The Kern Rules

Between late 2020 and early 2021 (if memory serves me right), professor Karl Kern published a series of 29 rules on LinkedIn titled "The Kern Rules".
I believe these rules are essential reading, not only are they timeless and continue to resonate today, but they also deserve to be committed to memory.

With his kind permission, I am sharing the full list here

The Kern Rules

#01 - Life is about priorities.
#02 - Nothing can be perfect but everything can be better.
#03 - Don't try to be better than other, try to be better than yesterday.
#04 - Maximize the positive, minimize the negative.
#05 - Make progress instead of excuses.
#06 - Fear is a roadblock to progress.
#07 - Lost time is never found.
#08 - Don't show people how smart you are, show people how helpful you are.
#09 - It's not about what you have, it's about what you do.
#10 - Don't look good for the part, do good on the job.
#11 - Don't look too far because you won't see what's close.
#12 - Your words say nothing because your actions say everything.
#13 - The child must walk before it runs and must crawl before it walks.
#14 - One can think without planning but one cannot plan without thinking.
#15 - You can have data without information but you can't have information without data.
#16 - You can't hit a home run from the on-deck circle.
#17 - No response is a response.
#18 - You can never be "too busy" to be courteous.
#19 - When you start solving a problem the first place to look is the mirror.
#20 - Problems don't work 9 to 5 Monday through Friday.
#21 - Don't complicate simple.
#22 - The most important qualification for an accountant is integrity.
#23 - The grass is always browner on the other side.
#24 - Don't answer what you think is being asked, answer what is being asked.
#25 - Apathy is a tougher opponent than ignorance.
#26 - Disorganization breeds unnecessary mistakes.
#27 - Don't let tomorrow ruin today.
#28 - If you despise what some will suggest, you will hate what others will demand.
#29 - Don't cut the grass when the house is on fire.