"Steve Jobs' Rules For Life"
by Thomas Oppong
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times, the legendary Bruce Lee once said. Bruce Lee’s philosophy of “being so good they can’t ignore you” focused on refining and mastering the fundamentals to an unparalleled level.
The way to master life and career is to make Steve Jobs’ quote a mantra for almost everything you do. “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected,” he said. When Jobs said, ‘I want to put a ding in the universe,’ he was challenging not just himself but all of us. Jobs knew that by setting the bar high, he could inspire others to reach for greatness, just like he did at Apple. Becoming a yardstick of quality means a commitment to excellence in everything we do.
“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor,” says American Football coach Vince Lombardi. People who are committed to quality habits hold themselves accountable for every outcome. They ensure they deliver nothing less than excellence in all areas of their lives.
Extraordinary is an attainable target. Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the age of 21, but he went on to become one of the most renowned physicists of our time. They have dared to think differently and made significant contributions to the world. “I think it is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary,’ Elon Musk once said. He’s shown that by pushing the boundaries in the aerospace and electric car industries. Musk, much like Jobs, isn’t just an entrepreneur; he’s a visionary who sets the bar high for an entire industry.
They both challenge others to rise above mediocrity. Embracing the “yardstick of quality” mindset is about consistently demanding the best from yourself. You set a personal example of excellence, just like Steve Jobs. It means you’re not just aiming for success; you’re unapologetically demanding it from yourself. It’s not a fleeting commitment; it’s a life philosophy.
You don’t merely aim for greatness; you make it an inherent part of your identity. And encourage others to do the same with your words and, more importantly, your actions. “Quality is not an act; it is a habit,” Aristotle said. Making quality a habit is not just about talking about your high standards; it’s about living them every day. And giving your absolute best in everything you do to achieve personal greatness.
Albert Einstein once said, “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” Even the greatest minds among us are not born with special abilities. Rather, they achieve greatness through a deep passion for learning and discovery. You can build a great life on an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and growth. You demonstrate an unwavering commitment to your life or career goals, making it clear that greatness is an achievable goal for anyone determined to reach it.
You become the architect of your greatness. You set the bar for the kind of life you want to lead and, in doing so, motivate yourself to meet and exceed those standards. You don’t just wait for life to happen; you actively shape it according to your vision of greatness. People who hold themselves to high standards expect a lot from themselves. They are personally invested in the pursuit of quality in life and career.
Top performers are relentless in pursuit of excellence. Mozart’s work reflects not just notes on paper but a deep connection to his music. He famously declared, “People err who think my art comes easily to me. I assure you, dear friend, nobody has devoted so much time and thought to compositions as I. There is not a famous master whose music I have not industriously studied through many times.” He was committed to personal excellence is an understatement. Pablo Picasso was a great artist. His creative iterations grew with time. It took him thousands of iterations to find his genius. “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child,” he said.
Picasso’s artistic evolution throughout his career showcases a commitment to pushing the boundaries of creativity. Simone Biles is an artistic gymnast widely regarded as the greatest gymnast ever. She has won a record 32 Olympic and World Championship medals, including seven Olympic gold medals. Biles is known for her brilliance and hard work from an early age. “If they said, ‘Do five pull-ups,’ I would always want to do 10,” she says. “We strive for greatness,” Biles once said.
For top performers, becoming a yardstick of quality is not a sporadic effort; it’s a way of life. Excellence defines their pursuits. In life, it’s about making the same choice: to be extraordinary. You must take ownership of your pursuit of excellence, realizing it’s a continuous process, not a one-time achievement.
As Henry Ford once said, “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” That means your commitment to excellence should be ingrained in your character, not just a performance for others. It’s a lifetime commitment.
It’s a journey that begins with you, and it’s only when you’re relentless in your pursuit that you truly achieve greatness. Excellence should define your daily pursuits, setting the bar higher each day. Whether in your work, home life, or personal ethics, hold yourself to the highest expectations and consistently meet or exceed them. “Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well,” says former US Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare John W. Gardner.
