KB07 - 8 Life Principles to Live By

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Today I will take you through 8 life principles that have helped me up my game over the last few years.

What is a life principle?

A life principle is a fundamental guideline or belief that someone follows to live a fulfilling life. These principles can be personal or universal, often reflecting an individual's values and goals.

Life principles, to me, are mental models that you can take with you and use in everyday life.

Look at my 8 and let me know which resonates most with you.

Let’s Dive In...

#1 Embrace “The Dip”

"The Dip" is a fantastic book by book by Seth Godin

in it he discusses the idea that to be successful in any area of life, you need to be willing to endure the challenging times that inevitably come along with it

People give up too easily when they reach a "dip," which is a period of time when progress seems slow or non-existent.

Those willing to push through the dip will eventually come out the other side and reap the rewards of their hard work and persistence.

So, the next time a project or task you’re super focused on starts to feel like it’s going backwards, keep pushing forwards. Incredible things start to happen once you’re out of the dip.

#2 Master “The Gap”

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. - Viktor E. Frankl

The Gap is the magical period between when something happens to you and how you respond.

A great example might be when you post something online, and someone says something nasty in the post's comments section.

Your immediate reaction is to get angry and “fight fire with fire” by giving them just as much nastiness with a response.

Before you do, pause for a second and breathe.

Don’t think to yourself, “what’s the wittiest response I can think of right now to get one up on them.”

That person might just be having a bad day, and their response has nothing to do with you and everything to do about them.

Another one I think about is, “do I want to waste my time arguing with a stranger on the internet when I could be spending that time doing something productive?”

The answer is always no.

The best response is to wish them well and end it there.

Most of the time, when this happens, that’s the end of the conversation, and no more time has been wasted.

I get plenty of these “Gap Moments” every day. Here’s one from yesterday…

 

"Do not continue the battle. One may think they have won because you chose silence. But the true winner is the one with peace in their heart."

 

#3 Don’t Complain, Don’t Explain

This motto was heavily associated with Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned for over 70 years on the throne in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

As you can imagine, during her 70-year reign, she endured many ups and downs that tested her patience and resolve.

Did you see any of this during her reign?

No.

When bad things happen to us or we make mistakes, we feel that the eyes of the world are staring at us, and people press us to “make a response” or “justify what we meant.”

During these times, people make their biggest slip-ups as they say things they don’t mean because they feel vulnerable and weak.

This does not help you in the long run, and all those people you think are attacking you right now will move on to something else in a couple of days.

The “Don’t Complain, Don’t Explain” motto encourages a mindset of positivity and productivity rather than dwelling on negative aspects or making excuses for one's actions.

If you’re unhappy about something or someone and you can’t do anything about it, then don’t complain.

If you know deep down the things you meant and how true you’ve been to you your decisions, then don’t explain.

#4 Create More Than You Consume

The internet is split into three types of people...

90% are Lurkers - These are people that consume 100% of everything on the internet but never create anything themselves

9% are Contributors - These people contribute a little bit to the internet (the odd blog post or article) but still spend more time consuming than creating.

1% are Creators - These people spend pretty much all their time creating valuable content for the other 99% of the world that consume it.

This is called the 90-9-1 Principle, and I’ve found it can be applied to almost anything...

If I teach a room of 200 people, 180 won’t do anything with the information, 18 will do something with the information, and 2 will do everything with the information.

To ensure you’re in that top 10%, focus on creating more than you consume.

Creating on the internet will significantly impact your life when done consistently and will give you opportunities you never dreamed of, as it has with me.

#5 Learn Then Teach

Above is what’s known as the Learning Retention Pyramid, and although the above is just a theory, I would say the majority of it is true.

There is a massive difference between retaining information when you compare sitting in a classroom and learning and practising by doing.

(You can learn how to run a business from someone else, or you can start a business and learn for yourself)

The game changes, however when you start to teach others what you have learned.

To teach others, you need to understand what you’re talking about so you retain the information better.

And I find this is super important to do when it comes to reading.

Here’s what I want you to do the next time you read a book chapter...

1. Read the chapter of the book.
2. Write down three of the biggest takeaways from the chapter.
3. Write a post online about your three biggest takeaways from the chapter or sit down with a friend and tell them about the three things you’ve learnt.

You’ll be amazed at how much the information goes in and stays there when you do.

#6 Focus on Fun

When we’re stressed, it can trigger addictive behaviour...

• Binge Watching Netflix
• Eating all the food in the cupboard
• Sedating ourselves with Drugs and/or Alcohol

We’re doing this to reduce these stress levels, and all the above do a bloody good job of doing that.

Except it doesn’t...

Although it relieves the stress temporarily, the long-term effects of abusing the above can shorten your life span and create unhealthy habits that limit your success and growth.

The Solution? Have More Fun!

Many things having Fun Does to your body and brain when you participate in it regularly.

Relieves Stress - Having fun releases endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemical. Endorphins give you an overall sense of well-being and can temporarily relieve pain.

Improves Brain Function - Pursuing Fun and Challenging Activities with others can help prevent memory problems and improve brain function. Having fun with others can help reduce stress and lower feelings of depression.

Boosts Creativity - You learn better when relaxed and in a playful mood; having fun stimulates imagination, which helps you solve problems much easier.

Improves Connections with Others - Having fun with others can help bring empathy, trust and intimacy and help you loosen up in stressful situations, especially when meeting new people.

So, when creating a healthier and happier life for yourself, make sure you focus on fun.

# 7 Thoughts Become Things

A self-fulfilling prophecy is a belief or expectation that influences a person's behaviour, ultimately leading it to come true.

For example, if someone believes they will fail at a task, they may not put in as much effort or become discouraged more easily, ultimately leading to failure. In this way, their belief becomes a reality, fulfilling the prophecy they had made for themselves.

Your thought’s become things which is why it’s important vital to focus on daily Mindfulness.

Mindfulness is being present and fully engaged in the current moment without judgment or distraction.

It involves paying attention to your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations in a non-judgmental way to increase self-awareness and improve overall well-being.

Adding a daily mindfulness practice to your day will help stop your thoughts from becoming things.

To learn how to do this, read my previous blog post about mindfulness.

# 8 Overcome Obstacles

"The obstacles that lie between you and your goals are not there to stop you from reaching your goals. They are there to stop the people who don’t want them enough" - Randy Pausch

You will be given many obstacles throughout your life, which, when looked at incorrectly, will hinder your progress.

What you have to understand about obstacles is they’re not there to stop you from achieving things…

They are put in place to see how much you want something.

Enjoy the obstacles and remember

“You don’t learn anything from a perfect week.”

TL:DR

👉  “The Dip” to be successful in any area of life, you need to be willing to endure the challenging times that inevitably come along with it

👉  “The Gap” The Gap is the time between when something happens to you and how you respond. Use it to your advantage to improve happiness and productivity

👉  “Don’t Complain, Don’t Explain” Create a mindset of positivity and productivity rather than dwelling on negative aspects or making excuses for one's actions.

👉  “Create more than you Consume” 99% of people consume more than they create. be the 1%

👉  “Learn then teach” If you want to retain 90% of what you learn, then teach it to others

👉  “Focus on Fun” If you want a healthier and happier life, then focus on fun

👉  “Thoughts become things” Avoid self-fulfilling prophecies by training your mind to avoid them

👉  “Overcome Obstacles” Obstacles are not put in place to stop you from getting what you want; they are put there to determine how much you really want them.

I hope you enjoyed this week's knowledge bomb! 

I’ll see you for the next one soon.

Jay