"Shoot a picture as you want to see it."
A lot easier said than done.
What that means is, envision how something should look in the end, and then work backwards. How much do you want to see? Do you want a wider view, or a narrow view. Should there me a larger depth of field or a shallow one? Should I shoot the photo in a neutral white balance or off very hot/cold color? Crisp or soft focus.. etc. This works if you have the time and patience for whatever you are trying to shoot.
And of course you can do the same in life. Look at where you want to end, and then work backwards on how to obtain that. Blah Blah.. but it seems to work.