Practical thought #4
Phase 1: Build the Mind that Builds the Life
Many people aspire to achieve greatness, but few are prepared for the long, often demanding road it requires. This chapter is about that road—not just the inspiration that gets you started, but the real mechanics of growth. It explores how complexity, deliberate practice, and your environment can shape whether you move beyond being merely good to becoming truly great. If you're aiming to reach a world-class level in anything, this is where the deeper work begins.
The principles behind growth may sound simple. And conceptually, they often are. But translating a vision into reality is rarely straightforward. That’s why truly exceptional outcomes—whether in business, sport, creativity, or personal growth—remain rare and are often rewarded disproportionately.
This chapter focuses on the first phase of that journey: laying strong foundations, facing early challenges, and developing the mental frameworks that keep you moving forward. Everyone’s path is different, but the underlying principles are often the same.
Before we dive deeper, I want to offer one core piece of advice: Don’t be afraid to dream Dream Big. A goal that feels out of reach isn’t a reason to hold back. Here’s why:
Aim high. You've probably heard this before—but it's worth repeating: when you aim high, you pull more out of yourself. Even if you fall short, you’ll land further than you would by aiming low and hitting the mark.
Life is a long game. Many goals that feel overwhelming today become entirely achievable over time. The person you become in five years may be far more capable than what you can imagine today. I want you to think about when you first started school, university or your job - how overwhelming was it at the start, and how much did you grow by the end? Don't limit your potential by setting the bar too low.
Your brain adapts to the bar you set. Psychologically, we’re wired for loss aversion—we hate falling short more than we enjoy exceeding expectations. If you set a small target, your mind subconsciously calibrates just enough to hit it. If you set a bold one, it gears up accordingly. Your subconscious doesn’t aim to overshoot—it aims to reach.
Be prepared for change. Big goals unfold over years, sometimes decades. Throughout this journey, chances are, both you and your dream may evolve. Your priorities will shift, your values will deepen, and your original vision may refine or pivot entirely. That’s not failure—that’s life.
Set the goal: Define Your Greatness
Define your dream clearly. Vague goals like “I want to be rich” or “I want to be an entrepreneur” sound ambitious—but they don’t create action. They’re too vague to anchor a plan. How much money is rich? What is an entrepreneur? Can I call myself one now that I have this website? Also - if your goal is simply “I just want to be happy”? That’s not a goal. That’s a wish. Go grab a Happy Meal and find another book.
Now consider this instead: I want to build a global education platform that improves how people learn. From there, you can expand on it and create a more detailed plan:
“I want to build a business that helps young people fall in love with learning again—starting with a free weekly newsletter that teaches practical life skills like critical thinking, time management, and how to learn effectively, growing into a learning platform and community, and ultimately becoming a global brand that redefines how education prepares people for real life.”
That kind of clarity can make a real difference. It gives you purpose, a rough timeline, and something tangible to work toward. With a clearer picture, it becomes easier to reverse-engineer the steps, track your progress, and stay committed. In a world where effort compounds over time, having that kind of direction might just be one of the most valuable things you can give yourself.
Since this chapter is about pursuing greatness, let’s not tiptoe around it—set a great goal. For me, that means becoming the greatest personal investor ever.
To support that, I’ve set a near-term financial milestone: building a $5 million portfolio from a modest base over five years. It’s aggressive, but attainable and helps provide a structure that I can build a process around. I don’t need to hit it perfectly— that’s not the point. It isn’t there to pressure me into chasing short-term wins or taking reckless risks. It’s there to frame my thinking, shape my habits, and give me a timeline to work toward.
If I end up with a $2–3 million portfolio instead of five, I won’t see that as a failure. I’ll see it as progress and I will still be incredibly proud. Use the short term milestone as a mini-target, but do not be too caught up in it and don’t be disheartened if you miss it. What matters is that you keep moving in the right direction.
Too often, we make the mistake of setting short-term goals that are too big, and long-term goals that are too small. We overestimate what we can do in a year, and underestimate what’s possible in a decade. So when I talk about setting a big goal, I focus more on the longer-term vision—something aspirational enough to inspire action, yet distant enough to give you room to grow into it.
