Here are 30 “if statements” worth learning if you have the intentions of leading a more productive life.
If I am what I have and if I lose what I have, who then am I?
– Erich Fromm
- If you don’t understand the product or service, don’t buy it until you do.
- If you do not take ownership of your actions, your actions will eventually own you.
- If you are not saving at least 10% of your salary, you are not saving enough.
- If you talk too much, people will stop listening. If you don’t talk enough, people will never hear your point of view.
- If you are lazy, you will fail. Laziness will always overshadow your true potential.
- If you hate your job, you also hate half of the time you spend on this planet.
- If you are not investing (120 minus your age) percent of your savings in the stock market, you are giving up thousands of dollars over the course of your lifetime.
- If you don’t finish what you start, your success rate will always be zero.
- If you don’t consume enough liquids, you will never be healthy.
- If your monthly debt payments exceed 40% of your total income, you will go broke if you don’t fix your spending habits promptly.
- If you avoid your problems, your problems will steer the course of your life.
- If something sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true.
- If you are buying a brand new car every 3-5 years, stop! You are wasting your money.
- If you don’t keep up with important current events, you will look like an idiot in front of others.
- If you back-up on a freeway off-ramp, you increase your chances of having an accident by about 1000%. Go to the next exit and turn around.
- If you are not learning something new every day, you are wasting away days of your life.
- If you threaten to quit your job, even if it’s a subtle suggestion, you better be ready to leave now.
- If somebody asks you for your social security number, don’t give it to them!
- If you are paying high monthly insurance premiums for a lower claim deductible, you are pissing in the wind.
- If you don’t ever intend to help others, expect them to return the favor.
- If you don’t learn from your mistakes, you probably aren’t learning much at all.
- If you don’t dream, you will live solely as an entity of someone else’s dreams.
- If you are ever confused, don’t be afraid to ask questions.
- If you don’t listen to good music while exercising, you are missing out on the best part of your workout.
- If you are not happy, it’s time to change something.
- If you never stare off into the distance, you’ll never get there.
- If you dress a certain way, people will treat you a certain way.
- If you never try something new, your life’s story will be boring.
- If you aren’t in love, don’t settle.
- If you are overly emotional right now, make the decision later.
Daniel says
I love this one: “If you never stare off into the distance, you’ll never get there”. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Marc says
@Daniel: Thanks for the kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed it. 😉
Chuck says
One of the best lists I have ever seen…I’m passing it on to both of my adult daughters. Thanks.
Pastor Fred says
Just wondering if I can use this post on my blog, as I think this is most important information that should be passed along as much as possible. Also, it fits into my blog purpose as well! Also I’d like to like you to my site if that is ok.
About the Post: Great list. Very thought provoking, and something that everyone needs to follow! Reads almost like the book of Proverbs in the Bible! Great job!
Marc says
@Pastor Fred:
I would appreciate it if you did not copy my article word for word and place it on your site. Please take excerpts and then link them back to my site. Thanks for the kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed the article. 😉
Mike Slo says
That is one spectacular list my man. I usually do not comment on blogs or these lists as I see millions of them using StumbleUpon. I could not resist on this one though. That list is very well put and engaging. Thanks for the list, I am printing it out and putting it up on my office wall. Great Job, you have just made a daily visitor out of me.
Mike Slo – DvS_420
Richard says
#6 If you hate your job, you also hate half of the time you spend on this planet.
hmmm, i think most people hate their jobs.. sounds like we are a pretty unhappy country
Marc says
@Mike Slo:
You flatter me. Thanks! 😉
@Richard:
Believe it or not, there are a significant number of people who love what they do for a living. Sure, there are also many people that hate their jobs… but this kind of situation can be, and should be, fixed. People who despise what they do for half of the time they are alive are truly wasting life away. Steve Jobs said it best when he said: You must find what you love. Please, click that link and watch the video.
Morgan says
Wow – great list.
‘If you are not happy, it’s time to change something. ‘
Never a truer word, but so many of us seem to prefer misery over change.
Excellent post, great blog; I just became a new subscriber!
Marc says
@Morgan:
Thanks for the kinds remarks! 😉
Nadege says
“If you are lazy, you will fail..”
I like this phrase. I remember reading in Proverbs a verse that said something like, “a lazy person is like one who destroys things.”
Rionn says
So, I should expect to settle if I’m in love? And if I marry well, does that mean I wasn’t truly in love to begin with?
How did this even get in there? I’m 40ish, so I should be investing 80%? Thousands of dollars? While the statement is packed with sloppy math, the sentiment is also questionable — the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s been essentially flat even in terms of the ever weakening dollar over the course of the Bush Administration, and it’s looking to go down at least another 15 %.
Marc says
@Rionn:
Quite simply, yes! I think most people would agree that it’s okay to settle in with true love.
I’m not quite sure what you mean here. I don’t believe you should ever get married until you are certain you found true love. In other words, don’t settle.
Sloppy math? I’m not sure how you arrived at that conclusion. The formula is popular and widely adopted. You can read more about it here, here and here. While your statement about the current condition of the US stock market is somewhat accurate, the stock market will eventually pull through this downturn. If you keep your money out of it all together, you will indeed lose money in the long term. See this chart for further details.
I certainly hope I’m not coming off as having a harsh tone here. That is not at all my intention. I just wanted to give a direct answer to some of your comments and questions. I certainly don’t agree with them, but we are all entitled to our own opinions. 😉
Jonathan says
I really enjoyed this article.
I especially liked this one: “if you never try anything new, your life story will be boring” how true.
Thanks for sharing,
Jonathan
Steve v4.6 says
Excellent post and extremely poignant. Thank you.
My favorite:
If you don’t finish what you start, your success rate will always be zero.
JB Mitchell says
There were several of these points that were so applicable to one of my teenage daughters. “Ownership for your actions, avoiding problems, not helping others,& dressing a certain way. We sat down and had a discussion about how these were impacting her. Thanks for helping to identify & focus us on some key points for improving herself.
JB
Sam says
@Rionn
Re: #7 : Its actually {120-age}% of the money u save .. so if ur saving 10 % of ur salary .. then u put (120-age)% of that in the stock market…
Marc says
@Johnathan and Steve:
Thanks for the kind remarks.
@JB:
I’m flattered that you used this article as a reference point for helping your daughter correct some of her habits. It’s interesting how simple points can be real eye openers. Good luck!
@Sam:
Thanks for the clarification assistance. 😉
sonya says
I love this site! I stumbled on here from Frugal Dad and have been reading and catching up…I have one question, and according to #23 I should ask, when a comment begins and ends with “…” what does that mean?
Im new to these blogs, so I didnt know!
thanks
Marc says
@sonya:
It represents a blog trackback. You can read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trackback
Thanks for the kind remarks. 😉
NAVEEN says
THANKS FOR SHARING
THE FUTURE COMMANDMENTS
Eloisa says
I stumbled upon this website and it is now on my favorites list. I enjoyed the list thank you!
naveen says
Great words… thanks.
Makes me think.
Clare says
All insightfully true except the one about investing 120 minus your age % of your savings…at 19 I don’t think its realistic (or possible) to invest 101% of my savings! But I stand by the idea
Varada says
Great list.
I heart 25.
🙂
~Varada
r says
Made me smile and think …
Donna says
Nice list…if you’re under 40 pay attention to it. If you’re over 40, it’s a whole ‘nother world.