Stop Taking Advice From Everyone

Read Time: 4 minutes

Hi, it’s Rohit.

We are surrounded by advice.
But here is the funny part. The people who give the most advice… are usually the ones who have done the least.

A while back, I was talking to a friend about workout routines.
He confidently told me what to eat, what to avoid, how many reps to do, he gave me a full TED Talk.
And this is a person who hasn’t been near a gym this entire century.

That’s when it clicked:
It is not the lack of advice that slows you down, it is listening to the wrong people.

Here is the filter I now use and these are the only kinds of people I actually take advice from.

1. Someone who has actually done the thing

Experience is a brutal, honest teacher and that’s why their advice matters.

People who have done the work don’t speak in theories.
They speak in specifics: what went wrong, what surprised them, what they’d do differently, what truly matters.

They don’t give dramatic statements.
They give context, the small details only someone who’s lived it would know.

And most importantly:
Their advice is grounded, not Googled and definitely not AI generated.

When someone’s wins and failures are real, their words carry weight.

2. Someone who has failed publicly… and kept going

Failure teaches you things success never will.

People who have fallen in front of everyone and still got back up… have perspective.
They teach resilience, patience, and how to rebuild when nothing goes to plan.

They don’t sugar-coat anything.
They tell you how life actually works.

3. Someone who tells you the uncomfortable truth

We all need at least one person who doesn’t flatter us.

The one who says,
“No, this isn’t good.”
“You are avoiding the real issue.”
“You are playing small.”

It stings for five minutes.
It helps for five years.

4. Someone who gains nothing from your success

These are the rare ones.
They don’t benefit if you succeed. They don’t lose anything if you fail.

And because they have no agenda, their advice is clean.
Pure.
Unfiltered.

The kind you can actually trust.

Try This Week

A small filter that works:

Before taking advice from anyone, ask yourself:
Would I happily trade places with this person in the area they are advising me on?

If the answer is no then smile, thank them… and quietly ignore everything they just said.

I am learning this the hard way, your circle influences you more than you realize. Be intentional about who gets to guide you.

Until next week!
Rohit Makker

“Set Goals That Inspire”

P.S. Have any questions or topics you’d like me to cover? Feel free to reach out!