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Excellent Advice for Living by Kevin Kelly is a treasure trove of wisdom that spans across various facets of life. Whether you seek guidance on work, relationships, or personal growth, Kelly’s wisdom provides a clear, practical roadmap for a more fulfilling life.
Born in 1952, Kevin Kelly is the founding executive editor of WIRED and a visionary futurist. He has also been a writer, photographer, conservationist, and student of Asian and digital culture.
💼 Kevin Kelly on Work and Productivity
Always demand a deadline because it weeds out the extraneous and the ordinary. A deadline prevents you from trying to make it perfect so you have to make it different. Different is better.
If your goal does not have a schedule, it is a dream.
Prototype your life. Try stuff instead of making grand plans.
Shorten your to-do list by asking yourself “What is the worst that will happen if this does not get done?” Eliminate all but the disasters.
Keep showing up. 99% of success is just showing up. In fact, most success is just persistence.
The greatest rewards come from working on something that nobody has words for. If you possibly can work where there are no names for what you do.
You don’t need more time because you already have all the time that you will ever get; you need more focus.
To be hired, think like your boss.
If it fails where you thought it would fail that is not a failure.
♥️ Kevin Kelly on Relationships and Community
Friends are better than money. Almost anything money can do friends can do better. In so many ways, a friend with a boat is better than owning a boat. [Note: Along similar lines, read my article on making friends in your 30s]
Pay attention to who you are around when you feel your best. Be with them more often.
Everyone is shy. Other people are waiting for you to introduce yourself to them; they are waiting for you to send them an email; they are waiting for you to ask them on a date. Go ahead.
The more you are interested in others the more interesting they’ll find you. To be interesting, be interested.
Every person you meet knows an amazing lot about something you know virtually nothing about. It won’t be obvious and your job is to discover what it is.
Promptness is a sign of respect.
If you ask for someone’s feedback you’ll get a critic. But if instead you ask for advice you’ll get a partner.
Make others feel they are important; it will make their day and it will make your day.
Your ideal partner is not someone you never disagree with but someone you are glad to disagree with.
📈 Kevin Kelly on Personal Growth and Mindset
Whenever you can’t decide which path to take pick the one that produces change. [Note: Along similar lines, read my article on Luck Surface Area.]
If your opinions on one subject can be predicted from your opinions on another you may be in the grip of an ideology. When you truly think for yourself your conclusions will not be predictable.
Ask anyone you admire: Their lucky breaks happened on a detour from their main goal. So embrace detours. Life is not a straight line for anyone.
Don’t be afraid to ask a question that may sound stupid because 99% of the time everyone else is thinking of the same question and is too embarrassed to ask it.
A worthy goal for a year is to learn enough about a subject so that you can’t believe how ignorant you were a year earlier.
Recipe for greatness: Become just a teeny bit better than you were last year. Repeat every year.
Before you are old attend as many funerals as you can bear and listen. Nobody talks about the departed’s achievements. The only thing people will remember is what kind of person you were while you were achieving.
You are what you do. Not what you say not what you believe not how you vote but what you spend your time on.
Don’t be in haste. When you are in a hurry you are more easily conned or manipulated.
Learn how to be alone without being lonely. Solitude is essential for creativity.
Infinite games are played to keep the game going. Seek out infinite games because they yield unlimited rewards.
🎨 Kevin Kelly on Creativity and Art
Art is in what you leave out.
Superheroes and saints never make art. Only imperfect beings can make art because art begins in what is broken.
The big dirty secret is that everyone especially the famous are just making it up as they go along.
💭 Kevin Kelly on Communication and Wisdom
Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates. At the first gate, ask yourself, “Is it true?” At the second gate ask, “Is it necessary?” At the third gate ask, “Is it kind?”.
The purpose of listening is not to reply, but to hear what is not being said.
When someone tells you something is wrong, they’re usually right. When they tell you how to fix it they’re usually wrong.
It is not a compliment if it comes with a request.
When a child asks an endless string of “Why?” questions, the smartest reply is “I don’t know, what do you think?”
The easy choice pays off right away. The best choice will pay off at the end.
Embracing Kevin Kelly’s Excellent Advice for a Better Life
Kevin Kelly’s “Excellent Advice for Living” offers timeless wisdom for navigating life’s complexities. By applying his practical insights on work, relationships, and personal growth, you can achieve profound personal transformation. Let his advice guide you toward a more intentional and fulfilling life.
Note: The quotes are copied as it is from the book, Excellent Advice for Living. I don’t claim any credit for the text.
