Neil Strauss is the author of The Game and The Truth as well as six other New York Times Bestsellers. He has been an editor at Rolling Stone and a writer for the New York Times. He has also built a few very profitable companies.
While talking to a billionaire friend of his, Neil Strauss commented that he’d like to write a book about the way his friend’s mind worked. He was interested in how a billionaire’s mind differed from someone who wasn’t a billionaire and his friend commented, “The biggest mistake you can make is to accept the norms of your time”. When you don’t accept the norms, or things just the way they are is when you can innovate. This can be “with technology, with books, [or] with anything”.
Many people’s dreams and goals have at least one financial aspect and it could be to become a billionaire. In most cases though, you won’t become a billionaire because you’re accepting the norm. When you accept things the way they are because they’ve always been that way, then you won’t innovate and reach financial success.
For example, before the car was invented, people accepted that the normal way to travel was with a horse and carriage. Karl Benz however, wasn’t satisfied with that way of transportation. He challenged the norms of his time and invented the first car. His invention led to the cars we drive everywhere today.
That is exactly the key. You have to not be okay with the way things are in order to change the world and as a byproduct you’ll also end up with great financial success.
What is one norm that you challenge? Tell us in the comments below!
Ferriss, Timothy, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers HMH Books, 2016.