Random Rules for Myself
[*] Never take an elevator to the second floor
[*] If someone wants to go faster, let them pass
[*] Always pull the car up to the very end of the curb (never waste a parking spot)
[*] Don’t ask someone to do something you can easily do yourself
[*] Never correct someone’s pronunciation of a word with the more appropriate ethnic accentuation
[*] Be in the middle of a book at all times
[*] Unless it’s an atrocity, take responsibility for it. You’re probably more at fault than you know
Ryan Holiday is the bestselling author of Trust Me, I’m Lying, The Obstacle Is The Way, Ego Is The Enemy, and other books about marketing, culture, and the human condition. His work has been translated into thirty languages and has appeared everywhere from the Columbia Journalism Review to Fast Company. His company, Brass Check, has advised companies such as Google, TASER, and Complex, as well as Grammy Award winning musicians and some of the biggest authors in the world. He lives in Austin, Texas.
“[*] Never take an elevator to the second floor”
How about, Never take an elevator to the second, third, or fourth floors? Past that, it’s about efficiency (getting to the 5th-Nth floor quicker than walking), but otherwise it’s only laziness.
agree
I stole this rule from my dad, and it’s been a solid codification of my life long views.
[*] No cunts in my life.
Admittedly, I don’t have to live in LA with this this rule… but I’m yet to find anything but positives in refusing to have any involvement with any person who I consider a cunt. I don’t do business with them, I won’t work for them, I won’t hire them, I won’t socialize with them, I wont even call them a cunt – in my private little world, they only exist in the sense that a dog turd on the pavement exists – to be stepped around and forgotten.
[*] Read at least one short story before going to sleep at night
Not only is this a great way to wind down the day, it fuels my dreams and makes me read more diverse literature. And, like Scootah said, look for those who work to help themselves and give them a hand when I can.
*Always walk like you’re going somewhere.
My dad told me this one at 15. “Walk with a sense of purpose,” he said. “Always walk as if you are going somewhere.” Weighty words from a construction worker.
Listen more than I talk.
random rules for ryan holiday:
take a chill pill
A chill pill? Seriously? Life’s short…why waste it?
Random rule for the internet, or for a conversation:
1. If you’re not adding to the discussion, shut the fuck up.
Honestly, the only ‘rule’ I have for myself is to make the bed every day. Everything else is “gravy.”
It’s a long and involved story as to how that came to be, but it’s my discipline and it works.
I like to make rules for myself as well
– pain for pleasure (pain can feel good if you just stop and enjoy it)
– no cheating (I am in university)
– until I puke (to find my limit in something i.e. drinking, running, no sleep, whatever, I will go until I vomit and then stop)
This post actually inspired me to make a rule for myself.
-Avoid the victim mentality at all costs. I’m prone to existential funks when I’m deathly ill (via influenza or too much Taaka), which makes me feel like a douche when I stop and think about how fucking lucky I am.