Kate Hackett
We go through life, we pick up little things here and there. Little tidbits that get us through a day, that help us. And sometimes, they make No. Dang. Sense. Like, I could not for the life of me tell you WHY singing Humpty Dumpty got rid of my hiccups as a kid… but it did.
That’s exactly what u/memereda_vanwolf got when she asked Reddit:
“What is the weirdest advice you have heard that is strangely effective?”
We tore through the answers and found the best ones for you. Do you have any crazy advice that works, beyond all reason?
1. No
“Make them tell you no.”
It’s great when you’re not sure if you should apply for a job, go for a promotion or a raise, or do something you’re afraid of. Don’t be so worried about getting told no or failing, you’ll surprise yourself.
2. Burnout
“Do you understand, that if you try to endlessly stack bricks, no matter how perfect you do it, they will fall over?”
My boss told me this after I burned-out. Just says that no matter how well you plan your work, too much is too much.
3. Three times
If you need to remember something, write it 3x or say it outloud 3x.
4. Drink some water
One time the guy who came to fix my refrigerator told me “If you don’t know what to do, drink some water.” It’s actually surprisingly solid advice.
5. Pretend to choke!
If you’re ever in an awkward situation with someone or need to just go away- you could always pretend to choke on something. I don’t know where this came from but it’s funny AND it works. You just run away to get a glass of water.
6. Low light
If looking for something in a low light environment, try to use your peripheral vision.
I read about it in an old WWII manual about aerial combat at night. It has something to do with how eyes work.
It has helped me many times over the years. For finding stuff in a darkened room, or outside in a field at night, not aerial combat.
7. No excuses!
Don’t give excuses unless they ask for it. if you are late for work, just say that you are late. Not why you are late.
8. It’s not embarrassing
It’s only embarrassing if you’re embarrassed. The older I get, the more I understand this one.
9. Anything is something
Somethin’ ain’t nothin’— taking 5 minutes to workout, clean, work on a big project, etc. is better than 0minutes. We often think we’ve got to do 2 hours of rigorous work or it doesn’t accomplish anything.
10. Time passes
Time will pass either way—if you want to work to get better at something, accomplish a long term goal, or change careers or credentials, don’t look at the 2-5 years and think you’ll be too old. If you’re 24 and want to go to college, you’ll be 28 in four years with or without a degree regardless of what you do in that time.
11. Temper
“Anger and remorse are shadow companions, with remorse always a step behind”.
I took control over my temper issues by reminding me of this one-liner. Hope this works for you, too!
12. Fail quickly
Fail quickly, as in: If your plan may not succeed, better to find out next week than next year. Helped me quit a suffocating job and dig into my own business 10/10
13. Sit quietly
If you sit quietly while everyone else FUCKS UP, you’re going to win big!” – John Oliver. I’ve gotten multiple jobs and school opportunities by just doing my work and not being a loud moron.
14. Simpson
Don’t beat yourself up forever. Beat yourself up once then move on. Mr. Homer Simpson.
15. Back to basics
My mother always said “Go back to basics” whenever I was struggling mentally. I disregarded it for years but now I live by it. I only utilise this way of living during desperate “survival” times, but it’s amazing advice.
16. Do it scared
I tell myself my increased heart rate and racing thoughts are just signs that my body is priming itself to allow me to do something I didn’t know I could do.
I used to think they were signs to quit, but they’re really an ignition sequence.
17. Wait a minute
If you want to buy something, wait 24 hours and if you still want to buy it afterwards then buy it. This has really cut my impulse buying down and has made saving money extremely easy.
18. Memories
People don’t always remember what you say but how you make them feel.
19. Ooo, smart!
When writing an e-mail, leave the recipient field until last.
20. No one cares
No one thinks about you as much as you do. Meaning we’re all worried about people thinking about the tiniest embarrassing things we do, when no one really cares. It gave me freedom to take on more challenges and not worry about failure.
