A lot of this is hard to argue against except looking forward to weekends and vacations is a problem? To enjoy something good, like a vacation you sort of have to sometimes do the opposite, like work. It's just not possible for the world to continue to function without people that do sometimes unpleasant work in exchange for wages and vacations doing the things they like.
I spoke with a recent retire this summer and he was working in some volunteering with local charities that felt a bit like free work if rewarding in other ways. The other benefit was that he still enjoyed being on vacation. If you could eat desert all day it would stop being very good. You need that contrast in life.
I think somewhere in there you might be discounting the value of luck as well. Even being born at the right time and place has a great impact on the opportunities and outcomes you will experience. Luck isn't everything but I do appreciate some of my success has been luck.
Lucky to be born in Canada. There are a few parts of the world that are as good or a few that are arguably better but most of the world has less freedom, wealth, education, health care, security from war, education....Growing up in rural Saskatchewan with a poor (by Canadian not world standards) family may not have been an advantage but being born in the mid 70's timed things to leave university with an engineering degree at a time when jobs were sufficiently available.
I do believe I was born into a better time in Canada than my parents and listening to my coworkers concerns about their kids buying a house in particular confirms I've got it just about right. I'm an optimist though so I actually think the world is tending towards better so future generations aren't doomed plus I'll be around to see some of that.
Another good one, after university I interviewed at and thought I had a good chance at two jobs that didn't pan out. On the upside they would have kept me close to my home town but both are shutdown now. The job I did take paid out big bonuses the year before I left and laid off a lot of engineers the year after I left.
Not getting those first two jobs presented the opportunity to take a job in Ontario, al be it far from my family it's a better place for everything else in my life.
Last one, after taking the job in Ontario I went to Australia for 6 weeks because my dad randomly brought home a rental movie about Australia and I decided some day I wanted to go. While over there I got a good offer from a former employer. If I had switched I would have wound up in a city that had experienced both devastating floods and a forest fire that leveled a large portion of the city.
I couldn't have possibly been foreseen all this, I just made quick decisions with the opportunities that came at me. Bonus, if I had found an apprenticeship as a mechanic I might not have gone to university at all, met my wife, moved to Ontario, traveled the world...I was lucky enough to have work ethic in high school that got high enough marks to have options when they came and luckily my family moved late in my high school days so I went from crummy farm town school I gave minimal effort at to a much better city school where I just gave some effort and became an honor roll student.
Ok I've gone on along enough, don't underestimate how luck may have been on your side.
Regarding point #6 - A looming lay-off was a wake-up call for me that no one was going to save me. That was my best financial life lesson, one that made me start hustling.
All of it really, but “Money will solve all your problems”. If you’re unhappy without money, you will just become unhappy with money - and have more resources to pay for some really bad decisions. We need to work on ourselves first.
I agree with everything except for the fame aspect. Tim you got 100,000+ email readers and I could say you are a bit famous yourself which has helped you scale up your business and achieve your goals.
Now if you got 10 millon email readers and 90% of those readers actively engage and support your work, how would that impact your business, your personal life and privacy.
We all have the power to control our privacy, we can turn it off and on and it has nothing to do with fame, even though it might cost you a little bit of work.
Just because you're not famous in your street doesn't mean you're not famous.
You can be famous at college but not in your home town
You could travel to my country and someone could walk up to you and say "you changed my life"
Having 100k people follow and read about you is like having a stadium of people listening to you.
The idea of fame that entails people stalking you, crowd following you and having personal bodyguard with you everywhere you go is toxic. And most times these kind of famous people feed the public private information about thier personal lives just to get the public talking about them.
Take for example my favorite Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves, he is famous but he isn't like the others who practice toxic fame like people who look for every opportunity to get people to notice them.
you could see him in the coffee shop and say hi and he replies and everyone move on with Thier life
Please don't get the idea wrong I'm just trying to show you things from another perspective not challenging you, we are all here to learn and grow
The “lottery thinking” part really resonated with me. I see a lot of authors chasing the big publisher dream on social media and it makes me a little sad. I think the industry’s changed and there are better ways for writers to get eyes on their stories these days.
In these past years, I've been through most of these lies.
I've never felt that I want to stay normal. However, I still fell in the trap, unintentionally.
Competing on the job market feels quite empty as I believe most 9-5s don't see and value the skills I have. It motivates me even more to go on my own path. Still a long way down the road but at least I learned how to be consistent, persistent and patient.
Overnight success doesn't exist. People believe in that illusion, sadly. In fact, I also kinda believed in it for a while.
As I'm turning 30 next year, I feel more enlightened and fired up to pursue this pathless path and I let no one stop me from this. No matter how long it will take.
