I was devastated when I first lost all my money. I’d never thought I’d be broke at 31. All around me, my friends from school were buying their first houses and planning the best schools for their kids. I had failed miserably. I thought I’d never recover.
I was wrong.
I didn’t know this one principle about money then:
Money follows growth.
The surest way to make millions is to grow a million times.
I’d lost money the first time in a bid for creative growth (read here how). Within a couple of years, I bounced back because I was deeper, more three-dimensional at work. Then, I lost a bunch of money in starting an e-commerce business. But I learnt so much about the digital ecosystem that I accelerated in my career and made it back again. Then, I lost….
Keep investing in your growth and it always comes back. In droves.
Are you planning to quit your secure job for a risky start-up or to write a book? Don’t quit because it’s a “sure thing” with a potential valuation of hundreds of millions. Those moves seldom work. Either the start-up will implode from being so sure or you will. Quit because you’ll learn, grow, and be challenged a million times more—and it will always pay back. If not in this job, then the next one or the next one.
Lose now for personal/professional growth. And you’ll win big later.
Here are five ways to invest in growth:
- Become a Venture Capitalist Monk.
I don’t like buying things. My heart sinks when people give me gifts—I don’t like stuff and don’t know how to say thank you for it. I’m not a foodie and can eat the same bare meal for months. I feel a greater sense of transcendence in my job everyday than in beach vacations. For holidays, I like to sleep on ashram floors. Luxury makes me uncomfortable. All in all, I’m either plain cheap or a monk, probably the former. I don’t know. What I do know is that I’m comfortable investing all my money in my ideas. Each time, I write a book, I spend extravagantly on advertising. I believe so much in my novels that I want everyone in the world to read them and don’t know when to stop spending. It drives Kerry crazy. But it comes back in strange ways. A German film director saw my advertisement for Johnny in an airport and read the book. The resultant movie deal more than made up for the six months of “lost” advertising spend. The Yoga of Max’s Discontent’s spend came back in even stranger ways.
You should be more balanced than me of course but the point is, would a life stripped of all dust—houses, cars, expensive restaurant dinners—give you more flexibility to invest in ideas you’re passionate about? And would that allow for a lighter, more creative life? Cash is oxygen to nurture ideas. Spend as little of it as you can on things that can’t live and breathe.
- Throw yourself into sunrise industries.
Old models are collapsing. Amazon, Uber, Facebook, new technologies, new platforms, are changing the fundamental structures of the world. Are you working in these sunrise companies/industries? Better still, can you be the catalyst to bring sweeping changes to traditional industries using new technological models? If no, take a salary cut and make a shift. If you can’t do that, invest your capital in a sunrise side business today. You have to be part of this change. If you’re not moving forward, you’re falling back.
As an ex-CMO and the GM of a media company now, I can tell you that we’re just not hiring folks who haven’t worked in or shown a dramatic curiosity for the new world. Become a part of it today.
- Don’t buy a house.
Stocks have consistently out-performed housing as an investment in almost every recorded financial period. The only time it works out as an investment is if you plan to live in it for a period of time, say five years. Why weigh yourself down with that choice unless you truly have family responsibility that is immovable? Five years is a lifetime today. Live, learn, move, flow to the best opportunity at a moment’s notice. Or don’t. At-least give yourself that choice. Don’t follow the herd into buying a house until you’ve evaluated the decision for your own life goals. Get comfortable with equity markets instead. They’re more liquid and generate the same, if not better, returns.
- Invest to live in the center of the city (at-least for a while).
The first time I moved out of India, I lived in a far suburb in Singapore where all the Indians from P&G lived. I ate Indian food everyday, saw Bollywood movies on Saturday, and played tennis on Sunday. Exactly the life I led before moving to Singapore. I was numb creatively. My whole life contracted to what I knew. This was more my fault than the location of-course but on the whole, suburbs encourage uniformity. City centers are pulsing with life, diversity, ideas–and they impact your life in unexpected ways. I read tens of books I’d never have read if I wasn’t living right next to the Strand bookstore in New York City, for example.
Renting in city hubs has been my one indulgence (within reason of course—I spend far less than this rule-of-thumb) since my Singapore debacle and while I can’t put a number to it, I’ve felt more creatively alive since. And that’s reason itself, I guess though I think that energy may have reflected in my novels and work.
Over time, you’ll reach a point where you become a source of infinite ideas no matter where you live(read here how). Until then, your environment matters tremendously. Invest in the privilege of living in an environment throbbing with ideas.
