A concept I have, which pertains to finances, and life in general: have extreme buffer.

For example, if you’re about to miss an exit on the freeway, allow yourself to extreme buffer to just miss it. Better to lose a minute of your life, than lose your life in one minute.

Or when it comes to your finances and bank account, better to have extreme financial buffer, then cut it too close to line. The way I think about it is live your life like you’re a billionaire, but like you’re a spartan 300 soldier.

Extreme buffer when it comes to fitness — don’t work out when you’re tired or exhausted. The point of working out is to discharge your strength, rather than to further exhaust yourself when you’re already exhausted. Also when it comes to powerlifting, allow yourself the maximum amount of time buffer when it comes to attempting a maximum lift. I find that attempting a one rep max once a week seems optimal. I’m also sure it wouldn’t hurt if you just attempted a one rep max every two weeks.

Get to the airport really early

Another thing I’ve also learned about myself is that I actually really like airports. Thus, when in doubt, get to the airport far earlier than you need to, then getting there right on time.

If possible, never schedule anything

One of the really interesting things I learned about Arnold Schwarzenegger was that he never scheduled any meetings to do in advance. If you wanted a meeting with him, you literally had to contact him on the day of.

Why is this a good idea? It allows for extreme buffer in your day and time. Because the reality of real life is chaotic, and in order to plan better, you actually need to afford yourself more buffer.

More effort, more recovery

The notion of buffer could also be applied to sleep and recovery. More virtuous to sleep 12 hours a night, then trying to optimize yourself to sleep as little as possible.