You learned the lesson early. Either you apply for jobs or opportunities come to you. I write online so opportunities are attracted to me, instead of me asking permission to access them.
Wisely said on point No 4, in that having money beyond a certain point, can potentially cause problems.
Though I feel that one important factor here is how such wealthy people live their lives. As in, if they regularly flaunt their wealth in public, that can draw unwanted attention and potentially cause problems.
In that sense, it's important and indeed helpful to be more cautious and mindful when it comes to being wealthy and spending that wealth.
I know too many people up here in Canada that think their life will be better when we elect a new government. With the rare exception the things causing the frustration or worse are not in the control of the government but they've got a ready excuse.
I like your commentary about looking for Mr. Wright or Mrs. Wright. You have to become the person you want to. Marry, you have to be independent you have to be in shape you have to be charming and be happy the way you are.
I enjoyed this. It’s like watching a series of popping delusional pimples.
Normalcy is complacency. Many prefer the NPC route because of their low risk tolerance.
Money = freedom. Money = responsibility. The surface level increases with more money, the chance of more bad actors coming into your field also increase. So money equates to more problems/responsibilities.
Finding Mr/Ms Right, Hollywood is partly to blame. A normal girl think their Prince exist, so their expectation can be unrealistic. Also, educated women have a high expectation, most desire the top 10% of male population, but they don’t fit the taste of this group. Still, a good partnership can be found if values align.
A lot of this is hard to argue against except looking forward to weekends and vacations is a problem? To enjoy something good, like a vacation you sort of have to sometimes do the opposite, like work. It's just not possible for the world to continue to function without people that do sometimes unpleasant work in exchange for wages and vacations doing the things they like.
I spoke with a recent retire this summer and he was working in some volunteering with local charities that felt a bit like free work if rewarding in other ways. The other benefit was that he still enjoyed being on vacation. If you could eat desert all day it would stop being very good. You need that contrast in life.
I think somewhere in there you might be discounting the value of luck as well. Even being born at the right time and place has a great impact on the opportunities and outcomes you will experience. Luck isn't everything but I do appreciate some of my success has been luck.
Great points Chris. Can you share a bit of your luck story?
Lucky to be born in Canada. There are a few parts of the world that are as good or a few that are arguably better but most of the world has less freedom, wealth, education, health care, security from war, education....Growing up in rural Saskatchewan with a poor (by Canadian not world standards) family may not have been an advantage but being born in the mid 70's timed things to leave university with an engineering degree at a time when jobs were sufficiently available.
I do believe I was born into a better time in Canada than my parents and listening to my coworkers concerns about their kids buying a house in particular confirms I've got it just about right. I'm an optimist though so I actually think the world is tending towards better so future generations aren't doomed plus I'll be around to see some of that.
Another good one, after university I interviewed at and thought I had a good chance at two jobs that didn't pan out. On the upside they would have kept me close to my home town but both are shutdown now. The job I did take paid out big bonuses the year before I left and laid off a lot of engineers the year after I left.
Not getting those first two jobs presented the opportunity to take a job in Ontario, al be it far from my family it's a better place for everything else in my life.
Last one, after taking the job in Ontario I went to Australia for 6 weeks because my dad randomly brought home a rental movie about Australia and I decided some day I wanted to go. While over there I got a good offer from a former employer. If I had switched I would have wound up in a city that had experienced both devastating floods and a forest fire that leveled a large portion of the city.
I couldn't have possibly been foreseen all this, I just made quick decisions with the opportunities that came at me. Bonus, if I had found an apprenticeship as a mechanic I might not have gone to university at all, met my wife, moved to Ontario, traveled the world...I was lucky enough to have work ethic in high school that got high enough marks to have options when they came and luckily my family moved late in my high school days so I went from crummy farm town school I gave minimal effort at to a much better city school where I just gave some effort and became an honor roll student.
Ok I've gone on along enough, don't underestimate how luck may have been on your side.
Regarding point #6 - A looming lay-off was a wake-up call for me that no one was going to save me. That was my best financial life lesson, one that made me start hustling.
Same here Denis. A layoff taught me no company cares, and that's uplifting. Look after yourself, always.
Pure gold.
What was the best part for you Jacques?
All of it really, but “Money will solve all your problems”. If you’re unhappy without money, you will just become unhappy with money - and have more resources to pay for some really bad decisions. We need to work on ourselves first.
A lesson worth remembering for sure Jacques
I agree with everything except for the fame aspect. Tim you got 100,000+ email readers and I could say you are a bit famous yourself which has helped you scale up your business and achieve your goals.
