Life Without Constraints Leads to Crazy: Love the Process

I’ve tracked Tony Hsieh’s career and life and reading about him again in the new book “Wonder Boy” helps me recall his greatness but also his tragic last few years. 

It’s a reminder of how easy it is to destroy yourself. Especially when you are massively rich. Living life without any checks and balances. Surrounded by cloying yes men. They have almost infinite resources to satisfy any of their whims or desires. 

This is why overnight wealth and success is usually highly destructive. They did not develop the mindset nor the discipline to manage it properly. The best example are big lottery prize winners. They almost always end up poor despite winning a massive cash prize. 

I used to wonder why I wasn’t successful earlier in life. Curse why I did not have the courage or brains or luck to get there faster. Now I feel I am fortunate that it’s taken decades. For me and my personality, especially in my younger days, having this wealth and success early would have been a fast lane to tremendous personal and professional mistakes.  In my youth and arrogance, I would have made too many bad decisions and probably wasted it. 

The great philosopher Naval said: "Making money through an early lucky trade is the worst way to win. The bad habits that it reinforces will lead to a lifetime of losses."

Or worse, indulged my darker instincts. My anger management issues would have certainly become far worse. At minimum, I would have become complacent and stopped learning and evolving. This is a form of death in itself. 

The point is always be patient and do the work. Learn to be grateful for what you have and for where you are. At every point in your life. Embrace the struggle and lessons along the way. Don’t stop being so goal driven, as that’s the key to success and excellence. But also make sure that you enjoy the process along the way. It will provide you peace, and dare I say, some grace in your life. It certainly does make life more enjoyable.