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3 rules for success

I was discussing the essentials of life with a friend yesterday. Not the food, shelter and sex essentials but the things we integrate into our personalities and which ultimately shape our behaviours and relationships.

As I have been feeling a little adrift of late it was useful to remind my self of some of the things I once regarded as mantras.

My essentials for a productive and happy life:

  • simplicity

  • tenacity

  • self discipline


If these three things are kept in balance my personal ecosystem will function happily.
When I drift off-course they are easy beacons by which to return to an even keel.

No one element on the list is more important than each of the others though I suppose self discipline is always the hardest for me to maintain.

I believe the same list applies to advertisers.

Complexity never works. It scuppers understanding.

Giving up too soon is one of the most frequently committed errors in marketing. Sometimes things take time. In a busy, cluttered world of media being familiar and consistent is probably more durable than reacting to every fad or trend.

And, in that same vein, the discipline not to be swayed by advisers whose agenda is to try new things, rather than progressively build on solid foundations is critical - part of self discipline is to simply trust yourself enough not to break ranks.

Hang in there.

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