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This is the second of the two articles in which I talk about things I learned from James Altucher.

You can read the first part, 16 Things I Learned From James Altucher, here. 

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1. college is overrated

Not every person in the world should avoid college. But the best colleges cost a lot of money and it’s a burden for young people. And most things that you can learn in the college you can learn for free outside of the college thanks to the Internet.

A large portion of Altucher’s writing is dedicated to ranting about college education. He even wrote a whole book – 40 Alternatives To College – on this topic. Long story short, the arguments are as follows:

• College tuitions are too high
• The college creates an enormous amount of debt
• Very little you learn at the college matter in the real world
• Learning at college is not the most effective way of learning
• Kids waste 5 years being guided instead of trying things and creating
• Yes, this applies even to law and medicine
• Etc.

Although I am not as radical as him, I agree that college education is overrated. That many people hold on to the belief that „college is neccessary“. That this belief should be examined. That the role and the purpose of the college education should be discussed. That we should take a look at both sides of the story, at the very least.

Because I agree that college education is not for everyone.

Hell, in the 21st century, it maybe isn’t for anyone. ⁽¹⁾More on this topic in one of the subsequent articles #cliffhanger

2. Pick up the phone. And call a friend

It’s good to talk to a friend. I don’t have a lot of friends. I have about three people on my call list. Maybe four if I stretch it. Maybe five. I don’t know. Maybe fifty. I like a lot of people, but I’m too shy to call them. Maybe I should. And just chat for a few minutes. Like we all used to do when we were kids. “Hey, how are you doing? What’s up?” This feels good. It’s like a vocal hug with someone we like. Vocally hug people today.

You still haven’t done it, even though I told you to do it in the previous article? At least do it know when James tells you to do it.

What are you waiting for?

3. Mediocrity, as a result, is okay

That said, all people should be so lucky. We can’t all be grand visionaries. We can’t all be Picassos. We want to grow our business, make our art, sell it, make some money, raise a family, and try to be happy. My feeling, based on my own experience, is that aiming for grandiosity is the fastest route to failure.

I think it’s OK for “ordinary” people to be ordinary also. Ordinary is beautiful.

In the era of individualism, the idea of being special is constantly sold to us. What, you haven’t traveled 5346 countries, found 50 companies and married 3 virgins by the age of 25? What are you doing in your life?

The point is that we can’t all be extraordinary. By the very definition.

Because if we were, who would then be ordinary?⁽²⁾This is not the first time I’ve heard the idea that there is nothing wrong if we aren’t extraordinary. It is a central theme of another brilliant article by Mark Manson: In Defense Of Being Average. „Mediocrity as a goal is okay“ is the first part of the key quote of the article. As for the second part – read on.

4. Mediocrity, as a goal, sucks

But I think every day it’s worth trying to be a little better (even just 1%, an amount so small it can’t be measured) in physical health, emotional health, creativity, and gratitude. Maybe that is a path to extraordinary as that 1% compounds. But I don’t want the pressure of “future extraordinary.” I just want to be a little better today.

Now, everything above doesn’t mean we shouldn’t even TRY to be extraordinary. It just means we shouldn’t be dependant on the final result. There’s a big difference between a goal and a result.

Another point is that it is silly to be engrossed in grandiose schemes. That it is better to focus on today than on tomorrow. That it is important to start small. To seek to improve for just 1 %. And to let it compound.

Therefore, in my best Yoda impersonation, allow me to say: “Try, or try not. There is no do.”

5. Don’t watch the news

I do standup comedy 3–5 times a week and I help run a very profitable business that will do over 50 million in revenues this year. Plus I’m an investor in over a dozen companies that I keep regular track of and involved in many charities.

I’m only productive because I don’t spend 65 minutes a day reading the news and another 44 minutes a day (which is the average) arguing with people on social media.

I’m blissfully uninformed. And I’m living the dream.

The quote above was taken from Altucher’s Quora answer to the question: „What “life hack” is very obvious but nobody seems to know about it?“ It is one of those answers that remains etched in your brain forever. I reread it at least once a week.

The whole argument makes perfect sense. Most of the things we read in the news do nothing to improve our knowledge. Well-being. And happiness. Who cares who is dating the Kardashians? Do I really need to find out how many people died in the hurricane in the Philippines? Whether Philipp Kohlschreiber beat Marin Čilić in tennis?

Does this information have a permanent effect on my life? Will I remember any of it in 10 years?

The whole idea of not watching the news might seem radical. It’s because it is. I haven’t started implementing it completely.

But I try to be very selective about what kind of news I read. I try to minimize the amount of time I spend on bullshit. And irrelevant stories.

I prefer to do something else with my time.

For instance, to create.

6. Be a creator. Not a consumer

“When I was a kid, I constantly had all of these stories in my head,” she said, “but then I got trapped on this ‘normal’ path—the marriage, the suburbs, the kids, and I let the stories stop.

