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8 principles for self-investment

There’s no better investment you can make than in yourself. Maybe that’s why everyone is always trying to get a piece of you.

There’s a lot of money to be made in breaking people down. Attention, fear, and insecurity are mined out of you like iron ore from the side of a mountain.

Here’s how to fight back to invest in yourself:

1. Reject materialism: The more things you want, the more money you need. The more money you need, the more likely you’ll have to make compromises in your work. You’ll have to do things you don’t enjoy, just to support your materialism. Your cost-of-breathing goes up, and you spend your resources paying others, instead of paying yourself. Recognize when materialism is being thrown in your face, and block that nonsense like you were Hakeem Olajuwon.
2. Be a minimalist: You don’t have to cut everything down to 15 items. Minimalism is relative. What’s minimalist for you may be different from what’s minimalist for another person. Be wary of when your things become a distraction.
3. Live where you thrive: Maybe this is your tiny home town, maybe it’s a foreign country, or maybe it’s a different place every month. Hopefully, it’s not San Francisco or New York, for more than a couple years. The cost-of-breathing is too high, and your mind will be contaminated by delusional hype. Be honest with yourself about where your mind can thrive. What’s holding you back from living there?
4. Maximize the pursuit of curiosity: When you pursue your curiosity, it will lead you someplace no one else can go. Additionally, you can work harder than anyone on something you’re curious about. Take every dollar you earn, and double down on your curiosity. Trust that the dots will connect. You’ll be amazed where it takes you.
5. Learn on the job: Getting by as an independent entrepreneur takes time and work. If you have to work for someone else, take the job where you’ll learn the most (about what you’re curious about). Salary should be secondary to that.
6. Face your fears: Your fears of rejection and death are used against you every day. They are manipulated to make you want material things, and to take the safe route. Face your fears where you can, and deconstruct them where you can’t. Don’t jump out of an airplane, though. You have nothing to gain from that.
7. Block out distractions: They want your attention, and they don’t care at what costs. Don’t give it to them. Be mindful of your Facebook habit. Stop reading the news. Focus on what you know, or can control.
8. Love the act of work: Stop worrying about how to make the most money with the least work. Focus, instead, on what you can work on the hardest with the least fatigue. Ultimately, though, you’ll have to do that seemingly aversive act called “work.” Take pride in it, and congratulate yourself. That’s how your dreams become reality.

The world is full of distractions that want to hack your emotions and biases. Most people succumb, which makes those distractions even more prevalent. If you can block it all out, and focus on improving yourself, you will always be rich.

I talked to James Altucher about other ways to choose yourself. Listen to the interview »