Hey Kid!!!
Welcome to the world!!! I would like to start off by saying that I love you and will always do, no matter what. Me and Mom are really excited and can’t wait to be a part of your life.
As a first time father, I have no clue about this whole parenting thing. But, I promise you that I will try my best to get better at it.
After much thought, I realized that my primary responsibility as a father is to provide you the essential resources to become an independent and capable adult.
So, In this letter, I will list out the resources I would recommend to give you the “wings” you’ll need to become an independent person and realize your full potential. Also, I’ll be working on creating a stable environment i.e “roots” for you to fall back upon, anytime you need.
I don’t claim my advice to be the “be-all-end-all” solution for all of life’s challenges. In fact, I’m still figuring out life and every few years, when I look back, I am surprised at how dumb and naive I was.
Disclaimer : At any point of time, I’m a work in progress and hence, my recommendations will be limited by my understanding at any specific period.
However, the fact that I was born almost 30 years ahead of you could be an advantage for us. I can save you a lot of trial and error by reflecting upon my own learnings and mistakes over the years.
Also, my guess is that it will take at least 18 years for you to fully comprehend my advice. That’s enough time for me to improve my perspective. I’ll keep editing this list accordingly.
Essential Skills and Subjects
Understanding the basic principles of multiple disciplines is the best way to improve your thinking process. Here’s a list of essential skills and subjects you should aim to understand in no particular order
- STEM Disciplines (Science, Tech, Engineering & Math)
- Computer Programming
- Health – Fitness, Nutrition and Basic Medicine
- Personal Finance – Money Management
- Philosophy – Stoicism, Leadership Principles
- Psychology – Meditation, Mental Models, Behavioral Biases
- History – Focus on human behavior that tends to repeat itself
- Self Expression – Writing, Speaking, Networking
- Meta Learning – Learning how to learn
- Discipline – Importance of Time and Mental Toughness
Recommended Resources
These resources are the fastest and easiest way to learn from others. Each one of them is a summary of an expert’s lifetime learnings in their field of choice. A good book, podcast or a blog can save you several year’s worth of thinking.
Books
- The Intelligent Investor – Benjamin Graham
- As a Man Thinketh – James Allen
- Richest Man in Babylon – George.S.Clason
- Aesop’s Fables
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
- Discipline Equals Freedom – Jocko Willink
- Extreme Ownership – Jocko Willink
- Way of the Warrior Kid Series – Jocko Willink
- Influence – Robert Cialdini
- Meditations – Marcus Aurelius
- Poor Charlie’s Almanack – Charlie Munger
- Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl
- Surely, You’re Joking Mr Feynman – Richard Feynman
- Can’t Hurt Me – David Goggins
- Sapiens – Yuval Noah Harari
- 48 Laws of Power – Robert Greene
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen Covey
- Checklist Manifesto – Atul Gawande
- Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman
- Black Swan – Nassim Taleb
- Power of Habit – Charles Duhigg
- Atomic Habits – James Clear
- How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big – Scott Adams
- Born to Run – Christopher McDougall
- Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell
- The Happiness Equation – Neil Pasricha
- Starting Strength – Mark Rippetoe
- The 4-Hour Body – Tim Ferriss
- Thinner, Leaner, Stronger – Mike Matthews
- How to Stop Worrying and Start Living – Dale Carnegie
- Ultra Learning – Scott Young
- The Code – Jocko Willink
- God’s Debris – Scott Adams
- Tools of Titans – Tim Ferriss
- Psychology of Money – Morgan Housel
- Happiness of Pursuit – Chris Guillebeau
- Think Like a Rocket Scientist – Ozan Varol
Podcasts
- Hardcore History – Dan Carlin
- Jocko Podcast – Jocko Willink
- The Joe Rogan Experience – Joe Rogan
- The Knowledge Project – Shane Parrish
- The Drive – Peter Attia
- The Tim Ferriss Show – Tim Ferriss
- Warrior Kid Podcast – Jocko Willink
- The Capital Mind Podcast – Deepak Shenoy
Blogs
Standalone Resources – Articles / Episodes / Playlists
- 6 Harsh Truths That Will Make You a Better Person
- The Three Sides of Risk
- The Ladders of Wealth Creation
- 68 Bits of Unsolicited Advice
- Jocko Podcast Episodes – 140 “IF” by Kipling, 121 to 123 “A Fortunate Son”, 226 “The Code”
- Joe Rogan Podcast Episodes – Naval Ravikanth, Elon Musk, Jocko Willink, David Goggins, Neil Degrasse Tyson and Kevin Hart.
- Mental Models
- YouTube Playlist – Seeking Wisdom
- The 13 Immutable Reads on Choosing What to Work On
- Life Advice for 18 Year Olds
Summary
Your deepest moments of happiness don’t come from doing easy things; they come from realizing your potential and overcoming your own limiting beliefs about yourself
– Scott Young
Life is short and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Make the most of it. Be humble, stay balanced, keep an open mind, learn from others and stay strong.
Remember that I want nothing but the best for you and will always be there to support you. I may not have all the answers but we can figure them out together!!!
Love,
Dad
Please subscribe here to get my latest posts delivered straight to your inbox.
