36 Pieces of Unsolicited Advice
I’m not saying it’s good. Just unsolicited.
3 min readJul 22, 2021
- Never eat lunch at your desk.
Take the full hour, go for a walk, see the sun. You deserve a proper break. - No good bread comes in a plastic bag.
Or presliced. Buy your bread at a bakery. - Travel as much as you can in your 20s.
It will only get harder as you grow older, and you’ll require increasing comfort. - Travel far, cheap, and alone.
You will get to know the person you really are. - To meet people, sleep in dorms at popular hostels.
To actually get sleep, book yourself a private room. - Pick a number you’re comfortable spending on a monthly basis.
Put it in a separate account at the start of every month, and track it as you go. Pay rent, bills, and large expenses from another account where your salary goes in. Invest your savings in index funds. - Always ask for what you want,
but accept No as an answer. - If you’re thinking about kissing someone,
it’s probably a good time to ask “Can I kiss you?” - Have a best friend.
They will save your life more than once. - Work hard to keep the friendships that nurture you.
Be comfortable losing the ones you suffer. - Have a healthy-ish go-to meal you can make at home in a pinch.
Mine used to be fresh tomatoe mozzarella flatbreads. These days it’s vegetable salad. - Have a healthy-ish go-to meal you can buy outside,
but so cheap you don’t feel guilty about not cooking. Mine used to be Indian food, nowadays it’s hummus. - Record your loved ones on video.
These will be priceless someday way too soon. - Conversely, document your life.
Your kids will thank you. Plus it’s nice to reminisce about the person you used to be. I recommend 10Q. - When you discover a new bakery, try the butter croissant.
- At a new pizzeria, always try the Margherita.
- Own (few) things that you love (deeply)
For things you use everyday, buy the highest quality you can afford. Get rid of pretty much everything else. You can thank me next time you move countries. - Depression is my life goals harassing me to change course.
It goes away every time I start doing the thing(s) I’m most afraid of. - Go to therapy.
If only to understand your own mental machinery. - You are not responsible for other people’s feelings.
But it doesn’t hurt to be kind. - Faced with a choice, consider doing both.
- It’s never personal.
Everyone’s just trying to be happy. All conflict is ours to own. - Judging people/things won’t give you what you want.
Instead, evaluate which of your needs are not being met. - Treat work like it’s business.
I promise you it goes both ways. Personally, I like to think of work as interrupting my vacation. - Airplane take-offs are a fantastic opportunity to ask yourself if today is a good day to die.
Try to live so the answer is always Yes. - Learn how to resolve conflict.
Personally I love Nonviolent Communication. It has drastically improved my relationships, including with myself. - Don’t date for potential, and don’t try to change people.
Date the person in front of you right now, or date someone else. - When you break up with someone, remember that they’re perfect as they are.
Just not for you. Spare them the parting advice, they do not need it. - Every intimate encounter is an opportunity to learn, grow, and heal.
- Someone can love you and still not be ready.
Move on, for better love awaits you. - Be patient with your life goals, but impatient with your whims.
- It’s never too late to properly apologise.
You never know how long someone has waited to hear you say Sorry. - Block, mute and unfollow with ruthless abandon.
You don’t owe the internet anything. - Whenever you feel betrayed, ask “How have I betrayed myself?”
I pretty much guarantee you were first. - Apply to jobs (and negotiate salaries) with the confidence of a white man in tech.
Requirements are just employer wishlists. Go ahead and apply for the job you want. Negotiate with polite enthusiasm. - The fastest way I know how to make friends is to be radically vulnerable and honest from the very beginning.
