Aadil Mamujee

I turned 39 this month and I had three thoughts / reflections that I thought I’d write down and share:

1. Great people, over long term: Meet lots of new people and be open, generous and curious. When you discover great people try to help them repeatedly without asking for anything in return. Relationships are built with consistent positive micro interactions (especially when you’re not physically present) and building deep ones takes focused effort. Collaborate with folks with the intention to have a 20 year relationship and share your whole self (family, thoughts, hobbies); you’ll build deeper, more durable friendships.
2. Own equity, don’t rent time: Whenever possible choose equity over renting your time even at a higher price. Even if you’re able to capture very high rent (law, consulting etc) I think it’s better to own a part of the thing you’re building and hold it for the long term as long as you believe in it. This is how real wealth is created, and it also helps avoid the trap of increasing your burn rate as your $/hour rent rate improves. If you don’t have a path to own equity, then take your excess money and invest it into assets you believe in, over consumption, especially when earlier in your life. As you get older and are responsible for your family (e.g. children or parents) it’s harder to keep your burn rate as low.
3. Healthy is simple, adherence is hard: The basics of having a healthy mind and body are pretty simple. Eat well (less sugar, more whole foods), sleep well (8 hrs a night), exercise daily (cardio and load training), and be present, focused and calm. I know all this, but I’m particularly bad at consistently practicing what I have learned. I go through phases of having good habits but then “fall off the wagon” and find it lower resistance to fall back into bad patterns where I eat like crap or check my phone the first thing when I wake up v.s. setting my intention for the day. Healthy habits have been a lifelong battle but now that I’m a father I can’t think of a more purposeful “why” to be better.