The Darius Foroux Show: Mindset, Business, Money

I’m very introverted. I truly enjoy (and need) time alone. Too much social contact drains my energy. One misconception about introverts is that they lack confidence. People falsely assume that we don’t want to be around others for that reason. In her book, Quiet, psychologist Susan Cain calls that concept the “Extrovert Ideal.” It’s the widespread belief that being outgoing, assertive, and socially proactive makes a person successful. As it turns out, introversion has its own set of strengths and advantages. According to Cain, some of these strengths include better problem-solving skills, more creativity, empathy, and the ability to work independently. In my experience, we can all benefit from cultivating the introverted side of us. When we nurture that by spending more time alone, we actually become more self-confident. We no longer look for external validation. We gain more appreciation for ourselves. More on that in my new article. Pre-order The Stoic Path to Wealth My new book is coming out July 16th. It shows you how to build enduring wealth in the stock market. Learn more: ⁠⁠stoicpathtowealth.com⁠

The habit of journaling may seem small and insignificant. “How can writing personal notes in my journal every day do anything for me?” You might ask. I understand the skepticism. Even I had some doubts in the beginning. But journaling truly can change your life. Just ask any person who journals. You won’t find a person who says, “Journaling is so-so.” Everyone who does it loves it. Since 2015, I have made journaling an integral part of my morning routine, and it has helped me succeed in various areas of my life. I also grew happier. In this episode, I share four techniques that I keep turning to in my journaling practice. Pre-order The Stoic Path to Wealth My new book is coming out July 16th. It shows you how to build enduring wealth in the stock market. Learn more: ⁠stoicpathtowealth.com⁠

I have a love/hate relationship with impatience. I love it because it has helped me to accomplish things in my career. When something needs to be done, I do it immediately. I just can't wait. But that approach is not helpful when it comes to your finances. To build proper wealth, you need patience. You can read about investing and compounding as much as you want. But unless you don't have the patience to let your money compound, you can never reap the benefits. This is something I had to learn. To all my fellow impatient-natured people, learn the art of patience. It will help you immensely in life. Listen to learn more! Pre-order The Stoic Path to Wealth My new book is coming out July 16th. It shows you how to build enduring wealth in the stock market. Learn more: ⁠⁠stoicpathtowealth.com⁠

Essentially, making money from your passion is all about solving a problem or need. And getting paid for it. Whether it’s through a product or service, your focus should always be on providing value to your customers. Look at the Patagonia brand. The founder, Yvon Chouinard, saw a need for high-quality outdoor gear that was environmentally friendly and decided to fill that gap. By focusing on providing value, he was able to build a loyal customer base and become recognized as an industry leader. In my case, I started writing and publishing free articles on self-improvement that people found to be useful. Eventually, they subscribed to my newsletter. Some folks bought my books and courses, which is how I earn a living. On this journey of making money, stay authentic. Your passion is what sets you apart from others in your field. Don’t try to imitate someone else or follow the latest trends just to make money. People are drawn to authenticity, which will help you create a unique brand. In this episode, I share more about the importance of authenticity. More tips on making money from your passion: https://dariusforoux.com/making-money-passion/ Pre-order The Stoic Path to Wealth My new book is coming out July 16th. It shows you how to build enduring wealth in the stock market. Learn more: ⁠stoicpathtowealth.com⁠

The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote this in his book, The Gay Science, about purpose: “Gradually, man has become a fantastic animal that has to fulfill one more condition of existence than any other animal: man has to believe, to know, from time to time why he exists; his race cannot flourish without a periodic trust in life–without faith in reason in life.” Nietzche said that we need to have some kind of trust in life. Just surviving, eating, working, and procreating are not enough. The purpose is the compass that guides us through life. It’s not about achieving grandiose goals or accumulating material wealth. It’s about finding fulfillment in what we do and making a difference. Pre-order The Stoic Path to Wealth My new book is coming out July 16th. It shows you how to build enduring wealth in the stock market. Learn more: ⁠stoicpathtowealth.com⁠

Smartphones have become an extension of ourselves. We use them for almost everything - from staying connected with friends and family, to managing our schedules and even for entertainment. A recent study showed that the average person spends around three hours a day on their phone, which adds up to a staggering amount of 45 days a year. People are glued to their screens most of the time. There’s a constant need to check notifications, scroll through social media feeds, and respond to messages. This isn’t just bad for our mental health. It also distracts us from doing and finishing our work on time. For the sake of our personal well-being and productivity, we need to reduce the time spent on our phones. In this episode, I talk about how you can do that. Pre-order The Stoic Path to Wealth My new book is coming out July 16th. It shows you how to build enduring wealth in the stock market. Learn more: ⁠stoicpathtowealth.com⁠

