General advice
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
To find things, be free, open, and have no goal.
Having a goal can blind you; finding requires freedom and openness.
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Say a stranger's name when thanking them.
Names are important, and this brief moment can touch someone's life.
- Some people find reading names off nametags annoying, creepy, or manipulative.
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Pair enjoyable activities with unpleasant tasks to make them more manageable.
It makes bad tasks fun.
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Place cheap business cards with parent contact info in children's pockets and bags for emergencies.
It helps if the child gets lost; one person found a lady who called their dad using the card.
- Don't put the child's name or the parent's full name on it for safety and privacy.
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Hang up work and nice clothes after wearing them for 9 hours to re-wear them.
This extends the life of the garments.
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life, people, goals, doing53
Leave any physical space, figurative or literal, in a better condition than when you arrived.
If a life tip comes to you on a whim, step away from your keyboard and walk off.
Impulsive thoughts are not genuine life tips.
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Do not assume women can control or hold in their menstrual flow.
It is not possible to hold in a period; it is not like urine.
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Keep floss picks in multiple locations like your car, desk, and bags.
Flossing daily is important.
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Focus on taking action toward goals, such as job hunting, rather than worrying about them.
Worrying does not help you achieve the goal.
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Use a smartwatch set to vibrate for calls and texts while keeping the phone silent, excluding emails.
It saves sanity.
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Focus on the average quality of your daily life rather than just memorable peak or low moments.
Most of life is spent in the long, featureless stretches between memorable moments.
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Instead of giving up because you think you can't do something, work hard to build the skills needed to attempt it.
People often fail to attempt things simply because they believe they lack the ability.
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Accept that bad things happen for a reason and sometimes aren't meant for you.
Eventually, it will make sense.
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Enjoy moments while they last.
Friendships and relationships won't last forever.
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Train your dog to sit and stay at the door before entering the house.
It allows you to clean their paws outside.
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Apply a couple of dabs of vanilla oil like perfume.
You will smell like fresh cookies.
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Eat dessert first because life is short.
Life is short.
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Help yourself first to attract assistance from others.
Getting small wins can lead unexpected people to get involved and help you.
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If your puppy bites hard, say 'ouch' to discourage the behavior.
One person reported that doing this stopped their puppy from biting hard.
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Be wary of people who touch your arm during casual conversation.
This can be a manipulative tactic used to persuade you to do something you don't want to do.
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Stop buying scented candles to save money.
to save money
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Offer fewer remarks with actual execution tips rather than long lists.
Long lists seem unbearably tedious and cause people to give up.
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Stop doing chores like laundry for teenagers.
It can lead to newfound appreciation for what parents do and increased self-reliance.
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One approach that helped: focus on being remembered for living usefully over being remembered for dying rich.
Going to bed knowing you have done something wonderful matters more than wealth.
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Pick three things and do them consistently for six months without switching or overthinking, as consistency beats perfect advice.
Even boring routines win.
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Attach keys to a carabiner to keep them out of pockets.
One person found this helpful for managing a large number of keys.
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Realize that nobody else cares about the things you are self-conscious about.
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Learn to make it up as you go along and figure things out, as few people know everything.
One person attributed their job success to figuring things out along the way rather than knowing everything upfront.
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Create a free therapy retreat by sitting alone in your backyard and listening to nature.
Nature is free therapy.
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Get all agreements in writing, especially with family or friends.
It helps maintain good relationships down the road.
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Accept that achieving goals requires continuous doing, problem diagnosis, and navigating obstacles, not just setting the goals.
Setting goals is not enough; there are problems you must seek out and navigate, and there is no getting without doing.
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Keep a first aid kit and over-the-counter medication around.
It saves time and money in minor incidents.
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Claim you are looking for the restroom to excuse yourself from an event.
Nobody questions this excuse, especially if you are a parent.
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Leave a job on good terms, as one of the people you leave may hire you in the future.
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Designate a 'Fend For Yourself' night where everyone makes their own meal.
Everyone managed just fine.
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Use mnemonic devices, such as rhyming 'loose' with 'goose', to remember correct spellings if you struggle with dyslexia or memory.
This is an effective way to remember spellings for those with dyslexia.
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Use mantras and statements of intention to shape your perception.
Repetition influences how your brain processes the world.
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One person found it deeply rewarding when neighbors cleaned up storm damage in their yard without being asked.
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Use a weekly-blocked calendar to view your life holistically, remembering past accomplishments while breaking future goals into step-by-step weekly targets.
It serves as a visual reminder of limited time and shows that goals are reachable step-by-step, regardless of age.
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Endure temporary discomfort and keep going.
The discomfort will only last a little while longer.
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Adopt a structured approach to goals by identifying specific fears, such as failure, to trigger motivation rather than just listing accomplishments.
Resolutions that are just lists of accomplishments tend to fail, whereas identifying fears provides structure and triggers motivation.
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Avoid playing music loudly on the built-in speakers of smartphones and compact portable devices.
The sound quality is poor regardless of the music.
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Allow older children to prepare their own breakfast and lunch sometimes.
It is a good start toward independence.
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Let children regularly practice taking care of themselves, such as cooking and cleaning, while providing financial and emotional support.
It allows them to grow.
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Record videos of loved ones doing mundane things, such as hanging out with friends or resting, to comfort yourself later when they are gone or far away.
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Believe in your ability to survive any situation and create the life you want.
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Wash bath towels regularly and replace them often to avoid smelling sour.
to avoid smelling like a sour towel
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Keep items off the floor or out of reach, as puppies will treat anything on the floor, knocked on the floor, or reachable from the floor as a toy.
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Continue fulfilling daily responsibilities even when expecting a specific outcome, as stopping can backfire.
Stopping can backfire.
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Leave any physical space, figurative or literal, in a better condition than when you arrived.
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Scratch the assumption that willpower is a limited resource; recognize it as a fatigueable resource.
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Recognize that tools use human attention and labor rather than serving you passively.
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Accept that being an introvert is not a personality disorder.
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If you must intervene to stop misinformed bystanders, take charge of the situation using assertiveness and a strong tone of voice.
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Recognize that happiness does not always require excitement.
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Teach your children to 'blame it on their parents' when declining invitations, allowing them to exit social situations without offending peers by citing reasons like family dinner or a parent's bad mood.
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Use the 'Irish goodbye' technique by leaving without saying anything to avoid prolonged farewells.
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Apply antiperspirant after showering and reapply as needed if you have sweated.
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Use a credit card for online purchases instead of PayPal or a bank account.
Credit cards offer more protection than PayPal or direct bank accounts.
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Use a bidet or water spray for cleaning after eating spicy food.
It is cleaner, easier than toilet paper, and feels good on irritated skin.
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Do routine laundry and switch your underwear every day.
Dirty clothes reintroduce bacteria, while clean clothes smell better.
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Use a harness instead of a collar for dogs with collapsing tracheas or to avoid pulling on the neck.
Collars can be harmful for dogs with collapsing tracheas, and you shouldn't pull a dog by the neck.
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Cut fruit into small pieces for kindergarteners and early-grade children to accommodate their small mouths and loose teeth.
It is easier and neater for them to eat.
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Contact your original orthodontist for a replacement retainer instead of your general dentist.
General dentists are not equipped to create orthodontic retainers unless they also specialize in orthodontics.
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