The best way to get what you want is to deserve what you want

“The best way to get what you want is to deserve what you want” was shared by Charlie Munger to the 2007 graduates of USC. In the videos below, Munger explains the core ideas that have helped him through his life. He passes a lot of knowledge to the graduates, but that sentence really stuck with me. It may be a little arrogant stating "deserve what you want", but I think the general concept is a great one to live by.

There are a lot of people who want to do great things in their lives, but to to really accomplish what you want, you have to earn it. Whether you are trying to get into an MBA program, SA stint at a BB, or just that prestigious entry-level spot that only one graduate from your school gets each year, it really helps to be the best fit.

Learn everything you can about the company. Learn everything you can about the position. Learn everything you can about the industry. Become an expert interviewer. Learn how to interact with people and build strong relationships with the people you care about. Work to become as efficient and productive as you can. Don’t just soak up information, but learn how to be productive with it and add value. Position yourself to achieve exactly what you want, and it will fall into place.

Munger talks about much more in the videos below. He touches on continuous learning, thinking for yourself, building your character, and working hard. All of them are great concepts to incorporate into both professional and personal life, and will help you achieve what you want in life.

What are some of the things you do to position yourself to achieve your goals?

4 Comments
 

I have enormous respect for Charlie Munger and I understand and agree with the thought behind his advice. But the way this idea is phrased just seems to be very idealistic, almost naive. You don't always get what you think you deserve, and this is true for all aspects of life. After all, who decides whether you deserve something or not in the first place?

That said, I do agree with the basic idea behind what he said - be prepared and give it your best shot. Just didn't like that he brought "deserving" into it. What you deserve has got nothing to do with what you can get.

Move along, nothing to see here.
 

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