Could be a bunch of things, but there's one that almost everyone deprives themselves of, to one degree or another: sleep. Poor sleep is a major offender when i

Could be a bunch of things, but there's one that almost everyone deprives themselves of, to one degree or another: sleep. Poor sleep is a major offender when it comes to spotty cognition, whether it's learning, planning, or working memory. Caffeine after 3pm, alcohol after 6-7pm, getting to bed too late, waking too early, inconsistent bed/wake times, exposure to bright, blue- and white-light led screens after the sun sets; all these will ruin your sleep quality in isolation and can really mess things up in aggregate over extended periods of time. Being extremely disciplined about your sleep is the best way to crush low energy/motivation, mental fog, and even some mood trouble. It's tough to do in this 24 hour era, especially as a young adult in the tech industry, but it's well worth the effort. Don't mind if the first week or so don't feel very different; it takes a month of good sleep to "make up" one hour of lost sleep. Getting serious about sleep isn't a fast payoff, but the eventual mental sharpness and emotional fortitude is unparalleled.