12 Rules I Actually Follow (Stolen From Books I've Read)

Most book wisdom gets highlighted and forgotten. You read the hot take, think “yeah that’s good,” and then do exactly nothing with it. These 12 rules actually stuck with me because they’re so stupidly practical I couldn’t ignore them. Here’s where I stole them from.

Do the work before talking about the work. (Show Your Work, Austin Kleon) Ship something first, then discuss it. Nothing kills momentum like explaining what you’re “about to do.”
Say no to almost everything. (Essentialism, Greg McKeown) The word “no” freed up more time than any productivity hack ever could. Every yes to something mediocre is a no to something actually interesting.
Write like you talk. (On Writing Well, William Zinsser) Clarity beats sophistication every time. If you’d never say it out loud, don’t write it.
Find the smallest viable audience. (The Mom Test, Rob Fitzpatrick) You don’t need a million people. Find 100 who care and they’ll tell everyone else.
Your first 10 years are for learning, not earning. (Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon) Stop expecting instant monetization. Do the work. Get good. The money follows.
Default to honesty, even when it’s awkward. (Never Split the Difference, Chris Voss) People respect directness more than politeness. Say what you actually think.
Read the original source, not the summary. (Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman) Takes longer but you catch what everyone else misses when they’re just reading hot takes about the book.
Keep a low monthly burn rate. (The Lean Startup, Eric Ries) You can’t iterate if you’re panicked about rent. Keep your costs stupid low while building.
Finish things that are almost done. (The War of Art, Steven Pressfield) Incomplete projects drain energy forever. Hitting that publish button matters more than perfect.
Your taste is ahead of your skills initially — use that gap. (Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon again) You know when something’s off even if you can’t execute it yet. That taste is your north star.
Spend time on what’s irreplaceable. (Four Thousand Weeks, Oliver Burkeman) You can hire help or automate tasks. You can’t get more time. Protect it ruthlessly.
Make decisions and keep moving. (Decisive, Chip & Dan Heath) Most decisions aren’t permanent. Action creates clarity. Overthinking creates paralysis.

These rules aren’t revolutionary. They’re just the stuff that actually works when you stop looking for the secret hack and actually apply it. If you want more of this type of thinking, I’ve written about books that changed how I actually think about money and why I trust books more than self-help. There’s also a dive into how books made me a better thinker if you’re the type who still reads.