For the past 10 years, Shaan Puri (@ShaanVP) has been keeping a little notebook with a scratch pad that he calls his “Money Wisdom Reminders to Self.” These are basically notes he writes down whenever he comes across something wise about wealth, whether it’s something he heard, read, or learned.
This video pairs well with Naval’s tweetstorm on ‘How to Get Rich.’
My Notes
Even if your outcome seems far off, often you only need a small shift to make a significant difference.
what matters is the small shifts that change your trajectory
Here are the small two-millimeter shifts that I believe most people need to make.
Shift #1: From Hard Work to Smart Work
The choices you make about the work you engage in and the people you surround yourself with have a far greater impact on your trajectory than just hard work.
What should you work on?
The goal is not to work as hard as you possibly can. So, what should you actually work on? That’s the most important question.
Naval Ravikant captures it perfectly when he says, “Find the thing that feels like play to you and work to others.”
Remember, it’s not just about immediate gratification. It’s about investing in activities you’re willing to pursue, even if they don’t yield immediate results.
From Consumption to Creation
Many of us are caught up in a cycle of consumption. We spend our time and money on things that provide short-term gratification but don’t contribute to our long-term success. Instead, we need to shift our focus to creation. What can we create that adds value to others? What can we build that will generate income and opportunities?
By shifting from being consumers to creators, we can tap into our creative potential and build something meaningful.
From Fixed Mindset to Growth Mindset
The rich aren’t just lucky. If we were to redistribute all the money in the world and give everyone an equal amount, let’s say $100,000, most of the rich people would become rich again after ten years. Wealth building is a skill that can be learned.
A growth mindset recognizes that we can develop and improve our skills through effort, learning, and practice Embracing a growth mindset allows us to see challenges as opportunities for growth, to persist in the face of setbacks, and to continuously learn and improve.
Shift #2: From Being Far from Money to Hanging Out with Money
You need to think like a wealthy person, act like a wealthy person, and then become a wealthy person. You need to focus on their habits—the small things they do on a daily basis that contribute to their wealth.
There are three ways to hang out with money:
Peers: Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who share the same dreams and aspirations as you. Find five people who are as serious or even more serious than you about achieving their goals. Create a support system by establishing a group chat, organizing weekly dinners, or even living together. Immerse yourself in an environment where everyone is dedicated to their pursuits, and you will all push each other to improve.
Mentors: Seek out mentors who have already achieved what you aspire to accomplish. Instead of asking them to be your mentor outright, approach them with a specific question or situation you’re dealing with. Ask for their advice, take massive action based on their guidance, and follow up with the results. Repeat this process three times, and you will naturally establish an informal mentor-mentee relationship. Remember, it’s about asking specific questions and demonstrating that you’ve implemented their advice.
Information Diet: Be mindful of the information you consume. Ask successful individuals what they listen to, read, and follow. You can hang out with wealthy individuals virtually through books, podcasts, YouTube channels, and social media. By incorporating their knowledge and experiences into your life, you will change the conversations you have and, in turn, your thinking and actions. The impact of these interactions can be powerful, even if they’re not in person.
Additionally, spending time with wealthy individuals in person can also broaden your perspective.
Immersing yourself in an environment where wealth is present can provide subconscious cues and make your dreams feel more tangible.
Shift number three: From Small Swings to Fat Pitches
Winners understand the value of waiting for fat pitches—those opportunities that offer high probability of success and significant upside. They don’t swing at every opportunity that comes their way; instead, they wait for the perfect pitch to maximize their chances of success.
Warren Buffett exemplifies this approach in investing. He focuses on what he understands and waits for truly attractive opportunities. While others may chase every stock, Buffett patiently waits for a fat pitch that aligns with his investment strategy. He understands that you only need to get one thing right to achieve significant wealth.
Learning to recognize fat pitches takes time and experience. During the first 10 years of your career, it’s crucial to work with the smartest and most resourceful people, engage in exciting projects, and reflect on your experiences.
Asymmetric information and asymmetric upside are important factors to consider when evaluating opportunities. Asymmetric information refers to having knowledge that others don’t, giving you an advantage. Asymmetric upside means the potential for significant gains outweighs the potential losses.
The key is to focus on quality over quantity. Rather than taking numerous small swings, concentrate on identifying and pursuing fat pitches. These are the opportunities that have the highest probability of success and offer substantial rewards.
To truly succeed, you must swing hard.
Winners follow up relentlessly. They don’t just make one attempt and give up. They double down on what’s working. They take every opportunity to push forward. Winners are willing to go the extra mile, whether it’s hopping on the next flight to meet someone in person or putting in the extra hours to make things happen.
Intensity is the real strategy.
The key takeaway is that winners don’t necessarily have a superior strategy; they execute the obvious things with greater intensity than others. To understand what maximum intensity looks like, you must observe and learn from real winners. Surround yourself with people who embody intensity and observe how they attack opportunities and challenges.
Summary
In summary, the three shifts are:
- Shifting from hard work to smart work, finding what feels like play to you but looks like work to others;
- Shifting from being far from money to hanging out with money, immersing yourself in environments and relationships that align with your goals; and
- Shifting from weak half swings to swinging hard, embracing intensity as the real strategy for success.
By implementing these shifts in your life, you can pave the way for remarkable achievements.
What your biggest takeaway?