Here are Tom's "Five Rules For Life":
1.) "Go as far as you can see and when you get there you will be able to see further."
This is one of my all-time favorite quotes. Like many great quotes, it gets attributed to many different people...Thomas Carlyle, J.P. Morgan, Zig Ziglar. The just of the quote - to me at least - is that you can have lofty goals without necessarily knowing how to achieve them, and you can start towards those goals without knowing exactly how you are going to get there. Just because you can't clearly define how you are going to do something does not mean you shouldn't attempt to do it. Take the steps you know need to be done now, and when you finish them you will figure out what's next.
2.) There are no shortcuts.
We all know the guy who (seemingly) made it without even trying. He got lucky, he was in the right place at the right time...whatever. But we never really know what they did to get to where they are - it is all just speculation, usually from an envious point of view. The fact is, hard work is the only input that consistently yields success. You may be younger or older, you may not have been born with a silver spoon, you may not have an expensive education - but if you work hard and apply yourself, it tends to level the playing field.
3.) Make goals and write them down.
I would like to take credit for this, but someone told me about it years ago. Take out a sheet of paper and draw a pyramid shape. Divide it into three parts. At the top write your biggest goals - what you want from life. In the middle write the major activities you need to accomplish in order to attain that (those) goal(s). At the bottom write all of the action items (daily to-do's) that you need to complete to chip away at the big activities. Work from the bottom up, always keeping your eye on the top.
4.) Step outside your comfort zone.
On a regular basis do something that makes you uncomfortable; take a risk. Are you scared of speaking in public? Force yourself to do it. Don't like planes? Get on one and go somewhere new. Scared of heights? Bungee jump off a bridge. The only way to really experience life is to do new and scary things.
5.) No one is responsible for picking up after you.
You are responsible for you. No one will make you a success or a failure. No one will clean up your mess. No one will force you to do the right thing or prevent you from doing the wrong thing. Accept 100% responsibility for yourself right here and right now, and then act like it. Take responsibility for your decisions, be accountable for your actions, take care of the environment and the Earth.
Tom currently resides in Arizona.
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