Someone recently asked me, are there rules to being successful?

The short answer is yes.

There are no limits to being successful, but certain rules can assist you on your journey.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Follow your passion: It will be tough to stay motivated if you aren’t enthusiastic about doing. Make something yourself that you enjoy and pursue it!
   Is it more important to you: financial freedom or loving what you do and working 80 hours a week? Make your choice clear.
2. Set reasonable goals and be willing to work hard: It’s critical to have ambition and aim high but make sure your objectives are realistic, so you don’t get discouraged.
   Sidenote: (Not to mention that you’ll be spending about $500 million for your sons to attend college. Is it worth it, though?
   Remember that success doesn’t come easily. It takes effort, hard work, and dedication.
3. Take action and make positive changes, not inaction and hoping for a fast cure.
   Sidenote: When it comes to getting motivated, small steps are more successful than New Year’s resolutions and losing interest in Week 3.

Why Do You Need More Rules And Fewer Goals?

I set far fewer goals for myself nowadays. Instead of goals, I establish rules for success.

Please don’t think that I’ve already figured everything out. I’m still learning, and I’ll always be! But here’s what I’ve learned about being successful thus far:

A goal is more likely to be broken than a rule.

My rules are:

1. One
2. two
3. three

What’s the difference between a rule and a goal?

A goal is a target, and it’s something you desire to reach or aspire to. On the other hand, a rule is a law that must be followed, and it’s non-negotiable, so it has to be done no matter what happens.

Rules also have an additional hidden benefit, they become habits.

The brain is a habit brain, also called the subconscious brain.

To explain why I think it’s a good idea to have “rules” in your company.

Some people believe that the difference between a goal and a rule is just a language question, but I feel there’s more to it than that. Goals instill optimism; rules, on the other hand, demand action.

The focus of goals is on what you want to achieve; the focus of rules is how you will reach that objective.

Here’s an example:

“My goal is to obtain straight A’s this year.” That sounds ambitious, but it isn’t much more.

The following statement is reframed as a rule for success: “I make time to study every day after school for at least two hours,” and “I’m going to use at least 10 test-taking tactics that will help me relax about examinations.”

You’re more likely to achieve your objectives if you take specific actions.

Rules are critical in both sports and life

Hear me out…

We should also avoid overloading our lives with regulations.

I’d even suggest disregarding many of the useless “rules” we hear every day that don’t have a positive effect in your life.

The rules that say things such as:

Victory has more to do with it than simply reaching specific financial or educational goals. That said, well-defined regulations have an essential part in life. Let’s take a look at sports for some good inspiration:

• When attempting free throws in basketball, you must stand behind the line.
• When you serve in tennis, the ball must land within the box.
• Only the goalkeeper is permitted to use their hands in soccer.

Rules keep these games organized, enjoyable, and exciting. There would be too much confusion and mayhem if it weren’t for the rules.

Setting rules for success in life may also help you live more intentionally and achieve what’s most important.

What you want now vs. what you want most

What do you want to accomplish right now? Do you want to watch TV, go on social media, or indulge in junk food? What do you want to do most? Probably, you’ll want to engage in meaningful work, develop close relationships, volunteer, exercise, or learn more.

When we think of freedom, we usually consider doing what we want right now. However, my conception of freedom is doing more of what you value most—those things that are genuinely essential.

That’s easier said than done.

We tend to prioritize immediate pleasure over long-term fulfillment. However, by establishing boundaries or rules, we gain the freedom to concentrate on what we want most, even when it’s complicated.

Freedom implies having the right sort of limitations.

Freedom isn’t the absence of boundaries; instead, it’s about having the appropriate ones. Imagine if this fish didn’t have a “wall” around it. If someone broke the fishbowl and let all of the water out, the fish would not survive for more than a few minutes.

Rules and limitations keep us on track by assisting us in doing what we should and leading more full lives.

It would help if you had rules to lead a principles-centered life.

We’ve got a distinction between goals and rules for success, but we also need to differentiate principles from regulations. Principles are standards that don’t describe particular activities that you can or cannot perform.

Going back to the basketball example, the goal of basketball is to score more points than your opponent.

However, this rule does not tell you what you can and cannot do in your efforts to outperform your adversary. Should you take half-court shots? Should you prioritize defense or attack? Is it preferable to dribble or pass more often?

You might choose to live by specific rules, but that isn’t enough to ensure your good intentions translate into dedicated action and persistent results.

For example, you might decide that your life should be devoted to providing rather than winning.

That is a noble idea to abide by, but what does it look like in practice? For example, when do you need to complete a 10-page paper by the end of tomorrow? You can live by principles in theory, and in reality, you must adhere to rules to put those ideas into action.

For example, if you want to live a life of kindness, generosity, and bravery, saying, “today I’m going to be kind, charitable, and brave,” will not help.

Instead, you’ll need to establish rules that will enable you to live out those principles regularly. A great life cannot be built in a day, and one day at a time, one decision, we create successful and meaningful lives.

10 Rules for Living a Successful Life

How To Make Rules Work For You

For me, these rules for success in life are effective, and I hope they may be beneficial to you as well. You don’t have to follow each regulation listed here and create your list of rules to live by after using what works for you.

Start by determining what you consider success to be. After all, it’s not simply about obtaining straight A’s or amassing money, and those things don’t define your self-esteem in and of themselves.

Instead, ask these questions:

Then create an Excel sheet with specific answers to your rules:

It’s okay if you don’t know all of the answers.

These questions are tools for you to begin determining what is significant and essential to you.

Next, pick a rule you’d like to follow. Please make a list or save it in note-taking software. Get detailed about when and how you’ll put the regulation into action.

Spend a month focusing on each example until it becomes a habit.

Then, the following month, create one more rule.

Remember, we’re creating rules for success in life, not a list of lofty objectives.

But don’t be concerned.

You’ll undoubtedly achieve your objectives as long as you establish the appropriate regulations.