88. When you hear something once, pay attention. When you hear it twice, act.

We waste a lot of time ignoring criticism and warnings because it makes us uncomfortable. We don’t want to believe the worst, or else fear confronting it. For example, most heart attack victims ignore initial warning signs, attributing them to heartburn or stress. By not checking with a physician about their symptoms, they put themselves at risk for permanent heart damage, or worse. It’s a powerful example about the human desire to ignore warning signs.

If two customers leave a restaurant you own because the food is cold, or you get called out at work for being unprepared for a meeting several times, you’re doing something wrong. When you get feedback about yourself more than once, that’s a trend. If you hear a similar comment twice within a relatively short period of time, that’s an urgent trend. Remember, frequency of repetition is what gives researchers confidence in their results. They realize that the more often you hear something, the more likely it is to be true.

So listen carefully to feedback from others. Thank the people who give it to you. Then fix the problem.