As you may or may not know, at the moment I’m putting together two new books which will be available some time before Jesus comes back. Possibly. One is a compilation of “Life Lessons” (articles, short stories, parables) taken from right here at me-dot-com (currently being put together by the very clever Emily Hollister), the other book is a written-from-scratch work that is based on my ‘One Hundred Principles for Life’. Today I thought I might give you a teensy-weensy snapshot of twenty of those principles. While I have not expanded on each principle to any great extent (not like I have in the book anyway), they are mostly self explanatory and easy-to-understand. Not all of them will be meaningful, relevant or appropriate for you personally (natch), but take a peek and see what fits.
1. Don’t be a sheep. Baaah. Oh yes, the enormity of conformity; it permeates every corner of our society. Sometimes in our desperation to fit in, to belong and to avoid rocking the boat, we lose us. If you’re part of a group (organisation, company, church, team, gang, club) that discourages independent thought, freedom of expression or a contrary opinion, start running and don’t look back. Think for yourself. Learn your own truth. Be your own person.
2. Make the hard decisions. Some of us have spent years perfecting the skill (yep, it’s a skill) of not making the decisions we should. You know what I mean. And by the way, by not making a decision, you are making a decision. 
3. Be a treasure hunter; consciously find (and appreciate) the good in your world. If you’re determined to find (and focus on) the negative, you will. And many people do. For me, the misery mindset has never been a particularly attractive option.
4. Choose your attitude every morning. It’s kind of liberating and empowering to know that a good or bad day is completely in our control and that while the happenings in our world might influence us, they don’t need to determine us.
5. Be proactive, not reactive. A person who spends their life being reactive not proactive is always playing catch up, is rarely happy or fulfilled and will never maximise their potential. Wouldn’t you prefer to be the Captain of your ship rather than the deck hand?
6. Seek to be wealthy, not rich. The kind of wealth I’m talking about here is all encompassing and may or may not have anything to do with money. That depends on you. People who are emotionally, socially, mentally, physically and spiritually wealthy have a distinct advantage over their counterparts whose entire life focus has been about building a bank balance and accumulating assets. And yes, it’s possible to be wealthy and rich; they need not be mutually exclusive.
7. Don’t hang out with toxic people. Spend enough time with toxic people and pretty soon you’ll be one. Their crappy attitude, pessimism, self-pity, negative language and their ability to ‘find the bad’ is contagious. If swine flue is your only alternative, take it; it’s less harmful.
8. Don’t let your past become your future. Unless you want it to, of course. If you want to create different results, do different things. If you want to step out of your own version of Groundhog Day, then stop hoping things will work out and start doing what you need to. It really ain’t that complex.
9. Strive for improvement not perfection. Perfection is a myth and a very destructive pursuit. It doesn’t exist – not in human form anyway – yet strangely, we are obsessed with it.
10. Don’t become your parents. By all means love them, appreciate them, respect them and learn from them but please don’t be them. It’s kinda creepy. And sad.
11. Under-promise and over-deliver. A great principle for business and for life in general; unlike many people who talk the talk and then deliver donuts. Zippo. Nada.
12. Don’t eat what you don’t need. Crazy concept I know. Imagine if we actually gave our body what it needed rather than giving it what our mind wants. What obesity epidemic?
13. Don’t rely on Motivation. Like all emotional states, motivation is temporary. It comes and goes. Kind of like flatulence. The person who only does what he should be doing when he is ‘motivated’ will never succeed over the long term because when the (feeling of) motivation subsides (and it always does) so too will the (change) behaviours. This is the time when our ‘non-negotiable’ behaviours should come into play – the ones that keep us doing what we need to, even when we don’t feel like it.
14. Do what scares you. Control your fear or it will control you. Within reason of course. I’m not suggesting that you run in front of a truck any time soon, but I am suggesting that you stop always choosing the easy, comfortable, convenient and safe (but ultimately unfulfilling and unrewarding) path. What scares us teaches us.
15. Stop looking for approval and permission. You’re big now; you don’t need it.
16. Don’t give away your personal power. You’ve done that for long enough.
17. Deal with problems quickly. Minor challenges become monumental problems (in our mind) if we wait long enough.
18. Learn to control your internal environment. Being as we do most of our ‘living’ in our head, it’s in our interest to make it a nice place to inhabit.
19. Ask the right questions. You know those questions; the ones that put you in a productive, positive, creative and solution-focused head space.
20. Be adaptable. Easier said than done but definitely something we need to develop. Living in a dynamic world along side unpredictable people in an ever-changing environment and situation means that adaptability is a prerequisite for the would-be success story.
So which of the above principles resonate for you? Feel free to add your own number 21…. 22, 23…
Ciao xx
P.S. ‘Your Turn to Teach Thursday’ has been shifted to Friday for this week…
Love this article? Sign up for my FREE Email Newsletter today to receive more articles like this, and my FREE Ebook!
Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
21: if you don’t do the 20 principles you are still ok as you are.
O.K.
#21 – Trust people. When you trust people they may fail, but they will try harder to succeed for you and ultimately will become evangelists for you. Below is a mini video on Trust in leadership.
http://www.businessandthegeek.com/?p=35
Great post by the way!
21. Anticipate. This is a mix of “5. Be proactive, not reactive.”, “17. Deal with problems quickly.”, “19. Ask the right questions.” and “20. Be adaptable.”.
I think I’ll go with numbers 3 & 4 today – consciously finding the good and choosing your attitude every morning – if I do these at the very least, my day will be good.
Have a great day everyone.
Love,
Mon
PS The books sound awesome – good Chrissy presents !
Hi Craig,
Thanks for the principles. I think I’ll print them out and put them on my fridge.
Here are my suggestions:
21. Accept gifts graciously. Even if you already have twenty of whatever-the-hell-that-is, smile and accept another one anyway. Don’t rob the person of the opportunity to give and the good feelings that come with that. Be kind and accept that your bottom drawer will always be full of crap you don’t need.
22. Be punctual (unless you get stuck in a friggin’ duststorm!). If you’re constantly late for events, it gives the impression that you think you’re so much busier and more important than everyone else – not a great way to build respectful relationships. I once had a friend who was consistently late (at least he could be relied on to never be on time). Eventually his friends became so fed up that they ‘performance managed him out of the organisation’. Now he has nothing to be late to.
23. Bootlegs are your friend. Unless you are a six-foot-tall, size zero model who hasn’t eaten a carb since 2001, tapered legs (the ones that are narrower at the hem than they are at the knee) are your enemy number one. You might as well strap a flashing neon sign to your butt which says ‘Isn’t it just enormous?’. Bootlegs (in the shops, fold up the hem to the knee and make sure the hem is wider) give width around the ankle to counteract the width at the bum and hips – it’s an optical illusion. Also, if you’re wearing bootlegs in the evening, avoid shoes with a rounded front otherwise you’ll look like you lost your toes in an unfortunate industrial accident.
Well, I didn’t promise philosophical, did I?
Have a wonderful Thursday. Looking forward to reading everyone else’s contributions.
Christina xxx
You know this takes all the fun out of making excuses, and not taking responsibility, right? Dammit, Craig! You mean I actually have to do something if I want my life to go in the direction I want it to? It won’t just happen? Hmmm… hard work and decisions await!
Lisa the Lurker
Craigo,
I have but one addition, of which I remind myself almost every day!
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
It’s pretty self-explanatory, but I’m not going to give myself high blood pressure just coz some d*ckhead driver cut me off, or because the dog chewed the hose … again.
You summed it up well at RYL:
“Have you got a tumor?”
“No.”
“Well, shut up.”
(cue Borat voice) High five!!
Em
( ) x
Hi Craig,
Nice post as always…I agree to almost all the points you wrote about , except for one – point 18 (learn to control your internal environment)…I think that this is perhaps the most difficutl of ALL tasks (in any task list) ; i.e. controlling your mind…may be if you could come up with a post in future about how exactly to control the mind…would really appreciate that…
Thanks a ton for being there to inspire people and show the path !
I like points 7 , 9 and 10.
Here are my #21 and 22
#21 – Train yourself to listen to your intuition ; too often we forget that we have an internal compass , meant to guide us through rough seas..
#22 – Learn to accept that other people might not be having the same opinion as you.
Cheers !
#13 is one I never thought of…hmmm
#21. Don’t turn on the blender with the lid off…
Lots of great advice Craig, looking forward to the books! I think they’re all applicable to me in different ways, another one for me is, treat people the way you want to be treated. Also, to enjoy the here and now – enjoy the moment….every day is a gift.
Also enjoyed your post the other day about Greg the cabbie. Was scratching my head thinking I know someone like that…who was it?…and realised it was my Dad. Someone I should talk to more often. So a special thanks for that story.
On a completely separate note, has there been a past post on what happened at your 20 year high school reunion? Or is it 30 year reunion now?
Assuming you did go to your reunion, it would make an interesting story. Seeing as you were the fat kid and have come a long way since then.
Cheers
Alison
#21: Laugh. A lot. Especially at yourself. Life is not meant to be that serious.
#22: Live with the mind of a beginner. Never assume you know it all. About anything. Always be open to learning or re-learning. This will help you to achieve the improvement in #9.
#23: Be kind to yourself. Give yourself the treatment and support and advice you would give a dear friend.
#24: Remember to stop and smell the roses. Literally and figuratively. Enjoy right now .. coz aside from a lot of head chaos, that’s all you really have. Embrace it.
#25: Realise that it’s not all about you. When you’re feeling presh, get over yourself.
#26: Unreasonable happiness. Absolutely no logical reason to be happy, but choose to be happy anyway.