I’ll be honest—saying greatest personal investor out loud feels uncomfortable. It sounds unrealistic, and logically, I know I may never achieve it. But if I let that thinking shape my goal-setting, I’m already limiting what’s possible. This isn’t about lying to myself —it’s about refusing to set ceilings before I’ve even started climbing. It’s about telling myself I can, instead of I can’t. Too often, we shrink our ambitions due to lack of belief or to avoid disappointment and looking silly. I’m trying to do the opposite: remove the internal dialogue that says, “Be realistic,” and instead create the conditions where extraordinary progress is possible.
That said, there’s a line between bold ambition and reckless delusion. I’m not advocating quitting your job on a whim or betting your life savings on a loose idea. But I am saying: don’t limit yourself out of fear. The challenge is to find the edge of what’s possible—and then lean just past it.
What matters more is the direction and the discipline to keep moving. And in studying people who’ve achieved extraordinary things—from investors to athletes to artists—I’ve noticed striking similarities in how they approach the journey. Daily routines. Patterns of thought. Systems of practice. Resilience under pressure. These qualities transcend disciplines—and they’re what this chapter is about.
As you read on, I’ll share how I think through my own goals, almost like an internal dialogue. I’ll draw from different fields, my own experiences and what I’ve learned from people much greater than myself. I encourage you to bring your own ambitions into the picture, think of yourself, your goals and what you can do while you read on. The process works—whatever you're chasing—if you apply it with intention.
The First Step – Map the Gap
Once you’ve set a bold goal, the next question naturally follows: Where do I even start? That’s the question I asked myself when I first committed to becoming a great investor.
The best starting point—when you’re unsure—is to study those who’ve already achieved what you’re chasing. For me, that meant looking at the world’s greatest investors and reverse engineering back to myself. What skills do they have that I need to build?
A piece of advice is to find someone whose path or style resonates with you. It’s far easier—and more sustainable—to lean into your natural interests and strengths than to force a fit. Look for people in your field who both inspire you and reflect the kind of work you want to do.
For me, that meant gravitating toward investors like Charlie Munger and Peter Lynch. I admired their thinking, and I genuinely enjoyed studying their approach to analysing business quality. That became my starting point. The same applies to any field—if you're into music, study musicians you love. If it’s sport, learn from athletes you enjoy watching. The key is to find that intersection between what excites you and what you're naturally good at. That’s where momentum begins.
Once you’ve decided on the people, turn the lens inward and Map the Gap. Compare yourself to the people you admire. Create a flowchart or mind map that asks: What makes them great? What are the core skills, mindsets, and habits they’ve mastered? How do I begin developing those?
Early on, you’re likely operating with limited information. That’s okay. The most effective shortcut at this stage is imitation. This is your apprenticeship phase—the time for observing, absorbing, and copying. Originality can come later.
So, the first big step became: How do I become a professional investor? And how do I get better at analysing businesses?
Start, then plan
Start, then plan might be more powerful than plan, then start.
One of my biggest early challenges was that I knew so little that I didn’t even know what I didn’t know. That kind of inexperience can either overwhelm you or give you false confidence. It creates planning paralysis—a sense that you're not ready or that you need to wait for the "perfect" moment to begin. But that moment rarely comes. And when it does, the confidence you feel is often misplaced. The fastest way through both is simple: Start. Do something—anything. Analyse companies. Make paper trades. Pick up the Guitar. Build that website for your online business. You’ll quickly see what works and what doesn’t. You’ll begin to recognise patterns and build real judgment—the kind you can’t get from reading, only from doing.
It reminded me of when I first watched tennis. I remember thinking, “Why don’t they just hit the ball where the opponent isn’t?” Then I tried playing—and quickly realised I didn’t have the slightest idea. The key learning? I only realised when I started playing.
Too many people spend too much time crafting the perfect plan—and wait too long to start. The truth is, there is no perfect plan. One thing is almost guaranteed: your original plan won’t work. As Mike Tyson put it, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” That is apt here.
