Over the last 30 years I estimate I have spent at least 30,000 hours thinking and talking about money (30 years x 200 days per year x 5 hours per day). The rest of my day has (to date) been spent on admin and other such matters.
30,000 hours of thinking and talking about money is a lot of laps of the track, more than most, more than any client we will ever work with, probably more than all our clients put together.
What have I learned over those hours, here are 10 that spring straight to mind:
1. Be sceptical
2. Be cynical
3. Take time to think
4. Seek out opposing views
5. Do I want to help is more important than can I help
6. Peace of mind is more important than winning
7. First mover advantage is very rare
8. Simplicity trumps complexity
9. Incremental, small improvements achieve more than wholesale changes
10. Be more and do less