Worrying is a natural human response to uncertainty. But when we allow our worries to consume our thoughts at all hours of the day, they can quickly become overwhelming. One effective strategy to manage this is by only giving yourself five minutes to worry and sulk over negative emotions. Call this your 5 minutes of worry time. Worrying is a natural part of life. We all have things that cause us stress and anxiety, whether it’s work, relationships, or just the daily grind. And sometimes, it can feel overwhelming to try and push those worries away. But having a bit of time to allow ourselves to worry can also be helpful. So during your 5 minutes of “worry time,” allow yourself to think about all the things that are causing you stress. Give yourself permission to worry. By acknowledging our worries, we can better manage and control them. But once the time is up, move on to something else. Listen to this episode to learn more. Read my article, "Mental Exercises to Help You Tame Stress and Anxiety": https://dariusforoux.com/stress-and-anxiety/ Pre-order The Stoic Path to Wealth My new book is coming out July 16th. It shows you how to build enduring wealth in the stock market. Learn more: ⁠stoicpathtowealth.com⁠

In this episode, I share how I dealt with my latest setbacks. I talk about how you can use challenges to learn and adapt. And to come back stronger! Pre-order my new book, The Stoic Path to Wealth Combining ancient wisdom with practical investment strategies drawn from analysis of the greatest investors of all time, The Stoic Path to Wealth will teach you how to: Coming July 16th, 2024 Pre-Order Your Copy Now: https://members.dariusforoux.com/stoic-path

I believe our natural response to setbacks is stress. When you deal with loss, sickness, conflict, or uncertainty, you get that heavy feeling in your stomach. Your mood becomes dark. You start feeling less energetic. Your instincts tell you to run. For some people, that type of stress lasts only a few hours, but for others, it can go on for weeks or months. What matters is that you don’t get stuck in those negative feelings. Because when you don’t address your setbacks, you start to get emotionally scarred. There’s another option: You can see every setback in your life as an opportunity to get smarter, stronger, better. Here’s what J.K. Rowling said about setbacks: “The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity.” In this episode, I talk about how I use this strategy in my own life. Pre-order The Stoic Path to Wealth My new book is coming out July 16th. It shows you how to build enduring wealth in the stock market. Learn more: stoicpathtowealth.com

In my experience, there are a few things you can do when your brain feels clogged. Get rid of your overwhelming goals:Stop multitasking:Take a few days off or work less:Limit negative inputs:Take a long walk:Sleep early: You wouldn’t keep your computer running without ever restarting it. Likewise, your brain needs to rest and rejuvenate, especially when pushed to its limits. More on each tip in this episode. Join the Financial Freedom Challenge I've created a free 5-day email course. It's called the Financial Freedom Challenge, and it will help you take control of your finances and start building wealth. Break free from living paycheck to paycheck with nothing to show for. Sign up here (no cost): members.dariusforoux.com/financial-freedom

Imagine an ambitious goal for yourself. Say you want to write a book, switch to a completely different career, or start your own business. If your goal is something you have to do because your life and the lives of people you care about depend on it – then how could you increase your odds of success? Try this: 1. Always aim high. People will try to make fun of you. Tell you to be more ‘realistic.’ They will try to marginalize you. Don’t listen. Never let the small-mindedness of others contaminate your mind. 2. Focus on one thing per area. Divide your life into separate areas – say work, health, hobbies, relationships. Each area only gets one objective. Learn to decline other pursuits. 3. Adapt yourself. As Charles Darwin said: “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.” Try to be constantly aware of your environment. And adapt as needed. 4. Get rid of your “okay” desires. There are many things we want in life that aren’t that important to us. We simply want them because they make things a bit easier or more convenient. This is fine, but doing too many can add up and distract you from your goals. Focus on things that you truly want. And discard the rest. 5. Embrace crazy. While you may not have the capacity to invent the next Facebook, solve world hunger, and send rockets to space — You can still aim to be a successful entrepreneur who also runs marathons. Pursuing success in business and maintaining physical fitness can be goals that complement each other: A healthier individual is often more productive. Those who have truly made an impact on the world didn’t dilute their ambitions. They embraced their craziness. In this episode, I share how I’ve applied this framework in my own life. Join the Financial Freedom Challenge I've created a free 5-day email course. It's called the Financial Freedom Challenge, and it will help you take control of your finances and start building wealth. Break free from living paycheck to paycheck with nothing to show for. Sign up here (no cost): members.dariusforoux.com/financial-freedom

For the longest time, I had this dream of living in Spain. Who doesn’t want to live somewhere warm and close to the beach?! Well, me. In this episode, I share why and what I learned. I gave it a try in 2022 and spent six months living in Spain. I learned a lot. And I even met my girlfriend there. But I realized that living somewhere warm was just a dream. I got used to the weather. And it made me realize that I was complaining too much about the weather in The Netherlands. Since I got back, I’ve been enjoying my hometown a lot more. This is literally the oldest cliche in the book, but home is truly where the heart is. As you go about your day, don’t forget to appreciate your town, no matter where you’re from. Join the Financial Freedom Challenge I've created a free 5-day email course. It's called the Financial Freedom Challenge, and it will help you take control of your finances and start building wealth. Break free from living paycheck to paycheck with nothing to show for. Sign up here (no cost): members.dariusforoux.com/financial-freedom

I started writing daily in 2015. Since then, I published over 600 articles and wrote 8 books. I easily wrote more than a million words. There are many things I have learned from writing. I published an article with 12 lessons I learned. In this episode, I share every point briefly. And at the end, I talk about my most important takeaway. Read about the other lessons here: https://dariusforoux.com/learned-from-writing/ Join the Effective Writing course In Effective Writing, I share the strategies, exercises, and tools you need to become a better writer so you can get anything you want in life. More than 3,000 students have joined Effective Writing. Will you join us next? Join here: members.dariusforoux.com/effective-writing

The late Charlie Munger, renowned investor and long-time partner of Warren Buffett, said this during a 1998 annual shareholder meeting of Berkshire Hathaway: “The hard part of the process for most people is the first $100,000. If you have a standing start at zero, getting together $100,000 is a long struggle for most people.” This is so true. In this episode, I talk about my own journey. Here are the stages. The First Three Years: The Foundation Year Four: Start Reaping Year Five: Compounded Reaping Listen to the episode to hear me talking about it more in-depth: https://dariusforoux.com/first-100k/ Join the Financial Freedom Challenge I've created a free 5-day email course. It's called the Financial Freedom Challenge, and it will help you take control of your finances and start building wealth. Break free from living paycheck to paycheck with nothing to show for. Sign up here (no cost): members.dariusforoux.com/financial-freedom

I started writing every day in 2015. Since then my life completely changed. I wrote 8 books and reached millions of people with my words. Writing daily helped me to build a 7-figure net worth. Here’s why writing helped me to change my life: If you want to improve your writing skills, join my online class, Effective Writing. It’s only open once a year. Regsitration for the 2024 class is between January 28 and February 4. Join here: http://members.dariusforoux.com/effective-writing Join the Effective Writing course In Effective Writing, I share the strategies, exercises, and tools you need to become a better writer so you can get anything you want in life. More than 3,000 students have joined Effective Writing. Will you join us next? Join here: members.dariusforoux.com/effective-writing

Charlie Munger once said: “More investors don’t copy our model because our model is too simple. Most people believe you can’t be an expert if it’s too simple.” The simplest investing ideas are truly the best. Here’s a simple idea: If you have freedom, you have wealth A lot of people fall into the trap of endlessly chasing more money. They wait to feel fulfilled until they have a certain amount of money in stocks or the bank. But wealth is more a feeling than a number. Wealth isn’t just about accumulating money; it’s about financial stability and freedom. It’s the ability to weather financial emergencies, the freedom to make choices that aren’t dictated by financial constraints, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’re financially secure. High earners can still struggle financially if they spend recklessly and save little. On the other hand, those with modest incomes can accumulate substantial wealth by living frugally and saving diligently. This is where simple investing ideas come in. When you focus on setting your life up in a way that you have freedom, you can call yourself wealthy. And you can feel free even if you’re not a millionaire. Read about more simple investing ideas: https://dariusforoux.com/investing-ideas/ Join the Financial Freedom Challenge I've created a free 5-day email course. It's called the Financial Freedom Challenge, and it will help you take control of your finances and start building wealth. Break free from living paycheck to paycheck with nothing to show for. Sign up here (no cost): members.dariusforoux.com/financial-freedom

The DF Show is back! New episodes coming out weekly. In this episode, I talk about a life lesson I learned from the Stoic philosopher, Seneca. Seneca taught that happiness doesn’t come from always wanting more, but appreciating what we already have. Contentment comes from understanding and valuing our present achievements, rather than constantly striving for the next big thing. We all want a bit more. That’s just natural. We want a bit more income to buy the stuff we want; more time to achieve more things; more strength and stamina to experience more of life, and so forth. And here’s the thing: It’s okay to strive for these goals. We don’t have to let ourselves stagnate. But we also need to take some time to appreciate what we already have. It’s something I like to journal about regularly. I look back and see how far I’ve come from when I started. When you’re consistent in executing your goals, you’ll go far, even little by little. And that’s something to be grateful for. Join the Financial Freedom Challenge I've created a free 5-day email course. It's called the Financial Freedom Challenge, and it will help you take control of your finances and start building wealth. Break free from living paycheck to paycheck with nothing to show for. Sign up here (no cost): https://members.dariusforoux.com/financial-freedom

The Matthew Effect, also known as the principle of accumulated advantage, is not only a platitude; it’s a scientifically recognized phenomenon that has been studied by sociologists and economists. Coined by sociologists Robert K. Merton and Harriet Zuckerman in 1968, the term derives its name from a biblical parable found in the Gospel of Matthew. https://dariusforoux.com/matthew-effect/

A few words of encouragement. Thanks for listening. https://members.dariusforoux.com/procrastinate-zero-2

On this episode, I talk about meaningful productivity. By applying this strategy you will make more progress and stress less. Learn about my productivity system, Procrastinate Zero 2: http://members.dariusforoux.com/procrastinate-zero-2 More about Meaningful Productivitiy: https://dariusforoux.com/meaningful-productivity/