My Life Rules

Between my 20s to 30s, my life was all about succeeding in my career. Back in 2019 or so, after getting rejected in a big interview, I realised that knowledge is a long term pursuit. I realised that its only small things done over the long term yeild the biggest results. That realisation became my first life rule. I then sent to my brother as a lesson life taught me. Over time, with other life events and realisations, I started collecting more. And today, these have become the guiding principles and rules that shape my decisions and actions. Not all of these were created by me. They come from various sources - religion, movies, quotes etc, but each one has a story of self reflection.

Illustration for rule: A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.

Illustration for rule: Aim at the stars to get to the moon.

Aim at the stars to get to the moon.

Illustration for rule: All it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage.

All it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage.

Illustration for rule: Apologize as loud as the disrespect.

Apologize as loud as the disrespect.

Illustration for rule: Bad reputation sticks.

Bad reputation sticks.

Illustration for rule: Bad workers blame their tools.

Bad workers blame their tools.

Illustration for rule: Be a brand.

Be a brand.

Illustration for rule: Be ahead of the curve.

Be ahead of the curve.

Illustration for rule: Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat.

Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat.

Illustration for rule: Be objective in your arguments.

Be objective in your arguments.

Illustration for rule: Be proactive. Take charge.

Be proactive. Take charge.

Illustration for rule: Be ready to lose the small battles to win the big ones.

Be ready to lose the small battles to win the big ones.

Illustration for rule: Be straight to the point, don’t beat around the bush.

Be straight to the point, don’t beat around the bush.

Illustration for rule: Be the best if you want to beat the best.

Be the best if you want to beat the best.

Illustration for rule: Be the one.

Be the one.

Illustration for rule: Be world class.

Be world class.

Illustration for rule: Beauty is in the details.

Beauty is in the details.

Illustration for rule: Bitter for the better.

Bitter for the better.

Illustration for rule: Break shackles.

Break shackles.

Illustration for rule: Call a spade a spade.

Call a spade a spade.

Illustration for rule: Comparison is a thief of joy.

Comparison is a thief of joy.

Illustration for rule: Compounding is the eighth wonder of the world.

Compounding is the eighth wonder of the world.

Illustration for rule: Cowards never stop, the weak quit along the way.

Cowards never stop, the weak quit along the way.

Illustration for rule: Curb laziness right at the onset.

Curb laziness right at the onset.

Illustration for rule: Difficulty strengthens the mind just as labour does to the body.

Difficulty strengthens the mind just as labour does to the body.

Illustration for rule: Dont be a bandwagonist. Dont jump into hype trains.

Dont be a bandwagonist. Dont jump into hype trains.

Illustration for rule: Don’t blow your own trumpet.

Don’t blow your own trumpet.

Illustration for rule: Don’t do unto others what you don’t want done unto you.

Don’t do unto others what you don’t want done unto you.

Illustration for rule: Don't hold back your punches.

Don't hold back your punches.

Illustration for rule: Don’t raise your voice, improve the argument.

Don’t raise your voice, improve the argument.

Illustration for rule: Don’t try to be the best, just be unique.

Don’t try to be the best, just be unique.

Illustration for rule: Empty vessels make the most noise.

Empty vessels make the most noise.

Illustration for rule: End what you begin.

End what you begin.

Illustration for rule: Equate your passion to the challenge.

Equate your passion to the challenge.

Illustration for rule: Everything is relative. Everything.

Everything is relative. Everything.

Illustration for rule: Exude confidence.

Exude confidence.

Illustration for rule: Fail fast, do it better.

Fail fast, do it better.

Illustration for rule: Familiarity breeds contempt.

Familiarity breeds contempt.

Illustration for rule: Follow the crowd at your peril.

Follow the crowd at your peril.

Illustration for rule: Give before expecting.

Give before expecting.

Illustration for rule: Go all out.

Go all out.

Illustration for rule: Hindsight is a great teacher.

Hindsight is a great teacher.

Illustration for rule: Honor commitments.

Honor commitments.

Illustration for rule: Hope is not a strategy.

Hope is not a strategy.

Illustration for rule: If not right, dont do. If not true, dont say.

If not right, dont do. If not true, dont say.

