Principles

My principles for life. An ongoing work in progress...

1. Don't wait for others to act. Make the call. Organize the trip. Plan the activities you want. Others will follow.
2. Regularly step back and think about what you want for the next month, year, ten years. If you don't, life has a sneaky way of just passing by while you're on autopilot.
3. Volunteer, get involved, try the new thing. But be militant about evaluating if you like it or not. If you don't, just quit.
4. Be sure you're climbing the right ladder. Lots of time and energy is wasted if you're on the wrong one.
5. Titles and salary rarely lead to more happiness.
6. Know what you value. Don't let others influence it.
7. Take stock of your finances and your life monthly. Adjust as needed.
8. Motivation is like taking a shower. It works best when practiced daily.
9. Go as far as you can see, and when you get there you can always see farther.
10. Be mindful of what you consume. In both calories and ideas.
11. Consume less news. Read more books.
12. If someone gives you a book, be sure to read it. It almost certainly had an impact on them that they wanted to share with you.
13. Create more than you consume. (While consuming can be fun, it is never as rewarding).
14. Ask yourself, "Will I regret this decision when I'm 85?" If it's a yes, or even a maybe - adjust accordingly! (See also Jeff Bezos "regret minimization framework")
15. Get the work done first. Then go play.
16. Check your work before you press send.
17. If you screw up. Admit it. Tell the person why. Apologize.
18. Take time every day to say "thank you" for one thing.
19. Take a risk. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations. If you find yourself too comfortable, you're probably not growing.
20. Don't take yourself too seriously.
21. Cultivate your valued relationships or else they will slowly wither away. Ruthlessly weed out relationships that no longer bring you value.
22. Find your tribe.
23. Don't stress the things outside your locus of control. No matter how worked up you get, it's not going to change anything.
24. Diversify your investments in the market, in knowledge, and in relationships.
25. It's ok to change your goals from time to time.
26. Sweat with others. Combine exercise and social connection.
27. Spend less than you make.
28. Contribute early and often and watch the power of compounding returns. In money, knowledge, relationships, and more.
29. No one is thinking about you as much as you are. They're too worried about themselves.
30. True wealth is the freedom to do what you want, when you want. Money helps, but good health is just as important. Focus on both.
31. Tell people how you feel. Often. Tell them you love them. Let them know you appreciate them. Say thank you. Make a point of taking a moment to thank them for the invitation, for the meal, for the gift, for listening and being there.
32. Maintain a healthy skepticism of all that you see and hear. In the age of AI, it's just to easy to get duped.
33. Be the person who does the thing they say they're going to do.
34. Better yet - do the thing you see that needs to be done before anyone asks you to do it.