39 Pieces of Unsolicited Advice

I’m not saying it’s good. Just unsolicited.

1. Whenever a news headline asks a question, the answer is usually No.
   If the answer was yes, it would have been written as an announcement.
2. Doing chores is a fantastic time to call a friend.
   Same for walking home.
3. Regularly ask your friends “How is your heart?”
   It’s one of my favourite questions.
4. When starting a new job, find out your coworkers’ favourite snack.
   I especially like to surprise them with it when they’re having a rough time at work. Making someone’s day has never been this easy.
5. The best way to earn your manager’s trust
   is to proactively communicate issues and what you’re doing about them.
6. My older brother taught me to cut tomatoes with a bread knife.
   At this point it’s my default knife for cutting most vegetables.
7. Putting a Sonos speaker in every room is the best money I ever spent.
8. The day after you accomplish your big life goal
   you won’t feel any different, so just be prepared for that.
9. Remember when you wanted what you currently have.
10. Loneliness is solitude + resistance.
    Alone time can be wonderful when you embrace it.
11. If you really want to catch up with someone,
    either set a date immediately or set a reminder to do so.
12. The key to punctuality is pessimism
    Calculate when you’ll need to leave, add a generous buffer, and then set an alarm on your phone. This way, you can be truly present instead of looking at your watch all the time.
13. The day before you meet the love of your life,
    you won’t have met them yet at all. Today could be that day.
14. Crushes are focused projections of your unmet needs.
    So long as you’re aware of the illusion, I say go ahead and savour them.
15. Treat every date like it’s the one and only date you’ll ever have.
16. There are no first-world problems.
    If it’s a problem for you it’s a problem worth addressing.
17. An unspoken rule of leadership is to never badmouth.
    Neither company decisions nor your colleagues.
18. Be tough on systems, but gentle on people.
19. Introduce a 5 minute grace period for all meetings at work.
    Everyone gets to arrive up to five minutes late, no questions asked. We all gotta pee sometime.
20. You have no clue what other people are thinking.
    And your theories are probably wrong. So just ask.
21. Just because you’re a good debater doesn’t mean you’re right.
    Be careful not to take advantage of people who aren’t as quick-witted.
22. Try Daniel Dennett’s very wise way of arguing.
    First, paraphrase the other person’s position in a way they completely agree with. Then, and only then, list all the points you agree on. Third, mention anything you’ve learned from their argument. Finally, express your disagreement. I guarantee this will save you hours.
23. Here’s the most effective way I know to apologise.
    Take responsibility for your actions. Express remorse. Ensure it won’t happen again. Offer amends. Then shut up and listen.
24. Do not treat your partner like a home improvement project.
    If you insist on inspiring change, ask them if there’s a really enjoyable way they would like to go about it. Anything less really sucks.
25. I really like this mantra against despair
    “But nevertheless this is what I have, this is who I am, this is where I’m at, and this is what I’m doing.”
26. You can’t fail your life any more than a tree can.
27. Whenever a good opportunity presents itself, grab it.
    It’s the S&P 500 of life decisions, if that analogy makes sense.
28. Talk about salaries with your friends and coworkers.
    Your stigma-fueled ignorance only benefits your employer.
29. Notice the ‘valence’ of your conversations with people.
    Do they affirm and build on what you say, or do they keep turning it into a discussion?
30. Start telling your friends “I love you”
    It will be weird the first time, and magical the next million times.
31. Use photography to pay more attention, not less.
32. Always photograph a bit wider than necessary.
    You can always crop later.
33. Take less pictures of landscapes and more pictures of your friends.
    Maybe this was obvious to everyone but me.
34. To my surprise, the best fashion advice is to work out.
    Clothes will just fit you better, and fit supersedes style.
35. People get mad at things they’re afraid might be true,
    and even madder at the things they’re afraid other people might believe.
36. You’re not meant to lose sleep or cry over love.
    You shouldn’t have to fight for it either.
37. Absolutely go to sleep angry.
    When’s the last time you successfully resolved a conflict at 3 am?
38. You can’t convince people by making them feel dumb.
    Believe me I’ve tried.
39. Life lessons will be repeated to you in various forms until you learn them.

Last year’s entry 👇

38 Pieces of Unsolicited Advice