Rules are worth knowing.

Knowing the rules allows you navigate a situation better. In fact, I will argue that knowing the rules is a superpower. It gets rid of uncertainty. Want to get into Flow? You can't do that without knowing the rules.

Rules give us the structure to work within. They give us clarity. From clarity, confidence. From confidence, a sense of control. And yes, for the rebellious among us: knowing the rules allows us to break them.

School is built on rules. Classes start on time. They end on time. Have a question? Raise your hand please. Math taught us that 2 + 2 = 4 . And English taught us to not start a sentence with "And" ;)

But we are missing a crucial rulebook.

We were taught the rules of math and English, but not of ideas.

When you wake up each day, ideas fly around your head. These ideas heavily influence almost everything that happens to you. Do you know how to manage those thoughts? Do you know how to navigate them better? Do you know the rules that govern the ideas you have?

Knowing these "Rules of Ideas" can give you the clarity and confidence to do your best thinking, more often.

So let's start with the most important one:

The Core Rule of Ideas
It's circular but true, we become what we do.

If you're wondering why you should care, we'll deepen our understanding of the Core Rule, see an example of how to apply it, and leave with a helpful framework to make sure you are taking advantage of it every day.

Understanding the Core Rule

We are all different, but one thing is the same: Our relationship with the world around us. "Not me" you say. "I'm special. I'm different." Yes. You are. But I'm willing to wager you still inhale and exhale like the rest of us. Them's the rules. And it started from our first breath...

As babies our world had no edges. There was no you or I. Everything was everywhere, all at once. Then as our world grew, we learned the universal pattern.

We encounter something, which causes us to express ourselves—and what we say changes what we encounter next! This is "Cause and Effect". We live it in every moment. As we grow older, we realize there is a middle step between what we encounter and what we express. It's when we start to engage with things more deeply.

The universal pattern becomes:

We encounter things in the world, we engage with some of those things, then we express ourselves...which defines what we encounter next!

"It's circular but true, we become what we do."

The Core Rule gives us a warning. If we do things we don't think are good for us, or if we are living a life we don't like, it doesn't matter: we will become it.

The Core Rule also helps us to see that we aren't helpless. We have the agency to shape what we encounter next based on how we choose to express ourselves—because that changes what we encounter next!

Here's a simple story of how I applied the Core Rule to make a massive career leap from getting people coffee to editing on Emmy award-winning TV shows in only 12 months.

Applying the Core Rule

In 2019, I was working on a Netflix show as a Post Production Coordinator. There were delays in production, which meant I had a lot of free time. Instead of lounging around, I started to sit in with the editors and assistant editors. I developed an appreciation for their craft and creativity.

I started to think, "Maybe I could become an editor." Here's the short version of what happened next:

• I started asking questions. I scribbled notes. (ADD)
• I took the new notes back to my desk and connected them to my existing notes so I could synthesize what I was learning and figure out what to do next. (RELATE)
• I started editing. I arrived early and hopped on an assistant editor's machine. I tried doing their work. I would cut the same scenes the editor received then ask for feedback from them. (COMMUNICATE)
• Then...I'd receive their feedback and make some new notes. (ADD)
• With these new notes, I'd further deepen and synthesize my understanding of becoming a TV editor, and figure out what to do next. (RELATE)
• I would cut the more scenes and ask for more feedback. (COMMUNICATE)

I figured out the cheat code, the flywheel, the repeatable ideation loop and I repeated it again and again to rise through the ranks at unheard of speeds. In 2020, I would go on to earn my first-ever TV editing credit—a monumental achievement.

I was lucky for sure, but I did everything I could to increase my surface area of luck. I figured out the universal pattern for "knowledging" and I revved the engine.

• I Added.
• I Related.
• I Communicated.
• And I repeated that process countless times.

Can you see how I applied the Core Rule of Ideas?

The Core Rule of Ideas
It's circular but true, we become what we do.

The Framework for Applying the Core Idea

In 2023, I finally gave this repeatable framework a name. The ARC Framework.

Unlocking this repeatable framework in your efforts is the key to you doing your best work—reliably, more often, and with way more satisfaction.

The ARC Framework takes the universal pattern of sensemaking and applies it to ideation. It's the difference between Math and Engineering. Math covers the rules. Engineering covers how to apply the rules.

Timeless wisdom tells us that "Knowledge is Power". The better you can "do" Knowledge, the more powerful you'll become.

• Sometimes that means moving faster through the ARC Framework.
• Sometimes it means moving slower, but more deeply.
• And sometimes it just means cycling through it consistently.

A prolific mind can't help but encourage a prolific life. The better you can move through ARC, the more prolific your life will be.

• How can you apply the ARC Framework to your life?
• How can you create the conditions where you are doing your best thinking, more often?

If you can do that, then the Core Rule will be working for you every day.

The Core Rule of Ideas
It's circular but true, we become what we do.