Mastering Mental Health for High Performance: Lessons from The Almanack of Naval Ravikant.

I revisited The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, a guide that unpacks ideas around wealth, happiness, and peace of mind. Naval’s insights resonate with those who chase both success and mental well-being, challenging us to rethink what true wealth means.

Expect to read about the most impactful principles and actionable steps you can take today, creating a balanced, meaningful, and autonomous life.

1. It starts with you.

Naval emphasises that “wealth” without inner peace isn’t true wealth. We often seek financial independence, yet many who achieve it still feel unfulfilled. Freedom from stress, attachment, and self-doubt forms the foundation of wealth.

Try This: Start the day with 5 minutes of mindfulness or journaling. Create a habit of reflection to ground yourself before external demands kick-in. Small changes in your daily routines can increase your inner peace.

2. Be smart, compound.

We know compounding applies to finance, but Naval applies it to learning, relationships, and health. Success, he says, is about compounding small, consistent efforts in these areas over time.

Try This: Start with one area in your life to compound: daily reading, writing or nurturing relationships. Spend just 15 minutes daily, get started and just do it. I started to reach people and friends I thought about throughout the day - pays off immediately.

3. Choose a skill with leverage.

Naval argues that in today’s economy, mastering a specialized skill creates leverage, helping you build financial freedom and career autonomy. He stresses the importance of picking skills aligned with our strengths and passions.

Try This: Reflect on a skill that you could enjoy and master over time. Find ways to continuously learn and improve, e.g., online courses, mentors or practical actions to accelerate your growth. For me and for now, it’s writing.

4. Freedom > wealth.

For high performers, financial success is often the focus. Yet Naval urges to redefine wealth as freedom of time, relationships, and purpose, emphasising that true freedom comes from having control over your life.

Try This: Take an inventory of your daily activities. Ask yourself, “Is this activity giving me freedom or reducing it?” Aim to spend more time on things that increase your autonomy. If you can’t cut an action, ask yourself, “How can I make this action 10% more enjoyable?” This one had a major impact on me.

5. Say "no", more often.

In our quest for success, we often overcommit, leading to burnout and stress. Naval emphasises that saying “no” is essential for protecting our time and mental space.

Try This: Write down your top three priorities. Start saying no to opportunities that don’t align with them. Focusing on what truly matters, by freeing yourself from other obligations. Tough at the beginning, but gets easier and feels good.

6. Be happy, now.

Naval’s advice on happiness is clear: want what you already have. Sounds simple, but it’s challenging in a world where we’re constantly urged to chase more. Shifting focus to gratitude for the present can improve mental health.

Try This: Write down three things you’re grateful for. For me, most of the time, it were the people I am surrounded by. That’s why my office is now packed with photos of these people - to remind me whom to reach out and spend time with. For the non-person wants, train yourself to see abundance in the now rather than feeling like happiness lies in the next accomplishment or promotion.

7. Give before you take.

Naval stresses the value of relationships and encourages to build connections based on generosity, not expectation. By giving first, you create an environment where others are more willing to give-back.

Try This: Reach out to a mentor or peer. Offer help and ask about their needs – without expecting anything in return. Do this once or multiple times per week. This could become a flywheel of great things.

8. Health > everything.

High performance is impossible without mental and physical health. Naval doesn’t sugarcoat it: a healthy mind and body form the foundation for any successful career and life journey.

Try This: Commit to one habit that benefits your health - whether that’s daily exercise, consistent sleep, or improved nutrition. Track your progress weekly and treat it as a non-negotiable part of your routine. I gamified my progress by becoming a Whoop user. Crazy how such a small thing changed the way I live.

---

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant reminded me (again) that success is a blend of happiness, autonomy, and purpose. By taking small, actionable steps daily, we can shift towards a life of both achievement and fulfilment.

Let’s wrap it up.

True wealth is much more than money.

It’s freedom, peace, and joy in the now - and the journey.