Presented By Pulsar, official watch partner of the Supercar Championship.
Being a responsible adult takes work, but if you build the foundation while you’re young you’ll have a set of principles to guide you for the rest of your life. From dressing well to interacting with friends and colleagues, being a man is all about respecting yourself and those around you. Here are 12 rules every modern man needs to know to ensure a path to success.
1. Find yourself a good tailor
If there’s one thing you can do to start dressing better immediately, it’s finding clothes that fit you properly. The fit of your clothes is far more important than whether or not you can afford the highest-quality fabrics stitched together by world-class designers. So find a good tailor in your area and work on making sure you have a suit, some dress slacks, and some dress shirts that are specifically tailored to your body.
2. Always be on time
Respect other people’s time and they’ll respect yours as well. Pulsar, the official watch partner of the Supercars Championship, offers a distinctive range of stylish and accurate watches for all occasions, from the big board meeting you’ve been anticipating to a relaxing weekend with friends in a park – make sure you’re always on time.
3. Don’t pick fights or gossip on social media
Social media outlets offer us a conduit through which to share our emotions and opinions, and their rise has benefitted billions of people throughout the world. The problem is that many people choose to focus on their negative opinions and emotions in their digital lives. Don’t be one of those people; instead, use your social media presence to connect with people, keep in touch with loved ones, and share value for your followers.
4. Make purchases based on what you like, not with the goal of impressing others
Buying anything, whether it’s a car or new suit, because you think it will impress people around you reeks of desperation and is never a good look. Not to mention that it usually leaves you with a much lighter wallet and a house full of things you don’t really care about. Whenever you make a big purchase, make sure you’re buying it because it’s something that you truly want for yourself.
5. Dress with the goal of defining your personal style, not drawing attention to yourself
When choosing an outfit for a social event, gentlemen never dress with the goal of upstaging every other man attending. Instead, they work on building a personal sense of style that works for them, and find unique ways to stand out within this style without going over the top. There are numerous ways that you can add creative expression to your clothes, such as accessorising and dressing pieces up or down.
6. Avoid lifestyle creep in order to build your savings
A funny thing happens to many people when they finally get that promotion they’ve been working towards, or that bonus check comes in: they start to buy more expensive things accordingly, and suddenly they’re back to where they were before the influx of cash. It’s called lifestyle creep, and if you want to save for your future you have to curb it early. It’s nice to treat yourself when you have a little extra money, but try to develop a budget when you’re living on more modest means and stick with it (or only increase it slightly) even after you’re earning more.
7. When it comes to friendships, you get out what you put in
This is one of the hardest lessons to learn as you get older. Friends move away, become distracted by their own responsibilities, have babies, etc., and it becomes much harder for many men to stay in touch on a deep level after they’ve left the confines of college. It’s worth making a commitment to maintaining your friendships, both because people with stronger friendships generally report being more satisfied in life, but also because there comes a time when everyone needs a friend to be there for them.
8. Talk to your parents
Being independent is a wonderful thing, and finding your way on your own as a young professional can be a rich experience. However, don’t use that as an excuse for not giving time to the people who raised you for many years. Call your parents often (texting is great for day-to-day interactions, but they actually want to hear your voice occasionally), because they probably don’t ask you for much.
9. Master a few foolproof meals, even if you don’t love cooking
Being a responsible modern man means knowing how to cook a few things for yourself so you don’t have to order takeout every night. You don’t have to turn into someone who could host a cooking show, but knowing how to confidently prepare several meals for yourself is healthier and less expensive than the alternatives. Also, you never know when you might need to whip up dinner for a date night.
10. Follow conventions when it comes to social engagements
If someone takes the time to invite you to an event, then you can take the time to RSVP promptly, and stick to your decision unless there’s an emergency. Additionally, unless the host indicated that you could bring a guest and knows you are bringing a guest, don’t bring a guest. You may think it’t just one more serving of food, but unexpected attendees can throw off the host’s plan entirely.
11. Never sacrifice your integrity
The world is full of surprises, challenges, and tragedies, but one of the few things you have that’s entirely under your control is your integrity. Treat it with the reverence it deserves.
12. Keep a neat home
Gentlemen always clean up after themselves, even if they aren’t expecting anyone to drop by. It demonstrates to you and those around you that you take pride in your personal space and put in the work to maintain it.
