21 Rules for a Badass Life
Number 17 changed my life…
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I’m Old and Wise Now
Does it smell like “imgettingold” in here? Because to me it does. Another lap around the ole ball of gas has come and gone. I turned 24 the other day and after waking up to some slight back pain, buying a pair of Sketchers, and shaking off a bit of existential anxiety, I spent some time reflecting, using my old, wise brain to look back on the past year and take stock of my life.
As I sat in my little UGG slippers reflecting on my little life I started to come across some patterns. Certain things I saw time and again across my personal experiences, books I’ve read, podcasts I’ve listened to, and conversations I’ve had. I’ve translated these patterns into some rules, my rules for life. Let’s call them my 21 RULES FOR A BADASS LIFE (SO FAR). Give them a read and let me know what you think and if you’ve got rules you’ve created for yourself.
21 RULES FOR A BADASS LIFE (SO FAR)
If you are going to play the game, make sure you understand the rules. Ignorance is bliss, until it’s not. When you realize how the people who are winning are playing the game, it makes you wish you’d been a little less ignorant.
Learn how money works. This may sound stupid and simple, but I’ve come to realize most people don’t have the faintest clue as to how the money and financial systems works, myself included up until about a year or two ago. Spend some time learning personal finance and you won’t regret it.
Buy things that put money in your pocket (assets) and not things that take money out of your pocket (liabilities). This is one of the main lessons from Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and it is one that has taken me a while to internalize. But think of it like this: every dollar you invest is like a solider that is now out in the world working to make you more money. Buy soldiers with your money. An easy way to do this is the stock market.
Learn how to listen, it will take you far. It can be hard to listen well in this digital world sometimes, but if you really focus on it, you will reap serious rewards.
Invest time in to your important relationships. Relationships are not passive, they take time and effort. There is no better investment to make than in the people you love.
Great relationships make the highs higher and make the lows higher. Having people to share your successes with is what it is all about. It’s no fun to celebrate alone. Conversely, having people that will sit with you in the dumps is equally as important.
Figure out what you are optimizing for. What is your goal right now? Financial freedom? Have the most fun possible? Do meaningful work? It can change over time, but keep it top of mind and make sure your actions help push you towards what you are optimizing for.
Reflect often & spend time alone. Another one of the biggest cheat codes. Less and less people are taking time to unplug and sit with their thoughts, but it can be such a powerful thing to do. If you never unplug, you may go years without ever having an original thought or taking stock of your life.
Choose your life. You have full control. Make decisions based off of what you want in your life.
Travel, see new things. It will rock your world when you realize how isolated you’ve been from other cultures. There’s people out there doing everything different than the way you and your culture does it. It’s cool to see.
Remember to enjoy your life. Keep a list of things that fill up your cup. Try new things frequently and when something fillls your cup, add it to the list. If you aren’t enjoying your life, then make some changes.
Create things. This forces you to look inward, be vulnerable, and put a piece of yourself out into the world. It can be scary but also one of the most rewarding experiences.
Ask amazing questions. Good question asking will take you to the next level. It earns you instant respect and unlocks the gates to endless knowledge. Hone this skill if you can.
Monitor what you feed your brain and your body. Your inputs determine your outputs. If you are constantly listening to a bunch of fascinating people talk, you’ll likely become a fascinating person. Thus, it’s important to keep track of what info you are taking in. Same thing with your body.
Become endlessly curious. Human beings are amazing. There are so many cool people doing interesting things out there that you can go learn about. Just start searching.
Spend money on things that make you truly happy. If a $5 Starbucks makes you that happy in the morning, then buy it. But don’t spend money on stupid garbage that you actually don’t care about.
Remember death. We are all leaving this planet at some point. Don’t hide from that fact, but rather use it as fuel to enjoy your time here and to go after what you want.
You only have one body, and it’s going to have to lug your brain around your whole life. Take care of it, do something nice for it everyday.
Catch as many sunrises as you can. They are a great time to be alone or to walk with a friend, and there is something magical about waking up with the world, watching the morning light spill over into the city.
Take responsibility for your life. Although scary, this is one of the most empowering things you can do. As soon as you accept that the outcomes of your life are 100% based off your actions, you have freedom. Now use that freedom and create a great life.
Acknowledge the context of every situation. It can be easy to try to apply one-size-fits-all solutions to our problems, but it’s often unwise to gloss over the context of each situation, especially when dealing with other human beings.
Wrap Up
BOOM! There you have it. My rules for life so far. There are many more I could’ve added but I think these give a good insight into how my brain works and where I’m at in my life.
Although these rules work for me, everyone is different. We are all wired in a unique way, so what works for me may not work for you. I’d encourage you to take a deep dive into your own life and see what rules you could come up with. How do you live your life? What do you operate based off? What patterns have you noticed in your experiences?
These are fun things to think about people, and these thoughts give you power, power to own your life.
Until next time,
Flickman
*You should definitely share this with your old college roommate, I think they would like it: