· Daniel W. Chen · Personal Growth · 3 min read
How to Get a Life
Discover the essential steps to transform your life and find true fulfillment. This guide will help you get a life worth living, inspired by wisdom from thought leaders and practical strategies.
Getting a life is simply a skill to be learned.
Naval Ravikant, the philosopher-entrepreneur known for his insights on wealth, happiness, and life, didn’t just build successful companies---he built a life worth living. Here’s how you can do the same, inspired by Naval’s wisdom.
1. Redefine “Getting a Life”
Most people think “getting a life” means following a script. It doesn’t.
Naval’s wisdom: “The purpose of life is to get away from purpose.”
Key insight: A meaningful life isn’t about achieving specific milestones. It’s about living according to your values and desires.
Action step: Write down what truly matters to you. Ignore societal expectations. Be ruthlessly honest.
2. Set Clear Intentions, Not Just Goals
Goals can trap you. Intentions liberate you.
Naval’s quote: “Desire is a contract you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want.”
Counterintuitive truth: The path is more important than the destination.
Action step: Instead of setting rigid goals, set clear intentions for how you want to live each day.
3. Prioritize Mental and Physical Health
Your body and mind are your primary assets. Treat them that way.
Naval’s insight: “A fit body, a calm mind, a house full of love. These things cannot be bought --- they must be earned.”
Hard truth: No amount of success is worth sacrificing your health.
Action steps:
- Exercise daily. It’s non-negotiable.
- Meditate. It’s the closest thing to a superpower.
- Eat real food. Your body is not a garbage disposal.
4. Build Authentic Relationships
Your network is your net worth, but not in the way most people think.
Naval’s wisdom: “Be present above all else.”
Paradox: The less you need from relationships, the more you’ll get from them.
Action steps:
- Be genuinely curious about others.
- Listen more than you speak.
- Surround yourself with people who inspire you to be better.
5. Find Your Ikigai
Ikigai is the Japanese concept of a reason for being. It’s where passion, mission, vocation, and profession intersect.
Naval’s quote: “Find three hobbies: one to make you money, one to keep you in shape, and one to be creative.”
Key principle: True fulfillment comes from creating value, not just consuming it.
Action step: Identify the intersection of what you’re good at, what you love, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.
6. Embrace Discomfort and Uncertainty
Growth happens outside your comfort zone.
Naval’s insight: “Easy choices, hard life. Hard choices, easy life.”
Counterintuitive truth: The more you seek security, the less of it you’ll have.
Action step: Do one thing that scares you every week. Start small, but be consistent.
7. Practice Radical Self-Acceptance
You can’t improve what you don’t accept.
Naval’s wisdom: “Self-esteem is just the reputation that you have with yourself. You’ll always know.”
Hard truth: No one is coming to save you. And that’s good news.
Action step: Write down your flaws, strengths, and everything in between. Accept it all. This is your starting point.
The Ultimate Hack: Consistency
Life isn’t about intensity. It’s about consistency.
Naval’s insight: “All the returns in life, whether in wealth, relationships, or knowledge, come from compound interest.”
You don’t rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.
Create systems that align with your intentions, and you’ll transform your life.
Remember: Getting a life isn’t about adding more to your plate. It’s about ruthlessly eliminating everything that doesn’t matter.
Now go live. The quality of your life is the quality of your daily habits.
P.S. I built Life Note as a tool for finding and working on your purpose in life, try it now.