9 Foundational Habits Young Men Should Start Now to Raise Themselves Right. Awhile back I was driving through the place where I grew up – Edmond, Oklahoma – and happened to pass by my old high school.
This wasn’t an unusual event; I now live just an hour and a half from Edmond and my parents still reside there, so I’m back fairly frequently and sometimes pass the school. But this time something was different. On past occasions, I would be hit with a rush of nostalgia and memories of my days there would vividly come back to me. This time, however, I felt…nothing. Cognitively I thought, “There’s my old high school,” but no emotional wires were tripped. As I drove on and contemplated this change and the distance I realized I now felt towards my youth in general, a quote from Theodore Roosevelt I had read years earlier came back to me: “The child is father to the man.”
Roosevelt, I learned, was not the originator of the quote – he was in fact referencing a poem by William Wordsworth: Why does this cleaving between youth and adulthood occur? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Book Giveaway: The Swordless Samurai by Tim Clark. Yesterday, Tim Clark wrote a fantastic guest post on the 8 Virtues of the Samurai.
In the post, Tim discussed the history of Hideyoshi, a peasant who rose through the ranks of the samurai and became the supreme ruler in Japan during the 16th century. Unlike his contemporaries, Hideyoshi sought to overcome his adversaries peaceably, through negotiation and alliance building rather than through brute force. Lacking physical strength and fighting skills, he naturally chose to rely on wits rather than weapons, on strategy over swords. Hyedoshi became the swordless samurai.
Heading Out on Your Own — Day 23: How to Iron a Dress Shirt. How to Make Small Talk. Heading Out on Your Own — Day 21: Know Your Way Around a Kitchen. If there remains a lingering sense among older generations of men that cooking is “women’s work,” I would think it is probably fading greatly among the younger set.
True, for much of human history men did the hunting/farming and women did the cooking, and this arrangement continued to work well into the 20th century. Young men made a quick transition from living with their flapjack-flipping mother, to settling down with a meatloaf-making wife. Or, he lodged at boarding houses that provided victuals along with a bed.
But those days are long gone; accommodations that come with a cook are now virtually non-existent (although it lives on in fraternity houses), and men are remaining bachelors longer – well into their late 20s and early 30s. As all modern men still need to eat virtually every single day, the only choice that remains is either starving…or being completely dependent on restaurant meals and take-out food. Keeps you healthy and strong. Saves you money. Car Care: How to Take Care of Your Car. If you had access to a car while living at home, chances are your parents took care of its maintenance or offered reminders as to when to take it in for service.
When you’re on your own, car maintenance becomes your responsibility. Yes, it can be expensive and time consuming, but the investment you make today will save you money down the road. How to Fix a Running Toilet. Fssssssshhhhh….
“Just jiggle the handle…” Have you heard that before? Yep, that wonderful sound of a rogue toilet. You lift the lid, poke things a little, and hope the pot fixes itself. My late father had many fine qualities, but aside from knowing which end of the hammer was for hitting, he was not a handyman. How to Rent Your First Apartment. One of the first “adult” things you’ll likely do when you head out on your own is rent an apartment.
The process can be a bit intimidating for a first time renter. Below we take you through the steps of finding an apartment, navigating the legalese of the lease agreement, as well as managing your rights as a tenant. Essential Etiquette for Young Men. Manners.
Etiquette. For some men, these words don’t belong in the same breath as manliness. For them, etiquette and manners conjure up arbitrary lists of dos and don’ts, a nagging mother, or scenes of artificial formality, complete with images of bowing and scraping, the polishing of monocles, and a bunch of treacly, “How do you dos?” And “No, after yous!” How to Create a Budget & Stick to It. In the classic clip above from The Cosby Show, Cliff Huxtable’s son Theo feels ready to live on his own, but his father humorously disabuses him of the notion by taking him through a hypothetical budget.
How to Change a Flat Tire: An Illustrated Guide. House Cleaning Routine for Men. During my first semester of college, I roomed with my good friend from high school in a dorm at the University of Oklahoma.
We were pretty much like The Odd Couple, with me playing the part of the slobby Oscar Madison and my friend taking on the role of neat freak Felix Ungar, minus the annoying neuroticism. You could walk into our dorm room and instantly tell whose side was whose. My roommate’s side always looked presentable and clean: bed made, desk neat, clothes put away. My side looked like a disaster area: blankets and sheets askew, books and newspapers covering my bed, and laundry only half put away. Networking for Young People. Young men will often start to focus on networking only when they are looking for a job.
