Anyone can set goals. Few actually achieve them.

The difference isn't more willpower. It's having rules that keep you working. Even on the days you don't feel like trying.

Yes, goals are good to have. But without rules, they're dreams.

Goals give you a target.

They give you a direction to navigate towards. But they don’t help you deal with reality. Goals plan for perfection. But they don’t help you when motivation dips, distractions pile up, or things don’t go as planned.

That’s where rules come in. Rules help you cope with chaos.

When life gets in the way, rules make sure you hit the target. Rules are the systems and habits that keep you moving. They turn good intentions into consistent actions.

Goals lock you into a mentality of win or lose.

When winning is all that matters, rules fall by the wayside.

All your focus becomes about the end goal. It creates an all or nothing mentality.

This is dangerous.

Just look at Sejanus. The right hand man to Emperor Tiberius.

His ultimate goal was absolute power. He rose through the ranks and got more and more power. But he got addicted to it. He started doing anything to get more. He manipulated, betrayed, and killed anyone in his way. And for a while, it worked.

Until it didn’t.

Eventually he became a threat to Tiberius, and in a single stroke, Sejanus lost everything—his power, his position, his life.

Sejanus failed because he had no rules.

No principles to guide him when ambition clouded his judgment.

Rules build the discipline muscle.

We like to think that we don't need rules. We do.

Each time you follow your rules, you're strengthening your discipline muscle. The stronger the it becomes, the less you rely on motivation. This makes a big difference on the rainy days. The days where you don't want to get out of bed.

It's discipline that gets you through the discomfort of the doing, so you can enjoy success.

Miyamoto Musashi understood this.

Now seen as one of the greatest samurai of all time. He wasn’t born a master swordsman. He became one through relentless discipline.

He trained endlessly, studied obsessively, and lived by a strict personal code. He didn’t wait for motivation to strike. He practiced through pain, fatigue, and isolation.

His rules weren’t restrictions. They were tools that helped turn him into a formidable fighter.

And they helped him go undefeated in over 60 duels.

Musashi didn’t become a legend by relying on inspiration. He became a legend because he was disciplined.

Decisions drain brain power.

Your brain's ability to make decisions is like a battery.

The more decisions you make, the more the battery is drained. Bigger decisions drain more power. The problem with this is that when the battery is low, you're brain goes into battery saving mode. This is when you're brain relies on mental shortcuts to make decisions. Which can end up with you making impulsive choices, or sometimes avoiding decisions completely.

Rules help to save energy.

They save you making decisions. Because with rules, you know what to do and when. No thinking needed. The work happens on autopilot. It frees up your brain's energy so it can be used where it's needed most. Solving problems and making the decisions that matter.

Rules are important. But there’s a nuance to how you use them.

It’s not about being rigid. It’s about being adaptable.

Yes, rules are powerful, for all the reasons I’ve already talked about.

They:

• build discipline

• save energy,

• help you get things done without relying on motivation.

That's why I think it's important to have them in your life.

Most of the time, they keep you on track. But life doesn’t always follow your plan.

And that’s where the nuance comes in.

You don’t follow rules blindly. You follow them intentionally. Most of the time. But you also stay aware that sometimes, life throws you a moment that matters more than following a rule.

I’ve learned this first-hand.

There are moments. Small, beautiful, fleeting moments, where you have to decide to either follow the rule, or break it for something more meaningful. Like sharing tea and biscuits with your daughter on a Friday evening. Even if your rule is to not eat after 8pm.

The point of rules isn’t to trap you.

It’s to give you structure. Like scaffolding. Something to lean on. Not something to cage you in. You stick to them most of the time. But you’re allowed to step outside them when life calls for it.

Because being human means knowing when to bend without breaking.

How I'm thinking about implementing rules for myself.

With all the above in mind, here's 3 rules I'm applying in my life:

1. No Social media until i finish work but only for 10 minutes at a time.

As I learn more about the effects of social media it's changed how I use it. I've talked previously about how early morning scrolling can impact your nervous system (You can read about that here). To help reduce the effect it has on me, I've implemented this rule. So far I've noticed my focus is better and I'm calmer, and less reactive.

2. Put my phone away when I'm talking to someone.

Just the presence of a mobile can reduce how engaged you are in a conversation. That means even if it's locked and in your hand, it's drawing your focus away from the conversation. So to help me stay more present and engaged, I'm making it a point to make sure I keep my phone away during conversations.

3. Read for 5 minutes when I wake up

This is rule has helped me read 5 books in the last 6 months. Before, I used to try to read regularly but I had no clarity on when I was going to do this, so it didn't get done. This rule has made it effortless to read more. The first thing I do as soon as I wake up is set a 5 minute timer and read until it goes off. It doesn't require any thinking. So because It's a small and clear rule, it actually sticks.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably failed at achieving goals in the past.

It’s easy to blame yourself.

To think you don’t have what it takes.

To get frustrated with your inability to stay consistent.

But it’s not your fault.

You just haven’t used rules to help you.

Now you know: goals set the destination.

Rules get you there. Use them. Write down one goal you have. Then create one simple, clear rule you’ll follow to move towards it.

Because you don't need more willpower.

You just need better rules.

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