Maxims for a happy life
Maxims for a happy life.
The pitch
- Do your talking on the pitch. And leave it there.
- Don’t be that guy[1].
- Let it go. In the immortal words of the Eastenders script-writing collective, “LEAVE IT, PHIL. HE’S NOT WORTH IT.”
You
What you've got
- Don’t be selfish.
- Share. Give freely of what you have and know, to those who need it.
- Use your resources. You can’t take it with you.
- Be useful.
- Don’t judge. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
- Don’t talk your own book.
Confidence
- Back yourself.
- There are other fish in the sea.
- Leave it on the pitch, not the table. (see do your talking on the pitch.)
Mental space
- Go off the grid — sometimes.
- Smell the roses. Take pleasure in beauty. Stop what you’re doing and drink it in. Enjoy what nature — and humans — let you have for free. Admire a wood in autumn.
- "Gee, I wish I spent more time in the office," said NO ONE IN HISTORY.
Learn
- Be open-minded. Never stop learning.
- Find a different way home.
- Write the music you want to hear.
Your nose
- If he gets up your nose, it’s your problem.
- If he gets up your nose, he’s probably got a point. Even Nigel Farage.
Others
- Don’t be intimidated: they’re more scared than you are.
- First question: cui bono?
- Assume they’re talking their own book until you know otherwise. Value people who don’t.
- Insiders have an interest in making what they do seem hard.
- Challenge. Require an explanation. What a professional can’t explain, she doesn’t understand. If she can’t explain it, it’s probably bullshit.
The team
- Disregard rank. Seniors must earn your respect. You must earn it from juniors.
- Your team. They get the credit. You take the responsibility. Deal with underperformance privately: that’s your job. Never sell them out.
Disobey stupid rules
- Walk on the grass. Fuck ’em.
Complexity and order
- Simplify. The Devil is the detail.
- Perfection is the enemy of good enough.
- It’ll do.
References
- ↑ If you said, “or girl,” you’re being that guy. (and/or girl, as the case may be.)