James Altucher Explains How to Become an Idea Machine
#002 Meet James
James Altucher is an investor, entrepreneur, and bestselling author. He’s also the host of a podcast called The James Altucher Show.
You may have heard about him recently as his article about New York City being dead attracted a lot of attention. It even led to a rebuttal from Jerry Seinfield who insists New York isn’t dead.
It’s not the first time James has made headlines though. Forbes once referred to him as “The Most Interesting Man in the World.” At the time, he was living in Air B&Bs and only owned 9 possessions.
He’s been a millionaire. And he’s been broke. He’s also experienced debilitating depression and anxiety to the point of even being suicidal at times. He talks openly about these struggles in his writing and in his podcast.
James is so brilliant and is also one of the best interviewers I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.
Some things James and I talk about:
- How to stop ‘going with the flow’ in life
- Why he’s been wearing pajamas 44 days in a row (and what you can learn from his experience)
- How to get good at something without putting in 10,000 hours of practice
- How to perform experiments that could change your life
- The one daily habit that will help you get good at generating new ideas
- How to win at Monopoly
- Why being vulnerable can lead to freedom
- How to own your mistakes (even when they’re embarrassing)
- How to keep media headlines in perspective even though media outlets want you to experience anxiety
Quotes
“The world is changing. I’m calling it ‘The Great Reset.’ The ‘old normal’ wasn’t really that great. We were just used to it. So everybody wants to go back to the ‘old normal’ and calls it the ‘new normal’ with just some small changes.
“I’ve been on planes, restaurants, and in meetings, and most people don’t even realize I’m wearing pajamas. It doesn’t even matter what pajamas I’m wearing. I’ve tried all brands and designs and patterns.”
“Most of the time when I want to try something new, I start off with experiments. There’s little to no downside in terms of money or time and huge, huge, huge potential upside.”
“You only have so much mental real estate. But if 99% of your brain is rented out already to the people you hate and who hate you, you’re not going to really achieve much in the world.”
Links and Resources
James’ book – Choose Yourself
Pre-order James’ book –Skip the Line
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/altucher/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/jaltucher
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/JAltucher.Blog
Sponsor
If you struggle with anxiety, addiction, or anything else that may be getting in the way of your happiness, talk to someone at BetterHelp.