Now if you got 10 millon email readers and 90% of those readers actively engage and support your work, how would that impact your business, your personal life and privacy.
We all have the power to control our privacy, we can turn it off and on and it has nothing to do with fame, even though it might cost you a little bit of work.
I love that you're challenging me. I don't think 100k subs is fame though. I walk down the street and no one knows who I am.
Just because you're not famous in your street doesn't mean you're not famous.
You can be famous at college but not in your home town
You could travel to my country and someone could walk up to you and say "you changed my life"
Having 100k people follow and read about you is like having a stadium of people listening to you.
The idea of fame that entails people stalking you, crowd following you and having personal bodyguard with you everywhere you go is toxic. And most times these kind of famous people feed the public private information about thier personal lives just to get the public talking about them.
Take for example my favorite Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves, he is famous but he isn't like the others who practice toxic fame like people who look for every opportunity to get people to notice them.
you could see him in the coffee shop and say hi and he replies and everyone move on with Thier life
Please don't get the idea wrong I'm just trying to show you things from another perspective not challenging you, we are all here to learn and grow
Great stuff here. I hope others profit from common sense. Thank you.
What do you mean by profit from common sense Katman?
Good things and kind people spin the world
And it is not only bad. Many folks are making a positive result for many other people
It's important to live with this truth in my opinion. THANX.
That's a message more people need to hear Katman.
I did not realize. Sorry. Evidently someone joined the choirboys eternal and made you the boss tim. Thanks tim. If not for you there would be no me.
Are you sure tim? You know much tim.
I know little Katman. Study history if you want real wisdom.
As always, this was really good Tim. Thanks!
Appreciate it David. What part did you find the most helpful?
The “lottery thinking” part really resonated with me. I see a lot of authors chasing the big publisher dream on social media and it makes me a little sad. I think the industry’s changed and there are better ways for writers to get eyes on their stories these days.
Thank you for this cold slap in the face, Tim!
In these past years, I've been through most of these lies.
I've never felt that I want to stay normal. However, I still fell in the trap, unintentionally.
Competing on the job market feels quite empty as I believe most 9-5s don't see and value the skills I have. It motivates me even more to go on my own path. Still a long way down the road but at least I learned how to be consistent, persistent and patient.
Overnight success doesn't exist. People believe in that illusion, sadly. In fact, I also kinda believed in it for a while.
As I'm turning 30 next year, I feel more enlightened and fired up to pursue this pathless path and I let no one stop me from this. No matter how long it will take.
You learned the lesson early. Either you apply for jobs or opportunities come to you. I write online so opportunities are attracted to me, instead of me asking permission to access them.
Awesome. Thank you Tim.
Build your own distribution. Nobody is coming to save you. More execution less masturb#tion.
No probs Simon. Let's keep chatting by email and make the execution part happen for you.
100%
Wisely said on point No 4, in that having money beyond a certain point, can potentially cause problems.
Though I feel that one important factor here is how such wealthy people live their lives. As in, if they regularly flaunt their wealth in public, that can draw unwanted attention and potentially cause problems.
In that sense, it's important and indeed helpful to be more cautious and mindful when it comes to being wealthy and spending that wealth.
Agree Raveen. Flaunting wealth is a great way to have wealth stolen from you. The Honda Civic life is underrated.
Nice article Tim
What was the best point for you Roopa?
Someone will come and save you part
It's a message I never get tired of Roopa.
I know too many people up here in Canada that think their life will be better when we elect a new government. With the rare exception the things causing the frustration or worse are not in the control of the government but they've got a ready excuse.
It's sad Chris. What can we do to help these people?
Honestly don't know. I can think of two individuals that I just stay away from at the moment.
Excellent list Tim!
Any lesson that stood out Scotty?
Excellent.
:)
I like your commentary about looking for Mr. Wright or Mrs. Wright. You have to become the person you want to. Marry, you have to be independent you have to be in shape you have to be charming and be happy the way you are.
Ooft.. using learning as a form of procrastination, hit me hard! 😮💨
I enjoyed this. It’s like watching a series of popping delusional pimples.
Normalcy is complacency. Many prefer the NPC route because of their low risk tolerance.
Money = freedom. Money = responsibility. The surface level increases with more money, the chance of more bad actors coming into your field also increase. So money equates to more problems/responsibilities.
Finding Mr/Ms Right, Hollywood is partly to blame. A normal girl think their Prince exist, so their expectation can be unrealistic. Also, educated women have a high expectation, most desire the top 10% of male population, but they don’t fit the taste of this group. Still, a good partnership can be found if values align.
Absolutely loved this one. All the points but especially #4 and #6. Freedom does seem more elusive than a well-paying job.