• Never volunteer for anything.

I learnt this from Reacher. In the novel series, Jack Reacher famously never volunteers for anything and he follows this rule because apparently that's the soldier's rule. And the more I thought about it, the more it makes sense.

"And no soldier does more than he has to. No soldier ever has, since Alexander the Great first put his army together. Initiative in the ranks usually ends in tears."

Because if you're given a task, and you screw up, s**t happens. But if you volunteer for something, and then you screw up, it looks worse.

• I don't stand in line unless strictly necessary

This is a very hard rule for me. I hate standing in line. Absolutely hate it. I only do it when it's strictly necessary, for example if I'm waiting for a doctor's appointment or if I'm at the airport.

Otherwise, I just don't. I've been to Paris maybe seven or eight times, and I've been to London like 20 times, but I've never been to the top of the Eiffel Tower or the London Eye, precisely because of that.

Actually, come to think of it, this is the only rule I genuinely never ever ever break (apart from the aforementioned exceptions, of course, like going to the doctor).

• I don't argue (especially on the internet)

I don't like arguing. Admittedly, it's also because I'm not good at it, but mostly I just consider it a waste of time and energy. When's the last time you changed your mind because of (or after) an argument? I bet the answer is you don't remember. Which is the same as never.

People do change their mind, but they do it after months or years, after people they trust calmly and patiently explained to them why they were wrong. It takes patience, and time.

No one changes their mind about something after an argument, especially online.

So I just don't argue. I make my case, I make my point, but I see confrontation and aggression on the other side, I just stop replying (online) or simply change the subject (irl).

• No (refined) sugar for me

Obviously there's sugar in a lot of stuff we eat daily. But, broadly speaking, I don't eat sugar, especially refined sugar. Translated, no cakes, no cookies, no chocolate and so on.