Here are a collection of principles organized by topic. Our life
should be guided by good principles, not by whim, local optimization,
expediency, or at the expense of others. You may recognize many
of these sayings (which have been around longer than any of us have),
but some of the newer ones are from Stephen R. Covey's two books
"The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," and
"Principle Centered Leadership".
Truth
- What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.
- To thine own self be true.
- Honesty is the best policy
Diligence
- Genius is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.
- One may have many good ideas, but the only ones that
count are those you realize, see to completion, evaluate,
and publish.
Time Management and Scheduling
- When you choose to do any one activity, you are implicitly choosing
NOT to do every other activity you could have done at that same time
- A schedule defends from chaos and whim.
- Give "important" tasks precedence over "urgent" ones.
Love
-
The will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one'
own or another's spiritual growth. (definition from "The
Road Less Travelled" by M. Scott Peck)
- Love is not a feeling, but is manifested in actions.
- Love is unconditional. True love never fails.
- You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your mind.
- You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Timeliness
- Strike while the iron is hot.
- The early bird gets the worm.
- What value is day-old bread?
Priorities
- Be proactive.
- Begin with the end in mind.
- Beware of priority inversions - where a lower priority task grabs
your time and attention - starving higher priority tasks. Put first
things first.
Wisdom
- Seek first to understand, then to be understood.
- Think win/win. Synergize.
- Always ask "what is the desired successful outcome?"
Actions
- You reap what you sow.
- Actions speak louder than words.
- Take time to consider each decision.
- Haste makes waste.
- Waste not want not.
Personal Improvement
- Sharpen the saw (i.e. hone your skills) and your future work
will be more effective.