1. Eliminate negativity in your life. It can come from outside or inside, from jobs, loved ones, friends, or habits of thought. Internal sources will be harder to address, but will dramatically improve your productivity and happiness. Put in the work.
2. Invest in the positive relationships instead. Friends come and go, but there will be a small subset who, even after long separation, can pick up right where you left off. Don’t forget them! Do the same with colleagues. They may get you a job or be your first hire someday. Talking or hanging out regularly when you don’t need anything will make it easier when you, or they, do.
3. Focus on the things that bring you joy; automate everything else. You pay either with time or money. If spending that time isn’t worthwhile to you, spend the extra money instead. Drop off the laundry, hire a housekeeper, or eat out if doing it yourself is a chore. This is hard when you’re young and poor, but as you age, and your savings grow, time will become your most precious resource. Use it wisely. Building passive income streams, by investing your savings in companies or real estate that eventually pay all your expenses, is the ultimate automation hack.
4. Spend less money than you make; invest the rest. If you don’t, you will be a wage slave for life. (To automate investing, see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21856310)
Before I know it I'm at work and ready.
I figured that out embarrassingly late and it saves so much time.