From: alexhormozi
This article explores key lessons learned about self-improvement and the value of humility, drawing from post-college experiences . It highlights the importance of continuous learning, self-awareness, and a giving mindset for personal growth and success.
Humility in Learning and Interaction
A foundational lesson is that one makes better decisions and learns more by assuming they are “dumber than everyone else” . This contrasts sharply with the college mindset of showing intelligence through constant talking . In the real world, this behavior led to a lack of learning and feelings of shame when encountering more accomplished individuals .
Fundamentally, learning requires listening . By shifting from self-promotion to listening, one can gain valuable insights, even from less experienced individuals . This approach allows for greater understanding of others’ situations and career paths , leading to better decisions .
“Fundamentally you can’t learn if you’re talking and so if you’re trying to learn then not talk talking is the first requisite for doing that and if you want to make better decisions than you need to learn”
Redefining Humility
Humility is often misunderstood as thinking less of oneself . However, a more beneficial definition, attributed to Harvard Professor Clayton Christensen, is “not decreasing your regard for self but increasing your regard for others” .
Instead of posturing to gain liking, true status is gained by giving more to a group than one receives . This applies to companies, where giving more than the company gives back is rewarded . People who only take from the group are often ostracized . Serving others and giving them status ultimately leads to receiving status and respect in return .
Pillars of Self-Improvement
Self-improvement is a continuous journey that requires consistent effort and a clear understanding of one’s goals and values.
Earning Self-Respect
The hardest respect to earn is one’s own . A poor reputation, often stemming from irresponsible behaviors, cannot be changed through external PR or marketing . The true path to changing one’s reputation begins with changing one’s own behavior to align with desired respectability . Initially, external perceptions may not change, but as behavior shifts, reputation slowly follows . This process starts with respecting oneself first, which then encourages others to do the same .
Focused Effort and Deliberate Learning
Reading one great book five times is more beneficial than reading five mediocre books . Many books are skimmed or discarded quickly if not worth reading, as their intent might not be to transmit true knowledge but rather to gain notoriety or sell other products . Older books are often better because they were written with the intention of transmitting knowledge to future generations .
When a truly valuable book is found, it should be read repeatedly until its concepts can be taught to others . If behavior doesn’t change as a result of reading, then nothing has been learned, and the time spent was wasted . The goal is to deeply understand the knowledge to change behavior .
Eliminating Distractions for Singular Focus
Champions often lack what others have, meaning they have eliminated distractions and sacrificed more . They are ruthless with their time and have a low tolerance for relationships that don’t align with their standards . While younger, the speaker believed in saying “yes” to every opportunity, which led to being distracted and spread thin . True champions exhibit singular focus and are willing to say “no” to everything else . This relates to eliminating distractions for self-improvement.
The Power of Consistency
Extraordinary accomplishments result from doing ordinary things for extraordinary periods of time . There are no shortcuts; consistent execution of basics is key . The extraordinary nature of an action comes from the commitment to it, not the action itself . For example, working out consistently for decades, or practicing a skill over and over, is what creates mastery, not a single impressive instance . This emphasizes the value of focused effort and consistency in personal growth.
Prioritizing and Doing Things Well
“If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well” . This saying has two interpretations:
- Selectivity: Many activities undertaken are not worth doing in the first place . It’s crucial to evaluate if a task is truly worth doing, considering the time it will take to do it well .
- Excellence: Once an activity is deemed worth doing, it must be executed with high quality . Focusing on fewer, more impactful tasks allows for greater quality and effectiveness . The difference between “good” and “great” work is vast, often requiring five to ten times more effort to achieve greatness . This demands being highly selective about which few things to pursue .
Embracing the Entrepreneurial Cycle
The entrepreneurial journey is not linear but cyclical: failure leads to learning, learning leads to success, success leads to complacency, and complacency leads to failure . The goal is to recognize this cycle and minimize the complacency phase .
This perspective helps reframe failures as learning opportunities and successes as temporary highs that will eventually lead to new challenges . This detached view removes negative judgment and helps maintain emotional balance .
The Cost of Ignorance
There is a “true reality” that people are often blinded to by false beliefs accumulated throughout life . Much of the entrepreneurial path involves shedding these false truths to see the world more clearly . People who achieve great success often have a more accurate view of reality .
The concept of “ignorance tax” or “ignorance debt” highlights the financial and personal cost of not knowing crucial information . Investing money to gain knowledge and accelerate the process of seeing the world more clearly is invaluable . One can learn from anyone who is more successful, regardless of perceived ethical differences, by understanding what they believe to be true that others do not . This is an example of investing in self-education and skills development.