- Expand don’t contract.
When I first left my job to start my e-commerce venture and finish The Yoga of Max’s Discontent, Kerry and I immediately wanted to contract everything—leave New York, cut our sole newspaper subscription, eliminate our donations to charity, our whole thinking was cut, cut, cut. It was a disaster. With all the psychic energy going into cutting, very little was left to go into thinking about how to grow the venture quickly with the best decisions. So we re-calibrated, looked at our savings, gave ourselves nine months to give a go at it, and threw ourselves fully into making something of it. It failed anyway. This time I wasn’t so devastated though. The focus on expansion had helped me grow exponentially. And I knew it would come back one day. Growth always does.
P.S: I’m a meditator not a financial planner so take my advice with a grain of salt Not that financial planners are any more helpful. Only you know how to make the big life decisions. But I’ve lost everything and gotten it back multiple times now so I know growth always works. Or doesn’t it? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Like WHAT
KARAN HAS TO SAY?
SIGN UP FOR WEEKLY UPDATES. IT'S FREE!
36 Responses to “The Best Money Decision You Can Make Today”
Congratulations on your new job Karan. You are a one stop coach on every thing about life, a life coach if one could be one. Thanks for the advice on money and finances, it may be contrarian but it resonates with me well.
Thanks Amit! A life coach only if you want a life of many ups and downs
Hello Karan Sir,
First of all, yours big fan of Johhny Goes down(still read it when I am down), The seeker(read when I am lost, and see myself as Max)
Read your article after a very long time, and some points made the chord strike at right points.
This article has set a strong metaphor, for doing my personal financial saga.
Hope I see many spiritually and financially refreshing articles, badly waiting for your next new book.
Cheers
Chaitanya
Love it, thanks Chaitanya, always a pleasure to hear from friends of Johnny! Thank you for stopping by.
Hi Karan- It’s late at night on the night of the full moon and while writing my blog I read yours. Fun and inspiring always reminding and prodding to keep the edges of life growing swelling with the breath of a life live. Thanks be in touch, be willful but mindful! My best to you and your family….
Marty, thanks as always, you’re an inspiration as well!
Dear Karan,
Greetings from India!
I really enjoyed reading this piece, simple to read and very insightful. I look forward to reading and learning more from you. I’ll stay connected.
Best wishes to all your endeavors!
Appreciate it, Bikash, thanks!
Hi Karan,
A good insight and a thoughtful article. I could connect myself to it as i quit job and now coming back to the growth.
Thanks much,
J
Super!
Very well written article Karan!
I agree very much on the stocks part. But selecting the right one and sitting tight on it is the toughest job which not many are able to do it. And we Indians like to have tangible assets like gold and property and yet are to break out of that mindset. They have provided safety of capital also.
Your Singapore experience was so true. Unless we immerse ourselves with new people, New culture we don’t grow. I loved reading that.
Wonderful content and so true.
Keep on enlightening us. Thanks.
Thanks Ajit! Agreed on the stocks part–my best decision has to be to sit on Amazon, Facebook etc. through the ups and downs. Hard in the moment, always works in retrospect.
Karan,
Good read, Always enjoyed your work. One has to mentally prepare to lose everything. It seems, The basics of all are in the Bhagwad Gita. ‘ what is your today was someone else yesterday and will be someone else tomorrow, the reason you are feeling happy that you own it is the reason of the your sorrows in life, possessiveness, Let it go. Unfortunately, easier said than done. I am still trying, getting there.
You’re already a very accomplished soul, Col. Chabbra, it can only get better.
Hi Karan. I always look forward to your post as they are those little miracles to happen during the darker days. You always say, take a leave and travel places. But what if traveling is impossible for say a couple of years. I wish to travel, explore places, meet new people, write a book that touches everyone’s heart (the sole dream that even keeps me up at times) but I’m stuck where to start with.
Shivangi, start with the book. You have all the tools you need! Other doors will open immediately.
But how do I begin ?
Hey karan, you are currently a Guru figure to me, this article is this i was searching, and a bit confused weather to leave the job to Pursue a career in writing.. plus i too practice Vippasana.
Super Nikhil, good luck with your decisions!
Karan I live in a small town, I love writing . These days I’m having problems taking risks. I want to move out of my town if not I want to at least live my life fully but I’m having problems taking decision .please reply me back if possible .
With love Mubasir.
Where can I buy your first books? They seem to be sold only in Indiia.
Indeed Mary, only in India for now. Sorry!