Illustration for rule: If only one gets inspired, it’s a victory.

If only one gets inspired, it’s a victory.

Illustration for rule: If you are going to fight in the rain, train in the storm.

If you are going to fight in the rain, train in the storm.

Illustration for rule: If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you’re misinformed.

If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you’re misinformed.

Illustration for rule: If you have six hours to chop down a tree, spend the first four sharpening the axe.

If you have six hours to chop down a tree, spend the first four sharpening the axe.

Illustration for rule: If you want to rise, do the difficult.

If you want to rise, do the difficult.

Illustration for rule: In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

Illustration for rule: Instil confidence.

Instil confidence.

Illustration for rule: It's easy to look sharp when you haven't done anything.

It's easy to look sharp when you haven't done anything.

Illustration for rule: It’s not enough you have talent, you need character too.

It’s not enough you have talent, you need character too.

Illustration for rule: Just do it.

Just do it.

Illustration for rule: Knowledge pays the best interest.

Knowledge pays the best interest.

Illustration for rule: Lead by example.

Lead by example.

Illustration for rule: Learn to let go.

Learn to let go.

Illustration for rule: Life is a project.

Life is a project.

Illustration for rule: Life is an A/B test.

Life is an A/B test.

Illustration for rule: Look at yourself from the future.

Look at yourself from the future.

Illustration for rule: Make money make more.

Make money make more.

Illustration for rule: Most problems in life are essentially due to 2 constraints — Time and Space.

Most problems in life are essentially due to 2 constraints — Time and Space.

Illustration for rule: Nothing beats experience.

Nothing beats experience.

Illustration for rule: Onwards and upwards, always.

Onwards and upwards, always.

Illustration for rule: Once you hit rock bottom, there is only one way to go - up.

Once you hit rock bottom, there is only one way to go - up.

Illustration for rule: Pick your battles.

Pick your battles.

Illustration for rule: Play the long game.

Play the long game.

Illustration for rule: Praise in public, criticise in private.

Praise in public, criticise in private.

Illustration for rule: Practice what you preach.

Practice what you preach.

Illustration for rule: Presence strengthens love, absence sharpens it.

Presence strengthens love, absence sharpens it.

Illustration for rule: Promise less, deliver more.

Promise less, deliver more.

Illustration for rule: Proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Illustration for rule: Pull the right strings.

Pull the right strings.

Illustration for rule: Reserve your trump card for the last.

Reserve your trump card for the last.

Illustration for rule: Resist temptation.

Resist temptation.

Illustration for rule: Rome was not built in a day.

Rome was not built in a day.

Illustration for rule: Say no to excuses.

Say no to excuses.

Illustration for rule: Say what you mean and always mean business.

Say what you mean and always mean business.

Illustration for rule: Second place is not good enough.

Second place is not good enough.

Illustration for rule: Shortcuts lead to dead ends.

Shortcuts lead to dead ends.

Illustration for rule: Small things done over long periods yield big.

Small things done over long periods yield big.

Illustration for rule: Speak for yourself.

Speak for yourself.

Illustration for rule: Speak truth to power.

Speak truth to power.

Illustration for rule: Surround yourself with your aspirations.

Surround yourself with your aspirations.

Illustration for rule: Take things to completion.

Take things to completion.

Illustration for rule: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

Illustration for rule: The crowd is mostly wrong.

The crowd is mostly wrong.

Illustration for rule: The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit.

The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit.

Illustration for rule: The heart never lies.

The heart never lies.

Illustration for rule: The reward is in the risk.

The reward is in the risk.

Illustration for rule: The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.

The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.

Illustration for rule: There’s a whole new world outside your comfort zone.

There’s a whole new world outside your comfort zone.

Illustration for rule: There’s always free cheese in a mousetrap.

There’s always free cheese in a mousetrap.

Illustration for rule: There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

Illustration for rule: There's no such thing as a bad student, only a bad teacher.

There's no such thing as a bad student, only a bad teacher.

Illustration for rule: Think differently than different.

Think differently than different.

Illustration for rule: Think out of the box, break the box.

Think out of the box, break the box.

Illustration for rule: Think long term.

Think long term.

Illustration for rule: Think on your feet.

Think on your feet.

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