101 Additional Advices

🌈 Abstract

The article "101 Additional Advices" provides a collection of 101 pieces of advice from the author, who has previously published a book called "Excellent Advice for Living". The advice covers a wide range of topics, including:

• Effective and unpredictable behavior
• Making the most of the present rather than saving things for a special occasion
• Developing expertise and passion in a subject
• Maintaining perspective and avoiding ruts
• Prioritizing important over urgent tasks
• Embracing failure and change as opportunities for growth
• Cultivating meaningful relationships and generosity
• Practical tips for everyday life and decision-making

🙋 Q&A

[01] The Best Advice

1. What are some of the key pieces of advice provided in the article?

• The best way to criticize something is to make something better
• Admitting "I don't know" at least once a day will make you a better person
• Aim to be effective but unpredictable to make yourself irreplaceable
• Never hesitate to invest in yourself by taking classes or learning new skills
• Try to define yourself by what you love and embrace, rather than what you hate and refuse
• Read a lot of history to understand how weird the past was and be comfortable with the future
• When shopping, only buy things that have a designated place to live in your home
• You owe everyone a second chance, but not a third
• Multitasking is a myth - focus on one task at a time
• You can become the world's best in something by caring about it more than anyone else

2. How does the author suggest developing expertise and passion in a subject? The author advises that "You can become the world's best in something primarily by caring more about it than anyone else." This suggests that deep, sustained interest and dedication to a subject is key to developing expertise and mastery.

3. What does the author recommend regarding failure and change? The author encourages an embrace of failure, stating "Fail fast. Fail often. Fail forward. Failing is not a disgrace if you keep failing better." This suggests that failure should be seen as an opportunity for learning and improvement, rather than something to be feared. The author also emphasizes the importance of being comfortable with change and weirdness, advising readers to "Read a lot of history so you can understand how weird the past was; that way you will be comfortable with how weird the future will be."

[02] Maintaining Perspective and Avoiding Ruts

1. What advice does the author give for maintaining perspective and avoiding ruts in life?

• Forget trying to decide on a grand "life destiny" and instead focus on what you should do in the next 2 years
• Once a month, take a different route home, enter your house by a different door, and sit in a different chair at dinner to avoid getting stuck in ruts
• Where you live - the city, country - has a big impact on your well-being, so choose and change your location carefully
• Throw memorable parties occasionally, even though they are expensive, as the memories will last longer than money in the bank
• Avoid the demands of the "urgent" and focus on the "important" things in life

2. How does the author suggest breaking out of routine and gaining new perspectives? The author provides several suggestions for breaking out of routine and gaining new perspectives, including:

• Taking a different route home, entering your house through a different door, and sitting in a different chair at dinner once a month
• Throwing memorable parties, even though they are expensive, as the memories will last longer than money in the bank
• Avoiding the demands of the "urgent" and focusing instead on the "important" things in life

These small changes in habit and perspective are meant to help prevent getting stuck in ruts and maintain a fresh outlook.

[03] Cultivating Meaningful Relationships and Generosity

1. What advice does the author give about relationships and generosity?

• Whenever you hug someone, be the last to let go
• Discover people you love doing "nothing" with, and make time for those relationships regularly
• The most selfish thing you can do is to be generous, as your generosity will return to you tenfold
• What others want from you is mostly to be seen - let others know you see them
• Avoid making important decisions when you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired (HALT)
• If you are more fortunate than others, build a longer table rather than a taller fence

2. How does the author suggest cultivating meaningful relationships and generosity? The author emphasizes the importance of quality time and presence in relationships, advising readers to "Discover people you love doing 'nothing' with, and make time for those relationships regularly." Additionally, the author suggests that true generosity is the "most selfish" act, as it will return to the giver tenfold. The author also advises being attentive to others' needs, letting them know they are seen. Overall, the advice focuses on building genuine connections and giving freely, rather than accumulating wealth or status.

[04] Practical Tips for Everyday Life

1. What are some of the practical tips the author provides for everyday life?

• When someone says they'll be somewhere in X minutes, double that time estimate
• Avoid multitasking - don't text while walking, running, biking or driving
• When remodeling, use large cardboard to mock up changes at full size before committing
• For steady satisfaction, work on improving your worst days rather than just your best days
• If you need emergency help from a bystander, give them a specific task to do rather than just asking for help
• Avoid making important decisions when you are HALT (hungry, angry, lonely, or tired)
• The week between Christmas and New Year's is a good time to sharpen knives, vacuum your car, and tidy your digital files

2. How do these practical tips help improve everyday life and decision-making? The author's practical tips cover a range of everyday situations and challenges, providing guidance to help people be more efficient, intentional, and level-headed in their daily lives. For example, doubling time estimates for others' arrival times, avoiding multitasking, and making decisions when not in a HALT state can all help prevent frustration and poor choices. The tips on home remodeling and self-improvement also demonstrate the author's focus on being thoughtful, strategic, and proactive in addressing both big and small aspects of life. Overall, these practical tips aim to help readers optimize their routines, decisions, and general well-being.