I’ve divided the main part of The Rules of Life into four areas – you, your partner, your family and friends, and your social circle and the wider world (including work) – to represent the four unconscious circles we all draw around ourselves.

Let’s begin with the most important of these, the Rules for ourselves – personal Rules, Rules for us. These are the Rules that will help get us out of bed in the mornings, face the world with a positive air and navigate our way safely and successfully through our day, no matter what may arise. These are the Rules that will help reduce stress levels, give us the right kind of outlook, encourage us to set our own standards and have goals to aim for.

I guess that for each and every one of us, these Rules will have to be adapted to take into account our upbringing, our age and our situation. We all need to have personal standards to live up to. They will vary from person to person, but it is vitally important to have them. Without them we are adrift and unable to monitor how we are doing. With them we have a firm centre, somewhere we can get back to, somewhere to touch base and recharge. They are our benchmark for personal progress.

But it’s not all about standards; it’s also about lightening up, having fun, enjoying life.