PRINCIPLES LIFE & WORK BRIDGEWATER
Worksheet · English
Principles:
Life & Work
Ray Dalio · Bridgewater Associates
Use this worksheet to engage actively with the 7 core ideas. Write your own thoughts, complete the practice tasks, and answer the reflection questions. There are no right answers – only your answers.
Name
Date
Re-read on
01
Reality & Truth
Embrace reality.
Don't wish it
were different.
Truth – even when painful – is the foundation of good outcomes. Avoiding reality is the fastest path to failure.
What does this mean to me?
In practice
When something goes wrong, resist the urge to explain it away. Write down exactly what happened, without interpretation. Then ask: what does this tell me about reality that I didn't want to see?
I tried this this week
Reflect
Is there a situation in your life right now where you might be avoiding the truth?
02
Pain + Reflection
Pain + Reflection
= Progress.
Every mistake and failure is a gift – if you take the time to understand what went wrong and why.
What does this mean to me?
In practice
After any significant setback, block 30 minutes to write down: what happened, why it happened, and what principle you can take from it. Dalio calls these 'leveraged learning moments'.
I tried this this week
Reflect
Think of your most recent significant mistake. Did you reflect on it – or did you move on as quickly as possible?
03
The 5-Step Process
Goals. Problems.
Diagnosis. Design.
Do the work.
Having good values isn't enough. You need a repeatable system for turning reality into results.
What does this mean to me?
In practice
Next time you face a persistent problem, don't jump to solutions. First ask: is this the actual problem, or is this a symptom? Keep asking 'why' until you reach something you can actually change.
I tried this this week
Reflect
Think of a recurring problem in your life. Have you been fixing symptoms rather than causes?
04
Radical Open-Mindedness
You might be
wrong. Act
accordingly.
The biggest barrier to good decisions is the desire to be right rather than to find out what's true.
What does this mean to me?
In practice
Identify your three strongest current beliefs. For each one, find the most credible person who disagrees with you and read their best argument. You don't have to change your mind – but you do have to genuinely engage.
I tried this this week
Reflect
Is there a belief you hold strongly that you've never seriously challenged?
05
Radical Transparency
Say what you think.
Hear what
others think.
Radical transparency is not brutal honesty. It is the systematic removal of information gaps that cause bad decisions.
What does this mean to me?
In practice
In your next important meeting or decision, ask: what am I not saying because it's uncomfortable? What is the other person not saying? What would change if everything relevant was on the table?
I tried this this week
Reflect
What are you currently not saying to someone that you probably should?
06
Believability-Weighted Decisions
Not all opinions
are equal.
Weight them.
Democracy of ideas is not the same as democracy of votes. The most believable voice should carry the most weight.
What does this mean to me?
In practice
Before your next important decision, map out who has the most relevant experience and track record. Weight their input more heavily than those with strong opinions but limited domain experience.
I tried this this week
Reflect
In a recent decision, did you give appropriate weight to the most experienced voices – or did you rely on your own opinion?
07
Work Principles
Build a machine.
Then work
on the machine.
The goal is not to do the work. The goal is to design the system that does the work well – and to keep improving that system.
What does this mean to me?
In practice
Choose one recurring problem in your work or life. Instead of fixing it again, ask: what in the system produces this problem repeatedly? What would have to change so that this problem stops occurring?
I tried this this week
Reflect
Are you working in your system or on your system? What's one thing you keep fixing that you should be designing away?
Core message
Reality + Reflection + System
= Progress.
Before you decide
"Do you actually know what you don't know – and do you have a system to find out?"
The idea that hit me most
What I will do differently this week
Will I buy this book? Why / why not?