Good Business Rules Make Good Life Rules… and Good Advice Shows Up in the Strangest Places

I’ve often said that good business rules can make good life rules as well. And the cool thing is if you’ve mastered one you may have mastered both.

The inspiration for this post came from two independent sources that landed next to each other in Entrepreneur magazine. On the left page was an article titled, “The Insight that Changed Everything.” Opposite the article, on the right was a Chase.com ad for their ink credit card product. How unrelated can you get?

Okay, maybe a lot more…

I’m just trying to say that the two pages playing so well together was unintended.

It may also be worth pointing out that the Chase ad was one of those they try to disguise as an article. Um, excuse me, they are properly known as “branded content.”

If you don’t catch that before you start reading one… well, they’ve GOTCHA!

Another interesting tidbit, the first line of the article read, “Business-changing breakthroughs can come in unexpected ways.”

Now, apply my hypothesis that good business rules can make good life rules, and what do you have? 

“Life-changing breakthroughs can also come in unexpected ways.”

Hey, we may have a theme developing here!

So, back to the article-ad duo… What do they have to do with each other? And why am I making a deal of it?

Every once in a while, I’ve come across completely separate things that seem to complement each other in ways that were never intended. In this instance, it’s the subheads in both the article and the ad.

The article’s subheads list 6 business and life rules worth keeping in mind.

Then…

The “branded content’s” subheads suggest 3 proven strategies to help you make your thing happen, whether it’s business or life.

First, here come the rules… 

The rules aren’t new, mind you. We’ve heard them before, although number 4 stepped up to front and center during the thick of us all attempting to adapt to the COVID-19 crisis.

1. “Broken promises burn bridges.”
2. “Stinginess is shortsighted.”
3. “Small gestures make BIG impressions”
4. “Creativity blooms in crisis.”
5. “Listening closely can focus your impact.”
6. “Bigger isn’t always best.”

Now, I could take those six business/life rules and blow this post up way beyond my original point… 

That good business rules can also be good life rules, and that good advice can show up in the strangest places.

So now, speaking of advice… let’s just wrap this thing up with the branded-content ad’s contribution. I think you’ll like them.

1. Chart your own path.
2. Find partners that align with your mission
3. Learn to be agile.

You may want to take a little poetic liberty with some of the business lingo… you’ll find it all works though. 

So remember, ideas and good advice can show up in the strangest places.

I’m not trying to say any of the rules or strategies I mentioned are the be-all-end-all. But, what did happen? Well, simply put…

A few interesting ideas landed opposite each other in a two-page spread that amplified each other in an unexpected way.

That’s all, it just seemed kind of cool in a serendipitous sort of way…

And who knows, maybe this post even helped you salvage some actual value from those business training modules you were required to take over the years. We can hope.

Be untucked.

p.s. What do you think about my proposition that business rules can also make good life rules? Have any of your own come to mind while reading the post? 

Would you share them in a comment below?

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