The title of my favorite little book with this type of advice “Never Confuse a Memo with Reality.”
No one on their deathbed ever wished they spent more time watching TV.
Have your pets spayed or neutered.
In almost all software applications, you can learn keyboard shortcuts easily by looking at what letters are underlined on menus and dialog boxes.
Mousing is slow and hard on many people’s wrists.
Keep your resume up to date. Submit a current resume even when applying for an internal position. It is a subtle way to convey that you know the external job market exists, while also showing you care enough to sell yourself for their opening.
Keep a file (hardcopy or in your email) of everything you accomplish during the year. Include any thank yous or commendations. Pull this out and review it to prepare for your annual appraisal.
If you’re attracted to someone but are afraid to ask them out incase they say no and it ruins your friendship, you’re a fool. Those sorts of friendships are based on frustration and deceit and every time you see them with a new SO it will cut you to the bone. It’s better not to have those friendships at all. Always let the object of your affection know how you feel. I should know, I’m a two time fool.
As a corollary to this: remember that most people like to talk about themselves. If you’re ever at a loss for something to say in a stalled conversation, ask the other person something about himself.
Make back-up plans.
Stay away from men who say, “I want to treat you like a princess.” Also stay away from men who make a big deal out of how chivalrous they are. They’re faking it. The truly chivalrous treat everyone courteously, without drawing attention to themselves.
Humility is the greatest virtue. Learn to admit your mistakes gracefully, apologize sincerely, and remember that no human being has more value than any other human being.
If you have a hard time accepting compliments, just thank the person for their compliment. For example, I have a hard time saying “thank you” when someone tells me I look nice because it sounds like I’m saying “yes, I know” or something. So I just say, “thanks for the compliment!” or “that’s really nice of you to say that!”
Triple-clicking on a word will highlight the entire unit (e.g. paragraph) of text it’s in.
If you’re working with small parts, such as nuts and bolts, and you drop something, don’t try to catch it as it falls. Watch where it goes and then retrieve it.
Stopping distance: for every ten miles an hour that you increase your speed, your stopping distance doubles.
And with reference to the game of pool, speed control is one the of most important skills you can develop, don’t shoot every shot like you’re trying to shatter the balls.
Know where the main water valve is to your house. Make sure the valve turns easily. If you need a special took plumber’s key make sure you have one before it’s an emergency.
When driving, you have two options: follow the rules or risk death.
In the business world, cash is king. This means that cash flow is of utmost importance. Do likewise for your personal finances: Deposit your cash immediately and wait until the very last minute (before interest and penalties accrue) to pay your bills. Never allow a business to automatically take cash out of your account, and pay with checks as much as possible. Learn to love the bank float.
Along those same lines, don’t expect anyone to handle your personal business affairs properly. Constantly follow up with them and send any official correspondence by certified mail.
Time isn’t money, but something of much more value.
Turn the ringer off the phone and let the machine get it.
The rear view mirror isn’t as important as your side mirros or checking your blind spots.
Folding clean underwear is a complete waste of time.
Wash your hands after going to the bathroom and before handling food. Floss once a day.
Well this secret doesn’t have broad applicability like most posts so far but here goes. For pilots:
Epiphany last week - if you’re landing a taildragger and, despite having three wheels on the ground and slow speed, it looks like you are about to ground loop, push in the throttle and go around! Never thought to do this before, as I was always too busy dancing on the rudders and trying to stop the plane. Fortunately, I’ve also never ground looped (knock on wood). More power gives you extra rudder control, but seems counterintuitive when you’re trying to slow down. And nobody taught me this when I got my initial tailwheel training.
If you marry someone with the idea that you can change them into the person that you really want, one of three outcomes will happen, presented in decreasing order of probability:
The resentment in the other person at your constant attempts to change them will build to the point that they leave you.
Your frustration at your inability to change them will build and you will eventually realize that they’ll never change, and you’ll leave them.
You will accept that you’ll never change them, accept them the way they are, and you’ll stay together. But it’s likely that you’ll always harbor some small desire for the other person to change, and it will keep you from being totally happy in the relationship.
The fourth possibility, namely that the other person will change to your liking and be happier themself for it and you’ll both live happily ever after, will NEVER, EVER, happen. In the entire history of the human race, in every corner of the world, in every marriage or long-term relationship that’s ever been, that outcome has happened maybe once.