Principles

Today, the cat is biting its own tail a little.

But that's okay.

In this case, it's worth it because what I'm sharing with you is crucial.

It's about a fundamental principle:

Follow principles!

And there you see how the cat is biting its tail.

A principle that points you towards principles.

It's essentially the mother of all principles.

What do I mean by that?

My wife always finds the term "principle" so dull and repelling.

I find it fantastic and exciting.

Perhaps the difference lies in what we understand by it.

To me, a "principle" is a basic rule that has proven itself over time.

Is there anything more exciting, important, and better than such a rule?

Well, maybe a large plate of spaghetti ice cream... but other than that?

And when I start paying attention to such rules, I find them everywhere.

And... when I start following them, I become more successful and content.

That's why I find principles so brilliant.

How does this help you and me?

In short, if you and I learn to orient ourselves by principles, we will become more successful and content!

Why more successful?

Because there are also principles for success.

If we make the (manageable) effort to recognize and follow them, we save ourselves detours and failures.

Simply because we orient ourselves towards what has proven to work again and again.

That's why they have become principles - duh!

I admit, it all still sounds a bit abstract.

So here's an example:

The principle: Be interested, not interesting!

The result: If I know and apply the principle "Be interested, not interesting," all my contacts with my fellow humans become more successful (and fulfilling). And to the same degree, I become more successful and fulfilled. (Not that they ALL become successful and fulfilling - but they become more so than if I wouldn't follow the principle. Big difference!)

Without delving too deeply into the substance.

It is ONE single rule that I can apply ALWAYS and EVERYWHERE.

That's the value of a principle.

Why more content?

I'm far from saying that success automatically makes you more content.

It generally doesn't hurt.

But you can feel miserable while being wildly successful by outer terms.

BUT, there are unique principles that directly make you more content.

When I apply these, I am on the direct path towards greater fulfillment.

Want an example?

The principle: Maintain balance!

The result: I live a life where all valuable areas have their place. Health (physical and mental), family, friends, success, and whatever else is particularly important to you. - It has proven since time immemorial that maintaining balance makes you more content than leaning excessively into one area.

How do we use this?

Step 1: Create awareness

First, I have to be aware of the value of principles.

If I don't know and appreciate it, I won't even start focusing on principles.

You can call it something else if "principle" sounds too pedagogical to you:

Secret to success, magic formula, call it what you want.

Step 2: Find principles

In the next step, I start discovering principles.

That's easier than it sounds:

I simply look for the rules that I can derive from what I see.

My secret trick for discovering principles is self-help books.

I find a book by someone who has been highly successful in the topic that interests me.

Then I study the book and pay attention to the fundamental principles.

I collect these, so I can test and apply them.

Step 3: Apply principles

Just having seen the rules for success is not enough to help me.

I must APPLY them.

That's the greatest fun of all.

When I have found a rule for success, apply it, and see how it works.

But be careful:

It might not work at the beginning!

This then leaves two possibilities open:

Possibility 1: I have not yet implemented something correctly and need to practice it.

Possibility 2: The principle does not apply to me, or is simply incorrect.

I would advise you and me not to rule out Possibility 2.

Otherwise, we would blindly adopt things instead of questioning them. This is never recommended (Principle: Question!)

A classic example for this case: Something has worked for a long time in a certain environment and has thus become a basic rule - But the environment has now changed!

Here's a little tip: The more general a principle is, the longer it lasts!

But I digress...

In short, usually, if it doesn't work, it's due to Possibility 1: I have not properly applied the principle.

In that case, it means practice and collecting feedback. (Exactly: collecting feedback is yet another principle!)

But..., but..., but...

"Isn't this all too high-flown and abstract?"

Yes, it's abstract.

It's in the nature of the beast!

A principle is always an abstraction.

That's the very value behind it.

It's a rule that applies to many underlying individual cases.

If you or I are not willing to move to this higher level (another principle), then that's okay.

But it doesn't necessarily help us achieve the results we want.

I'm convinced that it is one of THE critical skills to move to this (admittedly) more abstract level and then come back down to ground level to be successful at all.

I wrote about this in my article "Levels."

Before the cat bites its tail too much and following the principle "Keep it short," I'll stop here.

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