Last year I embarked on a journey to distill my approach to work and life down to eight simple rules. Those rules became Octavo (8vo.ca).
The zine and the rules can be downloaded for free here and printed on any printer that accepts legal-sized paper.
What is Octavo?
Octavo (8vo) is both a format and a philosophy; it is a sheet of paper folded into 8 equal sections to form a book, and it is a philosophy folded into eight principles to form the architecture of how we work and live. Keep these principles posted wherever your work is done and refer to them often. Keep the zine in your back pocket at all times and refer to it when tempted to stray.
Both the principles and the zine are provided for free and can be printed from any monochrome printer that accepts legal-sized paper. Distribute as you see fit to your friends, family, and colleagues (but do not modify).
The Rules
It took nine months of writing and rewriting before I settled on the final eight rules encapsulating the spirit of how I want to work and live:
- Release the Kraken
For the right reasons - Lean into frustration
It’s what learning feels like - Fail like a cat
Often and gracefully - Keep space sacred
The mind doesn’t stop at the skull - Done > Perfect
Don’t let perfect stop progress - Keep it weird
If nobody hates it, nobody loves it - Be selfish with time
Meeting ≠ work - The big secret
Experts are mythical creatures
These eight rules are a reminder to me of how I want to work and live. I wrote them for me, my children, my staff, and you. If they resonate with you, then put them to good use. If they don’t, then go and make your own.