Welcome to Part II of Bulldog Mindset’s 12 Rules for Life.

Taking inspiration from the work of the acclaimed psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson, notably, his bestselling book, subtitled: Antidote to Chaos, we ventured to produce our own, arguably more grounded approach to the answer to the ‘chaos’ question.

Needless to say, if you are here for the first time it is advisable that you read Part I of this connected post. As there we presented an overview of what we are trying to accomplish with a layout of the first six rules and why they matter.

If you are in a hurry and don’t wish to read the previous, then here are the first six rules:

  • Rule (01): Take Responsibility for Your Life.
  • Rule (2): Reject the Victim Mindset.
  • Rule (3): Make Financial Freedom a Life Goal
  • Rule (4): Watch What You Eat.
  • Rule (5): Discipline your Mind.
  • Rule (6): Stand up for Yourself.

The nature and importance of these rules ought to be self-explanatory. So we shall get right into the next six.

Rule 07: Read

We have thought about calling this rule ‘Develop your Mind’. But in today’s world that can mean so many different things.

So why read?

What is the importance of reading? And more importantly, what kind of reading are we talking about?

When we are talking about the importance of reading, we are of course speaking of reading (or listening) to good old books.

That’s right, the now seemingly lost art of sitting down with a good book, with a hot cup of coffee (or tea) with a nice view or scenery in front of you, and getting down to reading, is what we are talking about.

Well, not the setting exactly, but you get the picture.

The old school practice of reading a book, in the modern digital age, with all the distractions of social media, video essays, audio podcasts, and various short-form content and the like, seems like a practice from a different era.

And this view is not without reason. From academics where the practice of people citing serious academic books has now increasingly been replaced with PDF journals, to a rising sub-industry of book summaries that have grown in strength.

With people optting to read key points and summaries of books and are content with whatever information it provides. Rather than sitting through and finishing a book from start to finish.

Make no mistake the quick read, book summary industry, which has grown in recent years is a force for good. However, the question has to be asked: Is it the same?

Our answer is: No.

By No, we don’t mean that in an entirely negative way. The process of getting useful information is better than getting no information.

However, the point must be made that when it comes to increasing your knowledge and gaining a deeper understanding of the world nothing quite matches the experience of reading a good book from start to finish.

This point might be simple on the face it (i.e. to start reading) but in present times with 101 distractions, and short attention spans the practice of reading to gain knowledge of the world, as opposed to being simply entertained by video clips and reels, books remain the gold standard.

The question when it comes to actually doing it is ultimately a matter of time.

Time is limited. Hence the idea of sitting down and reading a book from start to finish is not possible for everyone.

One hack that we would provide is to consider the audiobook route. Audiobooks are increasingly popular owing to their convenience. At the same time, we also recommend that you take the time to read a good book once in a while.

It will be worth it.

Rule: 08 Talk to Girls

OK. This is where things may get a bit controversial for some.

When Dr. Peterson wrote his 12 Rules for Life, he was writing to a general audience. The Canadian clinical psychologist did not set out to target one demographic over another.

However, given his popularity online, notably his many lectures on subjects like personal responsibility, discipline, the importance of living by values, etc. In addition to his certain style of speaking, connected strongly with men.

Young men, predominantly in the formative years of their lives, and also older men who were looking for leadership.

Dr. Peterson’s speaking and later writing strongly resonated with this demographic.

However, owing to socio-political factors, Dr. Peterson naturally played it safe in trying to make his message more acceptable to the wider public.

Not with us.

At Bulldog Mindset there is no ambiguity about who we serve. Whilst women are an important group in the personal development arena (how can they not) when it comes to our offerings and message, we are not afraid to state that Men are our primary audience.

Now the idea of talking to girls being presented as a ‘rule’ might strike some as curious or even funny.

I mean, how can you Not talk to girls?

Well, in case there is any confusion, we are not talking about talking to just any girl.

Our focus here is, in rule 07, is to make the case for why men must speak, but more specifically engage members of the opposite sex. Specifically, we are talking about all those pretty, cute girls that you have met or seen in your life that you failed to interact with.

All of those women who could have become a part of your life if you had ventured out to say a simple ‘hi’.

To be clear, the importance of talking to girls is not just about getting dates, phone numbers, or hookups and girlfriends.

What we are talking about here is the developmental role that talking to women, particularly women you find attractive, will have on you as a man.

There is a lot that we can say on this subject. But for now, just take our advice and start talking to girls.

Now if you are a married man, or in a serious relationship, this advice might seem a bit out there. And it is. But our focus is on the personal development question and the greater goal of success.

To achieve both you need to be good with the ladies. And so what if you are married? You are, most importantly a man!

Rule: 09 Learn to Fight

Another rather controversial rule. And it is a rule that builds on rule no 06 from Part I ‘Stand up for Yourself’.

When we say learn to fight, we not just talking about combat training. Although that is an important skill to master. But the main focus here is on your ability and willingness to do what is necessary to defend yourself and your loved ones.

Fighting is not just about throwing karate moves at some intruder or bully. First and foremost it is about having the mindset to stand your ground, and then having the will to defend yourself.

As any karate teacher, martial arts master or fighting coach will tell you, the battle is usually won or lost in your mind.

