INTERESTING GYAN

2021 has been transformational for me in many ways. Here are 20 of my biggest reflections and affirmations: Showing up is a skill Some will show up most days, very few show up every day. The resolve to keep showing up will set you apart. Remember, success happens slowly and then all at once. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. Imposter syndrome is simply the price of surrounding yourself with people chasing excellence. That feeling means you’re keeping up with them. When doubt creeps in, embrace: “the tranquility that comes when you stop caring what *they* say. Or think, or do. Only what you do.” Work-life balance is bullsh*t. Excellence in either endeavor requires an on-off switch. Too many people operate, instead, with a dimmer which just leads to mediocrity in both areas. Judging others is easy because it distracts us from the responsibility of judging ourselves. People will rise—or fall—to the level of your expectations. Be careful not to ...

 10 sales tactics that work: 1/ Stage out the conversation  One conversation is just that: another conversation. Land a second, and now you’re being “evaluated”. Don’t try to jam through everything in the first convo.  Do just enough to pique their interest and land that second meeting. 2/ Do your homework If you’re pitching a customer, use their product, Read about the company and the person you’re talking to. Ultimately, this proves that you will do the work to make their lives easier. It’s so powerful yet so easily overlooked. 3/ Ask about the decision making process Who is required to make a decision like this? What would you need to see from me to be able to buy? How long will it take to make a decision?  These questions give you the roadmap on how to close the deal. 4/ Don’t always demo Sometimes it’s habit to jump straight into a demo. If someone wants to talk first, do that. This could consume a whole first conversation. Which gives you a great excuse for tha...

 Seek wealth, not money or status. Wealth is having assets that earn while you sleep. Money is how we transfer time and wealth. Status is your place in the social hierarchy. Understand that ethical wealth creation is possible. If you secretly despise wealth, it will elude you. Ignore people playing status games. They gain status by attacking people playing wealth creation games. You’re not going to get rich renting out your time. You must own equity - a pieace of a business - to gain your financial freedom. You will get rich by giving society what it wants but does not yet know how to get. At scale.Pick an industry where you can play long term games with long term people. The Internet has massively broadened the possible space of careers. Most  people haven't figured this out yet. Play iterated games. All the returns in life, whether in wealth, relationships, or knowledge, come from compound interest. Pick business partners with high intelligence, energy, and, above all, integ...

 Do not spend too much time trying to be more physically attractive in order to just impress your crush rather than making yourself mentally attractive. Educate yourself, address your recurring toxic thoughts, deal with insecurities and learn to be happy on your own.  That's attractive. Normalize saying "NO" without needing to over-explain yourself. If Someone is offended by your boundaries,that's their problem. The best weight you will ever lose is the other people's opinion of you. Before you get married, discuss bills, parenting styles, credit debt, how to deal with family, what belief will be instilled in your children,childhood traumas, sexual expectations, partner expectations, financial expectations,family,health history,bucket list, dream home, career, and education, political views and what ever else come in mind. LOVE IS NOT ENOUGH

  Throughout my career, only about 5% of my coworkers were top performers. They crushed it both inside and outside of the office. I took notes. I studied what they did.  They all had the same 12 characteristics that made them wildly successful people. 1: Positive Successful people are relentlessly positive. They expect things to go right, and more times than not, they do. The Placebo Effect works. 2: Produce Consumers spend money. Watch TV. Play video games. Producers make money. They write They create They build Success is attracted to those who produce. 3: Confident They believe that they belong, even when they don't. They speak confidently and ignore the haters. Turn impostor syndrome on its head and you have a recipe for success. 4: Risk-tolerant Successful people take risks, period. Investments Businesses Inventions New paths Moving Playing it safe doesn't breed success. 5: Patient Unsuccessful people quit too early (and too often). But, "Never give...

I read a book that blew my mind a little and I can’t stop telling people about it. It explains why so many people dedicate their lives to achieving things that make them miserable. This might sound crazy, but an unseen force is pushing you towards empty and unfulfilling goals… No, I didn't read Dianetics ;-) The book is called ‘Wanting’, by an guy named Luke Burgis. It’s about mimetic desire. An academic theory popularized by Peter Thiel. At face value, it barely sounds worth mentioning: When the people around you want something, we want it too…Let’s say you’re at a bar. You’re about to order a beer but your friend orders a martini. “I’ll have one too actually” - you wanted a beer, but you were influenced to switch. Ok, so what? But now lets take it to the next level… Let’s say your friend raises money for her startup. You start comparing.  You're happily bootstrapped. “Why was she able to raise more?” “How did she get Sequoia on board?” "Wow that valuation..." “I sho...

  How to be happy:   Learn your true preferences. Life becomes much more pleasant once you stop chasing the preferences of others.  Try new things, take what works, and throw away the rest.  Treat your life as an adventure, not a competition. A good life is a story you're proud of. There's no score.  Happiness is about getting in the flow. For most things, go with intensity over consistency. Balance your life at the macro level, not the micro.  The purpose of work (after securing basic necessities) is to support your preferred lifestyle. If working hard is degrading your life, what's the point?  The best things in life are free, and they're not worth sacrificing for the possibility of the getting the second best things.  As soon as you can afford to, optimize your life for maximum enjoyment. The deferred lifestyle is too risky.  As soon as you can afford to, only work on what gives you energy. Only intrinsic motivation lasts.  Procrastin...