I bet you’ve been through a barrage of self-help books, all promising to change your life.
But let’s face it, they are usually 300 pages of redundant information. That’s why I present to you the most compact self-help guide ever.
Think Link to heading
First things first - think things through. Rushing into actions without any forethought is just a recipe for disaster. Give your brain some credit and use it!
Prioritize Link to heading
Learn to break large tasks down to small tasks. Each small task in itself should create some value and together they should culminate into something larger than life.
Once you’ve broken down the tasks, ruthlessly prioritize them. It’s essential to know which battles to pick in order to win the war.
One Thing At a Time Link to heading
Let’s move on - remember this mantra: “Stop starting - start finishing”. One task at a time keeps you moving towards your goals.
Plan Link to heading
Eisenhower is famous for the quote: “Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.”. One could also sum it up as “Planning is re-planning”.
Plan, but don’t let the plan become your master. Adapt as needed.
Have Fun Link to heading
Don’t forget to have fun and set aside time for creativity and exploration. All work and no play can make anyone go insane. Also it’s my experience that new ideas originate in exploration and fun.
Compare You Vs You Link to heading
This one is vital - don’t compare yourself with others – compare you with YOU! Your real competition is your past self.
Set, and Change Goals Link to heading
Getting somewhere requires knowing where that somewhere is. Set long, medium and short term goals, revisit them frequently and don’t hesitate to change them if circumstances call for it.
Communicate Link to heading
Remember – speaking isn’t communicating unless what you’ve said has been understood rightly! So, learn how to communicate clearly.
Do It Link to heading
The key here is simple – just start! Don’t let procrastination make a home in your routine. If you need an actionable tool then say to yourself, “I’m going to do this for 10 minutes. If I don’t want to do it after that, I can stop”. This saying took yours truly along some truly grueling accounting courses at university.
Accept The Constraints Of Reality Link to heading
Acceptance is key here– accept your reality. We all have only so many hours in a day – use them wisely! Reject hustle culture; don’t neglect other responsibilities while chasing dreams.
You are allowed to have friends, kids, a spouse and hobbies. Heart attacks, money and three divorces are actually not required to be classified as successful.
Mind And Body Matter Link to heading
Eat well; do cardio; lift weights; meditate; do what your body needs.
Consistency Link to heading
Stop chasing the silver bullet – there ain’t any shortcuts here folks! Good things take time and hard work over extended periods of time – if it was easy everyone else would be doing it already! Consistency is the key to success.
No Excuses Link to heading
Making excuses is just a way of avoiding responsibility for your actions. Take responsibility and learn from your mistakes. Excuses are the easy way out, but they don’t change anything. Anyone who has ever accomplished anything has failed more times than not, it’s ok.
Control The Controllables Link to heading
Focus on what’s in your control—actions, judgments & reactions—and accept uncontrollable situations.
Summary Link to heading
So there you have it. Lessons from a life, condensed into a single blog post.
Apply these principles to your life and see the magic unfold on your deathbed.
Remember - success isn’t about the destination, it’s about the journey and the person you become along the way. Keep evolving and don’t forget to enjoy the ride!