Once this point is recognized, the next step is to find a combat style that suits you. From karate, kickboxing to even mixed martial arts. Whatever the combat style you pick, just make sure to stick to it until you get good. Really f**king good.

And building on from Rule 08, on talking to girls, you also need to be able to defend yourself from other men, in case there is a confrontation. And here, if necessary.

Rule 10: Give

In life, especially in modern, capitalist societies, where it is all about making money, increasing your net worth, and generating value, it is easy to get lost in the proverbial ‘rat race’.

The old rule that one must give in order to receive, however, holds true for a variety of reasons.

Now when one mentions the word ‘give’ it is easy to think of this point in purely financial terms. No doubt money is central to most things we do in life, and the idea of giving some back, or in return, has clear financial applications.

But for starters, giving is fundamentally a mindset shift in how you look at life and people.

In a practical sense, it could mean something like spending more time with your parents or grandparents. Where you give or spend your time with them, when you could be doing other more, fun or productive things.

Giving could also mean getting a small gift or token of appreciation to someone you care about. Especially those who are close to us. Since they are the type of people who often overlook or forget in our attempt to win the race for the next promotion or pay upgrade.

To give is a mindset. A mindset that values the importance of appreciation. One that does not feel a sense of loss at giving something away but views it as an act of reciprocity in an indirect sense.

To give is not be limited by a purely transactional view of life, where it is not just about what you can get at that specific point.

Rule No 10: To give is a state of mind that affirms the importance of our connected state in the world. That we stand to gain when others receive something good.

Rule 11: Build your Physique

Following on from rule 4 ‘Watch what you Eat’, rule 11 is a logical extension of it. One that is often overlooked by many men.

To their loss.

Look at it this way: we men have been blessed with a powerful physique. One that is bigger, faster, and stronger than females. And it is so for a reason.

When you look around the world today with countless beta men with no muscle or presence just walking around getting rolled over by their peers (who are often women) you as a man of principle must ask yourself: Am I one of them?

If you are, then it is only right that you take matters into your hands and take the physical health question to the next level. That is to get big. To build muscle and to increase your strength.

Let’s not kid ourselves. Women like masculine men. Men respect strong men. There is no middle ground here. No matter what feminists and soy boys have to say on this matter if you are a man you need to be tough!

No two ways about it.

All the talk today about masculinity and why men must be strong and independent ring hollow if it is not supported by a strong emphasis on what makes men… men.

There is a reason why women are attracted to men who are strong: for they (us) as the sort of men who can protect them. The men who can put up a fight and defend her and future offspring in times of trial.

And in case you happen to be a guy who doesn’t like going to the gym, or has never worked out in a meaningful way, then here is some incentive.

Working out and building your physique can (and should) be viewed as a component in your broader self-development program.

The 10 previous rules that we have presented in many ways work in unison. With each rule building on the other. Whilst there is no formal process that one must follow, each of them works to strengthen the other.

The point remains that the success of one rests on careful adherence to another. A point which we shall return to at the conclusion of this post.

For now, know that your body is your responsibility. Eating healthy aside, it is up to you to build it and maintain it. Which in turn fosters discipline and gives you focus to pursue your other ventures.

Now to the final rule.

Rule 12: Never Give Up

If you have been reading our other content, or have been following our YouTube page, then you would have expected this.

In life, there are a few things that truly separates the winners from the losers. One can always point to skill. Opportunity. Money (received). And just dumb luck.

But when it comes to separating the true winners from not just the losers, but also the countless others who just sit around waiting for good things to happen to them; for good fortune to suddenly come their way, to be able to achieve their goals.

Rule 12 tells you that the unfailing principle for success, when it comes to anything in life, is perseverance. A never say die attitude. One that defines and in many ways comes to separate those who succeed in making a name for themselves from those who don’t.

The popular saying: ‘First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win’ is true for more reasons than one.

In life, there will be moments, possibly many, where you will feel like throwing in the towel. Where giving up may seem like the most rational course of action.

But THAT is when you say NO.

No. I choose to stand my ground and persist in my cause. Persist in my fight to do what is right for me. To stay true to my values and beliefs.

But doing so means never giving up.

Know this. Rule 12 is arguably the most important one. Every time you venture out to do something good or worthwhile, you will face obstacles. Not one but many.

Do you have the will to face them and overcome them? Do you have the power to keep persisting?

Do you?

You better. That is what makes the winners: the top 5 percent of men different from the rest.

In Conclusion

OK. So we have come to the end of Bulldog Mindset’s 12 Rules for Life. It has been an intriguing process to work through these rules.

Rules that will not only aid you in your personal and professional life but will help you become… yes the best version of yourself.

All the talk these days about self-improvement means nothing without a solid foundation in terms of rules on how to base your thoughts and actions around them. A framework from which you can work and operate to reach your fullest potential.

But getting there is not always easy. It is not always a straightforward journey. Guidelines can help you, but if you really want to succeed and have your progress measured every step of the way, then you may need some professional leadership.

A framework that can you can plug into and work from, to achieve your goals in a systematic way. And that is where the Bulldog Mindset Membership. Try it. Enjoy it. Grow from it.

Yes, we are here to sell something. But we are also here to help. For us, helping men reach their potential is a reward in itself. If you are serious about achieving yours why not just give us a call?

We will take it forward from there.

Best of luck brother.