22 Rules for 2022

Over the past year (or two or three years maybe), I’ve learned a few things that greatly benefit my existence in this world. Learned might be a bit of a stretch; ‘become aware of’ is probably more accurate. I plan to be deliberate about applying these rules to my life this year and the years that follow.

Here’s to that.

1. When you’re tired, go to sleep. This sounds completely obvious, but the frequency with which I’ve pressured myself to stay awake and finish this thing would tell you otherwise. Sleep is good. Sleep is empowering. Sleep refreshes and revives and provides the energy to do what needs to be done with the full breadth of our mental, emotional, and spiritual faculties. Also, I’ve learned that a nap can be a quick fix for feelings of anxiety and depression. Sometimes, you’re not gloomy. You’re just tired.
2. Say yes to everything — okay, most things. We say “no” a lot because the thing is new and we’ve never done it. Or because we’re afraid. Or because it puts us outside of our comfort zone. Or because we don’t know the people we’re invited to do it with. While I’m perfectly within my rights to say “no” to new experiences and new people, saying “yes” has allowed me to taste Japanese and Jordanian food, go jet skiing and mountain climbing, visit parts of the world I’d never dreamed of seeing, and get to know really cool people who are now friends for life. Decide to say “yes” to more things this year and every year. If it’s not bad, do it. It might be fun. You might never do it again. But, then again, you might not have the opportunity to either.
3. Laying down, closing your eyes, and doing nothing is doing something. Is the day getting to you? Are you getting stressed and anxious? Restore some calm by laying on your bed, closing your eyes, and doing nothing. Think nothing. Maybe put on some calming music. You might fall asleep; you might not. Still your mind and body. Refuse to believe you have to constantly be doing. You don’t. And that, in itself, is something.
4. Invest in your friends and take pleasure in their success. My favorite thing ever is watching people be really into something. Whether it’s a hobby or school or work or fun, I like seeing my friends love the things they love. I enjoy feeding their enthusiasm, supporting their endeavors, investing in their dreams, and cheering them on when they find success. It’s one of the most rewarding experiences.
5. Try new things. If you don’t like it, stop doing it. If you like it, you’ve found a cool new thing to do. See #2 above. This goes for food, books, museums, movies, music, television, workouts, everything.
6. Read before bed instead of staring at a screen. I don’t do this as often as I should, but I plan to do it more this year! Weirdly, reading is more mentally engaging than staring at a TV screen or phone, but somehow also infinitely more relaxing and calming. If you’re bored and tired, you’ll fall asleep. And if you don’t, then you get some good reading in without damaging your sleep rhythms.
7. Watch things that make you laugh. I like grimdark television and movie fare as much as the next guy, but laughter is good for the body and mind, and sometimes you have to deliberately pursue humor in a world beset by bad news. So watch things that make you laugh — like, really guffaw — whether it’s dad jokes or memes or Netflix comedy specials or hilarious shows. You need laughter in your life.
8. If you’re worrying about what other people would think of you if you did that thing, you should probably do that thing. Fear of what others would think or say about you is perhaps the lamest reason to not do something you really want to do.
9. Try it. If you fail, at least you learn that it doesn’t work.
10. Make lists, even for the small things. Take pleasure in checking those boxes. One of my favorite sounds in the world is the sharp little ding the Microsoft To Do app plays whenever I check something off one of my lists. Such a cheerful, rewarding sound!
11. Do things now that you will wish you had done in the future. Regret over missed opportunities is the bitterest pill. So make those plans to travel, to eat out, to chat up that person you like. Do the things today (or this week or this month) that you will wish you had done a year or five years from now.
12. Live as if you have no tomorrows, because we really don’t. All we have is the present. Live like it!
13. The experience itself is worth it. Thinking about long-term benefits has its place, but we don’t need to milk everything in life for return on investment. Do the thing — enjoy it while you’re doing it — and move on!
14. Use your money. A checking account is like fuel. It can get you places. Having racks and stacks is nice, but what are you doing with that cash? Pay your bills, save, invest, give back, and give away. But if you have free money lying around, don’t hold on to it. Go on that trip. Go to that concert. Buy that pet. Attend Comic-Con. Sure, there are things money can’t buy, but there are things money can buy, and if you die with a lot of cash on hand, somebody else will be happy to use it.
15. Shamelessly take advantage of all your blessings and benefits. Don’t feel bad about the nice little things that come your way, or fret about whether you deserve them or not. Maybe God or the universe is looking out for you, dropping little beads of happiness into your life. Recently, while flying from the States to the UK, I lucked out and had an entire row of seats to myself. Did I stretch out across all three seats? You bet I did! Did I feel bad for most of the people cramped in those tiny airplane seats? Absolutely not. I’ve had my fair share of cramped flights. But, this once, I fully embraced the serendipitous and unexpected nicety. You’ve had and will have plenty of difficulties and inconveniences in life. Don’t feel bad for the times you luck out.

There are not 22 rules. It’s cool and cutesy to title this article ‘22 rules for 2022.’ But I only have fifteen, and I’m not going to stretch this post to fit a neat convention. Fifteen is enough. Fifteen is good. And this last little bit is about breaking rules, questioning standards, and defying expectations.

You probably do a lot of things because someone told you, ‘This is the way we’ve always done it.’ So, stop. Step back and think: Why am I doing this? Why am I doing it this way? Is there a better way to do things? Are these rules pointless?

Think. Really think. Let this year be the year you live better and do things more efficiently and more spectacularly.

Enjoy yourself!