Perhaps after graduation, or with the loss of a previous job. What to Do If You Get in a Car Accident. Getting in a car accident is no fun. I can still remember my first (and only!) Accident. Credit Report & Credit History: What Are the Differences? Credit. When it comes to understanding personal finance, this component looms large. For some it is a dirty word, to be avoided at all costs. For others, it is an intoxicating license, an opportunity to reach for a lifestyle well beyond their means. In truth, credit can be extremely helpful or harmful depending on how it’s used. In many ways, credit is more of a tool than anything else – simply a means of achieving some desired outcome. How to Manage Your Online Reputation. All the basic life skills we’ve covered so far in this series have been things that your dad, and even your granddad, had to learn when he left home for the first time too.
But today’s young man faces a new challenge that Pops never encountered: managing his online reputation. Despite the nascent nature of this skill, I truly believe it’s one of the most important things we’ll talk about in this series. As the line between the offline and online world gets increasingly blurry, your online reputation is your reputation. Before you meet your freshman roommate, before you pick up a date, before you shake the hand of a potential employer…you better believe they’ve already Googled you, already formed a first, first impression about you, your interests, and what kind of person you are. Living With Roommates Tips. If you’re like most young men leaving the nest for the first time, you probably won’t have enough money to live all by yourself. To save money, you’ll very likely have to bunk with a roommate or two to cut down on living costs. While roommates can save you money (and provide camaraderie and companionship), they can pose many challenges.
How to Make Hospital Corners on a Bed: A Visual Guide. Heading Out on Your Own — Day 6: How to Ace a Job Interview. Nearly every man will go through at least one job interview at some point, maybe even several dozen over his lifetime. Even if you plan on becoming an entrepreneur and your own boss, many businesses start off as a side hustle to your 9-5 before becoming a full-time gig, and plenty of millionaires spent time in their younger years waiting tables and filing papers. Knowing how to ace a job interview is a skill every man can master. There are numerous ways to hone that skill and special considerations for different kinds of interviews, and we’ll definitely cover those specific ins and outs down the road. Time Management: How to Plan Your Week. Hygiene and Grooming Routines for Men. Checking Accounts for Students: How to Open and Manage a Checking Account. For a young man just beginning to establish his financial life, opening a checking account is a small, but important, step in that process.
A checking account is the workhorse of your accounts. It’s for money that you plan on spending or transferring to another account quickly. Heading Out On Your Own. Laundry Tips for College Students. One of the first things many young men will be confronted with doing for themselves for the first time when they leave home is their laundry. It’s not exactly rocket science (none of these 31 basic life skills will be, so let’s retire that caveat today), but there is a surprising amount to it — believe or not, whole books have been written on the subject!
Today we’ll cover the essential basics in an easy-to-follow question and answer format. How to Become Self-Reliant. Making Good First Impressions: Free Job Interview Tips. How to Network Like a Man. Three months ago a good friend of mine lost his job during the 2nd round of layoffs at a struggling dotcom. How to Get a Drink at a Busy Bar. How to Use Eye Contact to Improve Your Business and Love Life. In our first post in this two-part series on eye contact, we discussed the importance of eye contact and some of the reasons we don’t always feel comfortable looking someone in the eye. How to Handle Being Out of Your Depth: 6 Tips from a Con Man. 100 Must Read Books: The Man’s Essential Library. Best Movies to Watch: 100 Must See Movies For Men. For whatever reason (most likely the fact that viewing is easier than reading), films don’t seem to get the same kind of cultural respect as books do.
Which is a shame because excellent movies can be just as entertaining, mind-expanding, and life changing as good books. Scenes, characters, and quotes from the greatest movies stay with us long after we view them. Their ability to transport you to different times and exotic locations, to completely absorb you in the story, make movies one of the closest approximations of real magic we have in this world. And for better and for worse, film has had a huge impact on masculinity in the 20th Century. Movies have produced archetypes of manliness that many men judge themselves against today. How to Tie a Tie. Introducing Heading Out On Your Own: 31 Basic Life Skills in 31 Days.
Growing up, Dwight D. Eisenhower (yes, Ike again — I couldn’t fit all the great facts about him into our leadership series!) Was responsible for many chores around the house and for looking after his younger brothers. Mentally Prepare For Your Fitness Routine. 5 Fitness Benchmarks Every Man Must Master. How to Create the Perfect Cheap Home Gym. Do More Than One Stinking Pull-Up. Facts about Benjamin Franklin: The Virtues of Life. Briefcase Essentials: The Saddleback Leather Company Giveaway. Men’s Interests and Lifestyle.
The Virtue of Order: Become a Master of the Universe. Gentleman’s Guide: How Much Should I Tip? The Virtue of Silence: Find Quiet Time Before You Speak. Men’s Stationery. The Virtuous Life. Real Men’s Hats: Old-School Fashion and Choosing Your Hat. Men’s Hats: Fedoras, Porkpies and the Derby. The Gentleman’s Guide to the Calling Card.