Life OS

As you go through life, you hear things, people give you advice and you learn lessons.

If you don’t write them down or internalise them somehow, they will go missing.

That is why I decided to write this post. I wanted to write down all the maxims, sayings, principles etc that I base my life on and use as my guiding principles or OS (operating system).

Please note, these may change over time, but I will do my best to keep this list updated.

1. If you prepared the food, eat last.
2. Say thank you and please.
3. Be interested in people.
4. Stand up when someone enters the room.
5. When greeting someone, lift your hat, look them in the eye and give them a firm hand shake.
6. Offer your seat to older people and ladies.
7. Never trust a person who abuses animals.
8. Never ash a cigar.
9. Be on time.
10. Don’t argue with a fool, they will make you look like a fool.
11. Never button the bottom button of a blazer.
12. Always put on cologne and smell nice.
13. Try to get at least 15min of exercise per day.
14. Lift weights. Train your full body.
15. When stressed, breath in for 4 seconds, hold for 7, out for 8. Repeat 2-4 times.
16. Think in decades, act in days.
17. Never make long term decision based on short term emotions.
18. If you don’t make a turn now, you might end up where you’re going.
19. Drink good coffee.
20. Spend money on books, the return is massive.
21. Look good feel good.
22. Don’t trust the opinion of sheep.
23. Read as far and wide as you can.
24. Take responsibility for your education, no one else will.
25. There is only type of discipline - self discipline.
26. He who is control of himself, is in control of the game.
27. Always maximise for freedom.
28. Build a legacy.
29. Challenge the status quo.
30. Strong opinions loosely held.
31. Being willing to be wrong is a superpower.
32. Tip your waiters more than 10% - serving people is HARD.
33. Buy expensive, cry once.
34. Simple = elegant.
35. If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.
36. Never tell a younger person: “when you are older you will understand” or “you have so much to learn”. All this means is that YOU’ve compromised (given up) and you are trying to pull them down to your level.
37. Keep it simple.
38. Do common things uncommonly well.
39. Generate cashflow, buy real estate.
40. Don’t borrow books. If you value an authors work enough to spend time reading it, then buy yourself a copy.
41. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
42. A man with a weak back, is a weak man.
43. Think before you speak. Don’t try and fill every silence with words.
44. Never be afraid to admit that you don’t understand. Ask questions.
45. Tend a garden, get sand under your nails.
46. Don’t be wasteful.
47. Don’t invest in things/companies you don’t understand. Keep it simple. Play the long game.
48. Don’t underestimate a 1% investment fee. Do the lifetime math.
49. Retirement is unrealistic. If you do, you will be bored and your money will run out. Find a job you want do for the rest of your life.
50. 1% improvement daily adds up over a lifetime.
51. Always be the hardest worker in the room.
52. Don’t trim your children’s wings, let them dream big.
53. Be resourceful, use what you have to get to where you need to be.
54. If you only workout on days you feel good, you will be fat.
55. Strong people live longer. Follow the rule of 3-5:
    • Workout 3-5 times per week
    • Do 3-5 exercises
    • Do 3-5 sets
    • Do 3-5 reps