1. Never take a problem to your boss until you have multiple solutions to it.
It may seem obvious to some but imagine the difference between an employee coming to you with a problem that you then have to figure out how to solve VS an employee coming to you with a problem they already have several solutions for and you simply need to choose (as the manager) which option you believe is best.
In my experience when most employees come across a problem they don’t know how to instantly solve they simply present it to their manager and wait for a response.
This does nothing other than concrete your managers opinion that you are unable to do their job and they subconsciously disqualify you from promotion, presenting them with multiple solutions to a problem however makes them feel they are in control whilst simultaneously considering you as an asset worthy of promotion or at the very least retention.
2. If you tell someone you need to talk to them, for the love of God give some indication of what you need to talk about, or at least that it’s not bad news
I guarantee you that nobody has ever heard the sentence “we need to talk” and immediately assumed that there was a change in the household’s popsicle policies.
Just say, fuckin’, “We need to talk about our popsicle policies later,” not “I have something I need to discuss with you.”
How goddamn important is each and every second of your life that you can’t spare a couple extra words to make sure your conversation partner doesn’t spend the next few hours freaking out that you’re divorcing them or have to put the dog down or whatever.
3. Clean your sink faucet aerator
Yeah, that little screen on your faucet where all of your drinking/washing water comes out of? It screws off. If it’s stuck, use a strap wrench. Remove it, disassemble it (usually 2 to 3 pieces), and soak it in vinegar.
Use an old toothbrush to remove any leftover deposits. Thank me later.
4. WD40 is not a good substitute for lubricating grease
WD40 is a great product with a lot of uses, especially inhibiting rust and helping to free moving metal parts that are rusted in place.
It’s not great as a lubricant for parts that need to move freely and will be exercised often, like hinges. It will work in a pinch, but it’s not optimal.
It contains solvents that evaporate quickly, so it does not provide long-lasting lubrication. If you have moving metal parts, like hinges, latches, axles, etc., and want to eliminate squeaks and keep them working well, a sprayable grease, like white lithium, is the way to go.
5. If you suffer from anxiety or an uncomfortable feeling of butterflies in your stomach, simply wash your face with cool water.
An effect called the “diving reflex” will instantly lower your heart-rate substantially, helping you calm down.
6. When comparing ice cream for quality, but the ingredient list looks the similar, compare the weight of a serving on the nutrition label. Denser is better. The gums and fillers used in lower quality ice cream are lighter than cream and eggs.
If one says a serving is 1/4 cup (65g) and the other says a serving is 1/4 cup (73g), get the 73g one. They may both have some fillers, but the denser one will have less.
7. If you burn food to the bottom of a pot and can’t scrub it out, put the pot back on the stove and boil water in it. It will loosen the burnt food and make it easier to clean.
Add some baking soda to the boiling water to soften even more!
8. If there are no chances for job growth or improvement – it’s time to move on. You are worth more the more you learn. Otherwise you are getting paid less the more you know.
9. Give compliments without putting yourself down. It’ll make the compliment more sincere.
Instead of saying, “Wow you’re a great artist, I can hardly draw stick figures!” Say, “Wow you’re a great artist!” Those kinds of compliments are awkward for the recipient to navigate.
It has the added benefit of practicing not comparing yourself to other people. You don’t have to beat yourself down to build others up. It also is practice in not making someone else’s accomplishment/talents etc about yourself.
Give your compliment, and stop. Voila! Sincerity.
10. Don’t use your debit card on vacation. Use a credit card instead. If your card gets compromised or stolen, your actual money will be fine so you can still get home and pay the rent. The issue will be resolved before you have to pay the bill.
11. Taking an ambulance will NOT get you seen faster at the ER
The speed at which you are seen at the emergency room is determined based on the urgency of your problem.
Your problem may seem urgent to you, of course, but your broken arm will always come second to someone having an active heart attack.
You can save yourself some money, and time, by driving to the ER as long as you feel safe driving or have a driver.
As an EMT in a busy 911 system, I promise you, I absolutely can and will wheel you out to the same waiting room you’d have walked into if you had driven to the hospital yourself.
This post is not intended to shame you out of taking an ambulance if you really need it. This post is more aimed towards those who think that their mildly annoying seasonal allergies are a sufficient reason to dial 911.
If you are having symptoms of a stroke, heart attack, bleeding profusely, have burns to multiple places on your body, have any sort of penetrating trauma or multi-system trauma, call us.
If you feel like you can’t stand up on your own, if you don’t have family/friends, or if your family/friends are unable to assist you to the ER, CALL US.
By all means, we are here to serve you and respond to your emergencies. But if your situation isnt emergent, and you could fix your problem in several hours and be fine, then think twice about calling emergency transport.
12. If you want something kept a secret, never tell someone who is married that secret, they will reveal it their partner.
Most of my friends are married and I just recently discovered this when the wife of a different couple hinted at something I had told one of my friends. So he told his wife and she told the rest of the wives. At that moment I realized I can’t tell half of my friends anything anymore.
13. If the IRS calls you, it is a scam. The IRS will always start contact you through the US Postal Service.
14. Your memory is SO MUCH more powerful than you think… we were just never taught to use it properly at school. Learning techniques like “Memory Palaces” will let you learn anything FAR faster
The important concepts with the best educational resources i’ve ever found on memory techniques:
(1) Spaced repetition – this technique lets you remember things by systematically reminding you of the information over time in a spread-out way optimised for your long-term memory. Only 5 mins a day spent on this technique can have a massive impact on your memory. Its effectiveness grows exponentially over time the more you use it aswell so it quickly starts to have a massive impact on your life.
[How to use Spaced Repetition]
(2) Memory palaces / Method of Loci – our memory is much better at remembering images & locations than things like concepts and text. Memory palaces take advantage of this by turning what you want to learn into an image & location. You practice imagining a house you know well and then in your mind place new pieces of information in different parts of the house. It takes a lot of effort to build your memory palace to begin with but once you have it it will help you remember things efficiently for your whole life.
[5 Steps to Remember Things With a Memory Palace]
(3) Mnemonics – these are basically tricks that let you remember things more easily by associating them with different things. The 9 types of mnemonics e.g. making a rhyme out of something you want to remember e.g. linking together different things you want to remember into a story
(4) Why memory is important – your memory is surprisingly important for your learning speed. If you remember more you can understand and contexualise more things and therefore learn much faster. These two articles explain in more depth why memory is so important.
Theodore Lee is the editor of Caveman Circus. He strives for self-improvement in all areas of his life, except his candy consumption, where he remains a champion gummy worm enthusiast. When not writing about mindfulness or living in integrity, you can find him hiding giant bags of sour patch kids under the bed.