Weekly Digest: August 12, 2016

Salem (hello in Kazakh)! Here is your weekly dose of my best tips for how to travel the world while you grow your career and make a difference.

Travel the world

I signed up for Priority Pass a couple months ago and have loved that decision. It gives you access to 900 airport lounges around the world. I typically prioritize frequent, budget travel over luxury travel, so I rarely get lounge access. However, if you travel often, the Priority Pass pays for itself with free food, drinks, showers, strong wifi (necessary for working remotely), and an efficient/comfortable place to work or rest during a layover. You can save 10% by using this promo link.

Grow your career

I recently came across Ray Dalio’s personal manifesto, Principles (here is a link to the free PDF), and have already read it twice. Dalio founded Bridgewater from scratch and it’s now the largest hedge fund in the world. He concisely breaks down his philosophical approach to life, career, and management in this PDF. He thinks of life as a game where you seek to overcome obstacles that stand in the way of achieving your goals and explains how his ruthless pursuit of truth approach is the best way to get better at that game. This short PDF is packed with wisdom for any entrepreneur, manager, or person striving towards a goal (Part 2 is my favorite). Here’s my high-level summary: work for what you want to do, not what others want you to do; come up with independent opinions; stress-test your opinions with the smartest people you can find; be wary about being overconfident and good at not knowing; and reflect on the consequences of your decisions with hyperrealism and constantly improve.

Make a difference

250 million children of primary school age lack basic reading, writing, and math skills. Numerous studies have shown how education is one of the leading solutions for people in poor countries to break the cycle of extreme poverty, increase gender equality, encourage better health, promote human rights, and lead to increased peace within societies. One organization I have followed and supported for a while is Pencils of Promise. They are building and supplying schools, training teachers, and providing scholarships throughout Ghana, Laos, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. As of today, they have built and helped staff 363 schools. Learn more about how you can get involved on their website or check out their founder’s book: The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change.

Fun updates:

• Most popular post on Instagram  –  Walking into the storm in Poland.
• Featured article  –  I consolidated a series of old posts into one, comprehensive post about the Non-Cliché Life Lessons I Learned from Travel. It summarizes how nearly 100 countries, 1 million miles, and several years of my life abroad has changed me – both personally and professionally.
• Quote of the Week  –  “The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” – Robert Byrne

Thanks for reading and have an awesome weekend!

Konrad

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