How to become the richest person in the world
Or what advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?
Who is the richest person in the world — Is it the one with the biggest bank balance and the biggest penthouse? Or the one at the peak of their physical health? Or is it the one most at peace within themselves mentally? Or the one with the most profound & deep friendships?
For true prosperity, you need all of these.
A billion dollars cannot replace the body one is born with. It cannot buy one the joy of a decades-old friendship. It cannot buy mental peace. In a way, all these are “free” for everyone to acquire. At the same time, each of these takes a lifetime to develop and maintain.
Hence, in life, whatever you do, focus on these things (in order of priority) -
1. Health
Respect your body. It is your interface to the world and the most sophisticated machine in existence.
Your health will determine your quality of life more than anything else. For enjoying the food you eat, you need a healthy digestive system. For enjoying time with friends & family, you need to not be in chronic bodily pain. While traveling, it helps to be in good shape. Even your mental state, your brain power, and your emotions are strongly influenced by how well your body is keeping.
Make sure you understand what is needed to be in good physical health. And then do what’s needed. It will essentially mean i) having a good diet, ii) having an exercise regimen, and iii) regulating alcohol & other bad habits. Prioritise getting doctor’s treatment for health issues, don’t let them fester. Health issues have a habit of compounding.
Life’s uncertainties may impact your health — you may develop a chronic condition for no fault of your own. Buy insurance, and develop healthy habits early so you are prepared for such an event.
2. Habits & Routines
One does most things out of habit. Habits determine what you do first thing in the morning, how well you sleep, and everything in between. Mental habits even determine what you think.
Develop a morning routine, a routine for weekends. Remove in-the-moment decision-making as much as possible. Start meditating.
The master habit is a weekly review(credits: Getting Things done). Block out some time over the weekend to think about life, clarify your priorities and how are you making progress toward them. Think about what you did the previous week and plan the week forward. Regular contemplation in this manner helps you to take a step back from the mayhem of day-to-day life, and get your balance back.
Habits take a lifetime to build. They also need to be context-dependent. Be open to changing or optimising habits when the situation demands it.
3. Relationships
Human connection gives meaning to life more than anything else. A billion dollars can’t buy you a friendship built over many decades. Enrich your life with meaningful relationships.
Do not let overwhelm at work suffocate your relationships. Always take out time for staying in touch with family & friends. Travel to meet them in person. Be a witness to each others’ struggles & successes. And in your darkest times, when you feel lost, it will be this human network that shall stop your free fall.
4. Wealth
Do focus on building wealth but remember that the primary purpose of wealth is to buy you freedom. Freedom to do what you want, when you want. Freedom to help the people around you, freedom to work towards making the world a better place.
Balance present & future. Don’t forget to enjoy the present & don’t forget to plan for the future. Insurance, savings & investments are mandatory.
Don’t inculcate overly expensive hobbies. Know that we already live in a world of abundance, with more books, music, and movies available than is possible to consume in multiple lifetimes. The whole of human knowledge is already at your fingertips for free.
5. A Life Philosophy
What are you here for? What are your values? What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing?
One needs to answer these questions. This is your decision-making framework and you are the same as the decisions you make consistently. There is no divine answer to these questions, a fact that is frightening & liberating at the same time.
Why are these questions important? Because they determine who you really are. In the lack of such clarity, one is akin to a ship with no destination. This ship goes east one day, the next day the wind changes and it goes north, then maybe southwest, on & on wondering why it feels like it isn’t getting anywhere. What’s happening is that the ship’s captain, analogous to the soul of a person, has lost control of the ship. The captain of a ship, the soul of a person, is in-charge only if the ship is heading toward a destination.
Note that one is permitted to change their answer to these questions. We may enjoy doing different things at different points in time. We are constantly learning & growing as a person after all.
