I would like to take this opportunity to pass along some life advice that the woman in your life wishes you would take seriously. Really. Save it to your Notes app. Etch it onto a stone tablet. Have it tattooed on backwards on your forehead so when you look in the mirror you can read it.
Ready? I’m about to change your life. Here goes:
Either do it and don’t complain about it. Or don’t do it.
Not both. One, or the other. That’s it.
At work, if your manager asks you to mentor the new Gen Z associate who won’t stop saying “Slay” in meetings, say yes and get to imparting your hard-won wisdom. Or, explain why you just don’t have the bandwidth right now.
With your friends, Venmo your most organized pal for your share of the crew’s upcoming golf weekend AirBnB as soon as he requests payment. Don’t grumble and drag your feet and make him ask three more times. Or, don’t say yes to the trip in the first place.
At home, if your significant other asks you to take the garbage out while she cooks dinner even though taking out the garbage is on her list of domestic responsibilities, get up from watching PTI and do it, or…actually, in this case, just take out the damn garbage.
I would honestly rather hear, “No, I will not do that because I don’t have time / it violates my moral principles / I simply don’t want to” then have someone (namely a man) say, “Ughhh, why do I have to do this? I hate doing this. Doing this is the worst.”
All while slowly pulling themself to a standing position, and plodding towards the execution of said-thing.
Am I speaking from experience here? Maybe. And trust me when I say, you don’t want a woman to be speaking from experience about you when calling attention to this trait.
So please, take it from your internet wingwoman.
Like Nike implores you, just do it.
If not happily, at least silently.
Or don’t do it! But do not do it and complain about doing it.
Beyond the benefits of helping a task get done, you’ll also develop a reputation of being a guy who’s game. You do not want to be someone who people dread asking a favor, or simply to do their fair share.
In fact, I bet you can think of a guy right now who’s like this. Jason from marketing who’s always yapping until the office manager asks for help setting up a co-worker’s birthday party in the break room. Or Sam, who acts like driving you home from the bar so you don’t have to take an Uber is the biggest inconvenience in the world, even when your place is on the way to his.
And if you can’t think of someone like this? Well, bad news. You might be that guy.
And you do not, I repeat, do not, want to be that guy. Now, repeat after me: “Sure, no problem!” “On it.” “I’m all over it.”
Okay, now you go.
More dating and relationship stories from SG HQ:
How to Have a Great First Date
What’s a “Beige Flag” and How Do You Keep From Raising Them?
The Do’s and Don’t’s of Post-Dating Friendship
The Best Relationship Advice I Ever Got Was From…Scientology?!
