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TOP 20 THINGS TO LIVE BY (life wisdom tips)

by: Pete Hardesty (title in comic sans on purpose)

–Not much of this is from me, most is from my mentors.  Big contributors:  Chuck Reinhold, Pat Goodman, Bill Geigert, Ralph Gates, Jerry and Holly Leachman, Win Levis, Jack Birsch

BIG PICTURE:

  1. “Have you ever seen a hearse pulling a UHaul?” –Jack Birsch

Of course not.  Cause naked you come, and naked you go.  So you better find out what matters in this life and give yourself to that wholeheartedly.

  1. You will become what you think about. Who are you becoming?
    1. 2 of the biggest influences in your life will be the books you read and the people you spend consistent time with.
  2. Go the extra mile. In relationships.  In communication.  In work.  In family.  It will pay dividends.  We reap what we sow.
    1. Do 1 extraordinary thing every day. It adds up.  You can’t always do great things but you can do a small thing w/great love.
  3. Give some serious time to investigating who God is. B/c what we think about God will determine the rest of our life.  It’s the most important thing about us.

PROFESSIONALISM/TIME MANAGEMENT:

  1. Email (or social media/indiscriminate web surfing for you younger folks) is the biggest time waster and obstacle to accomplishment. It distracts, entices, and clamors as an urgent matter to tend to.  It usually is not.  Check email at specific times for a limited time as the work usually contracts or expands to the time allotted to it.  Set a timer.
    1. Great article about taking control of your email HERE
  2. Dress how you want to be treated.
    1. Have 2 or 3 great outfits for each occasion.
  3. Write everything down. You need somewhere where you write EVERYTHING.  Your headquarters.  This allows you to be fully present wherever you are.
  4. Ask yourself “What’s the most important thing I have to do today?” and attack it.
    1. Write your commitments, and important things into your calendar.
  5. Utilize written goals. The top 3% in every field have written objectives.

SOCIAL:

  1. Take initiative in relationships. Smile first. Say Hi first.  If you want to make friends, be friendly.  Treat people how you want to be treated.  Treat people right.  All the time.  NYT best-selling 5 Love Languages is helpful.
    1. Do some things for people who can never pay you back.
  2. When invited over someone’s house for dinner, bring something—wine, flowers, dessert, etc.
  3. Share compliments/encouragement written. Share criticism orally. Write criticism in sand and encouragement in concrete.

FINANCIAL:

  1. We are temporary stewards. No one gets to take anything with them when they die. All the toys go back in the box.
    1. Generosity is one of the keys to this life. It is in giving that we receive.
  2. Be aware of what your time is worth. If you spend 2 hours researching different prices for an item, & get it for $86 instead of $100, you just paid yourself $7/hour.
  3. Never, ever, ever, ever carry a balance over past when it is due on a credit card.
  4. From a standpoint of faith when you are first starting out:
    1. Tithe 10%. Save 10%.  Live on 80%.
  5. Order for your money. (Dave Ramsey has great advice on this)
    1. Be ruthless with paying off credit card debt.
    2. Pay off any car loans.
    3. Mortgage and student loans are only acceptable debt to carry from month to month but effort should be to pay those down as soon as possible.
    4. Recommended Investment order (start immediately even if it’s a tiny amount. Compound interest has tremendous leverage and is a powerful force)  And set them up for automatic deduction.
    5. Matching 401K (or any match from employer)
    6. Roth IRA
    7. Get an “emergency fund” of about 3 months of expenses
    8. Start a car fund. Even if it’s a small amount.  Save it every month.

RANDOM:

  1. You really do need sleep. Modern science has shown that the most productive people actually get more sleep. And you are much more productive after you’ve gotten a solid night of rest.
  2. When it comes to marriage, ask the question “if” before “who”.
  3. Take some risks. Dream BIG. Make some mistakes.  They are sometimes the best teachers.

What are 1 or 2 of your “Life tips” that you would add to this list?  Comment or email me at petehardesty@gmail.com