Rules That Don't Exist

We are constantly bombarded with rules that don't exist. This collection of “rules” comes from everywhere: parents, grandparents, politicians, first grade teachers, old dead white guys, and young celebrity trendsetters. We follow them (often subconsciously) for reasons that range from irrelevant to superstitious to downright stupid. Sadly, they often limit us from living better stories. Below are some we've identified so far. Did we miss one?

- - - | written by Jason on 1/14/2016 | - - -

6 Rules That Don’t Exist That Will Surprise Most Parents

We are inundated with rules that don’t exist. Not speed limits and tax laws, but the seemingly invisible norms, assumptions, and superstitions that we follow (often subconsciously) and which drive our lives. The more I write and talk about them, the more I uncover. And there is no shortage in the realm of education. My wife Kim and I homeschool. In the grand scheme of things, we’re in the shallow end of the pool; the oldest of our three children is only seven. But these past several years may have been the most important of all, because we’ve had to un-learn pretty much everything we knew …

- - - | written by Jason on 11/8/2015 | - - -

The Danger of Eating Dessert First

A few weeks ago, I was on a Navy base in Florida, delivering my first program for a military audience. The meeting planner was very hesitant about me encouraging them to break rules, especially since they had just spent several (long, boring, excruciating) days being briefed on new procedures, policies, and regulations. I still told them to break rules. Of course, I am not calling for anarchy here. I understand the need for rules, especially in the military, where if you break a rule, someone could die. The problem is that too often, we assign the same gravity to all the rules in our …

- - - | written by Jason on 8/9/2015 | - - -

The Complete Guide to Raising Your Kids to Be Rulebreakers without Ruining Their Lives (or Yours)

Kim and I are well-known for encouraging people to be more childlike and act more like kids. A few brave souls have asked (although I suspect there are countless others who have wondered): How does this philosophy impact our role as parents? In other words, how does a parent walk the line between teaching kids to break rules that don’t exist, without descending into total anarchy? Great question. While it’s true that our kids regularly say “#Notarule” in its proper context during normal conversations, any speculation that our kids are living in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory is …

- - - | written by Jason on 7/6/2015 | - - -

Breaking Rules Can Help You Be Ah-Mazing

I had a wonderful opportunity to sit down for a fun conversation with my dear friend Neen James, who is a productivity guru of epic proportions. Now, many people might put "productivity gurus" into a box of boring, bland and beige individuals who have all these rigid restrictions. Not Neen. She loves the color pink, rides a Harley, and is a first-class rule breaker. We share the sometimes helpful trait where if someone says we can't do something, we automatically want to prove them wrong, just on principle. Anyway, please check out what she has going on, and enjoy this fun video …

- - - | written by Jason on 6/25/2015 | - - -

This Week in Rule Breaking

Rules that don't exist are all around us, and they can keep us from living a life of awesome. In honor of the release of Penguins Can't Fly, we are posting different rules all over social media, using the hashtag #notarule. Some are rules we've uncovered, others have been shared with us from people like you. Follow along on Instagram, Tumblr, or Facebook or share your own rule here! This is one of a series of hilarious photos sent to me by a mom in Ohio who quoted her daughter as saying, “Because anyone can have typical senior photos but only a few can have awesomesauce ones!” I …

- - - | written by Jason on 6/10/2015 | - - -

#notarule: winning at business and life by breaking rules that don’t exist

“Blessed are the rule breakers. They shalt inherit the Future. We have always admired the great renegades of business, brave souls who dared to deny the status quo, defy the odds, and pioneer a new normal. Nicolas Tesla. Richard Branson. Tony Stark. One thing all great titans of industry have in common is this: they were able to identify rules that don’t exist and had the courage to break them. Of course, there are plenty of rules that DO exist. If you commit fraud or neglect to pay taxes, I hope you look good in an orange jumpsuit. But the rules that DON’T exist greatly outnumber the ones …

- - - | written by Jason on 6/8/2015 | - - -

Our Unconventional Book Tour

The 2015 #Notarule Tour is a curious cavalcade of unusual events united in the purpose of helping you break rules that don’t exist. Fueled by the message Penguins Can’t Fly, this is one unconventional book tour. There will be stops at zoos, ice cream parlors, national landmarks, a few bookstores, and even an art fair! Rather than repeating the tried-and-true (but insanely boring) model most “book tours” subscribe to, our goal was to tell a better story by creating fun, memorable, and engaging events and experiences. Most stops will feature opportunities for you and your companions to break …

- - - | written by Jason on 6/5/2015 | - - -

This Week In Rule Breaking

Rules that don't exist are all around us, and they can keep us from living a life of awesome. In honor of the upcoming release of Penguins Can't Fly, we are posting a different rule every day on our various social media accounts, using the hashtag #notarule. Some are rules we've uncovered, others have been shared with us from people like you. Follow along on Instagram, Tumblr, or Facebook or share your own rule here! This week I wanted to feature some of the great rules submitted by readers! (via Craig Price) (via Kristen Clark) (via Sara Gast) (via Jill …

- - - | written by Jason on 5/29/2015 | - - -

This Week in Rule Breaking

Rules that don't exist are all around us, and they can keep us from living a life of awesome. In honor of the upcoming release of Penguins Can't Fly, we are posting a different rule every day on our various social media accounts, using the hashtag #notarule. Some are rules we've uncovered, others have been shared with us from people like you. Follow along on Instagram, Tumblr, or Facebook or share your own rule here! I like when cars get all gussied up. There’s no such thing as too much meringue. #keywest #keylimepie #blueheaven in honor of the 88th anniversary of Charles …

- - - | written by Jason on 5/24/2015 | - - -

Thou Shalt Always Remove Thy Nametag Immediately After An Event

You’ve been there. You’ve attended a conference, a retreat, a networking meeting, or some other event that required you to wear a nametag. And then, hours after the event is over, you look down in horror to find that you are STILL wearing it. It clings to your shirt, mocking you like a group of middle schoolers laughing at your generic bargain buy shoes from KMart. Doh! You shamefully reflect back to calculate how many people must have seen you wearing your idiocy on your shirt, but count yourself fortunate that you didn’t have to undergo death by embarrassment from someone actually …

« Previous Page

6 Rules That Don’t Exist That Will Surprise Most Parents

The Danger of Eating Dessert First

The Complete Guide to Raising Your Kids to Be Rulebreakers without Ruining Their Lives (or Yours)

Breaking Rules Can Help You Be Ah-Mazing

This Week in Rule Breaking

#notarule: winning at business and life by breaking rules that don’t exist

Our Unconventional Book Tour

This Week In Rule Breaking

This Week in Rule Breaking

Thou Shalt Always Remove Thy Nametag Immediately After An Event

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