I’ve spoken to many entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs, and one thing stands out—what we see as a polished, successful business is often nothing like what they originally set out to build. They had a vision. Then they launched. And very quickly, reality showed them that their idea didn’t work the way they thought it would.
Many people give up at this point. But the successful ones iterate. They adapt. They don’t get it right the first time—they survive the punches and adjust as they go.
Netflix started as a DVD mail rental service. Airbnb began as a way to rent out air mattresses to conference attendees. YouTube launched as a video dating site. There are thousands of stories like this.
Even this book wasn’t part of some grand vision. In fact, the idea originated from an online clothing blog. Like everything else, it evolved—through action, not planning.
Build the Base: Master the Fundamentals
Once you’ve started, the focus shifts to developing real, foundational skills. This is the technical phase—the grunt work. And while it’s not what makes someone great, it’s what makes greatness possible.
Think of it like music. Every great pianist can play scales and classical pieces. What sets them apart isn’t technical execution—it’s interpretation, creativity, expression. But none of that exists without first mastering the basics. The same is true in every domain.
This phase is critical. And it’s also one that many people never get past. Why? Because it’s slow. It’s uncomfortable. And if you’re not careful, you can start learning the wrong things or building bad habits without realising it. Once those habits stick, they’re hard to unlearn.
Three points have been particularly important for me here:
The Power of Environment. Learn from the right people. Surround yourself with those who’ve demonstrated excellence, those who have actually done it. Ideally, find people willing to mentor you—even informally. The right environment accelerates everything. The wrong one can waste years.
Put in the work and build the Foundation. Skill-building takes time. Be patient, and put in the reps. Don’t rush the process or skip steps—what you skip now will resurface as problems later. Master the fundamentals. What feels basic today will become the backbone of creativity tomorrow.
Learn to learn. Everyone’s brain is wired differently. Most of us were taught to memorise and regurgitate—but that can be inefficient. Knowledge compounds so start figuring out what helps you retain and apply information. Whether it’s active recall, spaced repetition, teaching others, or analogies, your learning method matters.
This stage isn’t glamorous. But it’s required and where your edge is built.
Shape the Soil: The Power of Environment
Put yourself in the best environment you can access. Find places known for developing talent. Work under people you want to become. Surround yourself with excellence.
And then: show up. Do the work. Sit next to them. Absorb everything you can. Your brain learns more than you realise by just being there.
Let’s start with an example to illustrate the Power of Environment: the NBA draft system. In theory, the league is designed for parity—every year, the worst-performing teams get the first pick of the best new talent. Over time, you’d expect that talent to even out and championships to be distributed more or less equally across teams.
But that’s not what happens. The top five franchises have won about 70% of all championships. Why? Some would argue because of geography, but New York and the LA Clippers haven’t won a title in decades. The more likely reason is Structure. Culture. Environment. These winning organisations have systems that develop talent and sustain excellence.
At some point in my journey, I began to realise that the gap between good and great isn’t defined solely by talent or hard work—it’s also shaped by the environment. Both matters. Your effort determines how far you're willing to go, but your environment determines how much that effort compounds. The right setting amplifies your strengths, sharpens your thinking, and helps you stretch beyond what you thought was possible.
I began my professional career at one of the Big Four accounting firms. While it may not have been the flashiest or most exciting workplace, it was one of the best environments I could have started in. The pace was fast, the standards were high, and the learning curve was steep. I was exposed to large, complex businesses and surrounded by capable, driven people. There were formal training systems and a strong culture of continuous development. And because of the concentration of talent, I was able to find mentors who genuinely helped unlock how I think—how to ask better questions, structure clearer thoughts, and develop sharper judgment.
Humans naturally want to perform well and earn praises, but to succeed in that environment, I had to do more than just show up. I had to earn my place. That meant working hard, yes—but also developing social and networking skills, learning how to be coachable, and figuring out how to teach others. These weren’t just professional tools—they were foundational life skills that shaped who I am today.
It was demanding, and I didn’t fully appreciate just how transformative it was until much later. But now, a decade on, I can feel the difference it made. That high bar of excellence hardwired my discipline and recalibrated my expectations of what 'normal' effort looks like. I saw first-hand how even the smartest people pushed themselves—how working late, good was never enough, and delivering with precision was just the baseline.
