But you know what I want to talk about?
3 rules that changed the way I approach my life.
RULE #1: Do the hard things in life early.
Think about trying to learn a new language now vs. when you were 5 years old. Or trying to start exercising at 50 vs. 25.
There's an old Chinese proverb that says, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."
I don't know about you guys, but I plan to be relaxing some day. That's why putting in the hard work now makes life so much easier. We all nod and agree — but what was one thing you did today that will make your future self's life 10x better?
The blunt truth is, you and I are both getting older. It's just a question of what our life is going to look like 10 years from now. Are we doing things that will ever pay off? Or are we just doing what's easy and convenient?
RULE #2: Life is not a Disney movie. Nobody's coming to rescue you.
When I once spoke at an all-girl's private high school, they shared this phrase: "A man is not a financial plan." I laughed, but it's actually a great lesson — and true for all of us, men and women. When I finally realized that nobody was going to magically come down from the sky to give me the secret code to get my Dream Job at Google, learn how to get better with women, or grow my business, THAT'S when I realized something I'd never internalized: Nobody's coming. It's all up to me.
At first, it was scary. Then it became comforting, because with each small win, I got more confident and knew I could do more and more.
RULE #3: Get help. Don't try to do it alone.
I spent so many unnecessary hours trying to do things on my own out of pure pride. "Oh, I shouldn't ask for help … I should do it on my own … I don't want to bother anybody..."
The truth is, YES — you should do your basic homework on your own.
But if I had just borrowed a book from the library, or asked someone for help, I could have saved years of time and mistakes. Now I do that by taking classes, hiring tutors, even just taking people out to coffee for advice. I learned that people WANT to help you. And there's no reason to reinvent the wheel when you can learn from others, then apply your special skills to create a uniquely Rich Life for yourself.
Brutally honest questions to ask yourself: When was the last time you invested in yourself? Asked for help? Hired a tutor? If the answer is never, think about all the things you're trying to do on your own. Don't let your barriers get in the way of your success.
Do you see the pattern here?
I love thinking about people reading these rules. I can see hundreds of thousands of people nodding, "That's clever, Ramit, haha. Good rules." Then they keep walking and toss their half-eaten apple in the trash and never think about these again.
A very small number of readers actually stop and say, "Wait a second. Am I actually doing these? What could I do that would give my future self a 10x better life?"
Do you see the pattern here?
In life, there are people who nod pleasantly and do nothing differently, settling for mediocrity. Then there are people who make bold, unconventional choices and reap the rewards.
A lot of times, you can see the people who settle just by looking at their faces. They're the people who trudge to work, say things like "it's just a job," and complain to their friends … but in the end, they do nothing to change it.
The people who make unconventional choices realize that the world wants them to be vanilla, but they have no intention of listening. They're willing to do things differently, make unpopular choices, even fail a couple times as they learn, because they know that to live a Rich life, they have to DO things that others will not.
The difference is stark. The first group — the people who settle — are petrified of risk. They're afraid of failing, of trying something and ending up with egg on their face ("If I try that and fail, that's just one more thing I've failed at … and that means I might actually just be terrible at this whole thing").
You see this reluctance in the weirdest places:
- "What if I wear that and someone laughs at me?"
- "What if I say hi to her, but don't know what to say after that?"
- "What if I get that job and can't do it?"
Then you see the people who make different choices. They have a totally radical way of looking at life. These people think, what if I DON'T?
They know that if they focus on just a few BIG WINS, they can radically improve the quality of their lives. The money. The freedom. The FUN.
You want that? To be able to buy a round of drinks without worrying about the cost? To be able to have the freedom to try new things at work, and know your boss will always back you up? And to be paid handsomely because you're doing work that nobody else can do?
One of the biggest wins you can ever get is a Dream Job.
Not only is it where you spend 8+ hours a day, it also gives you an incredibly stable part of your Tripod of Stability — which lets you travel more, create a business that runs while you sleep, or even just have more fun without worrying about buying a $10 appetizer.
Think about it: How often do you see someone who has a successful life but HORRIBLE job? NEVER!
People laugh about how bad their jobs are, complain to their friends and spouses every night, curse their alarm clocks every morning … but never do a thing about it!
There is a better way.
There's a step-by-step system you can use to find your Dream Job and add an amazing Big Win to your life. You can't learn it from most career experts, because most of them haven't gotten a top-tier job EVER. Why do they spend so much time talking about changing the fonts on your resume? Answer: It's all they know!
But you can learn it from the Dream Job Suite — which thousands of people have used with tremendous results. In fact, you can use this program to find out what your Dream Job is — and then exactly how to apply, nail the interview, and even negotiate thousands of dollars more.
FIVE powerful courses in one
Dream Job Suite isn't just one course. It's a hand-picked collection of our best career training, giving you proven strategies and tactics for succeeding at every step of the job search and success career process.
Dream Job Suite includes:
- Find Your Dream Job – Our flagship course on finding and landing a job you love
- Overnight Resume Makeover – The fast-and-effective way to create a resume that opens doors and speaks to busy hiring managers
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-
No-Stress Negotiation – Get paid what you're worth with this fun guide to making the most of any salary negotiation or performance review
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How to Talk to Anybody – Bite-sized, low-stress hacks for brushing up your social skills to make any interview, meeting, conference or party successful and enjoyable
