I’m going to be honest… this article was supposed to be published before 2022 started. It was supposed to be ‘Ten Rules To Follow In 2022.’ But, as I did a pretty bad job of following rule number ten on this list, I procrastinated, put it off, and instead it morphed into just ‘My Ten Rules For Life.’
But my procrastination doesn’t matter. What matters is I sat down to write this now.
So, with that being said, here are My Ten Rules For Life that you should follow.
Look at things objectively
“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality,” wrote Stoic philosopher Seneca. For many of us, this quote is all too true. Too many times, we allow our mind to blow things out of proportion. Whether it is a fear, something that happened to us, or something that we saw on the news, often we are unable to take a step back and look at things objectively. Instead, we let our emotions get in the way of being able to look at things for how they actually are.
Looking at things objectively can be hard in the moment. However, working on changing your perception of events will change the way that you think and act for the better.
Perception is often reality. Will your perception be rooted in reality, or fantasy?
Be okay appearing clueless
A lot of us are so concerned with how we appear to other people that it impedes our personal growth.
“If you wish to improve, be content to appear clueless or stupid in extraneous matters — don’t wish to seem knowledgeable,” wrote Epictetus.
It doesn’t matter where you are or what you are doing, you can’t be excellent or knowledgeable on everything. Know that this is okay. When you are able to be okay appearing clueless, you will be surprised at how many doors it might open.
Ask yourself the tough questions
A lot of the time, we tell the truth to others but lie to ourselves. We question why someone did a certain thing while we fail to examine our own actions. It is important for all of us be honest with ourselves. And if we are going to be 100 percent honest with ourselves, sometimes we will be required to ask ourselves tough questions. Instead of running away from this discomfort, I suggest you lean into it.
“Self examination is the key to insight, which is the key to wisdom,” wrote M Scott Peck.
Going forward, don’t be afraid to examine yourself and attempt to truly learn why you do what you do.
Don’t be a coward
Fear is something that we all have to deal with on a daily basis. Some people are able to manage their fear and overcome it. Others let it take them over and rule their entire life. The people that let fear take over their life are cowards. Don’t be one of them.
Focus on what you can control, don’t worry about the rest
There are so many things that happen in this world that we can’t do anything about. Too many people invest so much into external events. They worry about what is happening on the news, they waste time and energy worrying about what other people think of them, they focus on what they can’t control instead of what they can.
“The more we value things outside of our control, the less control we have,” wrote Epictetus.
Make an effort to put so much into what you can control that you won’t have any time to worry about what you can’t
Take risks
You are not going to learn anything about yourself, the world, or life by sitting inside and watching T.V all day. You must go out into the big, scary world and take risks. You are going to feel vulnerable at times, and you will be really uncomfortable. But trust me, this short-term pain is a required investment if you want to live a happy and productive life.
Appreciate the beauty in the journey
If you live right, there will be ups and downs. For a long time, I only desired the highs and despised the lows. However, now I know that just living for the highs and resenting the lows is no way to live. It is so important to learn to appreciate each phase of your life. I recently wrote about how your life’s treasure lies within the journey: Your Treasure Is The Journey – Grant Matheny
Be present in the moment
In today’s world, there are so many distractions. It is harder now than ever to be present in the moment.
“All of humanity’s problems stem from a man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone,” said Blaise Pascal. Pascal wrote this now famous line in the 1600’s. There were no T.Vs, no computers, no social media, no cell phones. And yet Pascal still said that all of man’s problems stem from an inability to sit quietly in a room alone.
Wherever you are right now, just take a second to be present in the current moment. Allowing yourself to be present in the moment is the first step towards enjoying every moment.
Be Confident
Confidence is something that can’t be overrated. Those with confidence are going to be deal with failure better, take more risks, and in the end, find a lot more success.
We all have doubts about ourselves. It is the people who realize that these doubts only exist to be conquered that will find the most confidence. Also, here is a little secret: Those voices of doubt never go away, no matter what you do or how confident you are
Be Proactive
The first habit in Steven Covey’s Seven Habits for Highly Effective People is to be proactive. Being more proactive is a rule that can help us become better in all aspects of our life. If we simply take care of what we need to take care of, we will have less stress and immediately become much more productive. Even though it may not be fun in the moment, it is important that we always take action and complete these important tasks.
Whether it be homework, work, or a difficult conversation, be proactive and get it done instead of thinking your difficult tasks will magically disappear.