“Life Basics: Just 3 rules“
Tuesday, 31 March 2026 – 9:30 pm (Sydney)
Rule 1: Keep yourself SAFE.
Rule 2: THINK before you do.
Rule 3: Be DISCIPLINED.
Rule 1:
Keep yourself SAFE.
Only the living can follow rules.
Only those alive can be rich, wealthy and happy.
The dead can not follow rules!
“Keep yourself SAFE” is the very first rule because all other rules can only be practiced by the living. Being alive is a prerequisite of success of any kind. The dead heroes might have achieved great success but surely they don’t know what they have or have not achieved since they are already dead. Without this Rule 1, all other rules in life, all other knowledge, laws or notions in life are irrelevant. The dead can not follow rules! The dead has no hope! As long as you keep breathing, there is hope. Keep yourself safe!
During emergency situations in airplanes, the flight crew also clearly emphasizes this rule. When there’s an emergency situation during the flight, the airplane’s oxygen masks automatically drop in front of each passenger. The instruction is very clear. Put on your oxygen mask first before assisting others! Keep yourself safe FIRST then you can help others. If you try to help others first before putting your own oxygen mask, you might be the one needing help instead of being able to offer help. Without following Rule 1 in this situation creates the risk of you being a liability (part of the problem) instead of being part of the solution. Another way of saying that risk is this, “A drowning man can save nobody”. Keep yourself safe first then you might be able to help others. Sacrificing your own self to help your loved ones may sound heroic and romantic but not a smart move. When you sacrifice yourself and eventually deplete your own self, who would be there to continue to protect and provide for your loved ones? Think about it. Keep yourself safe.
Rule 2:
THINK before you do.
Our brains are wired for survival, it powers our basic instincts. However, basic instincts versus our great ability to think is what separates Humans from the lesser animals on this planet. A mouse who simply follows its basic instincts for survival is what gets it killed when it tries to get the cheese from the mouse trap. The brain of a mouse is wired for survival, so when it sees the cheese, cheese means food for survival, then it goes to grab it… without thinking.
These 3 basic rules are related, interconnected. Rule 2, THINKING before doing, supports Rule 1, keeping yourself SAFE.
In the example above, because the mouse did not follow Rule 2, it also broke Rule 1. Because the mouse did not think where the cheese was located, it was not able to keep itself safe.
- RESPOND, do not react
Responding is taking action after smart thinking and intelligent evaluation. Reaction is taking action without thinking. Responding can keep you safe, reacting can get you killed.
- Is it safe to do this?
- If I do that, what will be the outcome?
- If I do this now versus if I do it later, what will be the different results?
Thinking before doing does NOT mean to unnecessarily delay action. It means being aware and conscious of the actions to be taken.
- Emotional actions are usually bad reactions rather than smart responses
One of the most common emotions which we encounter almost daily is anger. Angry people usually react with an angry and illogical action which they later on regret. Thinking before doing an action gives us time to process our emotions better which then gives us the ability to choose the smarter action leading to a more desirable outcome. There are several philosophers and well-respected men who said this in different ways such as “Measure twice, cut once”. The ability to control oneself and take time to think and pick a better response is almost like a superpower. Think before you do.
Rule 3:
Be DISCIPLINED.
What is discipline? Discipline is:
- the ability
- to control myself
- to do the right thing
Rules, such as life itself, only works in our favour if we have the discipline to do the right things. As mentioned previously, these 3 basic rules are interconnected. Rule 1 and Rule 2 can obviously only work if the person is disciplined enough to follow them.
More often than not, most people know the right things to do but lack the discipline to them anyway.
- Most people know that eating vegetables is healthy but skip them anyway
- Most people know that exercising regularly keeps the mind and body healthy but decides to just watch Netflix most of the time
- We know that fatty foods can kill us but we love to indulge in fried food
- We know that we should save regularly to be Financially healthy but spend too much on things we like, even when they are not needed
- We know yelling at kids is not the best approach to teach them good lessons but we let our emotions get the best of us
The above are just a few typical daily experiences where we do know the right things to perform but perhaps lack the discipline to do them anyway. It is not that we do not know what to do, but we lack the muscle to practice discipline and choose the right actions.
We can plan, we can dream, we can be motivated but without discipline, we are unlikely to reach far.
- Thomas Edison once said: “Genius is 1% Motivation, 99% Perspiration”
We have to keep working on being disciplined because that is the only way to move forward. Without discipline, our efforts might just be taking us around in circles. We may eat healthy foods today but be too lax and eat unhealthy foods tomorrow. Today’s progress can be undone by tomorrow’s lack of discipline. We can make great plans but without the discipline to follow through what actions need to be executed based on the plan, the plan fails. We could strategize all we want but if that strategy is just on paper and not actioned consistently, it is useless!
Discipline is the fuel that makes the vehicle keep moving forward. A vehicle might have the most sophisticated engine, the best drivetrain and transmission, the lightest materials used to go fast, but with only little or no fuel at all, even supercars will not get far.
- Motivation gets us started but Discipline keeps us going
I’ll write more about discipline in topics about Systems and Habits but just before I close this subject about discipline on this section about the 3 Basic Rules, please note that while discipline can be hard in practice, it does not necessarily need to be difficult to follow. Discipline is not the military-style rigid, strict whip as most people misunderstand it to be. Discipline can be something enjoyable when created properly as part of systems and habits.
Recap:
- Rule 1: Keep yourself SAFE.
- Rule 2: THINK before you do.
- Rule 3: Be DISCIPLINED.
The Anchor : (principles & beliefs)
These are the 3 core rules. Just 3. Easy and simple to remember by heart.
The Compass : (how can this guide future decisions)
As you grow older and wiser, there will be hundreds or even thousands of lessons you will need to learn and more critically, which lessons you have to unlearn. As you navigate which learnings to keep, which lessons to evolve or personalise and which ones whose time has come to be unlearned, these 3 basic rules are the fundamental filters.
Hey Noah, from papa :
Since you were 9 years old (circa 2025-2026), we already keep practicing these 3 basic rules. When I drop you off to school, just before you leave the car, I consistently ask you, “Rule 1?” then you reply by chanting the 3 basic rules and say “I know, I know…” Easy, fun, loving days.