The person who remembers your preference has made the next shared decision a little kinder.

Being remembered removes a small negotiation. Someone who knows you do not eat that, or cannot manage the stairs, or hate arriving late, has quietly taken an item off your list and spared you the choice between asking again and going without. It looks like nothing at the time, and it adds up considerably.

Write down two or three preferences belonging to people you see often. Use one this week without mentioning that you remembered, which is the part that makes it a kindness.