10 rules that changed my life 

If you could add one rule to this list what would it be? 🤔

The one rule I’d add: Treat yourself like you‘d treat a friend - more positive affirmations and less negative self talk 😉 I love the idea of the 3 year rule🙏

Here is a rule: leave every situation or environment better than you found it. Whether that's really listening to someone, being a courteous driver, or picking up a piece of litter. Edit: I am a bit blown away with the number of people this post resonated with.

0:13 It's better to be an hour early than a minute late 1:06 Move before you're motivated 2:08 If it won't matter in 5 years, don't spend more than 5 min worrying about it 3:02 Never go to bed angry 4:19 Never use two words when one will do 6:29 Learn to laugh at yourself 7:18 Give yourself three years to reach big goals 8:08 You are responsible for everything 8:42 Never skip a workout two days in a row 9:41 Assume the best in people

Rule 11: Allow yourself - and others - the permission to change. Change your mind. Change your beliefs. Change your assumptions. Change your health. Even change your rules :-)

One rule that I have, which maybe isn't quite a rule as much as a mindset, is to romanticize life as much as you can, especially the little things. As someone who struggles a lot with fluctuating depression, often times the only way that I am ever able to get out of a depressive episode is to start romanticizing little things. If you can't live for the big things, like family, friends, etc, then live for the little things. Everyday, the things I look forward to the most are drinking tea, taking a walk in nature, cuddling my dog, looking at the trees in the wind, looking at art, listening to music, eating a yummy meal, sitting down to read a book, etc. It's these things that truly make life enjoyable, so don't forget to immerse yourself in them whenever you can! Also, this is especially helpful when I have to do something that I don't particularly want to do, such as housework or an assignment. My little trick to get me through it is to pretend that I'm in a Studio Ghibli movie montage of someone cleaning their house or working. I'll play soft music in the background as though it were the movie soundtrack, and it really helps. It helps me feel as though these boring/unpleasant activities are being romanticized, and a bit less unpleasant.

One rule I think it's most important for mental health is - don't think that you're late to achieve something. Media is full of very young people who achieved a lot already, and it's very easy to start comparing yourself and thinking that you're too old for achieving anything. But that's so wrong, if you're a college student and lose 2-3 years because of certain life circumstances, that's OK, just move on, in the grand scheme of life those 3 years will turn out to be irrelevant, what is important is that you keep working on what you believe is best for you. That also applies to situations when people realise that they are in the wrong place at, for example 35 or 40 years of age. If you feel you found something new you're very passionate about, don't talk yourself out of it just because you're not in your early 20's anymore. It's never too late.

I ended up listing down about 23 rules, 10 from the video and 11 from the comments and 2 of my own. Here they are if you are interested: 11. Romanticize your life as much as possible 12. Don’t think you’re late to achieve something 13. Be kind (to yourself, to others), be smart (educated, informed, have common sense), be strong (physically, emotionally, mentally) 14. Always discover new music 15. Try to be as honest as you can 16. Pour into yourself first 17. Date yourself 18. Allow yourself to be bad at certain things 19. Cut out toxic people immediately 20. Show gratitude 21. Celebrate small steps properly 22. It’s easier the second time around 23. You’re not the first person in this situation and you won’t be the last

My favourite mindset quote to live by is 'it's a bad day, not a bad life' and it reassures me when I become overwhelmed

My rule: try to be as honest as you can, with people but also with yourself. If you lie, you make things complicated. If someone asks you a question, ask yourself first before you answer.

I have three life rules for myself: be kind (to others and yourself), be smart (educated, informed, and common sense), and be strong (mentally, physically, emotionally). I have never come across a circumstance where these three rules don't apply and generally give a positive outcome.

I have some : 1. Text as if someone is spying on your chats. This way I never text anything harmful. Even if I had to say something strong I say it in a way which is not demeaning. Keeps things professional too.

Summary 1) it's better to be an hour early to be a minute late 2) move before you motivated 3) if it won't matter in 5 years, dont spend more than 5 min worrying about it 4) never go to bed angry 5) never use two words when one will do 6) learn to laugh at yourself 7) give yourself 3 years to reach big goals 8) you are responsible for everything 9) never skip a workout two days in a row (actually for every habit) 10) assume the best in people

There are no shoulds, only coulds! Whenever I find myself feeling like I ‘should’ be doing something I remind myself that shoulds don’t really exist. Instead there is a long list of coulds to choose from. Just because someone else would choose one option, doesn’t mean I ‘should’ choose that option too. Life changing!

“How you do one thing is how you do everything” this quote helped me to form the habit of being present in every thing I do. Anything from working to relaxing, I make sure that I’m fully immersed in the task.