Even when I’m not at my best, I’ve noticed that my baseline work ethic tends to be higher than most. It shows up not just in my output, but in how I approach problems and the standards I set for myself. Compared to others who haven’t had to operate with that same level of intensity, the contrast can be quite clear. Sometimes I catch myself wondering—if I’d started out in a more rigorous academic environment or joined a top-tier hedge fund early on, how much further might that have taken me? Where might I be today?
People often overestimate the role of personal willpower and underestimate the silent force of environment. Your surroundings—who you’re around, what’s considered normal, and what standards are set—shape nearly everything about your development. Even the most talented person can fade in the wrong culture. I’ve seen brilliant, hardworking people burn out under bad bosses or stagnate in weak teams. And I’ve seen average people thrive simply because someone took the time to mentor them properly and were able to bring out the most in them.
If I had to put numbers to it, I’d say 60% of performance comes from the individual, and 40% from their environment. But most people also have some control over the environments they choose or create. If you account for that, it’s closer to 70/30.
Elite Results Without Elite Access
Let’s acknowledge reality—not everyone gets into Harvard or lands a role at Point72 or Millennium. That kind of elite access often comes down to things you can’t control: where you grew up, what school you went to, or who your parents know. The playing field isn’t level, and I won’t pretend otherwise.
But don’t let perfect be the enemy of possible. If the ideal environment is out of reach, build the best one you can. There are still levers to pull. It may take more effort, but it’s far from hopeless. Here are a few things I’ve observed:
1. Start with structure—even if it’s not elite. Any structured learning environment—no matter how modest—is better than trying to figure it all out on your own. When you’re early in your journey, you don’t yet know what’s important, or even what questions to ask. Structure gives you feedback, routine, and forward motion. That could be a smaller firm, a local club, or even a short course with clear guidance. Just start somewhere. As your experience builds, you can work your way into better environments. Don’t wait for perfect. Just start, then grow from there.
And here’s something people overlook: even in less-than-ideal environments, you can learn a lot—especially about what not to do. I’ve worked with poor leaders and broken systems, and those experiences were just as instructive in showing me the kind of habits, mindsets, and cultures I wanted to avoid. Bad examples still teach you—if you’re paying attention.
2. Reach out. Many successful people are more accessible than you think. They’re often happy to share advice if you ask the right questions. A genuine message, specific to their work, can open more doors than you realise. And this doesn’t have to be limited to your direct workplace. You can layer mentors on top of your day job—reach out to people in adjacent fields, industries you’re curious about, or even roles you one day want to grow into. Curiosity compounds—and people respect it.
3. Build your own mentors. Some of the most influential people in my life don’t even know I exist. Buffett, Munger, Kobe—these weren’t just idols. I studied them. I read every book they wrote and every book written about them. I read their letters, watched their speeches, and copied their routines. I tried to understand how they thought, why they made certain decisions, what principles guided them. This became my version of mentorship. You can do the same in any field. With AI, podcasts, books, YouTube, and newsletters, it’s never been easier to learn from the best—even if you never meet them.
No, it’s not the same as being in the room. But it’s far better than wandering aimlessly. The key is to create structure and surround yourself—physically or virtually—with excellence. Feedback loops. High standards. Mentorship, real or remote.
I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have had one of the best mentors I could have hoped for. He wasn’t just exceptional at his job—he genuinely cared about my growth and took the time to guide me thoughtfully. One piece of advice I’d offer is this: if you have the opportunity, invest in building a relationship with a mentor who clearly prioritises your development over their own ego or personal agenda—especially if they’re your direct manager. When you’re confident they have your best interests at heart, it becomes much easier to absorb feedback with openness rather than defensiveness. That kind of mentor can accelerate your growth in ways that few others can.
I call it luck, but if you asked him, I’m sure he’d say he took me on because I was eager to learn, passionate, open to feedback, and someone who took responsibility rather than placing blame—and, hopefully, just a decent person to be around.
You may not have access to the best starting point. But if you take control of your inputs, your mindset, and your environment—even a second-tier launchpad can take you somewhere elite.
