When I was ten I wanted to be an astronaut, a writer, a spy, a superhero, and an advice columnist.

I wrote a play. I did spy on people. But I couldn’t figure out how to be a superhero. I read collected columns of “Dear Abby” (an advice columnist) every day.

The only advice I remember her giving was to a woman who was married to a guy who would go to clubs for “sexual favors”. The woman didn’t know what to do. Abby told her!

Then when I was in sixth grade I forgot all about the things in fifth grade. I wanted to be President! Then in seventh grade I joined a cult. And so on.

Now, people as young as seventeen are sending me emails that say, “I’m seventeen and I feel like I have done nothing in life! What should I do?”

There’s a simple answer: do whatever you want. Then it all adds up.

If you try to get one percent better each day at your health, at your relationships and the way you treat people, at your creativity, and at turning despair into gratitude, then that one percent compounds into an amazing person.

Do that one percent. Take one action. Even if the actions is for one minute. @jaltucher
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The 1/1/1 strategy.

I know this. Because I’m still compounding. What is one percent? Whatever you want it to be. The math of life is multi-dimensional.

What happens to amazing people? Everything happens to them. And you never worry about what you accomplish. Because there is no ONE thing. There is EVERY thing. And every day.

Here are some people who accomplished things late in life. I admire all of them. I’m forty-seven, and one day I’m going to figure out what I want to do with my life.

Here is another post on what the author learned about life after interviewing 80 highly successful people.

James Altucher has built and sold several companies, and failed at dozens more. He’s written thirteen books, and The Choose Yourself Guide to Wealth is the book to RULE THEM ALL. (Although he is also fond of The Power of No & Choose Yourself.) He’s an investor in twenty different companies. He writes every day. He doesn’t have enough friends. Still interested in knowing him? Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.