At 21: - Ruled by fear - A slave to my desires - Seeing 3am more than 6am - More bad habits than Ed Sheeran At 27: - Exercising daily - Waking up at 5:30am - Using fear as a compass - Running ultra-marathons Here are 19 rules that changed my life:
1. 212 Sleep Rule - No food 2 hours before bed - No screens 1 hour before bed - No caffeine after 2pm Try this and watch your energy match the Duracell bunnies.
2. Wake up before the world without hitting snooze My most productive hours are before everyone else wakes up. 3 tips to wake up without snoozing: 1. Follow the 212 Sleep Rule 2. Put your alarm in the bathroom cabinet 3. Find something you’re excited to get up for
3. Don’t watch the news I no longer feel everything's going to shit. Read these books to reset your worldview: - Factfulness: 10 Reasons We’re Wrong About The World - The Rational Optimist We are wired to enjoy gossip and focus on the negative. Don’t let that be exploited.
4. Use the minimum viable habit when you don’t feel like it The no.1 reason I’ve been able to form good habits. Find the minimum viable habit. - 1 rep - 1 page - 1 minute Not feeling it? Complete the minimum viable habit. Consistency is key. Value progress over perfection.
5. If someone else in a worse situation has achieved it, so can I This eliminates any excuse. There is always someone worse off that has achieved your dreams. Use that as fuel to your fire. You are capable of achieving your dreams. Belief is what's holding you back.
6. Take 100% responsibility Once you blame other things you release control of your life to someone or something else. Every decision you have made has brought you to this point. First, take responsibility for your life. Then change it.
7. Action precedes motivation Motivation is a myth. Think of it like an emotion. It comes and goes. Stop waiting to feel motivated Start taking action before you feel like it. You’ll be surprised how ‘motivated’ you feel afterwards.
8. If you fear it, do it I was a slave to fear. I was passing on growth opportunities. The only cure for fear is action. Fear of public speaking? Speak more. Fear of failure? Start a project. Fear of rejection? Ask shops for 10% off. Lean into fear. It will disappear.
9. 1 in 2 rule for easy habits I failed to form a consistent meditation habit for years. Until I started with 1 min a day and increased by 1 min every 2 weeks. Progress was slow but forming the habit was effortless. Make the habit automatic before increasing the time.
10. The Irritable Checklist If I'm feeling irritable I ask: - Have I eaten enough? - Have I drank enough? - Have I slept enough? - Have I moved enough? Correcting these always improves my mood. This has saved multiple arguments with my wife.
11. Change it or accept it. Don’t think about it. Everytime I worry I first decide if I can change it. If I can, I get to work immediately. If I can’t, I accept it immediately. No good comes from procrastinating on either of these. This is hard but I’m working on it.
12. The 40% Rule From David Goggins. Feel like you're at your limit? You're only 40% there. This has helped me through every ultra-marathon. If I’m not dead, I’m not at my limit. If someone held a gun to my head, I would continue. That means I’m not at my limit.
13. Someone would do anything for your problems My Nan is a tough cookie: - 2x Cancer (No taste, everything mashed) - 15 yrs caring for her paralysed Mum - Husband with dementia I've never heard her complain. She always says ‘there’s always someone worse off than you.'
14. When bored, be mindful We are quick to combat boredom. Usually with our phone. We have forgotten what it’s like to spend time with ourselves. Take notice of the world around you, the boredom will turn into gratitude.
15. Give give give Life is a positive sum game. When you give, nothing is lost. When you give, both parties gain. When you give, the world becomes a better place. Don’t just give physical things. Give a positive feeling. Give a compliment. Give a smile.
16. You never know what they're going through The rude cashier lost a parent last week. The driver who cut you up was visiting his dying wife. The receptionist who didn’t say please or thank you was up all night with her sick baby. Be patient and understanding.
17. Remember you could die tomorrow - Don’t put things off - Do things that make you fulfilled - Treat every encounter like it could be the last - Don’t worry about things that wouldn’t matter if you died tomorrow Don’t fear death. Use it as a tool to live.
18. Impossible goals aren’t impossible I thought running 40 miles was impossible. Then I did it. I thought making money online was impossible. Then I did it. I thought waking up at 5:30 was impossible. Then I did it. Set impossible goals. You’ll be surprised what's possible.
19. I can’t lose if I don’t quit I got this from Alex Hormozi. When experiencing the hardest times, repeat this rule to yourself. Our biggest superpower is our resolute refusal to quit. You can’t lose if you don’t quit.
19 rules that changed my life: 1. 212 Sleep Rule 2. Wake up before the world without hitting snooze 3. Don’t watch the news 4. Use the minimum viable habit when you don’t feel like it 5. If someone else in a worse situation has achieved it, so can I 6. Take 100% responsibility
19 rules that changed my life: 7. Action precedes motivation 8. If you fear it, do it 9. 1 in 2 rule for easy habits 10. The Irritable Checklist 11. Change it or accept it. Don’t think about it. 12. The 40% rule 13. Someone would do anything for your problems
19 rules that changed my life: 14. When bored, be mindful 15. Give give give 16. You never know what they're going through 17. Remember you could die tomorrow 18. Impossible goals aren’t impossible 19. I can’t lose if I don’t quit
That's all from me. If you enjoyed this thread and want more: 1. Follow me @iamsam_williams 2. RT the first tweet
