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I could never really grasp the meaning of the word “principles” when I was younger.
My dad spoke about how he had a set of principles – a code if you will – that he followed and would be uncompromising about. As a teenager, I didn’t know the difference between what was written in “quotes” in a Slam book and what principles were.
But now, two and a half decades later, I’m building my own code. Something that I can draw from and impart to my own children.
Along the way, I’ve picked up some practices and philosophies (e.g., attitude is your altitude, respect begets respect, prioritizing work, etc.) which I may write about in the future as it is still a work in progress.
Books have become a fantastic source of learning for me. Although I’ve been a lifelong reader, my nose has mostly been buried in fiction. Recently, I’ve been acquiring books to better myself and build my book of principles. Enter “Principles” by Ray Dalio.
The book is divided into three main parts: the author’s biography, life principles, and work principles (spoiler: I only finished the first two; more on that later).
The first part’s purpose is to set the stage for why you should believe what Ray has to say. The section is called “Where I’m Coming From” – which tells you exactly that. He’s an American billionaire investor and hedge fund manager best known as the founder of Bridgewater.
The second part, Life, is where the highlights were. Many resources and books regurgitate similar content – focus on why, persevere through adversity, set your goals, practice gratitude… you know the drill. But, I believe that these ideas are repeated (note: not regurgitated) because there is wisdom and truth in them.
There are two key parts to Dalio’s “Life” principles. The first is his 5-Step Process to Get What You Want Out of Life:
1. Have clear goals.
2. Identify and don’t tolerate problems.
3. Diagnose problems to get at their root cause.
4. Design a plan.
5. Push through to completion.
At face value, there is nothing of astounding novelty to the process. However, Ray breaks down these steps into sub-steps with their own implementation guide through examples that really spell it out for you. This, to me, makes it more actionable than any other self-improvement or productivity piece I’ve read thus far. What’s even more helpful is that at the end of Life’s section, everything is neatly summarized in its own index.
The other key thing is his position on how to get past self-limiting barriers to success. Two halves comprise this: recognizing your barriers and practicing radical open-mindedness.
Radical open-mindedness is best explained with a quote from Ray himself: “If you know that you are blind, you can figure out a way to see, whereas if you don’t know you’re blind, you will continue to bump into your problems.”
He stresses that we should be genuinely worried that we are not seeing all the options available to us because of our barriers and biases. It is being open to the truth that we may not know the best paths and recognizing the wisdom of others to illuminate different ways.
This is not to say that we should not trust our own decision-making skills, but value others’ input to inform our choices. Of course, you must ensure that you are listening to those who are credible and speak from a position of authority, expertise, and/or sincerity.
I have not read the third part, Work, just yet. I’m saving it for when I re-enter the workforce. There are other books to read, I fear. And while I suspect Dalio’s third part will be as meaty and valuable as what I’ve read so far, these learnings will be best saved for the appropriate milestone.
That said, the book is very much a worthy purchase. Oh wow, I’ve gone this far without mentioning one of the best things about it!
The design. It is amazing.
The color scheme an efficient use of red and black. Red font is used for important section headings. There are minimalist and easy-to-digest diagrams sprinkled throughout the book. Font sizes are used to great effect as well: to guide your eyes and focus on the information. All told, this made for a great reading and learning experience.
I have roughly under a score of books to read in the next months. Building my set of principles is an important task, one that I would urge you to do as well.
What have you read that made you reflect on your life? Do you have a set of principles you follow? Care to share?
