An easier life comes from a short set of rules that cut overthinking, focus your time on what works, and make money and relationships simpler to handle. Most people struggle to decide how to be productive and make sense of their lives. The creators say they have used these rules for years to get out of awkward situations, make the most of their time and gain an edge.
Go through the list, write down the ones that fit, and apply them starting today. There is a bonus rule at the end.
Watch the full video here, or skip to the breakdown below.
The 15 rules at a glance
- The 100:10:3:1 investing rule (0:30)
- You cut, I pick (1:19)
- The 100 hour rule (1:58)
- The 10-10-10 rule (3:00)
- The one thing that wins the day (3:56)
- The 2 minute rule (5:50)
- The 80/20 rule (6:53)
- The left hand rule (7:32)
- The apology rule (8:06)
- The golden rule (8:59)
- The money = time rule (9:37)
- The odd time rule (10:53)
- The 10,000 hours rule (11:09)
- The “stay poor, be rich” rule (11:51)
- The coin rule (12:39)
1. The 100:10:3:1 investing rule
This is a real estate investment rule, though the idea carries over to similar situations. It is probably the best known guideline among professional property investors, and anyone buying property should know it.
To make a smart investment, an investor looks at at least 100 properties to find 10 potential deals that could be profitable. From those ten, they submit aggressive but fair offers on three. Of those three offers, one is accepted, and that single property can make a lot of money. Then you repeat the process.
That is the foundation to build on. Rush it and you lose money.
2. You cut, I pick
Picture two kids fighting over the last piece of cake, each convinced it is rightfully theirs. Under this rule, one person cuts and the other picks which half to keep.
It gives power to both sides. The person cutting has every reason to divide fairly, since they get the leftover piece, and the person picking gets first choice. It maximizes the return and minimizes the risk at the same time, so both parties win and the result is usually a near-perfect cut. It works in business and in life.
3. The 100 hour rule
This rule brings clarity to what you should prioritize. Imagine three buckets: what you are good at, what you are average at, and what you are bad at. With 100 hours to invest across them, how would you split the time? An equal 33, 33 and 33, or something else?
The most successful and smart people tend to answer in one of two ways. Either 80 hours go into what they are really good at with the rest split evenly, or all 100 hours go into their strength and none anywhere else.
Time spent on something you are bad at has close to zero benefit and is usually a giant waste. The one exception is a thing you are passionate about and do for yourself.
4. The 10-10-10 rule
This decision-making rule is frequently used by people like Warren Buffett and other billionaire investors, and it works because it forces perspective. When something is stressing you, ask how you will feel about it in ten minutes, then in ten months, then in ten years.
You will notice how few things are worth the stress. A choice can feel good now and hurt over the medium or long term. The reverse also happens: something may be unpleasant for ten minutes and a while after, then pay off for years.
Run any important decision through the rule of ten and you will start making better calls right away.
5. The one thing that wins the day
It is a random Tuesday afternoon and you have done nothing productive. The clock is ticking and you are already planning to wake up early tomorrow and catch up. We all know that rarely works.
This rule rescues days that seem lost: do one thing that wins the day. It might be a quick meeting that sets something in motion, an important email you have been avoiding, or a decision other work is waiting on. There is always something with decent impact.
Better yet, ask yourself every morning what one thing, if done today, lets you call it a win. Do that, and treat everything else as a bonus. Completed tasks snowball into habits, and habits build your best life.
6. The 2 minute rule
This is the most straightforward rule on the list: if something takes two minutes, do it now. Never postpone what can be solved immediately.
Unfinished little tasks raise our stress and cut into productivity, and small wins create a feeling of momentum that builds through the day. The rule also works against procrastination. When a task feels like a slog, make yourself do it for two minutes, then allow yourself a break if you want one.
Studies cited in the script show that getting started is the hardest part, and once you are past that slump you are more likely to finish what you began.
7. The 80/20 rule
Twenty percent of your actions account for 80 percent of your results. The creators call it one of the most valuable things they have learned in business and in life.
The pattern shows up everywhere: 20 percent of workers produce 80 percent of the results, 20 percent of customers create 80 percent of the revenue, 20 percent of bugs cause 80 percent of crashes, and 20 percent of features drive 80 percent of usage. Even 20 percent of the words in a language make up 80 percent of conversations.
Find your 20 percent and focus heavily on it.
8. The left hand rule
This one is more a social life hack than a business rule. At any event where you are drinking, hold your glass in your left hand.
