My 10 Rules for Living an Extraordinary Life

Have you defined the ‘rules’ for your life yet? If not, consider this:

If you don’t consciously choose your rules for living, you will be a slave to someone else’s.

Someone else will define what you should do…

Someone else will define where you should be…

Someone else will define how you should act…

You will have no solid ground to stand on for what truly matters to you, because you won’t consciously know what truly matters to you.

Most entrepreneurs say they ‘hate rules’ or think they are ‘rule breakers.’ I don’t believe that.

Most entrepreneurs I know actually love rules… when they get to decide what the rules are.

This is where life gets really fun. When you know your ‘rules,’ you free up immense energy that goes into living in alignment with them instead of trying to figure out what your rules are.

If you haven’t done this yet, I *highly* recommend writing down your top rules for living an extraordinary life.

Print them out. Post them near your bed and your computer. And commit fully to living by them.

These rules are the forces that define your life… whether you’re conscious of them or not.

(A big thank you to Craig Ballantyne and Dan Sullivan for first teaching me this concept.)

(Editor’s note: You can find Craig’s 12 Rules here.)

Here are my rules that hang in my office:

My 10 Rules For Living An Extraordinary Life

“Once you have determined the spiritual principles you wish to exemplify, abide by these rules as if they were laws.” — Epictetus

1. My #1 priority is to create a life where Libby and I have maximum freedom to contribute in our own unique ways to the world.

2. I live with a respectful disregard for the opinions, beliefs and ideals of others. I consciously define my own beliefs and live life true to them, allowing others that same freedom.

3. I prioritize my relationship ahead of my business and my career. It is the foundation that makes everything in our lives possible.

4. I start every day with gratitude, intention, and connection with self. I end every day with gratitude, reflection and connection with self. Every single day.

5. My free time for rest, recovery, and creative space is equally as important as my focus time for action and execution. I balance my intense, focused energy with my relaxed, open, creative energy. I know I’m the most ‘on’ when I honor both.

6. My mornings are sacred and reserved for my most important, creative work. I never take phone calls or meetings before 11 a.m.

7. Asleep by 11. Awake by 7. I prioritize getting 8 hours of sleep per night because it is one of my most important habits for staying healthy, happy, and high vibes.

8. I do my best to not make assumptions about others or their experiences. I do my best to welcome everything that happens in my life. I do my best to trust fully in myself and my experience. When I get stressed, scared, angry, or upset, I feel my feelings fully. And I come back to my breath and back to my body. I know all my power resides in this present moment, when I’m connected to my body.

9. I love my body and take care of it. Ninety percent of my meals are paleo (no gluten, no dairy, and minimum sugars.) I work out and exercise regularly so I consistently feel energized, healthy, magnetic, and powerful.

10. I take full 100% responsibility for everything in my life. The good and the bad. I accept the consequences of my actions with both humility and dignity, honoring my mistakes AND honoring my achievements.

Those are my rules. What are yours?