Life Is Short And So Is This Book

by Peter Atkins

It’s often the most successful people I know who are most efficient with their time and who always seem to have time to think and to do more. The trick is people who are most productive tend to say no to things that are unimportant to them and focus on what they believe matters.

Technology is a tool. Used properly, it can help you but, like any other tool, it can be mismanaged.

Albert Einstein said: It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer. Most of us do the opposite -- with predictable results.

Making space in your life by using time efficiently also helps nurture creativity.

So to make the most of your life, say no to things that don’t matter, work hard at what you love, and occasionally take time away from your core focus to rest so that your mind can be quiet for great insights to come.

Worrying, I’ve found, wastes energy and wastes time; it limits what you can accomplish. I try not to obsess on the past, but to learn from it. I try not to worry about the future, but to prepare for it. And while it’s difficult sometimes, I try to take pleasure in the moment, even when bad things happen.

You don’t have to change everything overnight. In fact, thinking you can, or should, is likely to lead to failure, or to feeling overwhelmed -- and as a result perhaps doing nothing.

As Winston Churchill said: Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

Small problems early on generally don’t just resolve themselves with time. And it’s impossible to change other adults’ personalities, no matter what you may wish.

Reputations are your personal brand. They’re influential in how well you do in both your professional and personal lives. There are four basic principles that have worked well for me: Do what you think is right. Don't follow other people blindly. Be honest and keep your word. Admit your mistakes.

I’ve met lots of smart people who work very hard. I’ve met substantially fewer who are also authentic and have integrity. I try to spend my time with the second group. And, generally, I’ve found that those people are happy and have more real friends.

In your own life, think about the values and habits you want to have, and then ensure you choose your friends, colleagues, mentors and bosses carefully.

Regardless, it's important as an adult, no matter what type of parents you had, that you take responsibility for your life. It’s only by loving, celebrating, and appreciating what makes you unique that you can fully enjoy your life, and truly love others.

Taking care of yourself means finding a balance that works for you, then having the discipline to maintain that balance.

There’s a Japanese proverb that gets right to the point: We’re fools whether we dance or not -- so we might as well dance.

In thinking about this, I keep Mark Twain in mind: The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.

When I was growing up, someone told me to live as if I was going to die in ten years and had no immediate financial needs. That’s great advice. If you can do that, you'll be happier and more successful.

Data and patterns matter a great deal. There’s much to be learned from analyzing the world.

Success in my experience requires the following elements: A clear, stretch goal. If the goal is too easy, it won’t feel like an achievement; if it’s unrealistic, you’ll never do the work. Love for what you’re doing. Very hard work, often over a long period of time. A sense of realism about the world, and your own limitations. As we used to say at Microsoft: you can't boil the ocean. Nor can you make people come back from the dead. Flexibility and perseverance -- you’ll need to adapt to the curve balls life will throw at you. …And, often, a bit of luck.