6 Lessons I Learned From a Billionaire

To be honest, if you had told me in my early twenties that my life would look the way it does TODAY, I would have laughed. Not that I did not want this kind of life, of course I would, but I simply would not have believed I would have access to such brilliant minds.
What I can say with conviction is that life has taught me many lessons, some great, some not that enjoyable, however, I feel eternally grateful for all of them because as a result of all these life- experiences I got to know myself on a much deeper level. I now share my life with an epic partner with whom I continue to learn and grow on all levels. And, I have the most amazing business called Accountable Ethos in which I mentor people through the hurdles of life. I feel truly privileged to be part of the most elevated conversations one can have...

Over the years I have met and worked with some incredible people who hold a very different view on life and on the world. Undoubtedly, this alternative vision and non-standard approach is responsible for delivering an outstanding contribution to humanity.

Here below I would love to share six snippets from conversations I had with one of my billionaire clients, whom I will call X. All of these conversations have triggered something in my mind’s eye and I strongly believe that the willingness to see things differently is the key to bringing about change for the better. Therefore, I trust that these 6 ideas will serve you too in one way or another as they may contribute to you seeing things differently. So, here we go:

1. Success is a Feeling

Success is often defined as the ability to reach your goals in life, whatever those goals may be. In some ways, a better word for success would be attainment, accomplishment or progress. It is not necessarily a destination but a journey that helps develop the skills and resources you need to thrive. During my university times, the focus of success had always been in the measuring thereof, but I was wondering how this actually works if success means different things to different people? The conclusion I came to after my chat with X. was that ‘success is in fact a feeling’. A feeling of enjoyment and fulfilment you experience ‘on the journey’ to whatever you have set out for yourself. And of course the feeling you experience once you reach your destination is just the cherry on the cake - and note the destination can change along the way or be extended when you reach it!

2. Understanding cause and effect

This might come as a shock to some but, ‘When you profit, someone loses’ (in business, on the stock market, in life, etc) . However good something looks to the world, there is most of the time a polar opposite as a consequence. In order to have a win-win or even a win-win-win, everything depends on the perspective of the parties involved. Once you become aware of this concept, you also know that your actions have consequences, not only for you, but it has a much wider ripple effect on the people around you and perhaps even on the wider world. So, be mindful of whatever choices you make as your choice will without doubt impact others!

3. Time is the best doctor...

In life many things will go your way, but also there will be unexpected events you did not see coming. Some of those events might even alter the way you see the world and perhaps even how you see yourself... While you are in the middle of the situation, going through this process of computing what and how this could happen, you will learn some extremely valuable lessons. And, ultimately, a situation you thought you could not ban from your mind will change slowly over time. Time heals, time repairs and time teaches big life-lessons! Yes, time is for sure the best doctor!

4. Being Lucky Versus Doing your Homework

I won’t deny that luck exists. It is fair to say that some people are luckier than others, nevertheless, instead of gambling on being lucky in business or in life, a safer bet is to see luck as a secondary contributor to your success. Doing your own research, learning how basic principles work and being well prepared are necessary to tackle a project with confidence. On top of that, seeking different opinions and possibilities regarding the subject will add that extra dimension of knowledge you might need to bring a deal across the line. Luck unquestionably exists but being well informed and prepared will assist you to walk into the lucky room much easier.

5. Strategy for continuous improvement

Regardless if you are looking for a strategy to improve your business or your life, you must be prepared and open for change, as that is the only constant! The strategy to continuously improve and grow in both business and in life works as follows: Picture a broad spectrum of your business or your life as it is today and set a standard of how you want it to be in an ideal situation. Then, assess and score each individual area. Once you have done that , pick the top 3 lowest scores and work on how you can improve them. Do this exercise every 90 days and you will notice that in the second quarter the weak areas have become stronger and now you will have other areas to work on. This way you can keep on continuously improving your business and your life.

6. Very successful people are human too

No matter how successful someone might be in business, they also experience hurdles on a personal level: with their family, their health or their relationships. Another thing to keep in mind is that very successful people quite often only have knowledge in one niche area and are not experts in everything. Therefore, you should never idolise anyone, we can all learn from each other.

And just like that, I trust I have sparked something new in your mind that you can apply in your life, perhaps a different way of seeing your situation or the world.