Most advice goes in one ear and out the other. A small amount sticks — usually for reasons that have less to do with the cleverness of the line and more to do with who said it and when. This prompt asks you to write down one piece of advice you actually use, and to look at why it took root.
It's also a way to record an inheritance you might otherwise lose.
Writing down the best advice you've received turns a passing line into a durable tool you can return to. It also separates real advice from the noise you've absorbed without choosing it. And often you'll notice you're not using it as much as you used to — which is itself useful information, and a gentle invitation to start again.
Useful at a turning point, before an important decision, or at year-end. Also good when you've been seeking advice from too many sources and want to come back to one piece of wisdom you already trust.
•
Quote the advice, as exactly as you can remember.
•
Name who said it, and the context.
•
Note why you were ready to hear it then.
•
Describe one situation in which you still use it.
•
Decide if there's a current situation you should apply it to now.
Other ways to ask the same thing
“Which piece of advice has shaped how you live more than any other?”
“What's a sentence from someone else that you keep returning to?”
“What advice has aged well in your life?”
It's easy to pick a famous quote you've adopted but don't actually live by. Don't. The right answer is something that, in real moments, you actually hear in your head. If you can't picture using it this week, keep looking.
My grandfather once said, 'You can be tired or you can be angry — not both at the same time.' He meant: deal with the body first. I heard it the summer I was burning out at twenty-five, in the middle of a small argument with my mum that I'd started for no reason. I use it almost weekly — when I notice I'm sharp with someone close, I ask whether I've eaten, slept, walked. Almost always the answer is no. Tonight is a case in point. Eating, then deciding whether anything still feels worth arguing about.