1. 1-Sentence-Summary:
1.1. Choose Yourself is a call to give up traditional career paths and take your life into your own hands by building good habits, creating your own career, and making a decision to choose yourself.
2. Favorite quote from the author:
2.1. "The only predictor of a successful tomorrow is a successful today." - James Altucher
3. 3 lessons:
3.1. The American dream the middle class keeps chasing is dead.
3.1.1. The American dream is the house with the white picket fence, 2 kids, 2 nice cars in the garage and a big vacation every year.
3.1.1.1. Both parents working meant more income, which made this lavish lifestyle affordable, which is when the idea that a perfect life is mostly based on consumption became the ideal standard that we started chasing.
3.1.2. The plan was clear: get a good education, get a safe job, work hard, hopefully be promoted and thus able to keep up your expensive lifestyle until you retire.
3.1.3. But in 2008 the American dream bubble abruptly burst.
3.1.3.1. The world’s biggest financial crisis lead to companies ruthlessly cutting costs – mostly in the form of people.
3.1.4. Almost everything can now either be outsourced or done by technology
3.1.4.1. And thousands of college graduates now find themselves unemployed or underpaid – the end of jobs is here.
3.1.5. But what should you do if your fancy college degree now only gets you a job at McDonalds? Is it all bad?
3.1.5.1. No. Here’s what to do.
3.2. Make yourself the only person who controls your dreams.
3.2.1. This one sentence contains everything you need to know about choosing yourself.
3.2.2. If financial freedom is your dream, then you have to control your income, which means creating products, freelancing, making passive income from affiliate marketing, selling books, courses, teaching seminars – do any one, or even better, all of these.
3.2.3. Want to make your own hours? Then you have to control your time (which leads to the same conclusion).
3.2.4. Why aren’t you the only one who controls your dreams already?
3.2.4.1. Because you’re afraid.
3.2.4.1.1. Afraid of what our family will think if we leave our “stable job”.
3.2.4.1.2. Afraid of what friends might say.
3.2.4.1.3. Afraid of our customers rejecting us.
3.2.5. Avoiding rejection is a powerful motivator.
3.2.5.1. But it makes us miserable.
3.2.6. As long as you choose to live with that fear, instead of acting in spite of it, you are giving others the power to make your choices for you.
3.2.7. Remember: Make yourself the only person who controls your dreams.
3.3. You can choose yourself by beginning a daily practice of good habits in 4 areas.
3.3.1. Focus on taking care of yourself in 4 areas.
3.3.1.1. Mental health
3.3.1.2. Physical health
3.3.1.3. Emotional health
3.3.1.4. Spiritual health
3.3.2. James tries to improve himself by just 1% in all of these areas every single day.
3.3.2.1. For him, that means sleeping well, eating well, exercising a bit, and writing down 10 ideas a day, no matter if they’re good or bad.
3.3.3. A daily practice can also mean only being around people you love while cutting the toxic ones out of your lie.
3.3.3.1. Or, to practice gratitude so you can live in the moment each day and not time travel to the past or future in your head.
3.3.4. James created a free website where you can track your daily practice.
3.3.4.1. You can also use an app like coach.me.