The #1 mistake smart people make

When I was a kid, my biggest dream was simple: To have enough money to buy a candy every single day. 🍭

At that time, that felt huge. Later, candy turned into wanting a Honda. Then a condo. Then I'd walk past massive homes with fancy cars parked in the driveway, and I'd think to myself: "I'm smart… so why can't I ever dream of living in a house like that, or driving a car like that?"

And here's the truth: It wasn't that I couldn't do it. It's that I never dreamt of it.

Growing up middle class, or in a developing country, you're conditioned to be "practical." You aim small because realism hits harder than ambition. The problem is — that mindset keeps you stuck.

This isn't about luxury cars 🚗. The real point is: Most of us dream too small. We dream of retiring at 65 because that's what society expects… instead of daring to ask, "Why not 10 years?" We dream of buying one candy a day instead of building a candy factory. 🍬🏭

My turning point 💡

When I first came to Canada, I landed a job making $75K a year. I was happy… but deep down, I thought: I'm worth more. Yet here's the catch — I never dreamt of making $75K a month.

And because I didn't dream it, I never asked the right questions: Can I make $75K/month in my job? No. Is anyone else making $75K/month? Yes. So the real question became: How can I make $75K/month?

That single question changed everything.

Ask bigger questions, get bigger answers 📓

When you write down the right question, your brain starts seeking the right answers. You'll make a list of your meta skills. You'll list the things you love doing. You'll explore how to marry the two into an idea that scales.

The takeaway 🌱 The problem isn't that you're not smart enough. The problem is that you're not dreaming big enough. Your dream is the ceiling on your potential.

Stop dreaming of candies. Start dreaming of candy factories. Stop dreaming of 65. Start dreaming of 10 years. Stop dreaming small.

— Nav