My Operating Principles

My inspiration

Yes, there’s a standard about page. A semi-humble flex littered with big numbers, achievements and social proof to boost credibility. Necessary perhaps, but lacking human depth.

But I believe it’s best to capture who I was, who I am and who I want to become through my operating principles. These, to me, are akin to values, life rules - whatever synonym you’d like to use.

What’s the inspiration for my operating principles?

Ray Dalio. His book Principles was a formative read for me. I guess I read it at the right time. It revealed the importance of diving deeper, inwards, to discover the roots of myself, other people and the world as it is.

I’ve intentionally added operating because principles without action are…theoretical. Without the consistent use of said principles, they are just words on a page. Akin to when a company creates a values statement, prints it on a fancy poster and a few months later, it’s gathering dust in someone’s drawer. Principles must influence your behaviours to have any practical meaning.

Most, if not all of my operating principles come from Uncle Ray’s equation for how to live a good life:

Black and white photo of a man playing a guitar on stage with a microphone.
A visual equation showing 'Pain' plus 'Reflection' equals 'Progress' on a white background.

Let’s define some terms:

  • Pain is the internal and external adversity you experience. Archetypal forms of human suffering that we all experience – an illness, a loved one dying, financial turmoil, a failed business– that manifests uniquely to you.

  • Reflection is your ability to introspect and have an internal dialogue that moves you forward with the experience.

  • Progress is a better and evolved version of you.

But, I believe this equation isn’t complete (sorry, not sorry Ray). To me, a more accurate equation is below:

Diagram illustrating the formula: Pain plus reflection minus rumination.
Text graphic showing 'Deliberate Practice' plus an plus sign, equal sign, and 'Progress' in colored blocks.

Some additional terms:

  • Rumination is the circular, spiraling and counterproductive narratives you repeat to yourself. You believe they are true but they seldom are. Rumination masquerades as reflection, but in reality is an internal monologue of unchangeable answers.

  • Deliberate Practice is transforming meaningful reflection into conscious, consistent and iterative action.

Illustration of a spiral with numbered loops from 2 to 8, starting at 'Thought 1' and ending with 'Thought infinity,' written in red ink, representing a progression of thoughts.

This is rumination. What starts as a singular thought rapidly spirals to thought infinity. Clearly, not very useful to you.

Flowchart with four questions and four thoughts, connected by curved lines and loops, with green handwritten text.

This is reflection. Your thoughts have opposition through the sequence of internal questions. Much, much more useful.

What’s next?

Reflection is only meaningful once you subtract rumination. Only then is progress actualised and you shape your behaviour.

My operating principles, which you can read below, are based in this equation: a bit of pain, a truckload of reflection and deliberate action.