“Be a yardstick of quality,” is a practical rule for life. It’s not just an aspiration; it’s a consistent standard that drives greatness. When you become a benchmark for quality, you not only inspire yourself but everyone around you. Becoming a yardstick of quality is an unwavering commitment to high standards. It’s not merely a goal; it’s the path to a life of significance. Your future self depends on it."
"A Difficult Life Can Still Be a Good Life"
"My own mind turned on me. I kept repeating a simple question in my head: Is this all there is? We don’t always get what we want. Or feel like we deserve. When I’m no longer able to change a situation, solve a problem or fix my life the way I want, I’m challenged to change my reality. Or outgrow the problems. A difficult life can still be a great life. You can go through loss and still choose to love again. You can do the work you don’t like and still find other sources of joy. Or wake up anxious about your life, and still persist. It’s the superhuman thing to do. And you are most likely doing it. You haven’t failed at life. Just temporary things.
There’s a difference. Viktor Frankl survived a concentration camp. He still found the will to live and write about it. If anyone gets to talk about pain and purpose, it’s him. You don’t need a perfect life to live a good one. You just need to live it. But with honesty. Life won’t always be fair. But it can still be beautiful. You’ve survived 100% of your worst days so far. That’s not luck. That’s you.
Hard things happen to good people. But you can’t find meaning in avoiding struggle. You find it in how you move through it. In his book Frankl says, "A difficult life can still be a good life. Not in spite of the struggle, but sometimes because of it."
Some days, everything can feel unbearable. You drag yourself through the hours, wondering if it’s worth it. But the struggle isn’t just a burden, it’s also what keeps you alive. Without it, you’d float away, unrefined. Pain isn’t a sign you’re doing life wrong. It’s a sign you’re alive. If life feels too much at the minute, remember this truth: passing pain doesn’t ruin the whole experience. “The wound is the place where the Light enters you,” says poet Rumi.
“If you can’t get beyond your stresses, your problems, and your pain, you can’t create a new future where those things don’t exist.” - Dr. Joe Dispenza
A hard life doesn’t mean a bad one. Surprise yourself. Difficulty doesn’t cancel out joy. It just improves your grit. And the ability to find joy and hope. Life can be full of suffering, but it is also full of overcoming it. You don’t need an easy life to have a good one. You need purpose. Struggle can teach resilience. You won’t always fix everything at once.
Some days, you’ll feel like you’ve got nothing left. You’ll want to quit. Maybe not everything, but something. The draining work or relationship stress. Hang in there. Hard and good can live in the same place. In fact, they often do. But experiences are temporary. If they don’t. Or you can’t change it, outgrow what you can’t control. Look for pockets of space to find your joy. After the break. After the silence. After the fight. Keep showing up. For yourself. For the people you love. For the life you still get to live. Hard just means you’re still in it.
“Ring the bells that still can ring.
Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack, a crack in everything.
That’s how the light gets in.”
- Leonard Cohen
People think brokenness ruins things, but sometimes, it’s what makes them real. It’s a paradox. The things that almost break you also teach you how to live. Life won’t stop being difficult. But you won’t stop being human. That means you won’t stop finding light in dark places. A good life is not without suffering. You can hold both without losing your mind. The pain and the joy, the struggle and the strength. You don’t have to choose. You get to feel them all. A difficult life can still be a good life. It already is.
Life will hurt. It will test you. It will not always make sense. But none of that means your life can’t be good. A good life is real. Live it with both hands, even when you hit a wall. Live it in hard choices, in the slow work of showing up again and again. Find in the ordinary. Strength in the struggle. That’s what’s working for me. Your life, as it is, matters. And even with the woulds, it can still hold light. A difficult life can still be a good life.
I know it. You know it. A good life isn’t measured by how little you suffer. But by how much you live in spite of it. By the love you give when you don’t feel like it. By the hope you hold when you’re afraid. By the way you keep showing up, even when you’re not sure it matters. It does. You’re in it, fighting for it, finding meaning in it. It’s the human thing to do."
