Make Your Own Rules

Hi and welcome to The Daily Dot, the daily edition of the Connect the Dots podcast. My name is Matt Raglan and in each episode I share a short lesson about how to be more focused and productive. I draw these lessons from personal experience, work with clients, modern psychology, and real-world application. Thank you for listening and if you enjoy The Daily Dot, please share it with a friend. Now here's today's lesson. Make your own rules. One of my favorite Dr. Seuss books is There's a Wocket in My Pocket. I have two boys, ages 6 and 3, and they both love it, mostly the 3-year-old now, because the characters are silly and always showing up in odd places around the house. For example, a wasket is in the basket, a nurew is in the burew, and there's a jurten in the curtain, which is a personal favorite of mine. I love the book because it's one of the greatest reminders to make your own rules. Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Ted Giesel, was a genius at this. He created worlds and creatures, but not with names like Dothraki, Hobbits, Ewoks, or Parshendi. They have names like the Fiffer Pfeffer Pfeff and the Hinklehorn Honkers. Giesel remembers his mother rhyming to him in his sleep and spent years in Paris at the height of the surrealist movement, undoubtedly inspired by other painters such as Salvador Dalí. But Giesel combined all of his interests inspiration, and talent to create a unique set of rules and creative expression. May sound crazy, but you can do the same. The easy excuse is that you're not Dr. Seuss, which is true, and he would be quick to point out. But the more you do the work, draw on your own inspiration, and make your own rules, the more progress you will make to become the best you. I know that's easy to write, it's easy to say, it's easy to listen to, but it's a lot harder to implement. You may feel constrained by others' expectations, past commitments you've made, and rules of behavior you feel you should be following. One of the best reasons to start your own business, a side hustle, take on a new project or hobby is to make your own rules and goals. You don't need to do what other people want to expect, at least not all the time. You can design something that suits you best. What you work on, when, how, why, even in the smallest way. Everything is on the table. You can experiment to find your fit. Resist the fear of messing up so you can discover the best life for you little by little, bit by bit, drip by drip, brick by brick. The quote I want to share with you today is from a rabbi named Shlomo Riskin, and I hope I'm pronouncing that properly. But Rabbi Riskin says, when you're one step ahead of the crowd, you're a genius. When you're two steps ahead, you're a crackpot. Ponder this question today: What is a commonly held belief that you don't agree with? What rules can you break to build something that resonates with you? Thanks for listening to The Daily Dot. I really appreciate it. The best way to help the show grow is by sharing with a friend, but the other way is to rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. I'd love to hear from you on Twitter or Instagram. You can find me @MattRagland. I'll be back tomorrow with a new episode, so thanks again, and I will talk to you tomorrow.