Principles

Author: Seong Joon Oh

“What” and “how”. These are the two questions that shape my life. What do I want to do with my life? How do I get there?

The goals part answers the “what”. There are packages of projects that I wish to achieve in my lifetime. Life is short and limited, so I had to shortlist them carefully.

The principles part gives guidance on “how” I plan to achieve the goals. They are an assortment of personal rules that would help me and my organisation achieve the goals.

I don't talk about “why” because it is difficult to put the answer in words. It leads to a cascade of “but why” questions and misses the gist. I hope the goals are evident in themselves without justification. You agree, or you disagree.

This document serves three purposes.

  1. It lets people around me better understand the goals and principles for me and my organisation. I hope this expedites the collective work I do with others. I will still do my best to tell others about my goals and principles; this is a back-up document for those who wish to read about them in greater detail.
  2. It lets me organise my thoughts more clearly. When a document goes public, I feel greater pressure to elaborate on each item in depth. Elaboration is a good driver for forced imagination.
  3. I hope this document becomes useful to others who also wish to take a principled approach to make the best use of their lives.

I credit the idea of organising the principles to Ray Dalio and his book, Principles. Ray, likewise, has introduced a systematic approach to life: let principles be crystallised out of the myriads of trial and error in life. Huge respect for his scientific-minded approach to his own life and work. I have also inherited some of my principles from his.

Goals

Principles