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Get up. Hit the bag every day. Contribute to society. Be kind. Stay healthy. Keep your word. And be happy, because life is short and it moves fast.

That’s how I look at it.

I want to do something with my day. Build something. Fix something. Earn something. Help somebody. When I lay my head down at night, I want to know I put something into the world.

Some days you get a lot done. Other days, you’re dealing with problems you never saw coming. You still have to get up and handle what’s in front of you.

Keep Showing Up

“Hit the bag” is how I describe that daily work.

Make the call. Get the workout in. Finish the job. Have the conversation you’ve been putting off. Take care of your responsibilities.

You don’t need to wake up feeling inspired every morning. There are plenty of mornings when you won’t. Discipline is what gets you moving anyway.

And sometimes you’re going to have to figure things out while you’re doing them. I’ve done that plenty of times. You make a decision with what you know, learn something, and adjust.

You can spend a whole lot of your life waiting until you feel ready.

Own Your Mistakes

I’ve made mistakes. I’ve made decisions I wouldn’t make again.

Having principles doesn’t mean you’ve lived every day perfectly. It means you have something to answer to when you fall short.

Own what you did. Ask for forgiveness. Make it right where you can. Learn from it and carry that lesson into the next day.

I believe in forgiveness, including being able to forgive yourself. There are things you can regret without spending the rest of your life standing in the same spot.

You still have a life to live and responsibilities to handle. Get up and get back to work.

Be Useful. Be Kind. Keep Your Word.

Contributing to society can be pretty simple.

Do good work. Treat people fairly. Help someone solve a problem. Share something you know. Leave a place better than you found it.

There’s value in fixing a car, cleaning something up, or doing a job somebody needs done. I respect useful work. I’ve spent a lot of my life doing it.

And be kind. You don’t always know what somebody is carrying around.

You can be direct. You can have boundaries. You can say no and still treat people with respect.

Keep your word, too. If you tell somebody you’re going to do something, follow through. If something changes, pick up the phone and tell them. People should be able to count on what you say.

Take Care of Yourself

Stay healthy. Move your body. Pay attention to what you’re putting into it.

I want the energy to work, travel, build cars, and enjoy the things I’m working toward. Taking care of myself belongs in the daily routine.

You only get so much time here. I want to be able to participate in mine.

Be Happy While You’re Living

This is probably the biggest part of my philosophy.

Life is short. And damn, it goes fast.

There’s always another goal, another bill, another problem to solve. It’s easy to start thinking you’ll enjoy yourself once everything is handled.

But days keep passing while you wait.

I have ambitions. I want to build things and make money. I also want to enjoy a morning, laugh with somebody, take a drive, and appreciate being alive today.

Happiness matters in the decisions I make. Who I spend my time with. What work I take on. Where I live. How I spend an ordinary Tuesday.

I want to build a life I’m happy to wake up to.

So that’s my philosophy.

Get up. Hit the bag. Do right. Keep your word. Be kind. Stay healthy. Contribute something.

When you screw up, own it. Figure it out. Keep moving.

And enjoy your life while you’re living it.

Let’s fucking go.

— Nicholas Francis
Modern Day Dealer