Category: Happiness

Why Do So Many People Hate Their Jobs? Cover

Why Do So Many People Hate Their Jobs?

Nik

People hate their jobs because they don’t know they’re the ones supposed to bring meaning, passion and fun to them.

They think: “If only I did X instead of Y, then I would finally be happy.”

But you’ll often find people who hate their current job will hate their next job also. And the next one. And the one after that.

Because it’s not about what you do. It’s about how you choose to do it. The truth is every job offers you the chance to do it with meaning, be passionate about it and have fun along the way.

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The Best Life Hack I've Ever Learned Cover

The Best Life Hack I’ve Ever Learned

Nik

In 2001, my biggest dream came true: I used my Christmas money to buy the brand new PlayStation 2.

It wasn’t a dream come true because it was new, or because of the latest games. I was excited because it meant I could finally play all of those old PlayStation 1 games I used to play at my neighbor’s house or sit next to and watch.

One of the first games I bought was, of course, Tomb Raider III. I got a used copy, because it was cheaper.

When I opened the case to take out the CD, a little piece of paper fell out, with some weird scribblings on it. It looked like this:

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The One Thing Money Cannot Buy

Nik

Upbringing.

No matter how rich you are, money can’t buy you a good upbringing.

This is my family:

For the past 4 years, we’ve taken a Christmas family picture. It’s becoming a tradition. I’ve been incredibly lucky to be born to such great parents.

Everything I am proud of can be credited right back to them. Being brought up well is priceless, because it equips you with many other things you also can’t buy, like:

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Are Your 20s Really the Best Years of Your Life?

Nik

Here’s a picture of me when I was 16:

That year, I went to England. All by myself, in a foreign country, for the first time ever away from home. I spent two weeks in a language school, parts of which looked like Hogwarts.

It was the year the last Harry Potter book came out. The camp supervisors took a couple of kids into London to get their copies on release day. I missed it. One day later, one of the guides brought me one. I read it in 3 days.

It was the best year of my life.

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What Are the Lessons People Most Often Learn Too Late in Life?

Nik

I’ve learned all of these from Gary Vaynerchuk. Thank you for teaching a 25-year-old what most 65-year-olds still don’t know.

1. Self-Awareness.

“You have to accept yourself and go all in on who you are.” — Gary Vee

You might not like who you are, but if you don’t know it, you’ll live your life in denial and can never really win, because you’ll keep spinning your wheels.

For example, you can keep saying you’ll write a novel someday, but if you’re a people person, total extrovert and can’t sit still for 15 minutes, you might be a lot better off just organizing public readings for other writers, because that’s where you’ll shine.

If you don’t know, round up your closest family members, friends and loved ones, and let them tell you who you are.

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I’m a Student, and I Feel That I’m Wasting My Life—How Can I Change This?

Nik

Help just one person. Then do it again.

Right now, I could tell you how it’s not too late for you. How you’re still so young and have lots of time.

I could tell you about habits. About morning routines and reading and waking up early and meeting new people and getting fit.

I could tell you about success. About money, about fame, about entrepreneurship. About winning big.

I could paint a picture, a vision of your future self so grand your eyes will light up and sparkle. Maybe you’d start making it a reality. But likely you won’t. Because you’re stuck in this hole and it’s just too hard.

So I will do none of that.

Because I know the only thing that’s helped me when I was really, really down in the dumps was this: Help. Someone. Else.

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Would You Rather Earn $70,000/Year Today or 100 Years Ago?

Nik

First things first: Was modern anesthesia invented in 1917? Yes, it’s been around since 1846, actually. Good. Because I’m not sitting through having my wisdom teeth pulled out without narcosis, not even for $1.6 million a year, which is what $70,000 back then would be worth.

That is some serious money we’re talking about here. Enticing…

But what’s more important to me is: $70,000 in 1917, doing what?

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What Is the Best Way To Make a Million Dollars?

Nik

”A man who has a million dollars is as well off as if he were rich.” — John Jacob Astor

Guess how much money you need to make to be in the top 1% of earners in the US? Go on, think about it, I’ll wait.

Have a number in mind?

Okay, here it comes:

$383,000 a year.

Let me spell that out again: Three hundred and eighty three thousand dollars.

About 320 million people live in the US, which is among the top 1% of all countries on the globe. That’s roughly 4% of earth’s entire population. The top 1% of those therefore make up 0.04% of all humans on the globe.

Those people earn, on average, $383,000 per year.

Even in New York City, the most expensive city in the US, that number only rises to $608,584 a year. These are the richest of the richest people in the world already, and they don’t even make close to a million dollars.

What’s the best way to make a million dollars? Figure out what you really want to do. Then do that. And forget the money.

Drop this arbitrary number, do your work, live below your means and you’ll be financially free much, much sooner than you think, doing something you love.

What Is Not Important in Life? Cover

What Is Not Important in Life?

Nik

“I never allow myself to have an opinion on anything that I don’t know the other side’s argument better than they do.” — Charlie Munger

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and try to argue against even some of the things I personally believe in. I guarantee you won’t like some of these. I know I don’t, but I still think they’re true.

  • TV. “I wish I had watched more seasons of House of Cards!” said no one ever on their deathbed.
  • Dating. Just pick someone you like and who’s not a total deal-breaker. Stick with them. There’s no such thing as perfect.
  • Dessert. Eat until you’re 80% full. Then stop. Keeps not just your body light.
  • Travel. Plants bloom where they’re planted. Why can’t you?
  • News. When’s the last time you put down the newspaper thinking “I am so glad I read that?” Yeah, I thought so.
  • Luxury. The ultimate vanity metric. Frugality is freedom.
  • Networking. Why print business cards when you can just work so hard people will make an effort to give you theirs?
  • Collecting. When you’re paying some extra space from someone who’ll keep an eye on your excess stuff, you know it’s time to sell some of your shit.
  • Sleep. If you live to be 90 years old and sleep an average of 8 hours a night, you’ll have been asleep for 30 years of your life. That’s enough, isn’t it?
  • Opinions. Especially other people’s. Sticking to your own is hard enough as it is. Focus on that.
  • Reading. There, I said it. Consuming information is overrated. What if we just made an effort to talk more with other people? Would that be that bad?
  • Diplomacy. No matter what you do, 33% of people will love you, 33% of people will hate you and 33% of people just won’t give a damn about you. Might as well stick to your guns.
  • Expertise. The more you can afford to say “I don’t know,” the sooner you can start looking for real answers. Don’t be a pro. Unless you can be a professional beginner.
  • College. $100,000 is pretty expensive for a hat. Even if it’s free it won’t necessarily make you smarter. Think long about it. Don’t expect it to be your golden ticket.
  • Ego. The best thing you can do for your ego is to let go of it. When I feel bad, I help someone else. Always works.
  • Parties. If you’re not where you want to be in life, yet go clubbing every weekend, what the hell are you celebrating?
  • Money. There’s a fine line where money goes from enabling to exhausting. Walk the line.
  • Fashion. We used to have 4 seasons. Now we have 52. Clothes change so obscenely fast that yours will be back in style faster than you think.
  • Drugs. Life’s short enough as it is. I want to keep every memory I make for as long as I can.
  • Authority. True for both your own and other people’s. Enjoy when no one listens to you. Once people do, you’ll have to think hard about what you say.

There’s a million more, but the point is: 99% of things don’t matter.

Find the 1%.