A few weeks back a friend of mine shared a copy of Principles by Ray Dalio. The 120p pamphlet outlines Dalio’s core principles on life and how he applied them to his hedge fund Bridgewater Associates. He believes these core principles – and the culture they fostered – are the main reason Bridgewater has become one of the most profitable funds in history.

Dalio focuses on constant improvement, extreme realism, and hyper rationalism as a few of his core values. I won’t try and summarize beyond that. It’s a brisk read, recommend checking it out for yourself.

After finishing it had me thinking… what are my values? I’ve been operating with a gut feel for right and wrong, better and worse.  But I’ve never actually took the time to sit down and articulate my core values. The core attributes that are most valuable to me.

Rather than ponder this question quietly I opted to draft them publicly. Here goes-

My core values (v1.0)

• Be genuine.
• Be optimistic. (Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier – Colin Powell)
• Get shit done. Be reliable. Be timely.
• No excuses. Identify problems and propose solutions.
• Think critically. Take nothing at face value.
• Keep an open mind. Be inclusive.
• Constantly improve. Reflect and seek feedback.
• Work smart – focus on high leverage activities. Look for force multipliers.
• Be extremely selective of your peers (the 5 average).
• Be aware of opportunity.

I’m sure these will be refined, and improved, with time and experience. Interested to carry out this exercise again in six months and see the delta.