Life's journey is a constant exploration of wealth accumulation and personal growth. When I entered the workforce as a software engineer, I quickly realized that this job didn't necessarily become more valuable over time.
Driven by this realization, I began actively seeking industries and jobs that could accumulate value. I explored professions like law and medicine, believing they had a high potential for value growth. However, deeper investigation revealed that these industries often charge by the hour and, despite their value, lack leverage. My next stop was a large automotive company, where I was disappointed to find everything done by the book, with promotions tied strictly to vacancies on the career ladder.
After much exploration, I ultimately chose the investment industry—a field that can generate compound effects. This choice has allowed me to far surpass my peers in career development and social status. While I wasn't the hardest worker, and my career path had its twists and turns, I undoubtedly grew and benefited the fastest.
In the pursuit of wealth, it's crucial to understand key concepts. Spending time on saving money won't make you wealthy; the right approach is to save time to make money. The effect of hard work is often overestimated—in the modern economy, effort isn't the most important factor. Conversely, judgment as an ability is often underestimated. Wisdom, defined as "knowing the long-term consequences of one's actions," when applied to external problems, is essentially judgment. In other words, wisdom and judgment are highly correlated. A wise person with good judgment first understands the long-term impact of their actions, then makes the right decisions and acts on them.
In this era of significant leverage, one correct decision can help you win everything. However, without effort, you can neither cultivate judgment nor gain leverage. While time investment is necessary, judgment is more important. In moving forward, direction is more crucial than speed, especially after applying leverage. Choosing the right direction at each life crossroads far outweighs the degree of effort in moving forward. The essence of life lies in choosing the right direction and then striving towards it.
If you want to earn as much money as possible and become wealthy in a predictable way, you must always stay at the forefront—learning technology, design, art, and becoming an industry leader. Only by continuously improving your wisdom and judgment and making the right choices can you achieve true success and growth on life's journey.