Rule 35

This is key. It took unbelievable amounts of work to get to this point. Now you've got the job, you boss loves you, the work is great, the colleagues are peachy keen – let’s not f*** up the landing. Observing The Rules is about discipline. Lifelong, unrelenting control of self, reactions, and impulses. You've got to get a handle on it and stay focused on your goals.

Say, for instance, your boss promised to have lunch with you. You'd wanted to talk to her for quite some time; there are some professional opportunities at work you want to pursue. Not anything as serious as a new job or promotion within her department, but you are ready for increased responsibility and want to bounce some ideas off of her. At the last minute, she cancels on you in order to have lunch with her boss or some other bigwigs from the company. Do you get pissed off? Do you act sullen, bitter, and resentful? Do you take it out her by sneaking out early or coming in late out of spite? No. You go out to lunch with someone else, or you cheerfully tell her as soon as she lets you know she has to cancel, “Oh, that’s great – I have to get on some things that just came up”. Explain no more, look as if you're in a hurry, and sprint off to nowhere in particular. Just make sure you look brisk and purposeful as you get out of there as quickly as possible.

Never let them think you have no life other than them. Make them concerned that if they don't keep their scheduled time with you, they might not get any. In addition, be quite busy for the next couple of days; make your boss work to set the appointment back up with you. If you really mean something to her, she'll pursue you to reschedule.