Rules for you

1. Keep it under your hat

2. You'll get older but not necessarily wiser

3. Accept what is done is done

4. Accept yourself

5. Know what counts and what doesn't

6. Dedicate your life to something

7. Be flexible in your thinking

8. Take an interest in the outside world

9. Be on the side of the angels, not the beasts

10. Only dead fish swim with the stream

11. Be the last to raise your voice

12. Be your own adviser

13. No fear, no surprise, no hesitation, no doubt

14. I wish I'd done that – and I will

15. It's OK to give up

16. Count to ten – or recite ‘Baa baa black sheep'

17. Change what you can change, let go of the rest

18. Aim to be the very best at everything you do – not second best

19. Don't expect to be perfect

20. Don't be afraid to dream

21. If you're going to jump off a bridge, make sure you know how deep the water is

22. Don't dwell on the past

23. Don't live in the future

24. Get on with life – it's whooshing past

25. Be consistent

26. Dress like today is important

27. Have a belief system

28. Leave a little space for yourself each day

29. Have a plan

30. Have a sense of humour

31. Choose how you make your bed

32. Life can be a bit like advertising

33. Get used to stepping outside your comfort zone

34. Learn to ask questions

35. Have dignity

36. It's OK to feel big emotions

37. Keep the faith

38. You'll never understand everything

39. Know where true happiness comes from

40. Life is a pizza

41. Always have someone – or something – that is pleased to see you

42. Know when to let go – when to walk away

43. Retaliation leads to escalation

44. Look after yourself

45. Maintain good manners in all things

46. Prune your stuff frequently

47. Remember to touch base

48. Draw the lines around yourself

49. Shop for quality, not price

50. It's OK to worry, or to know how not to

51. Stay young

52. Throwing money at a problem doesn't always work

53. Think for yourself

54. You are not in charge

55. Have something in your life that takes you out of yourself

56. Only the good feel guilty

57. If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all

Partnership Rules

58. Accept the differences, embrace what you have in common

59. Allow your partner the space to be themselves

60. Be nice

61. You want to do what?

62. Be the first to say sorry

63. Go that extra step in trying to please them

64. Know when to listen and when to act

65. Have a passion for your life together

66. Make sure your love making is making love

67. Keep talking

68. Respect privacy

69. Check you both have the same shared goals

70. Treat your partner better than your best friend

71. Contentment is a high aim

72. You don't both have to have the same rules

Family and friends Rules

73. If you are going to be a friend, be a good friend

74. Never be too busy for loved ones

75. Let your kids mess up for themselves – they don't need any help from you

76. Have a little respect and forgiveness for your parents

77. Give your kids a break

78. Never lend money unless you are prepared to write it off

79. Keep schtum

80. There are no bad children

81. Be up around people you love

82. Give your kids responsibilities

83. Your children need to fall out with you to leave home

84. Your kids will have friends you don't like

85. Your role as a child

86. Your role as a parent

Social Rules

87. We're all closer than you think

88. It doesn't hurt to forgive

89. It doesn't hurt to be helpful

90. What's in it for them?

91. Hang out with positive people

92. Be generous with your time and information

93. Get involved

94. Keep the moral high ground

95. Just because you have, doesn't mean they have to

96. Do compare yourself with other people

97. Have a plan for your career

98. Look at the long-term ramifications of what you do for a living

99. Be good at your job

100. Be aware of the damage you are doing

101. Be for the glory, not the degradation

102. Be part of the solution, not the problem

103. Check what history would say about you

104. Not everything can be green

105. Put something back

106. Find a new Rule every day – or occasionally at least

Rules of Life, The, 5th edition

Details

Explore

Products & Services

Support

Extend Your Learning

About us