Two Rules

Life is complicated. The world surrounding us is wildly complex, with every thought and every act opening up endless branches of possibilities. We do not have the capacity to evaluate every possibility and rarely have full confidence in the decisions we make.

This is where rules come to our aid. Rules help us make sense of the infinite choices we face and create a sense of predictability about our life. A combination of rules helps us form what Tim Ferriss calls an operating system, a set of principles and beliefs to make sense of the world around us. Such operating systems exist in many different forms — religions, ideologies, philosophies. Yet the downside of such systems to guide our actions is that they are typically quite complex. People spend their entire lives trying to make sense of a particular system of beliefs. Then even after years of study, they are not always able to answer the never-ending list of questions. What is the meaning of life? What should guide our morality and ethical choices? What should guide my actions day-to-day?

It is telling that after centuries of coming up with a huge variety of systems, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Stoicism, Existentialism, Marxism, to name just a few, people still starve for guidance and are constantly on the lookout for sensible, pragmatic rules. People continue to seek rules that may help make sense of the chaos in their lives, help them make things better for themselves and those around them, give them a sense of purpose and confidence that they are moving in the right direction. It is no wonder therefore that books like Dale Carnegie’s classic “How to Win Friends and Influence People” or Jordan Peterson’s “12 rules for life” became massive hits.

But Carnegie also published “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”. Jordan Peterson just put out “12 more rules for life”. Is life so complex that it needs more and more rules to make sense of it? Perhaps. So is there no way to keep things simple? I believe there is.

For years I have been curious about such operating systems. I have read up on ideologies, religions, and philosophies. Upon a lot of study and reflection, I have concluded that a lot of wisdom out there can be distilled to only two rules that can help make sense of the world, help you move forward in your life, and ultimately facilitate finding meaning and perhaps happiness. Here they are.

Rule 1. Every day, do something that elevates yourself

Grow physically. Take care of your health. Eat healthily. Sleep sufficiently.

Start exercising. Aim to improve at whichever discipline you choose. Martial arts, weightlifting, team sports, tennis, calisthenics, swimming, there is so much to choose from. Gradually work to become faster, stronger, more durable, more resilient. Find a good coach. Practice. Compete.

Grow intellectually. Read books. Read great works of literature. Works of non-fiction. Study science, philosophy, arts. Learn languages. Learn about other cultures.

Get better at your job. Even if that is not the job you want for life. Don’t be satisfied with just doing what is expected. Go beyond that. Learn more about your work. Or quit and get into another job. Do well there. Stabilize your finances. Get out of debt. Start saving.

Learn a skill, get better at it through deliberate practice. It could be a musical instrument. Dance. Play go or chess. Start carpentry. Or gardening. Anything where you learn, improve, and grow.

Grow spiritually. Meditate. Regardless if you are a religious person, or an atheist, learn to become a better version of yourself.

Get better at learning. Become disciplined. Figure out the right attitude to respond to crises, to deal with the trouble.

Rule 2. Every day, do something that elevates the world around you

Fix something that is broken. Help someone who needs help. Call your parent. Spend time with your child. Really listen to the friend who needs your attention. Feed a stray dog. Plant a tree. Water the flowers. Remove that piece of broken glass from the road. Help keep your neighborhood clean. Smile. Genuinely care about others. Do a favor without expecting anything in return. Be invested in someone else’s success. Support a worthy cause.

It really is this simple.

That’s it. These are the two rules. Now I want you to look a week, a month, a year, five years ahead. Imagine that this is how you have lived from here on. Little advances accumulate. Small positive steps add up to leaps. Success begets success. Over time, not only your own life, your skillset, your personality changes, but the impact will be felt all around you. In your family, at your workplace, in your community.

Yes, maybe life is too complex for only two rules. But maybe we overcomplicate things? Maybe all we need is a simple starting point. Look around. You will easily find actions that fall under these two rules. Rule 2 helps reduce the misery in this world and increases positivity. Rule 1 makes you progressively more and more capable to make an impact.

Try it out.