BackA Collection of Principles (Part 2)
This post is a continuation of some of the principles I've learnt studying high performers across industries. I've applied all of these to my life in varying degrees, and have had some kind of positive impact by each of them.
Principle 1 — Overrule fear
Many of us are ruled by fear. We don’t leave our comfort zone because we’re scared of what others might think. We don’t take risks because we’re scared things won’t go to plan. We don’t pursue our goals because we might make mistakes and potentially fail.
Where does this fear lead us?
Nowhere. It leaves us stagnant, for a long time.
Everything we want lays on the other side of fear. Growth and progress are the result of overcoming obstacles. “A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials” said Seneca. You owe it to your goals and your potential to give it a fair shot. It’s matters much more than any gossip ever will.
Principle 2 — Less is more
Many of us are conditioned to think that more is always better — more money, more achievements, more posessions. This relentless pursuit of more can lead us to accumulate layers of desire that conceal our true selves and hinder our judgement. To break free from this cycle, we need to strip away the excess and realise that what we truly need is already within us. By letting go of our attachment to external things and embracing our inner selves, we can find greater fulfilment in everything we do. When we say ‘no’ to the inessential, we make space to say ‘yes’ to the essential.
Principle 3 — Play the infinite game
Each of us approaches the game of life in our unique way, spending our time differently, caring about different things, and working on different goals. However, we can all be classified into one of two categories on the game-theory spectrum: those who play a finite game, and those who play an infinite game. The finite game has fixed rules, known players and specific objectives, whereas the infinite game has both known and unknown players, self-determined objectives and flexible rules.
The game we choose to play has a profound impact on our achievements, intentions and sense of fulfillment. Most things in life — such as business, fitness, relationships and even our day-to-day being — are known to be better when approached as an infinite game. We stop letting others tell us what’s important, and instead define it ourselves; we shift our focus from beating others, to building positive-sum solutions; we stop believing the game is rigged, and instead adopt a growth mindset equipped to navigate through the highs and lows. It’s a worthy investment to play the infinite game — because you never quite know just how far it can take you.
Note from the future (2024)
Similar to part 1, these posts were written when I was working on Juice, my startup. From March 2023 to October 2024, my worldview has changed in drastic ways. As I reflect on these principles, I see each of the principles above slightly different.
I believe overruling fear is vital to progress of any kind, yet one kind of fear does more good than harm. It's hard to articulate it. I feel it when i'm pushing myself to work harder, knowing there is a lot to be done. The fear stems from leaving something on the table. This kind of fear is good, because it keeps you going when others would stop. Some say it's continuous motivation and optimism, and while it may be true for some, I believe its fear driving many more. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, I guess it depends on the circumstances.
When it comes to less is more, my stance is this -- you should decide what is worth having / chasing, and you should not let others tell you what that should be. Many get persuaded into chasing the wrong things -- titles, status, fame. The only time you should listen and be persuaded to chase something, is when the person telling you is the person whose footsteps would follow (with all the hardships and wins along the way).
For the infinite game, my stance remains unchanged. Play the infinite game, always. Think big and long term, work really hard, and make progress every day.