The rule I'd add: Do the things that your future self will thank you for.

"being angry at someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to suffer."

One of my rule is small things counts. If you neglect things because of how small or insignificant it is you are leaving a hole in a big picture. So try not to neglect things coz sometimes small things matter the most. 😊

My Rule: Tell people when they do something that changes your life for the better, even if it's small. You have no idea how much letting someone know that may mean to them.

Great tips! One thing hubby & I tried that doesn't work for us during out 29+ yr marriage is the "never go to bed angry" thing. Our hottest, most destructive fights are in the middle of the night when we are both tired and sensitive. If we find ourselves going in circles or escalating to an unreasonable level, we take a pause and sleep on it. After sleeping and stepping back, the perspective is so much more productive and reasonable. It doesn't work for everyone, but it does for us. Our tempers are too hot and we are both too stubborn I guess.

I was about to be real mad at you with the "it's really not that difficult to show up on time". I have ADHD. and one of the ways my ADHD manifests is being HORRIBLE at estimating how much time something is going to take. But that solution of 'double the amount of time you think it will take' is actually something that might be helpful for me. The other thing I have started learning is to start timing how long it takes me to do something so I can actually have a realistic idea... so if I combine that with your tip of doubling time I definitely would be better at getting places on time even if I get off track (which is the other reason I often end up late. I realize oh shoot I forgot to do xyz and next thing I know I've forgotten I was supposed to be leaving and shoot that was 5 minutes ago I was supposed to leave...). Appreciate the idea. Will have to track how using that helps me get places on time!

This is one I love for both singles and couples! The 2x2x2 rule. Every 2 weeks go on a date. Every 2 months get away for a weekend. Every 2 years take a vacation. I included singles because I think it’s important to date yourself. You can go with a friend or travel solo!

Another one: Make learning a priority. In good situations and bad situations if you learn something it’s usually a success. But like Dwight said, not everything is a lesson… sometimes you just fail. That’s important to remember too especially if you’re too hard on yourself.

GREAT VIDEO !! I would add something that changed my life : being interested in how my body works and learning about natural medicine so I can get rid of hard medication at 100% unless something urgent happens (because it can save life of course). Eating healthy, learning about food, natural foods, etc... Game changer for a good health and a good mind !

I have a rule idea: Celebrate your small steps. I find difficult to appreciate the importance of common, everyday tasks towards my goals, so "forcing" me to say "HECK YEAH!" when I do them has improved my motivation, and therefore, my likelihood of keep doing them.

I feel there’s a million rules a person could follow to get ahead. Videos like this are great but they used to feel a little overwhelming. However, I’m now seeing as I learn more that it’s more based on selecting the rules that work with you and building your own character.

Rule number 11: Allow yourself time and space to feel your feelings.

I feel like a rule I go by is “Assume ignorance instead of malice” which is similar to decentering your own personal feelings in every situation. Sometimes I find that I assume people do things to me on purpose and let the victim mindset influence the rest of my day. Following this rule, I find it a bit easier to not take so many things personally with this rule. A friend forgot to text me back for days and days? “Yeah that sucks but they probably didn’t realize. They don’t hate you, they’re just human” and then I text them :) they usually respond in minutes. Small example but I find it helpful. (Not to say that you should tolerate abuse or anything extreme but sometimes I’m just a touch too sensitive 😅😅)

“Technically your subconscious cheated on yourself” That’s gold!

I started watching Married at first sight Australia during lockdown and now I'm hooked 😅

As someone running a household of four: when you are done with something put it right away straight away. Don’t put it half way away, don’t wait, put it away where it lives now. I don’t manage it all the time but it really helps!

The biggest rule that has helped me and others whenever we feel we have lost our purpose, remember our grander purpose is always to help each other. We all have gifts, talents and energy to share to help others love a better life.

These are some rules I try to stick up to: 1. to live in the moment, taking day by day; having goals but not worrying too much about the future... and never think resentfully about the past 2. be comprehensive, forgiving and calm with everyone around me (always having boundaries for myself tho) 3. trying not to be angry by things I simply cannot control, because it's a waste of my time and energy 4. go outside every single day, for a walk or a run 5. feed myself with good and nutritious food 6. love the people around me and letting love in - this is what i live for amazing video, as always. keep up with the good work!!

Even though squarespace sponsored a lot of Matt's videos...Each sponsor segments gets more and more creative without boring us with same repetitive sentences 😅... MATT is a True creative professional hands down 😅💯

Broo, I think is the best advices and rules and not advices to encourage toxic productivity or hustle culture! Definitely writing this down.

