Guiding Principles

Core principles for life and business. Review weekly. Live daily.

1. Own Everything

Take complete responsibility for your outcomes. Your health, finances, relationships, and career are your responsibility, not your employer's, the economy's, or anyone else's.

In practice:

• When something goes wrong, ask "What could I have done differently?" before blaming externals
• Never say "I had no choice". You always have choices, even if they're hard
• Stop waiting for permission or ideal conditions

2. Protect Your Time Ruthlessly

Time is your only non-renewable resource. Guard it like your life depends on it, because it does.

In practice:

• Default answer to new commitments is "no" unless it's a clear "hell yes"
• Batch similar tasks; context switching destroys productivity
• Audit your calendar weekly and eliminate what doesn't serve your goals
• Morning hours for deep work, afternoons for meetings and admin

3. Bias Toward Action

Thinking is not doing. Planning is not progress. Most problems are solved faster by trying than by analyzing.

In practice:

• When stuck between two options, pick one and move
• Ship imperfect work and iterate. "Done" beats "perfect"
• Limit research to 20% of time; spend 80% executing
• Ask: "What's the smallest step I can take right now?"

4. Play Long Games With Long People

Short-term thinking leads to burnout, broken relationships, and poor decisions. Compound interest applies to everything: skills, relationships, reputation, wealth.

In practice:

• Never sacrifice reputation for short-term gain
• Build relationships before you need them
• Choose partners, clients, and employers you'd work with for a decade
• Invest in skills that compound (writing, speaking, selling, building)

5. Health Is The Foundation

Without health, nothing else matters. Energy determines output. Your body is a system, so optimize it.

In practice:

• Sleep 7-8 hours non-negotiable
• Move daily. Strength training and walking minimum
• Eat real food, mostly plants, not too much
• No screens 1 hour before bed
• Regular bloodwork and health checks

6. Control Inputs, Not Outcomes

You control effort, not results. Focus on what's within your power and release attachment to outcomes.

In practice:

• Set process goals (write 500 words daily) not just outcome goals (publish bestseller)
• After doing your best, accept whatever result comes
• Don't let external validation drive your self-worth
• Prepare thoroughly, then let go

7. Build Systems, Not Goals

Goals are one-time achievements. Systems are repeatable processes that produce consistent results.

In practice:

• Instead of "lose 10kg," build a system of daily exercise and meal prep
• Instead of "make X revenue," build a system of daily outreach and delivery
• Automate recurring decisions (what to eat, when to exercise, what to wear)
• Review and refine systems quarterly

8. Seek Discomfort Deliberately

Growth lives outside comfort zones. Voluntary hardship builds capacity for involuntary hardship.

In practice:

• Do one uncomfortable thing daily (cold call, hard conversation, cold exposure)
• Take on projects slightly beyond your current skill level
• Have difficult conversations early, not late
• Physical discomfort (exercise, fasting, cold) trains mental resilience

9. Learn Continuously, Apply Immediately

Knowledge without application is entertainment. The goal is capability, not information.

In practice:

• After reading or learning something, identify one action to take within 24 hours
• Teach what you learn. It solidifies understanding
• Prefer depth over breadth; mastery beats familiarity
• Invest 5+ hours weekly in deliberate skill development

10. Communicate With Radical Clarity

Most problems are communication problems. Say what you mean. Ask for what you want. Don't assume others know what you're thinking.

In practice:

• State expectations explicitly in every professional relationship
• When confused, ask. Don't assume
• Write important things down
• Give feedback directly and kindly; never let resentment build
• In conflict, describe behavior and impact, not character

11. Spend Less Than You Earn, Always

Financial stress destroys creativity, relationships, and options. Money buys freedom, not happiness, but freedom enables everything else.

In practice:

• Save/invest minimum 20% of income automatically
• Lifestyle inflation is the enemy. Increase savings rate as income grows
• Emergency fund covers 6+ months expenses
• Big purchases require 48-hour waiting period
• Track net worth monthly

12. Optimize For Optionality

Make choices that open doors, not close them. The future is uncertain, so preserve your ability to adapt.

In practice:

• Develop multiple income streams or skills
• Don't overcommit to one path too early
• Maintain relationships across different domains
• Keep fixed costs low relative to income
• Health and skills travel with you; specific job security doesn't

13. Do The Hard Thing First

Avoidance amplifies anxiety. The thing you're procrastinating on is usually the most important.

In practice:

• Start each day with your highest-impact, most uncomfortable task
• Make the difficult call before lunch
• Address conflicts immediately, not "when the time is right"
• If you're dreading something, it's a sign to do it now

Daily Review Questions

End each day by asking:

1. Did I own my outcomes today, or did I blame externals?
2. Did I protect my time or let others dictate my schedule?
3. Did I take action or just plan and think?
4. Did I do something uncomfortable?
5. Did I communicate clearly?

When You Fail

You will violate these principles. When you do:

1. Notice without self-flagellation
2. Identify what triggered the failure
3. Adjust the system, not just your willpower
4. Return to the principles tomorrow

Consistency over perfection. Direction over speed.