How to be Successful
“Getting rich is about knowing what to do, who to do it with, and when to do it” ~ Naval Ravikant
Before I proceed any further with what it takes to be successful, let me first state upfront that I am not trying to involve you in a Ponzi scheme and I’m not going to tell you to invest in this crypto or that crypto — even though I believe blockchain is going to be fundamental in a decentralized world. Think of this medium story as a collection of arguments against the common path to success.
Myth #1: More Work = More Money
This is simply not true. By and by, society just tries to disseminate the idea that hard work breeds success: the more you work, the more money you make. If this were true, then workers in sweatshops would be the most successful. There is a reason why the average software engineer who clocks in 9 to 5 is not as successful as Elon. Don’t get me wrong here. Hard work is important. We cannot just skip hard work. Before PayPal and Tesla became big, Elon also had to crank out 100 hour workweeks. But the fact is, raw work alone does not cut it.
Myth #2: You are in a rat race and there’s only one winner
Since my childhood, which spans continents by the way, I’ve heard this idea that we are all somehow in this rat race — where anyone and everyone is competing for the same scarce resource. Absolutely not true. Every human being is not created equal (I mean in a creative sense). Each of us has our own unique strengths and weaknesses, so we all, whether you believe it or not, have something to contribute to the economy. And in a complete free market, if each of us produces original work — something innate in all human beings — everyone can be winners. Quit the zero-sum attitude. It’s not you versus the rest of the world. It’s you versus the best-version of yourself: whatever that may be.
Myth #3: Follow what Warren Buffett or Bill Gates or X or Y does to be rich
This is one of my pet peeves when I hear relatives and friends start telling me to follow Mr. Buffett or Bill’s path to success. I don’t despise this because I am an egotistical maniac who thinks he knows everything. Although, I do think a bit of humility here and there may not be so bad ;) Anyways, I digress. This is a bad idea because when you start measuring yourself with someone or something, you already set a maximal limit on your success. So, you restrict yourself before even you begin. Secondly, like I was saying before, each of us is a unique creature, so don’t compare. Understand your psychology, logically decipher what you desire and need in terms of wealth and work backwards from there.
That’s all for now!
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