Richard Templar is the author of the international bestselling Rules books. Over 2 million people around the world have enjoyed and now play by Richard Templar's Rules. The complete list of titles is as follows: The Rules of Life, The Rules of Work, The Rules of Management, The Rules of Wealth, The Rules of Parenting, The Rules of Love, The Rules to Break, The Rules of People, The Rules of Thinking, and The Rules of Living Well.

Think for yourself 

1 Avoid echo chambers 

2 Don't be scared 

3 Consider the motive 

4 Beware self-interest 

5 Keep hold of your heartstrings 

6 Don't be gullible 

Resilient thinking 

7 Know who you are 

8 Seek out support 

9 Take control 

10 Be flexible 

11 Be self-aware 

12 It is what it is 

13 Don't get over-distracted 

14 Like yourself 

15 Be ready to cope 

16 Better out than in 

17 Cut yourself some slack 

Healthy thinking 

18 Think yourself happy 

19 Focus on other people 

20 Be in the present 

21 Stress is optional 

22 Normality isn't normal 

23 Evaluate your emotions 

24 Laugh at yourself 

25 Keep learning 

26 No one likes to be incompetent 

27 Practice makes progress 

28 Turn off the action replays 

29 Sidestep bad habits 

30 Appreciate semantics 

31 Keep the bar steady 

32 Look for the spin 

Organised thinking 

33 Believe in being organised 

34 Learn to love a list 

35 Think outside your head 

36 Don't overload your RAM 

37 Make deadlines your friend 

38 Don't indulge decision making 

39 Get creatively organised 

Thinking creatively 

40 Train your brain 

41 Feed your mind 

42 Get in the mood 

43 Open up 

44 There are no rules 

45 Spot the box 

46 Think like someone else 

47 Make connections 

48 Make mistakes 

49 Forget about other people 

Problem solving 

50 Clear your emotions out of the way 

51 Make sure there's really a problem 

52 Check you're solving the right problem 

53 Loosen up 

54 Don't settle for your first answer 

55 If it's plausible, it's worthwhile 

56 Find a way in 

57 Don't get bogged down 

58 Try a new angle 

59 Don't panic 

60 Get help 

Thinking together 

61 You're better together 

62 Play to everyone's strengths 

63 Think like a hive 

64 Leave your ego behind 

65 Keep an eye on the quiet ones 

66 Question groupthink 

67 Conflict is OK 

68 Think up a storm 

69 Have stupid ideas 

70 Keep in synch 

Making decisions 

71 Decide what you're deciding 

72 Don't start at square two 

73 Set yourself boundaries 

74 Untangle the knots first 

75 Go for Goldilocks 

76 Vet your advisors 

77 Be your own advisor 

78 Don't jump to conclusions 

79 Understand your emotions 

80 Balance logic and emotion 

81 Learn to compromise 

82 Find option C 

83 Assess the cost of a bad decision 

84 Regret is a waste of energy 

85 Be honest about procrastinating 

Critical thinking 

86 Read John Donne 

87 Don't be played for a fool 

88 Stand back and take in the view 

89 Look for what comes next 

90 Don't bother your pretty little head 

91 Consider the odds 

92 Facts are neutral 

93 Don't trust statistics 

94 Understand cause and effect 

95 If you can't prove it's true, that doesn't mean it isn't 

96 Don't believe it just because everyone else does 

97 Don't believe it just because you want to 

98 Be devil's advocate 

99 Don't go into lockdown 

100 Opinions aren't facts 

A personal code to think yourself smarter, wiser and happier

We all envy the natural thinkers of this world. They have the best ideas, make the smartest decisions, are open minded and never indecisive.

Is there something they know that the rest of us don't? Is it something we can all learn? The answer is a resounding yes. They know
The Rules of Thinking.

These Rules are the guiding principles that show you how to make wiser decisions, stop procrastinating, know when to compromise, avoid mistakes, find other options, think well with others, stop obsessing about things, keep your brain active, be more creative, and have happy, healthy thoughts.