Nothing wrong with suburbs and kids. But every day, I feel she is telling me, you have to unlock your creativity. If you don’t let it flow, it will be trapped inside, it will mutate, it will kill you. Every day, create.

Although studies show people know watching the TV won’t make them happy, the first thing most of them do when they come home is – watch TV.

Or play computer games. Or go out. And drink a beer.

I find it hard to understand. There is so much creativity in each and every one of us. You can draw. You can compose. You can write. You can make videos. Take photos. Dance. Sing. Woodwork. Sew. Possibilities are endless.

I find it hard to understand. There is so much creativity in each and every one of us. You can draw. You can compose. You can write. You can make videos. Take photos. Dance. Sing. Woodwork. Sew. Invent a game. The possibilities are endless.

You might remember that in his book Barking Up The Wrong Tree, Eric Barker wrote that Legacy constitutes 25 % of well-being. As a creator, you do exactly that. Create your legacy.

That is not to say you should never watch TV, play computer games or go out to drink a beer.

But why you chose to NEVER let that creativity out is beyond me.

7. You have a lot to tell the world

People say, “Everything has already been written.” Everything has already been said. But that’s a lie. I think every outline has already been written. But each human has a unique fingerprint. Just putting that fingerprint on an outline makes it yours, different, unique. And through practice and vulnerability, you make that fingerprint something others want to see.

Please, don’t give me that bullshit that you are not like that. That you are not creative. That you don’t have anything to tell the world.

Yes, you do. You might not be as special as you think. But you ARE unique. You have your talents. Your values. Your story. Why do you think no one is interested in hearing it?

Remember, you can learn something from everyone.

Even from you!

8. Nobody remembers your bad stuff

Mac Lethal is a rapper who has gotten over 100 million views on his YouTube videos. Even Ellen had him on her show to demonstrate his skills. I asked him, “Do you get nervous if one of your videos gets less views than others?” He gave me valuable advice: “Nobody remembers your bad stuff. They only remember your good stuff.” I live by that.

Think about a famous person. George Clooney, for instance. You are probably familiar with great movies he starred in. Ocean’s Eleven. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. Argo. Syriana. Burn After Reading. Gravity ⁽³⁾Although whether that last one is „good“ is highly debatable

Unless you are a filmophile, you probably don’t remember his bad movies, though. And god, there were so many. Batman and Robin. Grizzly II: The Concert. Unbecoming Age.

The point is that nobody remembers everything you create. And it is easier to forget the forgettable. The bad stuff.

Many people are afraid to express themselves because „what if people will think it is not good enough?“ But the truth is, people don’t care that much about you and your content. They don’t pay attention to what you do. Unless it is so great it blows their mind.

Even if people remembered your bad stuff, would it really be so terrible? In 50 years, they will be dead.

And so will be you.

9. Everyone is going to like what you are doing ONLY if you are not doing anything at all.

Nobody escapes the HATERS. Why? Because they hate themselves.

If you are creating something, there will be people who will not like it. Fact. Some of them will not bother to tell you. Others will say it politely. But some of them won’t hesitate to tell you how much they hate it.

There is nothing to do about it than to accept their existence. And then to ignore them. Because it doesn’t matter whether other people like your content.

It is only important whether you like it. ⁽⁴⁾As they say – the only way you can never upset anyone is if you don’t do anything. Which makes me wonder – why on Earth do people in my company all love me? And no, I am not writing this article at my job. I promise!

10. You can’t do everything on your own

I find that many entrepreneurs are trying to do everything when it would be cheaper and more time-efficient to delegate, even if there are upfront monetary costs associated with that. In my first business, it was like a lightbulb went off in my head the first time I delegated a programming job to someone. Why did I decide finally to delegate at that particular point? I had a hot date. Which was infinitely better than me sweating all night on some stupid programming bug (thank you, Chet, for solving that issue).

When I started my chess blog, I did everything by myself.

I wrote posts. I maintained the website. I ran social media. Everything.

But after a while, I realized that A) I don’t have enough time to do everything, B) I don’t know how to do everything and C) I don’t want to do everything. That’s when I publicly asked for a co-contributor. And privately asked a friend to help me with the technical aspect. Because I realized how much I suck.

As a result – the blog looks better. It operates more smoothly. I have more time. And I am satisfied.

The point is that most of us think we have to do everything on our own. The society convinced us that we should never admit we don’t know how to do something. Or don’t want to do it. That asking for help is a sign of weakness.

But in order to climb, you need other people’s hands. You need to lean on their shoulders. You need to swallow your ego. And seek help. You’d be surprised how many people are willing to give it.

You just need to ask.

