Rules of Everything

Table of contents

1. Cover Page
2. Title
3. Copyright
4. Contents
5. Acknowledgements
6. Introduction
7. How to use the Rules
8. The Rules of Work
   1. 1 Get your work noticed
   2. 2 Never let anyone know how hard you work
   3. 3 Set personal standards
   4. 4 Carve out a niche for yourself
   5. 5 Under promise and over deliver
   6. 6 Know what you want long term
   7. 7 Don’t gossip
   8. 8 Put things in perspective
   9. 9 Never disapprove of others
   10. 10 Get people to assume you have already made the step
9. The Rules of Management
   1. 1 Get them emotionally involved
   2. 2 Accept their limitations
   3. 3 Encourage people
   4. 4 Be very, very good at finding the right people
   5. 5 Respect individual differences
   6. 6 Train them to bring you solutions, not problems
   7. 7 Work hard
   8. 8 Be proactive, not reactive
   9. 9 Have principles and stick to them
   10. 10 Go home
10. The Rules of Life
    1. 1 Keep it under your hat
    2. 2 You’ll get older but not necessarily wiser
    3. 3 Accept yourself
    4. 4 Dedicate your life to something
    5. 5 No fear, no surprise, no hesitation, no doubt
    6. 6 It’s OK to give up
    7. 7 Don’t dwell on the past
    8. 8 You’ll never understand everything
    9. 9 Know when to let go – when to walk away
    10. 10 Find a new rule every day – or occasionally at least
11. The Rules of Wealth
    1. 1 Anybody can be wealthy – you just need to apply yourself
    2. 2 Decide on your definition of wealth
    3. 3 Most people are too lazy to be wealthy
    4. 4 Decide what you want money for
    5. 5 Understand that money begets money
    6. 6 It’s harder to manage yourself than it is to manage your money
    7. 7 Only by looking wealthy can you become wealthy
    8. 8 Know yourself – solo, duo or team player
    9. 9 Don’t try to get rich too quickly
    10. 10 Know when to stop
12. The Rules of Parenting
    1. 1 Relax
    2. 2 Look pleased to see them
    3. 3 Treat your child with respect
    4. 4 Use praise wisely
    5. 5 Make sure they know what’s important
    6. 6 Schooling isn’t the same as education
    7. 7 Remember Newton’s Third Law
    8. 8 Don’t look under the mattress
    9. 9 You can’t fix everything
    10. 10 Don’t guilt-trip them
13. The Rules of Love
    1. 1 Choose someone who makes you laugh
    2. 2 You can’t change people
    3. 3 You can’t make someone love you
    4. 4 Be nice
    5. 5 Allow your partner the space to be themselves
    6. 6 Be the first to say sorry
    7. 7 Your partner is more important than your kids
    8. 8 Contentment is a high aim
    9. 9 Never be too busy for loved ones
    10. 10 The more you put out, the more you get back
14. The Rules to Break
    1. 1 Success is what you say it is
    2. 2 You’re responsible for your own life
    3. 3 There’s a balance between the right to respect, and tolerance
    4. 4 It’s not morally superior to be tidy
    5. 5 People come and go, and it’s OK
    6. 6 You feel what you think
    7. 7 Keep the moral high ground
    8. 8 Be on the side of the angels, not the beasts
    9. 9 Never say ‘I told you so’
    10. 10 Don’t do guilt
15. The Rules of People
    1. 1 People believe what they want to believe
    2. 2 Banter isn’t teasing
    3. 3 If they feel small, they’ll big themselves up
    4. 4 Everyone else is insecure too
    5. 5 Teenagers hate you because they love you
    6. 6 Some weirdos are great people
    7. 7 Listen to what they don’t say
    8. 8 Loneliness is a state of mind
    9. 9 Credit people with your own ideas
    10. 10 Say thank you properly
16. The Rules of Thinking
    1. 1 Take control
    2. 2 Focus on other people
    3. 3 Be in the present
    4. 4 Think outside your head
    5. 5 Loosen up
    6. 6 Don’t settle for your first answer
    7. 7 Facts are neutral
    8. 8 Spot the box
    9. 9 Feed your mind
    10. 10 Untangle the knots first
17. The Rules of Living Well
    1. 1 It’s not all about you
    2. 2 Your feelings are your own
    3. 3 Train your mind to relax
    4. 4 Zen it
    5. 5 Beware food rules
    6. 6 Enjoy your mistakes
    7. 7 Create boundaries
    8. 8 Stay in synch
    9. 9 Redraw your relationship
    10. 10 Forgive and don’t forget
18. Know When to Break the Rules
    1. Create your own Rules