If I Haven't Succeeded By Mid 20's, Can I Still Succeed?

[Ricky]

So at what age do you give up? You turn 30 and say "oh well" I'll go get a job?

Give up? Are you kidding me?

You might as well go ahead and give up today. Go get a job you hate and join the sidewalk and rat race.

No thanks - i'm personally committed to being a fastlaner and it will happen. How? Taking constant action today to reach your goals. Being a fastlaner is a mindset and once you have it, there really is no one that can stop you but yourself.

Seriously, i've only been on this forum for a few days, but i'm amazed at some peoples questions and responses (not directed towards anyone in particular). Have they even read the book and grasped the message, ideas, and mindset?

 

[MJ DeMarco]

I think Jon Paul Dejoria also started late -- was homeless living on the street until he created his LBA.

Give up? Are you kidding me?

I think Kenric (biophase) wasn't advocating giving up ... he was questioning JoeyBiz's insinuation that after a certain period of time (X years) it is time to give up. I know he doesn't believe that!

 

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[theBiz]

Ricky i hear what you are saying and i do agree with you to a degree. You must understand though that being able to accept the negative possibilities out in the world is a good thing. If you were doing something wrong and kept saying well its going to work if i just keep doing it, you can read whatever you want, think whatever you want, but if it does not make sense it will not work.

Some people simply will not proceed and i am not saying its because they cant im saying maybe they underestimated what it would take, did not self educate themselves enough, or too lazy to do what it takes.

I do not mean to put anyone out, it was just my opinion, i want to be rich young, MJ said it, many people have said it. I honestly do not care if im rich at 60, it will mean nothing to me, so maybe we have different views there. Im not saying i want to be rich at 30 and then lose it but again if i can not attain wealth before i lose my health, i just dont care.

Maybe im just saying this because im young and stubborn who knows, again sorry if it offended anyone.

 

[NHS]

Well I didn't start till I was 38. I am still 38. God when did that happen. HAHA Could have swore I was at a NIN concert last week and still a senior in high school.

I didn't really have anyone helping me when I was growing up and money was completely foreign to me. I had a good time in my 20s. However I lived paycheck to paycheck. Still I am not complaining I had a good time.

Wasn't til about 5 years ago when I started getting involved in filming and editing the DVD series called Super Speeders. More personal information then I want to share but it certainly made an impact on me. Here you had a bunch of guys all 10 years younger then me driving 250k cars like assholes and I am scratching my head wondering how these young guys could afford such cars.

Anyways it definitely encouraged me to start busting my a$$. Then later I learned that busting your a$$ wasn't the right approach. How long can I work 12 hours a day for? But I finally got it all together just before my 38th birthday. Oddly enough I kinda reached all the same conclusion as MJ did before I even read his book. I'm still working on it but at 38 I am finally on the right track.

Thankfully I take really good care of myself and stay very active. So when I am wealthy I will still be able to enjoy it.

 

[Anon3587x]

I'm doing my best to follow the tracks of successful people before me while still doing my own thing.

I've had a few failures already, I've learned from them and I feel confident in the website I've been working on. I think you only really fail when you quit

 

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[lightning]

Great post IronWill! Speed++ to you!

 

[DeletedUser394]

This thread is hilarious (mixed in with some common sense)

Problems;

A) 'Success' is a blanket term. Everyone interprets it differently. Financial success? Marrital? Family? Friends? etc

I view success not as an endpoint, but as a never ending road of self-improvement until the day I die.

B) Mid 20's? Really? If you don't achieve your view of what 'success' is by age 25 you're doomed for life and failure?

hahahahhahahahahahahha

That's about the most ludicrous suggestion I've seen yet.

What if you're 24? You get 1 year to succeed? What if you're 40? Well you might as well just quit now because you're 15 years past the success deadline.

Come on, that is ridiculous.

You can't answer this question for anyone other than yourself. To tell another person that they are wrong is foolish, because there is no set definition for success that can be applied to everyone. Why? Because there isn't. (essentialy) hahah

Seriously though;

I don't want to be a parrot but it's been stated over and over. "You only fail when you quit."

If you have a goal and miss, are you a failure? Not if you try again. Goals change constantly anyway, as you grow as a person and become wiser. Our experiences ultimately affect our viewpoints which in turn alter our priorities in life, which end up changing our goals.

Is a certain business idea not working for you? Let go of it, and try another. and another. and another. When do you stop trying? You don't. Does that make you a failure? It doesn't.

You're a failure if you succumb to laziness or any other human defect. (Couldn't think of a more suitable word)

But are some of you suggesting that people who have normal jobs are failures? Because that in itself is completely wrong.

Your interpretation of success is not neccessarily the right one. There is no right answer to "What is success?"

Just like the fastlane is not 'right'. It is right for some people, others not.

