The journal · original insights by theme
Work, systems & stewardship
Capability, responsibility, useful systems and care for what we build.
These are draft editorial groupings for review, not Matt’s original sequence. Each insight keeps its source number and exact wording; entries remain in source order within each theme. Read the complete original list in order.
This personal collection includes opinions, incomplete notes and unverified attributions. Categorisation does not validate a claim or turn it into professional advice.
76 original insights · Draft grouping
- No. 008
The most precious resource in life is time.
- No. 010
Luck is opportunity met with preparation.
- No. 018
Start as you mean to go on.
- No. 019
If you’re capable, or competent, you’re responsible!
- No. 028
A.B.D.S. - Always be doing something.
- No. 031
Your actions become habits, your habits become reality.
- No. 033
Effort is a Direct reflection of interest.
- No. 041
Success is never owned it’s rented and the rents due everyday.
- No. 043
Have the goal but more importantly have a System based approach: Scott Adams (Dilbert).
- No. 044
A man who chases two rabbits catches how many rabbits? no rabbits. “But better not to chase rabbits, let them come to you”
- No. 045
In business instead of working for someone: You are partnering with your customers brand.
- No. 046
Use the question: what will it take for us to do business today?
- No. 048
Dan Lok - response to competition cheaper pricing: “I never argue what my competitors charge, they know what their service is worth”.
- No. 056
Contribute to growth, make 1 improvement a week.
- No. 063
Gilbert’s law - the biggest problem at work is that that no one tells you what to do.
- No. 064
Waltzons law - if you put information and intelligence first at all times, then the money keeps coming in.
- No. 069
Accept all risk where there’s no legal implications and save money for taking on more.
- No. 070
Success is the product of daily habits. Atomic habits. You get what you repeat. Compounding results.
- No. 075
You rise to the level of your standard’s: You fall to the level of your systems.
- No. 076
(The preston harris law version) You do not rise to the level of your goals you fall to the level of your systems.
- No. 106
Why half ass two things when you can whole ass one.
- No. 110
Common sense won’t pay the rent and doesn’t grow on tree’s, but splitting hairs will get you anything you need.
- No. 124
The key is not to prioritise what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.
- No. 126
Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.
- No. 132
Small hinges swing Big doors.
- No. 134
With Great power comes great responsibility.
- No. 153
Success can be attributed to the ability to attract a good team. To attract a good team enrol people into your Vision.
- No. 159
5 buckets principles:
- No. 160
Skills.
- No. 161
Network.
- No. 162
Resource-fullness.
- No. 163
Authority.
- No. 164
Knowledge.
- No. 167
Emotion Experience Engagement Exclusivity.
- No. 173
You’re not living up to the calibre of your person. The Strand “pull your head in statement for management.”
- No. 191
The highest performers have an ability to say no. They’re locked in to what they’re doing so they have no issue saying no to things.
- No. 197
The role of leadership is to transform the complex situation into small pieces and prioritise them.
- No. 200
Focus on the outcome, not the activity.
- No. 201
Interview question: I hate surprises. Can you tell me something that might go wrong now so that I’m not surprised when it does?
- No. 204
Wealth, freedom and security doesn’t come from what you do, it comes from what you own. The hardest asset loose ….is you, your personality, mindset, knowledge and skill set.
- No. 205
Time is the only currency you spend without ever knowing your balance. Use it wisely.
- No. 206
In order to be a leader, you must first know what it means to follow.
- No. 210
You become rich in your mind long before you become rich in your bank account.
- No. 212
If you don’t plan to win you plan to fail.
- No. 218
The rich don’t work for money. They Aquire assets that pay them. They don’t have savings, instead they Aquire debts every way they can and to purchase assets.
- No. 233
True leadership is choosing to help people grow.
- No. 234
Praise in public, punish in private.
- No. 236
Be always on the pathway to yes. (Stakeholder engagement).
- No. 243
Create value first, money is only a store of value.
- No. 245
Environment, time, appearance, social life, finances.
- No. 250
Pareto Principle: for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes.
- No. 254
Rich people buy time, poor people buy stuff, ambitious people buy skills, lazy people buy distractions.
- No. 287
Goals should be specific measurable and time bound. Anything less as wishful thinking.
- No. 288
You’re not selling a product you’re selling an outcome
- No. 296
Your Energy is Your Most Valuable Currency
- No. 308
Be valuable not available.
- No. 319
Habits are the silent architects of your life.
- No. 326
Success is 5% Brains 95% consistency.
- No. 349
Time and tide wait for no one.
- No. 350
Authenticity economy.
- No. 351
A decade of business learnings: Promise late, deliver early, learn fast, trust slow, bet big, test small, give first, ask last, ignore opinions, treasure facts, always promote, never slander, disregard doubters, believe in you, persist always and stop never.
- No. 354
To train them you need to give/have: focus authority tribe and emotion.
- No. 355
Goals are for people who care about winning once, systems are for people who win repeatedly.
- No. 363
If you’re gonna hoot with the owls, you better be able to soar with the eagles.
- No. 366
Work - complaining at work: there are only two things you could complain about: 1. the type of work that you’re doing 2. the work Environment. If you complaining about both time to get another job.
- No. 367
The magic you’re looking for is in the work you’re avoiding.
- No. 374
Be too good to fail.
- No. 379
If you want to be successful you only have to do one thing, be proud of your work:
- No. 382
If you can explain your buyers pain better than they can explain it to you they’ll spend their money.
- No. 389
Systems run your business and people run your systems.
- No. 390
A focused fool can achieve a lot more than a distracted genius.
- No. 393
72 hour rule - wait three days before buying non essentials.
- No. 394
One in one out rule, something new comes in something old goes out:
- No. 395
Clothing rule - if you haven’t worn it in 6 months give it away / remove it.
- No. 396
Morning rule - start your day with creation not consumption.
- No. 402
ACSS authority, comfort, social skills or skills.