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The number one rule is that there is no time limit for anything - every year repeats exactly the same as the last (big mood) and anything you miss can be done at a later point in time.

Try to save up some money during the first spring to get a ton of strawberry seeds at the Egg Festival - this will give you a massive jump in the first year.

Watering plants every day is by far your biggest energy and time drain in the early game - upgrade your watering can, then get quality and eventually iridium sprinklers as soon as possible. Skip the basic sprinklers, they are not worth the trouble. When it rains and you don't have to water, spend the day in the mines.

Fishing is tedious at first, but it's very easy to level up compared to the other skills and it's a fantastic way to make money in the first year.

Food is seriously OP in this game. Don't eat your raw crops, but save the cheaper fish and craft some field snacks for food early on. If you don't eat, you will find yourself running out of energy very quickly.

Work towards the community center bundles once they become available, some of the rewards are VERY good.

Unless you really like the animals, focus on growing plants. Processed fruits and vegetables are significantly more profitable than animal products later on in the game and they require much less work. One or two of each animal is plenty for the "achievements" they will eventually provide. FENCE IN YOUR BARNS AND COOPS or you will spend half your day looking around for that damn cow.

It's not easy to do, but in the same sense that first spring strawberries are extremely helpful, getting some lightning rods out at some point in the first summer can also be very helpful. Don't sweat it if you can't, though.

Above all else, just take your time and try not to turn your first run into a spreadsheet-fest. Save that for subsequent playthroughs.