You can win at so many things but have you ever contemplated winning at life? Since becoming a father, I’ve become less driven to succeed at one area of my life and almost obsessed with finding out how to succeed in every area of life. From my experiences as a father, teacher and coach, I’ve come up with ten principles I believe are necessary for winning at life. 

Since the age of nineteen, I’ve been passionate about personal development. I’ve had a drive to constantly improve myself. When I became a father, that drive changed focus but it became much more intense. 

I want to learn all I can about life so I can pass down what I’ve learned to my children. It’d be great to leave my children with a house each and money in the bank for financial security, but it’ll be even better to leave them with a mindset that anything is possible. Then they can have whatever they want. 

Passing down material things is great. Handing on family heirlooms is special. Passing on lessons however, is unprecedented. The lessons you pass on are unique to your life. They take time to instil and energy to reinforce. 

I believe to win at life, you need to achieve in all facets of life. I reflected on what I believe the ten fundamental components of life are, and came up with these principles to achieve each. My aim is to pass these lessons on to my children. 

How to Win at Life

1. Get rid of sugar. Sugar effects the entire body and can cause many lifestyle diseases and cancers. Due to the massive dopamine release, sugar is highly addictive. As it’s found hidden in so many foods, it can be difficult to eliminate completely, so at the very least, do your research and drastically reduce it. 
   
   
2. Accept that you’re in control of your emotions. When you’re feeling great, you have control to keep feeling that way. When you’re feeling bad, you have control to feel good again when you’re ready. Manage your thoughts and memories well to feel good more often. 
   
   
3. Learn as much as you can. Life is full of lessons in every situation. Ask yourself what you can learn from every situation to develop wisdom. Tell yourself that if you learn something, it’s been worthwhile and successful. This creates positive beliefs and attitudes. 
   
   
4. Leave your phone at home. Every so often, when you go out for dinner, leave your phone at home. Don’t worry about time once you get there and enjoy the deep connection you’ll discover. 
   
   
5. Do what you love. Find what you love to do and do it your way. You spend a huge amount of your life working, so you may as well do something you love to do. Doing what you love energises you.  
   
   
6. Save your money. Build your wealth by saving a portion of each paycheque. A financial safety net will help you in times of adversity and allow you to do more for your family and community. 
   
   
7. Be present. In everything you do, commit your full focus to it. When you’re with your kids, be with your kids, not checking your phone. When you’re working on a project, work on it, not checking your emails or responding to notifications. 
   
   
8. Contemplate your own death. This one seems dark but bare with me. Is it quick and ugly or slow and drawn out? Who’s sitting beside your bed when your life comes to an end. This will give you a kick up the butt to know that you don’t have forever to make that dream come true. It also gives you a good idea of who and what is most important. 
   
   
9. Learn to fix things. It’s much easier to throw things away these days and buy it new. Instead, take the time to take things apart and figure out how they work. See if you can fix things that are broken in your home before calling in someone else. It’s rewarding and beneficial for next time. 
   
   
10. Respect others for their experiences. Don’t judge anyone for their beliefs - good or bad. We all walk different roads in our lives with experiences unique to us. There is a reason people establish their attitudes and beliefs and it’s not fair judging that until we consider their unique experiences. If we all did this, we would live in a much more harmonious world.

To win at life, you must achieve success in every component of life. Success is what it means to you. These principles give you a guide for achieving success in each area.

What lessons do you want to pass on to your children? 

Share them with us in the comments section below.