 

[theBiz]

This may go on for a while. Success is a means to an end, nothing more, nothing less. Maybe some people are talking about happiness or person fulfillment but that is not the same thing. In the meantime life comes at you fast with bills/burdens and one will eventually win.

 

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[SKM430]

I agree with you Biz, in that we all want to be successful, financially or otherwise, when we're young. Heck, I'm only 23 and I already have the mindset that I started out too late on this entrepreneurship track. It's also like you said tho, Success is a means to an end. The problem is some people will have that flash or luck very early in their lives as I hope everyone on this forum does but there are times when timing is off or the execution of an idea isn't completely there just yet. I believe the most important thing in all of this is to stay hungry and motivated because sometimes it goes take a long time (5 years 10years 15 years 20years) to get to that level of success that one wants.

 

[DeletedUser394]

This may go on for a while.Success is a means to an end, nothing more, nothing less. Maybe some people are talking about happiness or person fulfillment but that is not the same thing. In the meantime life comes at you fast with bills/burdens and one will eventually win.

Is that a fact? (let me help you... no it is not) Some people view happiness as the ULTIMATE success. Do you not understand that it is entirely a matter of OPINION? And that your opinion does not apply to everyone? Clearly you are incapable of empathy... If you can't see the point of view of your potential customers you'll most probably fail miserably.

 

[DeletedUser394]

luck

Everyone I know of, or have ever heard of/read about who are successful financially are not lucky. They busted their a**es off working insane amounts of hours 6-7 days a week doing tasks that most people wouldn't in order to build their businesses.

They come from all age groups and all demographics.

I see no luck.

 

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[biophase]

This may go on for a while. Success is a means to an end, nothing more, nothing less. Maybe some people are talking about happiness or person fulfillment but that is not the same thing. In the meantime life comes at you fast with bills/burdens and one will eventually win.

I challenge you to define "successful."

Is an NBA player sitting on the bench making NBA minimum successful?

 

[DeletedUser394]

Another thing is that younger people believe that they are working towards a better future. While this may be true, they don't realize that they should also be living in the present while doing so. Your life experiences are all about what is going on in the moment.

Guilty as charged.

I would take my highschool experience as my best example.

Every day I would absolutely HATE going to class every day. So, during lunch and breaks (and even during class) I would take out notepads and plan my FUTURE.. in doing so I completely neglected my PRESENT.

Everything was always about the future. I didn't spend enough time with my friends, my teachers, my family or just being social at all... Sure I was technically in the room, but my mind was wandering into grandiose and naive visions of the future.

I would give almost anything to go back and do it all over.

 

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[DeletedUser394]

I challenge you to define "successful."

Is an NBA player sitting on the bench making NBA minimum successful?

Exactly my point!

 

[theBiz]

Is that a fact? (let me help you... no it is not) Some people view happiness as the ULTIMATE success. Do you not understand that it is entirely a matter of OPINION? And that your opinion does not apply to everyone? Clearly you are incapable of empathy... If you can't see the point of view of your potential customers you'll most probably fail miserably.

I make money in my own business already so the fail miserably thing is just not appreciated or needed, i am just not making it through a fast lane business.

I understand empathy and maybe you are having difficulty controlling your emotions with this. It is all based on facts. It is a means to an end. I did not say our "end" is all the same. Its clearly just different numbers, that's all.

If your bills are 20k per year and you spend 20k per year and you seek no further riches, i think 100k per year passively we can say you have reach a means to your end, you have attained success.

If your bills are 50k per year and you spend 50k per year, you are completely happy with that lifestyle, you need to make more than 100k securely and comfortably in order to reach success. If you do not, you have not reached a means to an end, which means you MUST work. Whether you love work or not is irrelevant, its just numbers.

Happiness and pride aside i am just talking about financial success, i understand money does not make you complete and happy.

 

[Rickson9]

Just an unrelated aside: my definition of 'success'.

"To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - that is to have succeeded." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Best regards.

 

[theBiz]

Global i take your posts into consideration all the time, i think you have valid points.

A teacher who positively impacts hundreds of kids is a success, regardless of paycheck.

I used to not believe this but i realize as i get older that these people should be respected and do live very fulfilling lives.

Maybe ive just become so conditioned to think about money that its almost all i ever think about. The push some of us get from seeing friends and relatives struggling makes money so important that happiness can be shadowed by personal income. I don't know maybe im wrong, i see it close to impossible to be happy while financially struggling or always worrying about money. thanx

 

[Infinity]

Thanks everyone for these insightful replies, I learned from this thread...

