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.