28

With the number 28 firmly affixed in my mind today, I present to you 28 ‘suggestions’ or ‘values’ to use in your life. You can be inspired, be reminded, or just plain brainwashed, as long as you take something away from it.

These are in no particular order. Let’s go:

1. Don’t hesitate.

2. Stay honest.

3. Pick your fights. Also known as prioritizing (because you will have to fight for success, no matter what path you choose).

4. Whatever it takes.

5. Stand your ground.

6. Think for yourself, but not for others.

7. Avoid the easy win, the niche group, the early adopters, the experts. Go directly to the mass public. They are more forgiving and more forgetful.

8. Get up early. You will not be able to understand the value of it until you do it for just 7 days. After that, let your life priorities decide.

9. Do one thing at a time. Refer to #8 for proof of value.

10. Do less of what you don’t like / is unimportant, and more of what makes you happy. Some call this minimalism. Call it what you want, just don’t waste time on what’s unimportant and spend at least 80% of your time doing things that you enjoy / will bring you closer to your goals.

11. Write. Or Talk. Or Draw. Or Play. Get creative, be it through sports, art, music, drama, literature, poetry, speech, song, whatever strikes your fancy, but commit to at least one creative outlet in your life (you can switch around from one to the other). When you create, you find completion, even if it is eventually fleeting.

12. Ignore Everyone Else. Not when they tell you smell bad, but when they tell you what you’re doing won’t work. It means that they don’t understand what’s happening, so you need to work more on improving what you do as opposed to explaining it to others. Ultimately it’ll either be successful enough or simple enough for them to understand, or you’ll fail. Either way you’ll get there quicker if you ignore everyone.

13. Get out of the house. Every day. Even if it’s just for an hour, and you eschew the car for a walk to the store. Walk, run, piss in the wind, sit in the park,

14. Fake it till you make it.

15. Learn to listen. It’s an underused, underrated habit.

16. Learn to talk. The problem with listening all the time is that when people are done talking, they will leave. You need to learn to communicate, to entertain, to create interest, to talk, so that the world knows who you are.

17. Shun balance. Embrace fluidity and purpose.

18. Develop an action habit. Master the art of picking a single task, then completing it, then repeating that process at will.

19. Travel.

20. Let go of your hangups, one at a time.

21. Hold yourself to high standards.

22. Be responsible for your own actions.

23. Take care of those within your circle.

24. Teach.

25. Size / Speed / Starting Point matters, so find another way to level the playing field or better yet, gain the advantage. Change the rules.

26. There are no facts, only interpretations. This is as true in law as in relationships and in the God v Science debate.

27. Once you’ve started, it’s better to follow through than to change course. Unless you’re about to die. Or kill someone.

28. Above all, improve yourself a bit every day.