#27: Drive your psychology by setting your physiology. Sit and stand up straight. Put your shoulders back. Chin up. Look at the world around you, not at your feet. Smile. Stretch your arms out. Grin stupidly. Dance like there’s nobody watching. NOW try to be depressed, I dare ya!
#28: Treat your body, mind and spirit like the precious vehicles they are for getting you through this life (and even beyond!). If you were given something that was necessary for you living and told that it had to last you at least 80 years and there was NO option of a replacement (other than a few parts, perhaps), tell me how well you would maintain it and look after it??
OK, I’ll shut up now.
Suz
To a previous commentor, an old Maori proverb says ‘turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you’. Why the resistance to positive change mate? You can continue to accept the status quo or you could dare to shine.
Hi Craig,
Thanks for the list – very timely reminder. Looking forward to the books.
As I read down the list I realised that I’ve come a long way in the last 12 months because I feel that I’m working on or mastered most of them.
One that I do have an issue is Number 7 – Don’t hang out with Toxic People. I’m sorting that in my private life quite well, but at work it’s still a bit of an issue. There are a couple of people that simply wouldn’t know how to be positive, even if they won the lotto. I always try to put a positive spin on situations and smile and be friendly etc, etc. However some days I can feel my energy being zapped out of me with every word. I love my job and don’t want to leave it due to a couple of toxics, but would really appreciate a couple of strategies to stop them zapping my energy.
Nell xxx
Great post, was a reminder of what I should be doing and keep going despite some obstacles.
Hi Craig (again), hi guys,
Suz – loved your number 24. A couple of weeks ago, I had a really trying day when nothing would go right. Instead of buying chocolate or having a pointless pity-party, I went across the road and bought flowers. Just having a huge bunch of oriental lilies on my desk made such a difference – and the smell! Every single student who walked through the door after that smelled the flowers and smiled; pretty hard to stay grouchy after that. Gotta love flowers.
Nell – I hear you. I work with Mrs Princessgrumpycontrolfreakdragonpants. She is so diabolical, she could have Bill Gates feeling like a failure and crying like a big girls’ blouse in seconds. I’ve just bought ‘Tricky People: How to deal with horrible types before they ruin your life’ by Andrew Fuller. I’ve only read the first two chapters but it’s pretty awesome. Maybe give it a go.
Ok. I know. I’m going now. I’ve been avoiding marking again.
Christina xxx
Christina – yep. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that can make us smile and make us feel better. That’s why they invented men.
Hi Guys
Thanks for all your suggestions, thoughts, feedback and additions to my list. Good stuff. Hope you’re enjoying your Thursday.
xx
Suz – great additions, especially number 28 … what a great way to think of our bodies. Really puts into perspective how important it is to look after ourselves.
Christina – LOL … you have the best names for people
Will definitely be purchasing myself a copy of the book. Maybe once I’ve read it I’ll “accidentally” leave it sitting on my desk for a couple of others to browse as well!
Take care all
Nell xxxx
Suza we are not amusing clowns actually
Oh BTW before I forget.
Don’t hang out with toxic people. Spend enough time with toxic people and pretty soon you’ll be one. Their crappy attitude, pessimism, self-pity, negative language and their ability to ‘find the bad’ is contagious. If swine flue is your only alternative, take it; it’s less harmful. Don’t hang out with toxic people. Spend enough time with toxic people and pretty soon you’ll be one. Their crappy attitude, pessimism, self-pity, negative language and their ability to ‘find the bad’ is contagious. If swine flue is your only alternative, take it; it’s less harmful.
I would add do not let them stamp on your dreams.
In past postings you have always said goals should be realistic.
But if you want to be PM, win lotto or want that person, go for it but my point is as soon as you reach for success something seem sto kick into humans that they will stop you.
I listened to people so I should know how they can destroy potential. Sure if you give them permission but half the battle is being silent about our goals and only telling the right people that will support or at least tolerate our wanting to be something or do something no matter how unrealistic it is.
Michael – actually, some of you are.
But that wasn’t exactly my point….
Another principle is Getting enough rest to perform optimally.
Loved your 20 principles for improving life…have shared them around the office….
Great list of Life improving principles. What I like the most is being proactive, not reactive. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Craig…Im new to your post…On #7…I think the same may apply!! (show me who your friends are and it will show you who you are) thanks!! for giving Great advice!!
Very nice list, I can add some “Love” to the list,
Good afternoon,
Thanks a lot for your creative website,you have really change me.
Hi Craig,
This is one of the best principals i’ve ever seen which must be followed by any one.
All 20 points are must haves for any individual. It shows your real face and gives real happiness.
We can add more points suggested by
Christana
spiderman
Suza
Thanks to you too,
Craig, I wish you should write a book on these topics and its necessity.
Thanks a lot.
Jagadeesan