Commandments for a better life
Trying to get things in order for the next year...
Originally, this note was going to be completely private. I started writing these commandments with no intention of sharing but the further in I got, the more I realised the piece looked like Twenty observations from 20 years on Earth, a piece I published almost exactly a year ago (I’m turning 21 on Thursday).
So I thought I’d tidy this list up a bit. There’s no harm in making it easier to consume for the reader and in turn easier for me to refer to.
See this not as a completely polished piece of writing but rather something a little more intimate - you can learn quite a lot about what I’m struggling with from this list as it’s a reference for myself to refer to during my last year of uni to keep me on track.
I thought it would help build up more of a genuine picture of who I am outside of the planned and crafted newsletter issues and essays, meaning it was worth sharing.
Below is the original note…
Commandments for a better life
I wanted to make a comprehensive list of things that I need to keep in mind even when I'm losing my head to make sure that I don't do anything stupid and start improving my behaviour and habits towards living a better life.
Really not sure how this is going to go at the moment but we will see.
For software - I have everything I need already. No new software needed (I’ve always struggled with shiny internet objects).
Keep creating and the above cravings will disappear. Also, reading or coming offline helps.
Mental practices and prioritising mental health will make the difference over this next year. I've done well physically but mental progress is the next step.
Get statement-piece clothes from Vinted. Buy basics new.
If you're overthinking about a purchase then it probably shouldn't be made.
It's harder to be good than great. Attack life with boundless enthusiasm and self-belief and just take outcomes as data points rather than attacks at myself. This has to do with the death of the ego.
Don't spend time on social media if there's no direct intention.
Related to the above, live without internet/app blocks as much as possible, seeing as the show must go on with personal accountability rather than external willpower interventions.
Focus on giving energy to the world rather than taking energy from the world, even if it is much harder to do. It's more fulfilling.
Keep the business and personal writing segmented because it keeps my intention higher with everything that I do.
Life choices - if in doubt do the thing that's going to lead to the better story to tell.
Data is good but not everything, try and feel my way through situations and be in touch with my intuition first and foremost. Data can act as a supplement to this. In the middle, the magic balance is found.
Hopping distractedly from podcast to article to book is no better than scrolling social media. Pick one thing and focus deeply.
The above is what I could come up with for now. The list will go under some modification as I learn more about these things.
I wanted something like this in my life, written from a good place and then trusted to place all my decision-making and progress into.
When emotional and in the moment it's all too easy to forget the above so the more I can ingrain them, the more I’ll be able to modify my behaviour and live better.
There you are - thirteen unrelated, irrelevant pointers I’m keeping in mind. I’ve not written these for you but for whatever reason, I resonate with similar pieces from others. I’m not sure why. Perhaps, as I said earlier, it has something to do with the fact that it’s such an unusual window into the writer’s life.
The same pointer I made in the listicle from a year ago applies again - this is advice to nobody except myself. Not me telling you what to do or even suggesting that you should resonate with or understand these things. However, I’ll be glad if they help.