You can’t build the Empire State Building on a 6-inch slab. The foundation wouldn’t support a building that tall. In order to reach great heights you need a rock-solid foundation.
Today’s World
In today’s internet age it is easy to become distracted and easy to look over your “neighbor’s” fence. You are no longer comparing yourself to Doug down the street; now you are comparing yourself to the overnight success multimillionaire on social media and peeking into the highlight reel of everyone’s life.
If you peel the curtain back though, you will often find that this overnight success took 10 years or more of building a foundation. This leads people to believe that they can achieve overnight success too without realizing how much work actually goes into it.
There are some overnight “successes” especially in today’s world of going viral, but if they are built on a 6-inch slab the results might be disastrous because the foundation isn’t there to support the high-rise.
I think the most difficult part of building a strong foundation is the time and dedication it takes to making it. It is difficult to decide what that foundation should be whether it be writing, speaking, acting, singing, etc.
Some people are born naturally knowing their foundational truth while others take time. Tiger Woods was building his foundation at 2 years old and dominated the golf world early on. Still there are countless stories of people rising to great heights after the age of 40.
Financial Foundation
One strong foundational skill to start early that will help in any area of your life is financial intelligence. This is not taught in public schools and has been marketed as a taboo topic to talk about over the years, yet it is probably one of the most important.
A good understanding of your personal finances will ensure that you don’t fall victim to the many people that will gladly take care of them for you after you achieve success. It is sad to see all the stories of professional athletes who would have been set for life but never mastered the money game.
Reading books, blog posts, or articles are good ways to start increasing your financial IQ and strengthening your foundation.
The foundational principles of personal finance can be found in books like The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason and Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. Both books use storytelling to learn key principles that keep it interesting.
There are also several podcasts out there that will teach you financial intelligence if you listen consistently in addition to motivational content. You can also buy books on Audible.com to learn about a subject. The technology available today makes it easy to get started.
Conclusion
Whatever form you choose to consume content it is important to be consistent and adopt a continuous learning approach. You can never learn everything and we live in a society of constant change. The only way to ensure you build the strong foundation is to continue to pour into it.
