The way you do one thing in life is how you do everything else in life. This is a lesson Anthony Pompliano learned when he was deployed in Iraq. When his unit returned from a night patrol, they were expected to clean their trucks and weapons of any sand. Even though it was unlikely they would be deployed on short notice, they were still expected to be prepared. Although it may seem like a small detail, it’s little things like this that build your character and determine how you show up in life. Are you just dipping your toes in? Putting in minimal effort? Taking shortcuts? If so, that’s how you’ll handle everything else in life. Or are you arriving on time, keeping your promises, and putting in that extra effort? How you manage the small things in life shapes who you become and how you handle the big challenges.
Creating an extraordinary life requires committing to excellence. Many people don’t realize that excellence takes time. Instead of seeking a quick fix or shortcut, being patient pays off. New York wasn’t built in a day. Nothing worth having comes easily, whether it’s losing weight, building a business, or constructing a skyscraper. The key is to have discipline and show up consistently over many years. Focus on excellence and adopt a long-term perspective.
You can’t think your way out of a problem. Whether you’re building a business or dealing with a personal issue, focus on taking action rather than thinking about the problem. Deep down, you probably already know what you have to do. Prioritize action, and results will follow.
Instead of overwhelming yourself with a big project, break it down into a small achievable task and take off the pressure. If you want to write a book, simply produce one or two lousy pages a day. When you break your goal into something small and achievable and remove the pressure to perform, something magical happens. You build momentum. And since you’ve also removed the pressure to be perfect, you’ll likely produce higher-quality work as a side effect.
Note: In Atomic Habits, James Clear shares similar advice. He recommends breaking down your desired habit into something you can start in as little as two minutes. Rather than aiming to write twenty pages, write one or two pages. And instead of focussing on running, just put on your running shoes. Once you’ve broken down your habit into something you can start in two minutes, you’ll build momentum.
Living an extraordinary life requires embracing power laws. Power laws state that a small number of things are responsible for the biggest outcomes in your life. For example, rather than trying to have as many friends or relationships as possible, focus on finding a handful of friends that truly enrich your life. Instead of trying to invest in everything, being a good investor simply means identifying a few good investments that you understand and believe in. Most of the amazing things that happen are the result of a few things in your life. Find these things and focus on them to live an extraordinary life.
To live your best life, you must learn to manage your time. Most people operate on what tech investor Paul Graham calls the manager’s schedule. On a manager’s schedule, you look at your calendar in one-hour intervals. This can work well for meetings or brief tasks. But if you’re doing creative work like writing, programming, or making music, it’s beneficial to adopt what Graham calls the maker’s schedule. Writers, programmers, and musicians often look at their calendars in half-day blocks. To create something great, you need enough time. One-hour blocks won’t cut it. Understand what type of work you’re doing throughout the week and decide if you’re going to use the manager’s or maker’s schedule. Knowing the difference and using each schedule when appropriate will make a huge difference in your productivity.
If you want others to respect you, you must first respect yourself. Being nice is a virtue, but if you aren’t able to set boundaries or have tough conversations with people, someone will eventually take advantage of you. Instead of trying to please everyone, detach yourself from any personal feelings you might have and remind yourself that setting boundaries, engaging in tough conversations, and holding people accountable are essential parts of life and business. It’s nothing personal. Once you adopt this mindset, people will begin to respect you more.
Focus on offering your help to others. This applies whether the person has less experience or more experience than you. It’s an incredibly friendly gesture and can open many unexpected doors. For example, Anthony Pompliano interviewed Robert Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, the best-selling finance book of all time. At the end of the interview, when the camera was already off, Pompliano asked how he could assist Kiyosaki. He replied that he was curious if Pompliano had any ideas to help him reach more young people on social media. In response, Pompliano prepared a document for Kiyosaki and advised his team. Just asking, "How can I help you?" opened an unexpected opportunity, resulting in Pompliano and Kiyosaki becoming friends and supporting each other.
Note: In ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad, ’ Robert Kiyosaki shares life-changing personal finance tips, such as why buying a house to live in isn’t an investment. The rich don’t work for money. They make money work for them. Most of the time, they do this by buying cashflow-producing assets. The poor and middle class buy liabilities, such as a car or house, thinking they are assets.
Too many people worry about what other people think about them. This is a waste of time and energy. The truth is that people are so focused on themselves that they have no time to think about you. You don’t need to worry about how one action or decision could change the way others perceive you. The people closest to you, who truly know you, won’t change their opinion based on a single event. And everyone else isn’t paying attention. Even if they did, their opinions wouldn’t matter.
To have an amazing life, exercise daily. Whether you’re building businesses or pursuing personal goals, you’re likely to encounter a significant amount of stress. This stress can negatively impact other areas of your life, including your sleep. Exercising will help reduce and even eliminate this stress.
For the science behind why exercising is so good for you and why it literally alleviates anxiety and depression, have a look at The Happiness Cure by Swedish psychiatrist Anders Hansen. Research confirms that exercise reduces activity in the body’s main stress center, the HPA axis.
In addition to these lessons, Anthony Pompliano shares many other tips: from surrounding yourself with the right friends to avoiding arguments with strangers on the internet, refraining from spending more than you earn, and investing in assets that you plan to hold long-term. The brief selection of life advice highlighted in this summary of How to Live an Extraordinary Life gives you an idea of the 65 letters Anthony Pompliano wrote to his children.
Look at your calendar through the lens of the manager’s and maker’s schedule. Plan your week according to the work you’re doing: Are you focussing on creative tasks like writing, programming, or making art? Then schedule half-day blocks for these tasks in your calendar. For meetings or brief tasks, use one-hour blocks to manage your time effectively.
Ask everyone you encounter whether and how you can help them. The simple question: “How can I help you? Is there anything I can do to add value?” will make a huge difference. Even if most people don’t take you up on it, the gesture itself will go a long way.
How to Live an Extraordinary Life includes 65 brief letters with life advice for Anthony Pompliano’s two children, Sophia and Leo. The advice is excellent. While you may encounter some tips that feel familiar, you’re just as likely to discover insights you haven’t considered before. Each letter is concise and spans one or two pages.
It’s clear that Anthony Pompliano wrote this book for his children. Letters are directly addressed to Sophia and Leo and signed with “dad.” This makes the book a bit less relatable. As a reader, you can’t help but feel like an outsider who is reading a personal note he shouldn’t. But maybe this is the exact effect Pompliano intended to achieve. After all, if you’re summarizing your life lessons for your children, why not share them publicly? Even if the book is meant for his children, it’s a net positive that the lessons are accessible to anyone interested. Pompliano has achieved significant success at a young age, both as an investor and a business owner. And even if you only gain one or two new insights, the book is worth reading.
This book is best suited for young people who are in their teens or early twenties. In the spirit of Robert Kiyosaki, maybe Anthony Pompliano can be your “rich dad” who shares his life lessons with you. Even though the book was written for Sophia and Leo, you might as well pick up the lessons. Keep in mind that this summary of How to Live an Extraordinary Life left out the vast majority of advice Pompliano shares in his book. We summarized a handful of his letters, but there are dozens more to explore in the book. If you like short and concise life advice, and you want access to all of Pompliano’s life lessons, read the book.
Note: It’s common for people to set goals but not take consistent action toward them. This is a form of self-sabotage. If you want a better life but have trouble taking the necessary actions to get there, you may want to read The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest.