If I'm lucky, I cancounttoabouteightwith a calculator.
But I hadonetremendousadvantage, whichisthat I was a journalist, writingformagazineslikeForbesandFortune, whichmeantthat I couldactuallyinterviewalloftheselegendaryinvestorswhodidknowwhattheyweredoing.
Overthelast 25 years, I'vespenthundredsofhoursinterviewingmorethan 50 oftheworld's greatestinvestors, includingmanybillionaires.
I gottodothingsliketraveltotheBahamastospend a daywithSirJohnTempleton, an 86-year-oldbillionairewhowasprobablythegreatestinternationalstockpickerofthe 20thcentury.
Hishedgefundreturnedabout 40% a yearover 20 years.
Atthatrate, $1 millionturnsinto $836 million.
I thinkyou'llagreeit's a prettyniftytrick.
A fewyearsago, I'm sittingonGreenblatt's patiointheshadeintheHamptons, andwe'resippingicedtea, and I'm gazingoutathismagnificentviewoftheAtlanticOcean.
Themore I startedthinkingaboutsimplicity, themore I realizedthatit's a hugeadvantagetohave a fewsimple, robust, deeplyheldbeliefs, a simplesetofguidingprinciples.
What I startedtorealizeisthatallofthegreatestinvestorshavethisobsessionwithreducingmentalcluttersothattheycanfocusonwhat's mostimportanttothemandwhatthey'rebestat.
Andthisideaoftheartofsubtractionhashad a profoundimpactonmyownlife.
Likeallofus, I'm constantlybombardedbyemailsandphonecallsandTwitternotificationsandZoommeetingsandalltheseotherguilt-inducingremindersthat I shouldconstantlybedoingmore.
I'm alwaysthinking, I'm alwaysasking, howcan I reducecomplexity?
Howcan I simplifymylife?
Whatcan I subtract?
There's oneotherverysimpleideathat's changedtheway I thinkandlive, anditcomesfromCharlieMunger, whohasbeenWarrenBuffett's partnerforover 40 years.
Mungerisonehalfofthemostsuccessfulinvestmentteamthateverlived, and I wassoexcitedtomeethimthat I actuallytraveled 3,000 milestoLosAngelesfor a 10-minuteinterview.
Butitturnsoutthatthisis a wonderfulstrategy, notonlyinvesting, butactuallyinlife.
Mungertoldmethatifyouwanttohave a happylife, youshouldstartbylookingatalloftheidioticbehaviorthatislikelytoguaranteethatyou'llhave a miserablelife, andthendon't dothat.
And I havetotellyou, there's somethingwonderfullyreassuringaboutthisformebecausewhat I realizedis I don't needtofantasizeaboutbecomingfantasticallyrich.
I don't needtodreamthatthemoneyissomehowgoingtomakemehappy.
I havetofocusonbuildingjoyfulrelationshipswithmyfamilyandfriendsbytryingtospendmoretimewiththemandtrying, despiteallofmyflaws, tobecomemorelovingandkinder.