Have you ever looked up to someone and, over time, realised that they have changed? Their views and opinions of the world become narrow-minded and no longer take into consideration the bigger picture, the don't consider the minority, or the average Joe. And now you see them for who they have become, and it no longer resonates with you. Like a bad taste in your mouth from trying something nostalgic from a time lost. I can see and understand how someone can change for the worse. I have sympathy for someone who has lost their way, blinded by the lights of recognition, attention and toxicity.

The idea that whatever you do needs to benefit culture or your wallet is super, super soul-destroying because your measurement of worth is tied to external performance that you don't have control over, for internal self-validation. I have had a lot of hobbies in my life; I've tried many things. And the only hobbies that have lasted are the ones I never tried to turn into a side hustle. Let me explain.

Have you ever felt like you are stuck, but at the same time, like you have no energy for anything else but work, survive, and repeat? This perpetual treadmill of getting up, going to work, going home to recharge or unwind, then going to bed late and repeating it all over again. This is our lives in a small studio apartment (nutshell) - the life of nothing changing, and days blending into themselves while we wait for the weekend. But that weekend isn't to have fun, but to recharge and relax so we can do it all over again. This was my life for 4-5 years straight. Then something happened: I had my third burnout and health breakdown in one year, and something had to change.

The thirty rules, habits, and guidelines that helped me build my life—a life of purpose, contentment, and happiness. It's a funny thing because happiness is subjective, and purpose is vastly different depending on who you talk to. But there are some basic pillars to build a good life, and most of them require little to no money at all. All they require of you is time—time to invest in yourself. Time for just you. And once you dedicate those hours every day solely for yourself, everything else in your life flourishes. You begin to see that it was there all along, and everyone was saying the same thing. It just wasn't as flashy, glamorous, sexy, or innovative. In saying all this, here are the thirty rules I live by that have made my life that little bit more meaningful, happier, and better overall. You might not agree with them all, but here might be something in here that inspires you to adopts some of them into your life. In no particular order

Want a better life? Want to change who you are or where you are, or where your headed right now? It's simple; I'll say it again, it's simple, but it isn't easy. Nothing worth doing is easy; otherwise, everyone would be doing it. So the first thing we have to do every morning is simple; we have to do something hard, something discomforting. We have to eat the frog; we have to get up early, go to the gym, eat that boring healthy food, we have to study. In order to change our situation, we have to do something about it, and we start with something hard every morning.

You can tell someone's contentment and level of perseverance by how often they look at their watch. Someone who has hope, and sets their life by the clock, will always be dissatisfied with the outcome, or wasted time. Because they are not in control of the outcome or when it will be, but the watch makes them think they are.

Do you feel like you're too old or not old enough to do something? Maybe you're thinking to yourself it's too late to change careers or that at your age, you don't have enough experience to share your ideas and thoughts. You could even be someone who thinks they just can't learn something new at your age, that it will take too long. Age doesn't matter; what matters is when you start playing.

The problem with how we run the world is that we are fundamentally narcissistic. The dictionary defines narcissists as "people that have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance." This is how every political group, ruler, country, and state perceives themselves in the world. I know what is right, and anything that challenges me or my beliefs is considered wrong and a threat to my way of life. We treat the world like a stereotypical narcissist, using others to achieve our goals and discarding them when they are no longer useful or benefit us. That is narcissism through and through.

Now, instead of imagining using another person or gain or control, consider…

Have you ever just jumped into something feet first, all in, and failed? Have you tried to change and then, after a period of time, reverted back to your old ways? Not because you wanted to, but because it was just easier to be your old selves than this new version you aspired to be. Maybe you did keep with your goals, but because of this, everything fell to the wayside, and now all you have are fewer hours of sleep, more work, and less time for the things you enjoyed in the first place.

"If you can't explain it simply, then you don't know it well enough." This quote from Albert Einstein resonates with me all the time when I'm trying to learn something or find information. Much of the content out there is unnecessarily prolonged to fill in time, as if there's an insecurity with the author that if they can't turn an idea into 300 pages, then people will not take them seriously. The opposite is true; when you are concise and careful with your words, getting straight to the point, people take you very seriously. So why is there so much noise, fluff, and filler content out there?

