Hold yourself to the highest standards. - Marcus Aurelius
Rules and principles, if followed consistently, create freedom. Here is what I call “My Standard of Performance” to borrow words from Bill Walsh. I try to embody this standard every day.
Demand only the best from yourself. Be fair, both with yourself and—especially—with others. Always work hard: when given a task however boring but important, focus on it until it’s done. Your life depends on it.
Understand that no matter what you do, results do not depend on you. Focus on your work. The rest will follow.
In every situation choose Alive Time vs Dead Time. Always make the most of the present moment. Do not let seconds and minutes die, you must as well die altogether.
Choose always the healthier option. Exercise every day, your body needs to move and be put under stress so your mind can relax. Eat only nutritious food. Avoid the ultra-processed. Avoid sugar. It’s OK to give in, no more than once a week.
Conduct yourself in an honorable way. Always dress appropriately. Short hair and clean-shaven. If with a beard trim it, take care of it. Presentation matters. Don’t be afraid to go out of the ordinary from time to time. Avoid pretentious attire.
Whenever possible—always—help others. Never put yourself in a position where you can’t help those who need it most.
Don’t talk too much. Make your words count. Don’t waste your breath in chit-chat and futile discussions.
Be friendly and care for your friends and family. Life is not a hermit’s game. The road is better if not traveled alone. Seek fulfilling relationships. Avoid the transactional. Eliminate the toxic.
Allow yourself to have strong opinions only if you understand the subject. But hold them loosely, most likely you’ll be wrong. Keep an open mind The work it takes to have an opinion
Be a skeptic. Question everything, especially yourself. Excellence is an iterative process, one that never ends.
Own your risk. Never use others to save yourself. Let this guide your actions. Never say or do something you don’t believe in.
Don’t binge on anything. Eat mindfully and awareness. Curate your sources of information. Always choose quality over quantity.
Practice gratitude and happiness every day. Both are learnable skills and will lead to a better and saner life.
Read this page constantly. Learn it, improve it, and live it every day.