There is no secret to success other than hard work and correct thinking, but we decided to compile a list of 10 different rules we feel can help you live the life you want, rather than the one you need to. We have compiled these 10 basic life rules so that you can get out of the rat race faster than ever before.
You always have a choice!
Contrary to what you may have believed when thinking back of your past choices, you have always had a choice. Even if the outlook of both your choices seemed dark at times, the choice was always there for you to make. No matter how you look at your past choices, they were nothing more than selecting between two alternatives, and each held a separate outcome. It is important to understand that making choices from a young age is inevitable and a good practice for the long haul. To act or not act is also a choice, and also holds an outcome. Always remember that you where you are today as a result of the path you selected and the choices you made along the way. At any given time, you have the choice to change direction and go down a different path (unfortunately, not always for the better).
Education is the answer to most of your life’s problems, school isn’t!
Even though school has its advantages, it holds no relevance to how far you get in life. Those with or without college degrees are faced with all the same challenges in life once they leave high school. School itself certainly can help you progress more rapidly, but is not a prerequisite to success. Education, on the other hand, is. Regardless of whether it is self taught or acquired by observing or investigating, it is an important prerequisite to success. It is ultimately true that the more educated you are towards any situation, the easier it is to navigate the road to the finish line. Don’t focus too hard on accomplishing a high level of school education but instead focus on getting educated each and every time you see the opportunity to learn.
Life has balance, so be fair!
Life has a funny way of balancing out just about everything; the way you succeed is to learn to win more times than you lose. Even when you think you have figured it out, new unexpected events cause you to fall back. Always remember that every action you take can have a ripple effect through your life, even if not seen or felt immediately. Be fair towards yourself or others and calculate the long-term effect of your actions early on. Make sure that you treat your life with balance so that your long-term goals are not impacted by your short-term thinking.
99% of your issues are directly created by you, and only 1% indirectly.
You are the sum of your actions and 99% of all obstacles or issues you face in life are as a direct correlation to one of your past actions. The other 1% is also based on the effects of those original actions which may have caused a chain reaction elsewhere. Take charge of all your problems quickly and don’t nag about them, as they won’t solve themselves. As you encounter issues, simply put the blame game away and don’t waste time trying to figure out who could have avoided it. Instead, quickly focus on the solution. Once you find the solution, look back and make sure you don’t repeat the same mistake twice.
No one gives a shit that you are having a bad day!
Whenever you wake up and are having a bad day, remember that no one cares that your day is not going as planned. You, and only you, are responsible for what happens to the rest of your day. Always have a positive outlook on the outcome, even if all else looks doomed — more negativity will only bring more negative days. Instead, focus on the better side of the day and how you can turn around the bad into the good, because ultimately, no one cares that you are having a bad day, and they certainly don’t deserve being impacted by it.
Words are powerful, think before you speak.
Your words are all that you have in this world if you take away money and material objects. Value them and use them carefully, as they are powerful. Make sure to keep in mind that some of today’s greatest changes in society started with just a few words. Think before you speak, because you may never have the chance to change the outcome of your words.
There are many perspectives to life, not just yours.
You are never right and never wrong. Each and every person has a different perspective on life and on all of the different components of it. Just because you see value in living through entrepreneurship or living life for the greater rewards it has to offer, not everyone will agree, and not everyone will want to follow your footsteps. Understanding early on that each and every person is entitled to their own perspective and that their life is theirs to live is important and must be respected.
Value time now, because there may not be time tomorrow.
A common mistake each of us make early on is our lack of care for time. We sit around, watch TV, hang out with friends, and go to the movies — but more importantly, we find our downtime spent by doing nothing. Doing nothing is wasting time, and if you figure early on how to live so that you spend your time more wisely and align it to your goals, you will get much further much faster. There is also the more ominous possibility that tomorrow may never come, so get up and do something productive.
Every second is a passing chance to turn it all around.
New Year’s resolutions or promises to change your life after a certain date are simply a way to tell yourself you are not ready to face the changes needed in your life. Every passing second in your life is an opportunity to create the changes that you want. Don’t delay in your quest for change, as every day might be one too late to make the change you really seek. Keep in mind that if you have changed to become who you are today, you can change to become who you want to be tomorrow.
Dream big, act bigger.
Your dreams are yours to make a reality, and not for others to live, so why allow anyone to ever stop you from anything you believe you can do? Your dreams are only as good as the actions you are going to take to make them a reality. Remember to dream big no matter what others have to say or believe, and ensure you work each and every day to live the life you want, not the one you have to.
