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"Whether you like it or not, life is a game, complete with winners and losers.
But most people don't even know the game has rules, let alone have a plan to take advantage of them.
Here are 16 rules to the game of life that will get you ahead of everyone else playing:
But most people don't even know the game has rules, let alone have a plan to take advantage of them.
Here are 16 rules to the game of life that will get you ahead of everyone else playing:
1. Show me the incentive, I'll show you the outcome:
- Assume people will act out of self-interest
- Stop focusing on what people *should* do
- Give people a compelling reason to do what you want them to d0
- Assume people will act out of self-interest
- Stop focusing on what people *should* do
- Give people a compelling reason to do what you want them to d0
2. Watch what people do, not what they say:
- People reveal their ideal selves with words
- Their actions show you who they really are
- People reveal their ideal selves with words
- Their actions show you who they really are
3. Know a little bit about a lot
- Have one major skill
- Learn a bit about complementary skills and subjects
Now you're agile, adaptable, and able to connect knowledge across domains
- Have one major skill
- Learn a bit about complementary skills and subjects
Now you're agile, adaptable, and able to connect knowledge across domains
4. Invert, invert, invert:
Don't aim for success, avoid stupidity.
Common paths to failure:
- Sloth
- Unreliability
Avoiding those two alone is a great start
Don't aim for success, avoid stupidity.
Common paths to failure:
- Sloth
- Unreliability
Avoiding those two alone is a great start
5. Convexity:
Pursue opportunities with low downside and infinite upside.
Example: You can't sell negative books
Investment cost is fixed. Sales have endless potential.
Pursue opportunities with low downside and infinite upside.
Example: You can't sell negative books
Investment cost is fixed. Sales have endless potential.
6. Scale:
If you want to make money, find opportunities to reach a lot of people at the same time:
- Make one product and sell thousands of it
- Create one piece of content with the potential to go viral
- Use platforms with built-in audiences
If you want to make money, find opportunities to reach a lot of people at the same time:
- Make one product and sell thousands of it
- Create one piece of content with the potential to go viral
- Use platforms with built-in audiences
7. Compounding:
Choose paths where the rewards grow at a faster rate the longer you wait.
I can write a blog post that takes the same amount of time as it did years back but gets 10-100X more views.
Choose paths where the rewards grow at a faster rate the longer you wait.
I can write a blog post that takes the same amount of time as it did years back but gets 10-100X more views.
8. Iterated games:
Swiped this one from
@naval
Choose a long-term aim and constantly course-correct over long periods of time.
Quit switching lanes. Keep refining the same lane over and over again.
Swiped this one from
@naval
Choose a long-term aim and constantly course-correct over long periods of time.
Quit switching lanes. Keep refining the same lane over and over again.
9. Play games you can win:
Choosing areas where you have a natural edge makes life easier.
I had natural writing talent. Writing is easy for me.
Beat the competition by doing what's easy for you that others find difficult.
Choosing areas where you have a natural edge makes life easier.
I had natural writing talent. Writing is easy for me.
Beat the competition by doing what's easy for you that others find difficult.
10. Frontload the work:
The work you do now will pay off three years later.
Build the foundation.
I make multi-six figures because I worked for free and learned the game.
The work you do now will pay off three years later.
Build the foundation.
I make multi-six figures because I worked for free and learned the game.
11. Work to learn, not for money:
Stop thinking like a wage earner.
Work to get profitable skills instead of worrying about upfront cash.
You can't make major bank because you're addicted to salary.
Stop thinking like a wage earner.
Work to get profitable skills instead of worrying about upfront cash.
You can't make major bank because you're addicted to salary.
12. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with:
You will conform to your environment no matter how much willpower you have.
If you hang with losers, you'll be a loser
If you hang with winners, you'll have no choice but to level up
You will conform to your environment no matter how much willpower you have.
If you hang with losers, you'll be a loser
If you hang with winners, you'll have no choice but to level up
13. Stay in your circle of competence:
AKA stay in your lane.
Focus on the handful of things you know how to do well and ignore everything else.
AKA stay in your lane.
Focus on the handful of things you know how to do well and ignore everything else.
14. Wait for the fat pitch:
Ted Williams batted .400 because he just didn't swing at pitches that weren't in his zone
Say no to most oppotunities
When you find undervalued bets, bet heavy
Ted Williams batted .400 because he just didn't swing at pitches that weren't in his zone
Say no to most oppotunities
When you find undervalued bets, bet heavy
15. Think in bets:
Read the book by
@AnnieDuke
for more on this.
In short, you can't control outcomes. You can only make high-quality decisions with high odds.
Judge success on the quality of the decisions, not the outcomes.
Read the book by
@AnnieDuke
for more on this.
In short, you can't control outcomes. You can only make high-quality decisions with high odds.
Judge success on the quality of the decisions, not the outcomes.
16. Play the hand you're dealt:
We all have strengths and weaknesses.
Better to double down on your strengths than cry about your weaknesses.
We all have strengths and weaknesses.
Better to double down on your strengths than cry about your weaknesses.
Achieve your best year ever in 2023:
Each Monday, I write a letter with insights like this to help you start your week off right.
Join the Monday Motivation letter today and gear up for the new year:
bit.ly/mondaymotivationletter
Each Monday, I write a letter with insights like this to help you start your week off right.
Join the Monday Motivation letter today and gear up for the new year:
bit.ly/mondaymotivationletter
Do these two things because you're awesome:
1. Follow me @Ayotheauthor because I'm here to help you win
2. RT the tweet below to share this thread with your audience because these tips will help them improve fast
1. Follow me @Ayotheauthor because I'm here to help you win
2. RT the tweet below to share this thread with your audience because these tips will help them improve fast
