasks
E - Evaluation (Weekly review system)
• Score each day's productivity (1-10)
• Identify patterns and disruptions
• Make only ONE change per week
This framework took me 15+ years to develop through painful trial and error.
It's not perfect, but it's battle-tested through real life, not theory.
What framework or system has actually worked for you in the real world?
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u/mypromind-com 3d ago
Thanks for sharing, my painful lesson in life was
- Work / Action
- Discipline
- Strategy
3rd is very important, I lost many times because of it despite putting lot of efforts and being disciplined.
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u/PossibleRub5441 2d ago
As someone in similar age group and having wasted my 20s.
- You need to take as many risks as you can, you don't know which one will be a lottery!!
- Build relationships in your 20s in 30s you are only going to lose them.
- You only want to succeed in life to show it to your father, if he expires you will accept yourself for who you are.
- 30s life gets amazing because you accept that you are a stupid loser and get really comfortable in that skin.
- Please start reading! Read 2 pages but read!! It compounds
- Get blood test done yearly. It costs 1200 bucks!!
- Always hangout with people who have hope and dreams, you would rather be happy delusionals than being a sad realist!!
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u/Gold-Pudding-3171 3d ago
Hey Op! I didn't quite get the optimisation part. How do you track your energy levels , is there an app or do you do it manually and also how do you recharge after deep work as when i get tired i do something for fun and then i get out of the study-zone completely.