One of my rule is to allow yourself to be bad at certain things. You don't have to achieve perfection every time at every thing, it limits the idea of even trying to improve. By allowing myself to be bad at certain things, I give myself space. As a perfectionist myself, this helped me a lot to start a new task or goal, as I don't try to do it perfectly but just enough.

This Video just saved a relationship of mine which was about to explode. Thank you so much 😊

"If it won't matter in 5 years, don't spend more than 5 min worrying about it." is what I always tell my friends and myself when I go crazy worrying about sth!

My productivity has increased gradually along the years watching your videos man . Started my second year of college and i graduated last month. These videos are great ☺️

Having the mindset of taking a 100% of responsibility for my actions and my outcomes was a life changing rule for me too. It's very empowering. I would add: consider yourself as your main competitor. Do not compare yourself to others.

I'm so big on the 'be an hour early, not a minute late' rule, I think being punctual is sooo important professionally and personally, although I really love and need to apply the 'seeing the best in people' rule. We have all had experiences that may cause trust issues or anxiety to arise, however we forget that not everyone is going to be the same :)

Well the most difficult thing about any self-help hack, habit, rule,law or whatever is staying consistent. Throughout my teenage years I struggled with this and the solution was very simple, actually. Just because you missed something once or gave into old habits or temptation(you know what month I am talking about) doesn't mean you lost. Becoming a better version of yourself is a life long process and you have to keep at it with as much effort as possible. Stumbling and giving up isn't the same. Just focus on doing the thing you want as many times as sustainably possible.And always focus on one thing at a tiime. The mistake I made was making these radical and super difficult but positive changes to my life only to eventually give us after a few weeks. For example I had a serious caffene addiction I'd guzzle down up to 14 cups of coffee every working shift. This was seriously messing up my sleep, mental health and everything in between. For years i tried to solve this by forcing myself to work without coffee. which never worked more than a 2 days. my will alone just wasn't enough to break this almost 2 year long habit. So last year I tried a different approach by avoiding coffee for the first hour of the shift. And then I added a few minutes every week. This progressive overload method worked very well and now for about a month and a half I've been working without drinking a single drop. As a consequence my sleep and mood is a alot better. Also I don't really feel miserable all the time like I used to. In conclusion, The progressive overload method works in a lot ofother places besides the gym.

08:45 my "workout" is actually studying and applying this rule to not skip studying 2 days in a row made me very productive.

When I started to go to my gym, I was struggling with being almost the only woman and I would get shy, lowering my performances. I decided to apply a new rule to my sessions : NEVER leave the gym without a progress. I would do the extra rep, run 1 more minute, stretch in a different way, use a new machine, etc. Thanks to that rule, I care less about others and more about myself. Physical and mental improvement !!

The one that made a difference to me and is still making a difference I heard on the channel struthless. If it takes less than 2 mins do it immediately. It helps me daily with procrastinating the small stuff, which always then pile up and becomes a bigger problem.

I do agree with the "assume the best in people" rule. I've been around my friends, parents, or even my fiancee when they make a snap negative judgement out loud and I've literally said to them things along the lines of "what if that person just lost their job. What if they just found out their grandma died. What if that person just went through a break up" You truly don't know. I'll give people a free pass and the benefit of the doubt more often than not. Even in working customer service jobs in the past I've done this and have received several apologies from people who then tell me their real story. Classic honey vs vinegar. Just be the best person you can be, if others still suck, at least you know it's not because of you

The 2 day rule is genuinely life changing it and if you stick to it for long enough then it really allows you to see the profound affect of compounding.

I definitely need to remind myself of these! The one I’d add is if it takes less than 5 minutes to do I do it now. I have more time after work to relax & spend time outside by doing little things during the day. It adds up & I am less stressed.

What impresses me the most about this video is the depth of your own stock library and how well you use it. The one thing I'd add is less of a rule and more of a reminder: It's always easier the second time around - This helps me tackle big projects or re-record a video if it wasn't good enough

Awesome. As a writer/research/nursing professor, I'm obsessed with good writing and a common remark when grading students' papers is, "EDIT, EDIT, EDIT." Finally, I find that putting off writing my manuscripts is so easy to do. Just start moving (e.g., writing), leads to motivation (in my writing) is something I will remember. Finally, the work-out rule rings true. I always say, I'm too tired after a long hard day at work and "reward" myself (quite the antithesis) by not working, and then feel guilty the next day.

Exactly that first step is the biggest hurdle for me..

