6. Stop Procrastinating

There's certain things that I dread doing, such as studying.  When it comes down to crunch time, I begin to feel that there's other things I should work on that are "more important".  Of course, there's rarely anything more important than an upcoming exam, but I always manage to find something to do.  This leads me down the same path every time that puts me under pressure.  Over the years, I learnt to work well under pressure and have managed to produce some of my best work as a result.

Unfortunately, there is no excuse for such behaviour because it is destructive in the long run.  I often find myself rushing my work, and although it turns out great, I am positive that it can be further improved.  Specifically, I rarely have time to revise my work, which is an important process as long as it is light in spirit.  Yet, that is a mediocre example when compared to what I have yet to say.  The utmost despicable outcome of my procrastination is that work begins to drown me, which leads to a point where I am unable to finish all my projects.  This has occurred on numerous occasions and it must stop.

By avoiding procrastination, one can accomplish much more and ensure that the work is completed to his expectations.  Always begin by planning work and designating time to work on it for a few consecutive hours each sitting in order to ensure good flow.  Make sure that there is time left over for revisions;  yet, keep in mind not to butcher your work through the revision process.

5. Always have a backup plan

During this past year, this rule has become more and more important.  The combination of an economic crisis and personal things that have arisen - a backup plan should have been a must.  In a capitalist world, it seems that  the only way to be stable without a backup plan is to have an endless supply of money.  Otherwise, everything you have worked so hard to achieve can be taken away in an instant.  When it comes to your career, job security is almost inexistent these days.  The only security that exists is in the savings you have to live off when you get laid off.  Let's not kid ourselves; only the wealthy can save while the rest are getting by day by day.  That being said, what is your backup plan?  You should always have one, because nothing stays to your liking forever.  The plan needs to be detailed and takes likely outcomes into account.  For example, if you're currently employed, then you should have a backup plan in case you get laid off.  The plan should take into account the likely outcome that you won't find work for months or that your spouse will lose their job at the same time!

Are you applying to the job of your dreams because you are the most qualified person for it?  What if you don't get it? What if it becomes a temporary position?  Then what... you should have thought about this before.

4. Think or Plan Ahead

This rule seems an obvious one.  It is so simple to say but rather hard to apply.  In the midst of a difficult problem or a moment of weakness, we cease to rationalize and formulate a theoretical plan of action.  Don't let the current situation, problem, or emotion bog your thinking patterns.  Always, or the majority of times at the least, analyze situations analytically and plan ahead.  Nevertheless, there are important thing to concider when planning for future events.  Planning is an art that is mastered by experience!  When planning, one must consider their best options and the appropriate course of action.  However, such a path is rarely a straight one.  Simple put: things never go as planned.  Therefore, we must expect shortcomings in our planning and have an alternate solution or approach.  Hence, a backup plan!  Whilst planning can never account for the entropic nature of life's events, it can account for atleast the most probable events.  If one is prepared for the majority of the probable cases, then he is likely to succeed.  The rare cases that cannot be planned for...well, one cannot succeed at everything but rather learns from his failures.

3. Get things done to your standards

Finishing the work I've started has always been a problem for me.  It's not intentional; I leave projects/work in order to work on something else and end up forgetting about them all together.  I often see this in other people as well - mostly the dreamer portion of the population.  Things start to pile up and nothing ever gets accomplished.  Yet, there's the other side of "getting things done" and that is finished work that isn't upto expectations.  I would rather see something not get done than see finished work that I'm going to throw out all together because it doesn't meet my expectations.

Therefore, it is important to set deadlines in order to finish your personal projects, work, or anything that you do.  If you want to start something, make a plan before you start that makes the project easy to upkeep. Take everything in steps.  Keep in mind, the quality of the work is even more important!  Make sure that any finished work meets and exceeds your personal expectations.  Because if you arne't proud of it - how can you put your name on it?

This simple rule alone will make you more productive.

2. The fundementals are the most important

This came to me today and I should have probably saved it for a later date, but I think it's one of the most important rules.

No matter what you're faced with, there are some fundemental concepts at its base.  Whether it is stock investing, weight lifting, physics, car repair, etc... There's some fundemental principals that one must learn first.  They are the foundation that you can depend on.  Once you master the fundementals, you can move on to the more complex, abstract, or unconventional concepts to improve your performance or the outcome.  The reason I say this is simple: when things start going wrong, the fundementals will save you.

In mathematics: if you know your basic concepts, you can solve most complex problems.
In weight lifting: if you're not making progress, keep pushing yourself and stay committed.  You will see results!

I guess the most important thing is this:
Develop your own personal fundemental life principals that you stick by in 99% of cases.  Keep them simple and make sure that they are logical for you.  Ok, so what about the last 1% of cases.  Well, those cases are the challenging ones.  They need more than fundementals.  Sometimes they'll never work out...

1. Be educated in multiple fields

Explanation :

Education is undoubtedly very important.  However, let us not mistaken education with formal education that colleges and universities provide.  Acquiring knowledge goes far beyond what institutions have to offer and extends to learning new things on your own.  Whether you are a doctor or a mechanic, it is good to learn things beyond your field.  Being knowledgeable in only one field is ignorance.  No doubt, you should excel in your field, but one should strive to be well rounded in 2, 3 or more other fields.

Too many people talk about things that they know nothing about.  Too often, people make assumptions and treat them as facts.  The worst thing anyone can do is make a judgment about something that they know little about.