So why do we need philosophy? Well, have you ever gotten home and just thought, 'What am I doing with my life?' My life sucks; I have to do this, go here, pay this bill. I'm not happy; I hate my life or I'm angry at my partner who never does the dishes or helps with the kids. If you have felt this way, so have a billion other people, not to mention all the people throughout history. For me, I wanted to control my thoughts and feelings; I wanted to have autonomy over my brain and all its monkey mind tendencies, like desire, envy, lust, and ego. Well, philosophy can help you with all that and more.

Declutter your productivity system. There comes a point when you spend more time tracking, taking notes, measuring, and planning than doing the tasks that your systems are supposed to help you with. Some call it the productivity paradox: as more investment is made into information gathering, tracking, and additional work, productivity actually goes down instead of up. So what can you do? What do we need, and what needs to be thrown into the bin (trash can)?

In a world that bombards us with endless choices, advertisements, and desires that don't benefit our lives beyond the dopamine of wanting it, I ironically stumbled across a book about essentialism. With our culture fading away from the extremism of minimalism, this new philosophy of living and well-being sparked an interest in a lifestyle that resonated with me. This idea that one just needs what they need, from a car to a painting that makes them happy to look at in the morning, to needing three monitors on their desk. It's all good, as long as you need it.

Why is our current culture obsessed with selling out? Sorry, I mean making money. Back in the day, people used to be shamed and dissed for selling out or making money doing what they love. Artists would lose their followings if they sold out to promote a brand or go mainstream with a record label. The idea that their authenticity was no longer centered around the art or the fans but rather transitioned toward making money. This was how it was before the '90s, but then the internet happened.

With the internet came instant connection and a new market. Social media platforms became a necessity for interacting with friends and family, and the phone call, letter, or meeting around a good old dinner table was out, and the pixelated screen in the palm of your hand was in.

I've been reading a lot lately, like a ton for me. This holiday, I've read six books in the past two months. I know for some that is pitiful, and for others, that is a whole year's worth of books. The things I'm gaining from sitting down is knowledge, which is a given when you read non-fiction. However, the thing I'm learning the most is routine, discipline, and a constructive distraction from cheap dopamine hits. I no longer pick up my phone to doom scroll. Instead, if I get sick of reading, I just do something else. For example, I take a walk, make some wholesome food, or do the dishes. After a while, I'll get bored, write an article, or pick the book up again and get back to reading.

I'm currently reading the book "Deep Work" by Cal Newport. I've gotten to a part in the book about tools; about comparing our day-to-day tools to a farmer and a blacksmith. Back in the day, it took a lot of convincing and showcasing to make a profession change the tools they were using for their craft. Back in the day, blacksmiths used a firepit, anvil, and a hammer. Telling them to change from a hardy hot cut to a hacksaw would have taken a lot of convincing. But when it comes to our modern-day tools, we don't hesitate in adopting new technology, software, or apps. It's even praised as innovative. My question is, is that innovation truly benefiting your end goal?

So, I have to read a lot of books this year to achieve my goal of becoming a writer. I need to learn, and abstain knowledge to better back up my clams and ideas with tangible evidence. Yet, I'm procrastinating from reading by writing this blog post. I know avoiding one productive thing for another is a conundrum, or is it a juxtaposition? No, that's not the right word… structural procrastination. That's the word.

Optimising something that you're not currently doing is just procrastination. It's a great feel-good excuse for researching or outlining a business plan or structure. It tells the world, "Hey, I'm doing the thing," when in reality, we aren't doing the things at all. Because we are scared, we want to put it off as long as possible until we get all our ducks in a row, and we know every conceivable possible outcome before it even happens. And you know what? We all do this to some extent.

I'm not a writer, but that isn't going to stop me. Sure, I'm dyslexic, and have disabilities with how I hear and process the world. That shouldn't stop me; that shouldn't be a deterrent. It's such a massive wall in my way that I have to get over, and I will make it my superpower. Because to get over these mishaps will make me stronger and a better person for it. I'm not a writer, but damn it, that's not going to stop me.

Life is messy. We have all these things we want to do and accomplish while fighting this wonderful thing called procrastination. You know, doom scrolling and lazing on the couch, watching streaming services, which is fun, relaxing, and oh so good for the soul. Well, that's what we tell ourselves.

Life is messy because things happen that we don't expect, which keeps us on our toes/ Which in turn makes life interesting, and so very emotional. What would a week be like if I didn't dread running out of my food budget, to decide to walk to the grocery shops to save money so I could buy more food? Life would be easy, with no challenges and as a result, boring.