You only need one or two great ideas a year to get rich.

Wealth rarely comes from constant activity. It comes from a handful of well-judged decisions, made patiently and then left alone to grow. The point is that most of what we do with money, such as checking prices, chasing tips, and reacting to headlines, adds little, while a few choices carry almost all the weight. Waiting for those choices matters more than staying busy.

This fits the value-investing tradition Buffett learned from Benjamin Graham. It stresses buying only when you understand what you own and the price is sensible, then holding for years. It also fits his habit of staying within his own "circle of competence" and passing on most opportunities. I can't point to a firm source for this exact wording, so treat the attribution cautiously, though the sentiment matches his well-known views.

For an ordinary person, it might mean spending a few careful evenings a year on one significant decision, such as moving savings into a low-cost index fund, paying off high-interest debt, or investing in a skill that raises your income. Then you resist the urge to tinker, and you let time do the work.