An asset is the foundation of all economic activity. If you have assets, you can run a business and settle your debts. The ways to create assets are ‘how one works,’ ‘how to receive gifts from others,’ and ‘how to purchase assets made by others.’ There is a way to steal, but it is a crime. If you don’t initially own an asset, the simplest and almost the only way to create one is to produce something with your own labor. Whether the product is a service or a good, it must be produced unconditionally. Trading products creates added value. Thinking about trading later and making products first is the fastest and most basic way to escape poverty. Therefore, produce even the smallest things every day. Knowledge, records, art—whatever! - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
One characteristic of the wealthy individuals I have met so far is that they complete their work on time, rather than merely finishing tasks by the deadline. Being on time for a task involves calculating the necessary amount of time in advance based on the task’s size and nature, then striving to complete it within that timeframe. In contrast, finishing work at the last minute means postponing tasks until the deadline looms. The habit of delaying work is referred to as ‘ procrastination ’ in psychology; it’s associated with perfectionism or the tendency to derive greater satisfaction from concentrating energy on tasks as the deadline approaches. Anxiety underlies this behavior, and it proves to be entirely counterproductive in any case. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”