11. Dishonesty wins in the short run. Honesty wins in the long run

I get that question a lot in my Twitter Q&A sessions: Why is it that you have to be dishonest to succeed in this world? And people don’t believe me when I say that’s not true. In fact, the exact opposite is true. Only honesty will succeed.

It compounds exponentially. No matter what happens in your bank account, in your career, in your promotions, in your startups. Honesty compounds exponentially, not over days or weeks, but years and decades. More people trust your word and spread the news that you are a person to be sought out, sought after, given opportunity, given help, or given money. This is what will build your empire.

In his book Barking Up The Wrong Tree, Eric Barker devotes a whole chapter to the question: „Do Nice Guys Really Finish Last?“ He concludes that being a dick does pay off in the short run. But that it ultimately makes everyone worse. And that, under certain conditions, Nice Guys do indeed finish first in the long run.

Croatia and Moldova are good examples of what happens when dishonesty takes over. But the dishonesty in society starts with the dishonesty on an individual level. You might remember the Shepherd Boy and The Wolf story. Yes, he did get to laugh first two times.

But in the end, his lies cost him a lamb.

12. Talk openly about your imperfections and failures

The shame of imperfectionism takes at least 20 percent of my intelligence away. Because people sense and appreciate honesty, and honesty about imperfections, believe it or not, creates enormous opportunities.

While we are at honesty. Ever since starting Popsychle, many people asked me: Gee, Vjeko, why do you share your dirty laundry so openly. Aren’t you afraid someone might use it against you? What is the point of it all?

Today, we are all taught we should hide our faults and imperfections. I admit that sharing certain things on this blog sometimes makes me uneasy. I always think twice if I am comfortable before pressing the „Publish“ button.

But I think it is the right thing to do. In his books, Altucher constantly points out how he blew up a fortune. And failed. And screwed up. Mark Manson shares a lot from his past on his blog as well. As do several other bloggers. And great authors. From the present and the past.

The point is that having imperfections and faults is a part of being human. The fact these authors are authentic and honest gives credibility to their writing. It helped me relate to it. And it certainly gives them more topics to write about.

Marina Orsag taught me the first rule of stand-up is to write jokes about ourselves. I think the first rule of good writing is the same.

I do filter what I write about. But I can’t think of a single reason to hide things or lie. We all fuck up. It is hard to deal with yourself from time to time. But why is that a bad thing? If it weren’t like that, we would never learn anything.

And no one would ever grow.

13. Patience is a virtue

Today everyone wants to “go viral.” They want the Internet to make them an overnight success. But sometimes you just need to work insanely hard […]

Stop getting carried away. There’s no such thing as overnight success. Or fame. Or „get-rich-quick“ schemes. Grit and persistence are your best bet.

Shut up and be patient.

14. Sometimes, you simply need to stop and breathe

In modern society we all feel like we have to be Darth Maul. Pacing, finding a “purpose,” being anxious, stressed, waiting for doors to open. But it is great to just rest and be happy and not move when you don’t have to. Those doors will open eventually.

The pace of life these days is insane. In the last two days, I worked for 16 hours. I had a psychotherapy session. I had a table tennis practice. I watched a TV show at one friend’s place. I drank beer with another. I rushed from one place to another. I barely had time to eat at home. Let alone to talk to people who live there.

Jesus. Just writing about it makes me exhausted!

My therapist and I lead constant battles over this issue. She keeps hinting I should take a break. Remove things from my schedule. Take it more slowly. Spend some time alone.

I find it very hard to listen to her. This internal resistance, all those „I musts“ and „I have tos“ keep blocking me. The fear of missing out. The need for instant gratification.

Even though I would never admit it to her ⁽⁵⁾Shhh. Please don’t tell her, I know she is right. Spending so much time on the accumulation of experiences barely gives me time to…you know… experience them. I am aware constant running is unhealthy. Because it is not entirely clear if I am actually running toward something.

Or running away from myself.

15. Go to sleep

Sleep 8-9 hours a day and never gossip. Sleep is the No. 1 key to successful health. It’s not the only key. It’s just No. 1. Some people write to me and say, “I only need four hours of sleep” or “in my country sleeping means laziness.” Well, those people will fail and die young.

I assume you are reading this on your mobile phone.

There is a high probability you are doing it in your bed. During late night hours. Even though you know you should go to sleep. Even though science knows sleep deprivation has a devastating effect your cognitive functions. On your brain. ⁽⁶⁾For instance, see: Alhola P, Polo-Kantola P. Sleep deprivation: Impact on cognitive performance. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2007;3(5):553-67 or How Sleep Deprivation Makes It Harder To Deal With Distractions

Don’t do this to yourself. Put your phone down. Turn off the light. And go to sleep.

Good night!

References and further reading

James Altucher: Choose Yourself

James Altucher: Reinvent Yourself

James Altucher: 40 Alternatives To College

James Altucher Confidential

James Altucher Quora profile