Opinion: Breaking the rules

By Bryan Golden

We all grow up being indoctrinated with rules that limit us. The purveyors of this information are not malicious. They are simply passing along what they themselves have been taught.

You are probably aware of one or more of the following rules. Decide for yourself if you have been limited by any of them.

Don’t rock the boat — This rule encourages conformity. Conformity offers a protection from criticism. But those who succeed don’t care about criticism. They become adept at new or better ways of doing things in spite of opinions.

Nice guys finish last — According to this maxim, being nice is a recipe for failure. Therefore, if you want to succeed you may have to compromise your ethics. In actuality, those who consistently do the best are nice, considerate, and concerned about the well being of others.

It takes money to make money — There are so many examples of wealthy individuals who have started from scratch, that it’s odd this rule still persists at all.

It’s not what you know but who you know — Granted, networking with the right people can accelerate goal achievement. However, if you connect with the right people but have no expertise, any edge will be lost and you will develop a reputation as a fraud. You don’t have to start with connections. With persistence, you will meet the right people.

Be concerned about what others think — You have to do what is right for you. It doesn’t matter what others say, think, or do. Follow your own path.

Don’t take chances — Living is taking a chance. Nothing is guaranteed. If something doesn’t work out as desired, adjust your strategy and keep going. Virtually all achievement is the result of taking chances.

It’s the way things have always been done — If mankind had followed this rule, we would still be living in the Stone Age. Doing things differently leads to improvements. Ask questions. Don’t perpetuate behavior that makes no sense.

Good things never last — Life has its ups and downs. With the right attitude, effort, action, and perseverance, you can have a lot more good than bad. Take an active role in what happens to you. Don’t settle for what you don’t want.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket — This isn’t necessarily a bad rule. The danger is that it detracts from your focus. Often it is better to put your eggs in one basket, and then put all of your energy into guarding that basket.

You have to be lucky to succeed — Of course luck helps. But the harder you work, the more luck you’ll have. Luck determines lottery winners. Effort determines success in life. Passively sitting around waiting for circumstances to improve won’t yield any positive results.

Money is the root of all evil — People use this one to justify why they are not earning as much as they would like. The original statement is that love of money is the root of all evil. Money is simply a tool that can be used for constructive or destructive purposes. Money is earned as a result of one’s service to others.

Don’t daydream — Dreams are the foundation for all accomplishment. Thoughts of situations that don’t yet exist are a great motivator. Dreams give a person a vision of what could be. All that has been accomplished throughout history started with a dream.

Don’t hesitate to break any rules that limit your success. If a rule doesn’t help you or someone else, ignore it.

Contact Bryan Golden at Bryan@columnist.com