Heneghan’s Rules

Over the years I have put together a set of rules covering a variety of topics about finance, research, life, marriage, etc. These are listed below. I have put my name in the title because I gathered these thoughts here. I did not write them all. I try to give credit where the source is known. Some are listed as Heneghan’s Rules of… I wrote those. I also authored several  (but not all) of the other rules. Some are generally common knowledge If I have failed to credit one of these rules or credited incorrectly – please let me know.

Heneghan’s Overriding Rule of Success

Dare To Succeed – Aim Low – but be prepared to be lucky.

Rules of Life

  1. Don’t die with vacation on the books.
  2. The woods is no place to go on a fucking diet. Pardon the vulgarity, but I don’t write all the rules. (Pete Hodes)
  3. Never let what you don’t know stop you from doing it.
  4. Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately accounted for by incompetence. (Hanlon’s Razor)
  5. Rule 4 doesn’t apply to financial matters.
  6. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
  7. Never go skiing ’til after you wake up. (Sid Carlson)
  8. Never say no to a cute young blond.
  9. Never confuse having a career with having a life. (Marlin Vangsness)
  10. Never use the ends to justify the means

Things to Remember

  1. Life is too short to drink cheap wine (cheap champagne is another matter). (T-shirt wisdom)
  2. There is very little in the world that 12 hours in the sack won’t cure.
  3. Proper preparation prevents poor performance (PPPPP)
  4. Mother doesn’t always know best
  5. They lie.

Heneghan’s Rules of Inquiry

  1. Ask the right person
  2. Ask the right question
  3. Ask politely

Heneghan’s Rules of Assumption/Approximation

  1. If you make an assumption, be sure to check its veracity before putting any faith in the answer.
  2. If your assumption is really an approximation, the best you can hope for is an approximate answer.
  3. If you make an assumption or an approximation, make sure it simplifies the problem.
  4. If you’re gonna be wrong, there is no need for precision

Heneghan’s Simplified Rules of Accountability

  1. Corporate Responsibility: The corporation responsible for the product is accountable.
  2. Research responsibility: The lead author is responsible for the contents of an article.
  3. Political responsibility: Credit should be given to the same person that would be blamed had things turned out differently.

Rule of Threes for Presentation
(or the T-B-P rules)

  1. T – Tell them what your going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them. (The tell, tell, tell technique)
  2. B –Bullets, Three to a slide
  3. P – Practice, Practice, Practice

Three Rules on Growing Old (for Men) (Manny Hellman)

  1. Never pass a bathroom
  2. Never ignore a hard-on
  3. Never trust a fart

Heneghan’s Yin Yang Rules for Good Health

  1. Spend Less, Save More (good for financial health)
  2. Eat Less, Exercise More (good for physical health)
  3. Work Less, Recreate More (good for mental health)

Heneghan’s (Yin – Yang) Rules for Wealth Creation

  1. Get married; stay married
  2. Buy a home; keep it
  3. Buy a car; keep it

Double Entendre’ Rule for Financial Success
AKA the Golden Rule of Savings

Learn to live well within your means

Heneghan’s Rule for a Successful Marriage

Make sure honeymoons outnumber anniversaries by one.