Say you are grabbing a beer and someone new is introduced to you. You go to shake their hand, but if your hand has been wrapped around a cold, wet glass, it feels slimy. People will not remember your name, but they will remember how you made them feel, and clammy hands are a bad start in any setting.
9. The apology rule
Everybody makes mistakes, and there is a right way to move forward. An effective apology has three parts. First, acknowledge you were wrong and how it affected the person or the outcome. Second, say you are sorry. Third, describe what you will do to make it right or to keep it from happening again.
Do not excuse or explain. Own it. There is more to gain from following this rule than from getting away with a mistake, and it helps with employees too, since it builds trust and resolves the situation.
10. The golden rule
The video calls this the most valuable piece of advice the world has come up with, and the foundation of being a decent person: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Treat people the way you want to be treated.
It is also a good way to build karma. Help others and people will help you back. When life feels stuck, start by helping someone else and see where it leads.
11. The money = time rule
Everyone has heard that time is money. The trick here is to flip it and think of money in hours. Say you make $10 an hour and want a $150 coat: is it worth 15 hours of work?
Pricing things in work hours changes how you value them, because you know how hard you work for your money. Is a new outfit worth a week of your life? Is a holiday worth the three months of work it took to pay for it? Some purchases stop making sense and others become an obvious yes.
Work out what you earn per hour or day, then apply it to every purchase.
12. The odd time rule
This rule is for anyone with friends who are never on time. Schedule the meeting for 3:47 instead of 4:00, and the chance of people showing up late drops significantly.
Make sure everyone knows the meeting starts at 3:47. When you start meetings at odd times, people pay closer attention to the exact moment they need to be there. Give it a try and see what happens.
13. The 10,000 hours rule
This rule is treated as a key to success in any field. It comes down to practising a specific task, which can usually be done with 20 hours of work a week for ten years. It does not matter when you start or how old you are. Put 10,000 hours into something and you will be an expert.
Some of the best performers in the world built their results on it. Think about what your thing is and how much time you have already put into the craft. Do the math, then work out how much more you need to master it.
14. The “stay poor, be rich” rule
The longer a person is willing to live as if they were poor when they do not have to, the richer they become. The difference between people who stay rich and people who lose wealth is the ability to control lifestyle spending.
The creators say they have watched people make a lot of money, burn through most of it and end up where they started. Once progress shows up in your venture, resist the expensive car and the expensive home. Keep your head down, pretend the money is not there and invest it. Putting it to work will do more for your lifestyle than spending it now.
15. The coin rule
For heavy overthinkers who cannot pick an option, assign each option to one side of a coin and flip it. The real magic is what happens while the coin is in the air: you notice yourself hoping it lands on a particular side. That is your answer.
The rule works because it bypasses overthinking and taps directly into your intuition. Try it now and notice how your mood shifts mid-flip.
Bonus: always do the right thing
The script ends with a sixteenth rule it calls the most important one. Every day you choose what to focus on, how to spend your time, and how to treat other people and yourself, and in each case there is a right thing to do. It may not be the easiest, quickest or most convenient option, but deep down you know it.
That could mean honesty when lying feels easier, kindness when anger is tempting, or discipline when all you want is to stay in bed. These choices feel small in the moment, but in the long run they define who you are.
FAQ
What is the 2 minute rule?
If a task takes two minutes or less, do it immediately instead of postponing it. It also helps with procrastination: if you do not feel like starting a task, commit to just two minutes, since getting started is the hardest part.
What is the 80/20 rule?
It says that 20 percent of your actions produce 80 percent of your results. Examples include 20 percent of workers delivering 80 percent of output and 20 percent of customers creating 80 percent of revenue. The advice is to find your 20 percent and focus on it.
How does the 10-10-10 rule work?
When a decision stresses you, ask how you will feel about it in ten minutes, ten months and ten years. The longer view shows that few things are worth stressing over and helps you separate short-term comfort from long-term payoff.
What is the money equals time rule?
Convert prices into hours of work. At $10 an hour, a $150 coat costs 15 hours of your life, which makes it easier to judge whether a purchase is really worth it.
How do you make a good apology?
Acknowledge you were wrong and how it affected the other person, say you are sorry, and describe what you will do to make it right or prevent it happening again. Do not excuse or explain.
Keep reading
- 50 Rules for a Simple Life
- 15 Ways to Master the Art of Decision-Making
- 15 Rules That Make You Rich & Life Easier