Good post Iron, best of luck with your real estate empire

My key take away is to not always be so focused on the future, and forget/not enjoy the present. I'm definitely guilty of this, and am consciously going to try and avoid this going forward (to some degree!). Thanks biophase

 

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[dexta]

I just wanted to say one more thing. In my opinion, the whole idea of fastlane is to get financially free early enough to be able to enjoy what life actually has to offer. For me, that means growing my money tree by my 30s, maybe 40s, because I'll still be young enough to have the energy to do things like travel, which I highly value. But for some, it may not matter as much to get free while young, they may have other things in mind which they would want to do that doesn't require a young age. If someone wants to get rich enough to be able to secure a good future for his children or grandchildren, then older age may not matter that much, for example. In my case, I am in my 20s and am aiming to get free by my early 30s, because I want to be able to live with my family in style. So if I don't get on that path by then, then by my terms, I have failed, but it doesn't mean it's the end of the world, just time to shift gears so I can prepare for the next best thing (i.e. getting free by my 40s). The only TRUE failure for any aspiring fastlaner is giving up on the fastlane path. But at the same time, that doesn't mean your life can't be enjoyable. After all, there are people who are not financially free who still enjoy their lives, right? Though it's somewhat relative, I believe there are firm criteria for what determines "success" and "failure" for a fastlaner. Just my two cents

 

[InMotion]

Look the majority of millionaires I know didnt start until they were thirty or older. I have two relatives that are multi-millionaires and they are over 50. So the answer is I think that MJ is driving towards is that if you engage in the process and are committed then becoming wealthy can come at any age. I think MJ would say that there is also a Slowlane in becoming a millionaire as well, its not a question if you get there its when in your life are you getting there. I agree with MJ and do not want to be the richest man in the retirement home. Im in my late 20's and had several small business failures and I still believe im going to be very wealthy, but you have to stay at it and go about it in the right way.

 

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[biophase]

In my opinion, the whole idea of fastlane is to get financially free early enough to be able to enjoy what life actually has to offer. For me, that means growing my money tree by my 30s, maybe 40s, because I'll still be young enough to have the energy to do things like travel, which I highly value.

Though I understand what you are saying, you may miss things that you can do while you are in your 20's that you can't do when you are 30. My point is that if you do this you may end up having $10M when you are 30 and look at and say that you missed your 20's. That's 10 years that no amount of money is going to get you back. So while you are busy making your millions in your 20's, stop and look around some of the time.

 

[James Fake]

Though I understand what you are saying, you may miss things that you can do while you are in your 20's that you can't do when you are 30. My point is that if you do this you may end up having $10M when you are 30 and look at and say that you missed your 20's. That's 10 years that no amount of money is going to get you back. So while you are busy making your millions in your 20's, stop and look around some of the time.

Wow, that is a very real statement. Between 24 and 26, I feel like I missed out on a lot because I was always head down working. I've learned to regulate my times, and have set times for "me" and "non-work" times.. it keeps my life balanced.

 

[dexta]

Though I understand what you are saying, you may miss things that you can do while you are in your 20's that you can't do when you are 30. My point is that if you do this you may end up having $10M when you are 30 and look at and say that you missed your 20's. That's 10 years that no amount of money is going to get you back. So while you are busy making your millions in your 20's, stop and look around some of the time.

Thanks for the advice. Luckily, I'm in a business that allows a fair amount of automation with potential for high scale, so even in my infant stages, I find myself with a lot of free time. It almost feels easier than a slacker's college schedule. It's just a matter of time before the money starts rolling in and I begin expanding. In the meanwhile, I'm meeting everyone I want to meet, working out, playing sports, so yeah. I think I'm doing okay.

 

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[Consolation]

There is one thing that I always see common in younger people. They look at life as if there is an end day based on age. All their goals are age based, when they should be time based. People who turn 30 act like, Shit I turn 30, life is over after my birthday, but guess what, I see them the day after and they are still the same. Maybe you should be giving your businesses a 1 year time frame, instead of a before I turn XX timeframe. They might be the same in terms of the exact date, but they are very different.

You see, one goal is based on the business itself, the other is based on you. If I give my business 8 months to make $100,000, the goal is business based. If I say I have to make $100,000 before I turn 40, the goal is based on me. It's subtle, but I believe that its a huge difference in mentality.

Another thing is that younger people believe that they are working towards a better future. While this may be true, they don't realize that they should also be living in the present while doing so. Your life experiences are all about what is going on in the moment. Look at the NCAA tournament today, the #14 team that upsets the #3 seed is enjoying their tremendous happiness. I am sure they are estatic and not even thinking about their next game on Saturday. Do you walk up to a dude on the team and say, "Yeah that's great but you have to play Duke on Saturday so why are you so happy?"

So why do you do this in business? Small victories are great. In the end your business could fail, but does that mean your whole year was wasted? If at some point in time, you want to give up and try something else, do it because you want to, not because you've reached some magical number of days being alive.

I turned 28 today. Nothing more fulfilling than this message. Thank you so much @biophase