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