The Case for Being an "Agreement Maxi"

Creating clear agreements and making sure they are published where they are easy to reference later will save you thousands of hours and lay the foundation for a life of flourishing collaborations.

From my personal experiences and life-long observations, I've come to realize a pivotal concept that determines our progress and success in any collective undertaking: agreements.

I've spent countless hours trying to fathom why some friendships, collaborations, and startups I was involved in weren't successful, despite investing a tremendous amount of time and effort into them. The answer, I discovered, almost always pointed back to the importance of crafting, clarifying, and adhering to agreements.

From my failures and successes, I've learned that the efficacy of agreements varies, ranging from personal commitments to professional arrangements with larger groups. People remember and value you when you stay true to your word.

This is why I want to shed light on the importance of becoming an…

“Agreement Maximalist.”

The Cornerstone of Civilization Is Agreements

Agreements, I believe, form the bedrock of human civilization. Without them, we can't achieve long-term goals, build complex structures, or even cultivate relationships that require considerable time and coordination. We need strong agreements that can guide us into a future of collective accomplishments, be it physical constructs like skyscrapers or intangible achievements like harmonious societies.

Every facet of human civilization depends on people creating and honoring agreements, from personal level commitments to larger group accords. The sooner we learn to make and uphold agreements with ourselves and others, the better we're equipped for collective successes.

The Role of a Leader Is To Fulfill Agreements

Leadership in any form necessitates the responsibility to make and maintain agreements. A leader, essentially, creates a meta agreement, taking responsibility for ensuring others hold true to their commitments. When a military general, for instance, signs a ceasefire agreement, it isn't just a piece of paper. It's a promise that he'll ensure all his troops also respect the ceasefire.

This ability to create and adhere to agreements isn't just a quality; it's a reputation earned over time. It's what separates leaders from the crowd.

Learning To Fulfill Self-Agreements Comes First

The journey begins with making and keeping agreements with yourself. When you set goals and consistently achieve them, you create a ripple effect of self-love and confidence. This confidence propels you to set and achieve progressively longer-term goals, from daily to monthly, quarterly, and even annual ones.

This process of trial and error and continuous revision of agreements helps in understanding your capabilities and, eventually, guiding others in the same process. A startup, after all, is a group of people led by someone who helps others assess their work timelines and collective achievements, like building an MVP or finding a product-market fit.

Written Agreements Are Essential For Team Love & Productivity

In my experiences with different teams, I've noticed that internal discord often arises when team members fail to meet expectations and agreements. The trickiest part is when there's a breach of trust over an assumed agreement that was never explicitly made, at least in the eyes of both parties.

This ambiguity paves the way for misunderstandings, disagreements, and often, an unhealthy work environment. Hence, the importance of being proactive about writing down and clarifying agreements cannot be overstressed.

Agreement-Making: A Timelessly Valuable Skillset to Learn ASAP

Agreements form the cornerstone of collective success. The more adept you become at setting and fulfilling agreements, the closer you are to ascending in leadership. Eventually, people will begin to trust you to guide them in deciding how to spend their time and help them achieve their goals. This is the fundamental role of a manager, and eventually, a CEO.

Start by writing down agreements for yourself, even if it's just personal fitness goals. Then, as you get comfortable, progress to writing agreements for your work, your relationships, and your friendships. This practice not only helps in personal development but is also crucial for the growth of human civilization.

I’ve learned the importance of this the hard way, through a series of mistakes and missteps. Agreement making is a skillset that needs to be honed. It requires responsibility but it’s also incredibly empowering. Life is about choices, and one of the most important choices we make is what agreements we enter into. It's an incredibly empowering skillset that can turn around your life and the success of your collective endeavors.

So, become an Agreement Maxi.

Let the beauty of agreement-making unfold before you and lead you towards a personal Golden Age, and a Golden Age for humanity.