For the past few years, I’ve jotted down bits of unsolicited advice each year and much to my surprise I have more to add this year. Here is my birthday gift to you all: 103 bits of wisdom I wish I had known when I was young that might be helpful to others.
Bottom Line
Courtesy costs nothing
- Lower the toilet seat after use
- Let the people in the elevator exit before you enter
- Return shopping carts to their designated areas
- Whenever there is an argument between two sides, find the third side
- Regularly scheduled sabbaths, sabbaticals, vacations, breaks, aimless walks and time off are essential for top performance of any kind
- When you lead, your real job is to create more leaders, not more followers
- Criticize in private, praise in public
- Life lessons will be presented to you in the order they are needed
- If winning becomes too important in a game, change the rules to make it more fun
Balance exploring and deepening
The optimal balance for exploring new things vs exploiting them once found is 1/3
- When introduced to someone make eye contact and count to 4. You’ll both remember each other
- Explain your problem to others. Often simply laying out a problem will present a solution
You are as big as the things that make you angry
Habit is far more dependable than inspiration
- Make progress by making habits
- Don’t focus on getting into shape, focus on becoming the kind of person who never misses a workout
- When negotiating, don’t aim for a bigger piece of the pie; aim to create a bigger pie
- If you repeated what you did today 365 more times will you be where you want to be next year?
- Focus on the things you are not interested in
Bottom Line
The best time to negotiate your salary for a new job is the moment after they say they want you, and not before.
- Rather than steering your life to avoid surprises, aim directly for them..
- Don’t purchase extra insurance if you are renting a car with a credit card. You may be in the grip of an ideology.
Buy used books
They have the same words as the new ones
- What you actually pay for something is at least twice the listed price because of the energy, time, money needed to set it up, learn, maintain, repair, and dispose of at the end
- Actual costs are 2x listed prices
The consistency of your endeavors (exercise, companionship, work) is more important than the quantity
Nothing beats small things done every day.
- Never ask a woman if she is pregnant – let her tell you if she’s pregnant
- Making art is not selfish; it’s for the rest of us.
Tips
It’s possible that a not-so smart person, who can communicate well, can do much better than a super smart person who can’t communicate well.
- Getting cheated occasionally is a small price for trusting the best of everyone
- When you trust the best in others, they generally treat you best
- Purchase the most recent tourist guidebook to your home town or region
- Dont wait in line to eat something famous. It is rarely worth the wait
- Be a pro. Back up your back up
Dont bother fighting the old; just build the new
Your group can achieve great things way beyond your means simply by showing people that they are appreciated
You need three things:
The ability to not give up something till it works
- the ability to give up things that do not work
- trust in other people to distinguish between the two
- When speaking, pause frequently
- There is no such thing as being on time
- Ask anyone you admire for advice
- Use a password manager
- Spend as much time crafting the subject line as the message itself
Keep all your things visible in a hotel room, not in drawers, and all gathered into one spot
Denying or deflecting a compliment is rude
- Make stuff that is good for people to have
- 90% of everything is crap
- You will be judged on how well you treat those who can do nothing for you
- A long game will compound small gains to overcome even big mistakes