The one rule I’d add is “if it takes less than a minute just do it” I apply this to all sorts of things from wash a couple of pots straight away to respond to a question at work. I don’t add it to the ever expanding to do list, I just try to do it and get it done

I don't remember where this is originally from, but a rule that I follow is: "Surround yourself with the people you want to be." Whether that be joining a new study group to get smarter or going to the gym to become more fit, this rule really helps me out a lot. :)

Wow this video is so good Matt! Many of these rules are exactly what I need to hear right now. And also the film making is en point as always, thank you for your work!

The Art Of Possibility!! Rule no. 6 is the same one in that book !

Off of the "will it matter in five years?" rule to reduce worry: will I be okay for the next five minutes? Usually, if I get bad news or something doesn't go well, I feel like things are collapsing in on me and that the rest of my life is changed forever in a devestating way and I will never be happy again. I know it's melodramatic, but it's the first instinct I've always had to it. I ask myself, "Despite what's happening, will I be okay for the next five minutes?" And 100% of the time, the answer is yes. And if I'm okay for the next five minutes, then I'll likely be okay for the five minutes after that, and so on.

Thank you. Such a great list.

I am currently binging all your videos, I miss watching it😎 Love from UK and I am excited for this video 🙌💯

Thank you Matt for always being insightful! My mindset has drastically changed for the better because of your videos:)

Powerful video! I already apply many of these rules to my life, but it's good to be reminded of them.

another value packed video Matt! Thanks so much for sharing these, I've become so much more productive and learned so many better habits from your videos. I love that we are responsible for everything. We make decisions everyday based on our values, and it's up to our actions right now in the present that determine our future! keep up the awesome work, much support :)

Absolutely love the 8-Mile reference. Such a strong point about learning to embrace our flaws.

You are the best Matt, you can't even imagine how much your videos have helped me!

Here in the UK we saying taking the Mick or taking the piss as well. It's the most important tool for self development I've found. If you can't laugh at yourself or even the crappy things in life from time to time you're just gonna be miserable. Laugh at your shortcomings and you'll soon get better at them

Thanks a lot Matt!

I love these. thank you Matt!!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK MATT, YOU ARE THE BEST!

Yet another brilliant video filled with value from one of the biggest inspirations behind my recent decision to start a RU-vid channel. Thanks Matt!

Thank You Matt 🙌

Appreciate Matt telling me exactly how much to fast forward during the add break

my fav: You are responsible for everything

Wonderful content, We just need this kind of reminders to develop ourselves and maintain that momentum in our daily life !. Thanks Matt 🙌🏻!!

How is this man always on top of the game when it comes to his yt videos? It's always a pleasure to watch your videos Matt, thank you

These rules are so so good. Thank you Matt

Doing the first 3 minutes of a task you don't feel motivated to do is a great little hack to get you in action. After those first 3 minutes, it's almost more difficult to not carry on most of the time.

Love this video!!! Will definitely watch it again!

I would take away; you are responsible for everything ☺️

Amazing, thanks MAtt!

I'm speechless just thank you thank you so much

Awesome content ❤ I will put these rules into action. Thanks Matt

These were great Matt! I've had a break from youtube recently and am happy to come back and watch such a great video :) been a long-time follower, your growth (in all sense of the word) has been brill to watch!

Asuming the best in people is one of the rules that has improved my happiness the most. Once you stop taking things personnaly, or misinterpreting, and belive in the good side of people, life gets so much easier and you become such a positive person.

This is the best content by Matt that i have watched so far … thanks Matt 💕💕

Great video. This channel is so well done but the videos get progressively better, and they were great when I started watching years ago. I’m saving this to my favourites.

This video help a lot if you are an overthinker, thank you Matt :3

I think I'ma rewatching it again and again

Thanks for this valuable content Matt 🙏

Love the list! Definitely helpful

Thanks, great video. I would add, always look for ways to encourage people. Telling people they are awesome or how that are good at something cheers you both up. It's a win/win. Thanks again. Keep up the good work.

this content is always so relevant and useful, thank you for your advice and wisdom 💯

I'm a fan! Just stumbled upon your channel a few days ago and love your videos - crisp, clear, inspiring...I could go on. I think your going to change my life for the better! Thanks! Keep doing what you are...

So much great information in this video! 🙌

Over the years of reading self help books and listening to high level performers I have adopted many rules you mentioned. I am not perfect and I will have to adopt the don't miss a habit 2 days in a row, this will be a big one for me as I tend to beat myself up when I lose a "streak"

Great video! Love you and Nat!!!

Action precedes motivation. An eye opener. Thanks

thanks for the positive video matt

thank you for this new video :) love it! love from Switzerland

Hi Matt! I love every video you upload, but this one is my favorite that you've uploaded in a while. It's going to be so helpful to so many people. Thank you.

Awesome video. Thank you for sharing 🙏🏼

One of your best videos. Thank you!