The Almanack of Naval Ravikant

Lessons from The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson

Building Wealth

Seek wealth, not money or status, wealth is assets that earn while you sleep, money is just a transfer mechanism
You will get rich by giving society what it wants but doesn't know how to get at scale
Play long-term games with long-term people, compound relationships and reputation over decades
Pick an industry where you can play long-term games and with long-term people, all returns come from compound interest
Learn to sell and learn to build, if you can do both, you will be unstoppable
Arm yourself with specific knowledge that cannot be trained or outsourced, develop unique skills others can't replicate
Embrace accountability and take business risks under your own name, society rewards those who take responsibility

Clear thinking requires destroying your identity and ego, let go of who you think you are to see clearly
The closer you want to get to the truth, the more silent you become, avoid having opinions on everything
It's easier to change yourself than to change the world, focus your energy on what you can control
Desire is a contract you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want
Peace is happiness at rest, happiness is peace in motion, contentment comes from within
You basically get rewarded in public for what you practice in private, develop skills consistently over time

Read what you love until you love to read, follow genuine curiosity rather than shoulds
The genuine love for reading itself, when cultivated, is a superpower, books contain centuries of knowledge
Learn to love to read because it's the foundation for the rest of your learning, everything else builds on this
Study microeconomics, game theory, psychology, persuasion, ethics, mathematics, and hard sciences
Learn persuasion and programming, these are leverage multipliers in the modern economy

Happiness is a choice and a skill developed over time, it's not dependent on external circumstances
All of man's troubles arise because he cannot sit quietly in a room alone, learn to be comfortable with solitude
Envy is the enemy of happiness, comparing yourself to others destroys contentment
The present moment is the only time that matters, past and future exist only in your mind
You are a story you tell yourself, identity is flexible and can be consciously shaped
Meditation is intermittent fasting for the mind, regular mental breaks create clarity

Surround yourself with people who are better than you, you become the average of who you spend time with
Cut toxic people out of your life without hesitation, protect your mental energy fiercely
Be honest and transparent in all your dealings, reputation is everything in long-term games
Give before you receive, provide value first without expecting immediate returns
Network with givers, not takers, align with people who create value for others

Calendar and to-do lists are myths, they give you the illusion of control over time
Focus on outputs, not inputs, results matter more than hours worked
Say no to almost everything, focus is about elimination, not addition
Work in bursts of high energy rather than grinding continuously
Inspiration is perishable, act on insights immediately while motivation is high

Physical health is the foundation for everything else, without it, nothing else matters
Sleep, exercise, and diet are the three pillars of physical health
Mental health requires managing your inputs, be selective about what you consume
Stress primarily comes from wanting things to be different than they are
The body and mind are one system, optimize both together

Technology is a double-edged sword, use it as a tool, don't let it use you
Social media can be poison for the mind, consume consciously and sparingly
The Internet allows anyone to be a creator, build an audience and monetize your uniqueness
Avoid the news, most information is noise that doesn't help you make better decisions
Live like a philosopher, think deeply about what matters and why

Money is not the root of all evil, poverty is, financial freedom enables choice and generosity
Earn with your mind, not your time, scale your impact through leverage and systems
Save and invest rather than spend and consume, delayed gratification creates compound returns
Understand the difference between rich and wealthy, wealthy people own assets, rich people have high incomes