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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Reinvent Yourself summary
James Altucher
Change is the only constant
17 mins
Topics
Table of Contents
Reinvent Yourself
Summary of 6 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 6
Refuse to let your degree or job title define you, and find mentors to help you redefine yourself.
Once upon a time, the road to success was straightforward: you earned a degree, landed a stable job and saved up for a comfortable retirement. This road has become a thing of the past, and yet many people are still trying to follow it – saddling themselves with debt from student loans, credit cards and mortgages along the way.
The old road is no longer viable because in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing world there simply isn’t a linear, fixed and preestablished route to success; you need to blaze your own path.
One of the keys to doing so is to avoid letting your degree or job title define you. Consider a company that exemplifies reinvention: Google. Catching up with a friend who works at Google, the author asked, “What are the latest projects your company is working on?”
The author expected them to be search-related. But, actually, they were totally different: building an automated car, developing a bracelet to cure cancer and connecting remote areas to Wi-Fi through stratospheric balloons. In other words, Google doesn’t let its “job” (providing a search engine) define it.
Google’s cofounder Larry Page doesn’t let his degree define him, either. He majored in computer science, but his job today isn’t about tinkering with software; it’s about solving major societal problems.
Of course, breaking free of the confines of your degree or job title is easier said than done. Fortunately, just because you have to blaze your own path doesn’t mean you have to go it alone; mentors can provide guidance. Here are some steps to finding them.
First, do some research on a person you respect and want to learn from. Read her bio. Check out articles she’s written or interviews she’s given. Next, contact her with ideas that might help her.
For example, when the author was seeking mentorship from someone who had written an academic article, he didn’t just read the article; he sent feedback, thus providing value as a mentee.
As you continue on your journey, provide your mentor with progress updates every three months. That way, she can see her influence on you in action and feel appreciated.
Finally, don’t just seize opportunities to meet up with your mentor; create those opportunities. It might even be worth going so far as to fly to another country and send her a message saying you’re available to discuss an idea further!
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What is Reinvent Yourself about?
Reinvent Yourself (2016) shares practical techniques on how to continually reevaluate and readjust your approach to life and to business in order to forge your own path to success. Author James Altucher illustrates how to do this using inspirational stories drawn from the religious leaders, artists and billionaire entrepreneurs from whom he learned the art of self-reinvention.
Best quote from Reinvent Yourself
Learning never stops. Many people die at 25 but are not put in the coffin until 75. The learning stopped for them early.
—James Altucher
Who should read Reinvent Yourself?
- Unfulfilled professionals who want to start a new career but are too afraid to begin
- Self-starters who want to learn how to master new skills
- Aspiring entrepreneurs who are broke and want to find financial freedom
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