Hi Karan
Read a lot abt u .U seem interesting.414 way of life.WahU seem to be different.Just ordering a copy of Seeker
Hope you like it Rajni!
Hi Karan,
Great article. Like always. I think that the one and the most important thing to all points above is – not be scared of new and changes that will come. A good friend of mine, she struggles with the job currently (as her position is not well paid in our country). I advised her to go abroad; she knows the language; she is smart, she is intelligent, it will be okay. She didn’t do it, why? As her “best friends forever” told her that she would feel alone there, as a foreigner, and it sucks to be there just by herself. She is too afraid to move forward as some stupid girls are too jealous (they don’t know other languages and have no higher perspectives) to motivate her to go and fight.
Well said. Agree 100% with you. I would have advised her exactly the same.
Hi karan
I am in south Australia,struggling to manage my life to come on track. I am here with my four years old daughter and my husband ,Each day there is a new beginning here no job,how we will pay our rent,all savings from India are coming to near end.
I came last year here first in january with my husband he was with me for 21 days and then due to his business priorities he has to go back to India,I too flew back after 2 months. I landed again in Australia last year in August with my mother ,I managed to find some cleaning work but my mother never liked that and she started to insist me to go back to India due to various reasons but primarily was my mother’s health.
She was not having any medical insurance and I prefer to come back .when we reached India she was detected with fourth stage breast cancer ,my In-laws never want me to come back but only my husband supported me to take the right decision.
From october 2015 to may 2016 my mother ‘s condition was something I could not describe in words with all those chemotherapy. I came back to Australia again on 21st may.I have my three brothers to take care of my mother .when I was in India every alternative day I go to my mother and I was told all chemos done only operation was left .
She was fine ,I used to talk to her daily and even she too seems to be positive that now she is recovering infact she really wanted me to take a start again after the operation I do not know what happen Doctors told us her cancer spread and she had only 1 or 2 months left.After her operation she did not even spend two days normal ,My brothers and father took her to the Hospital and they refused further treatment. She could not even speak ,I do not know before operating her ,P.E.T scan report was OK then what happened.
My father told me this time you should not come back as your mother also wanted you to settle ,Every time you spend so much and twice you came back. When I came back to India even then also my husband paid the rent of the closed Apartment for 5 months.
That day when my mother was refused by the Doctors I was saying to my father on phone papa she was a devotee of krishna,play hare krishna ,hare rama,put tulsi at her bed side ,now you are the Palliative carers .Karan after two hours my brother called me and he said ALKA papa is dead ,he died of heart stroke ,he could not bear that my mother has only 1 or 2 months time.
After my father’s death my mother survived only for 13 days ,she was not in her senses when my father died ,she was lost.I lost them both last month.
I was not there to perform there last rites.
Everybody those who are in Australia my so called relatives and back in India describes me with different names like I am not hardworking ,I do not want to do course of Aged care here but as everyone suggested I did that and I am not getting job on that basis.
I want to be a teacher here ,Everybody around me laughs upon my decision,they say I already destroyed so much of money on my pleasure trips. I should not think of such things as every immigrant search for some work which even I DO . but I know what goes inside me every time when I pack and unpack my bags to take a start.
When this time I want to go back I could not . I became a mockery a looser.
I’m deeply sorry for your loss, Alka. My prayers are with you and your family.
Haha, I lived for almost 10 years in Singapore and know exactly the P&G Indians you refer to. The Waterside crowd, if you will. I’m glad I chose different places to live in -Minbu Rd, Potong Pasir – and I’ve had myriad experiences. Never regretted it.
Wish I’d been so sensible, Vidya
Hi Karan,
Your post inspires me to pursue my endeavors…but when I think of leaving job for growth….It’s a tough decision for me…right now I m working in MNC as an engineer…
But your words keeps me going…
Thank you Karan….for such useful Info….
Glad I could help Prerak.
Wonderful Karan..very well articulated, topic looks very simple though a very great incite …it depends on how one takes their own paths in life..right decisions at right time matters….
My heart sinks too when we get gifts. ‘Spend as little of it as you can on things that can’t live and breathe.’ this is the best line that i liked from this article
keep writing my friend
Good to meet a like minded soul, Deepa!
Hi Karan.
My younger sister read “The Seeker” and suggested it to me. She is not the “spiritual types”. So I am curious and will read it. I loved this post. Upto 2015 I wasted energy on cutting expenses and saving. Then I decided to let go, and invest in my growth. And this is one of the best decisions I made. I feel happy with every new skill that I learn. My best wishes to you.
Awesome …… very insightful