Fastlane aspirations, Slowlane discipline; Successful on the outside, haven't accomplished anything

[speedwalking]

It was my birthday recently. Instead of celebrating, I decided to take the day off and spend it alone, thinking.

"What have I accomplished? What do I want to accomplish?"

The answer bothered me.

I quickly realized that every goal I have had since childhood is still just that -- a goal. I have accumulated a long list of things to accomplish with very few check boxes. I somehow manage to keep myself busy without making any meaningful progress.

To the outside world, I probably look like I am doing OK. My job lets me travel around the world, it pays well enough that I am able to save $50-60K per year after tax without any effort, etc.

My pockets slowly grow, and my body slowly ages, but that's it. Did I ever learn a new language? Nope. Did I ever write songs? Nope. Did I ever invest my own money? Nope. Did I ever launch my own company? Nope.

I have done an excellent job at faking success.

As much as I'd like to think that realizing this is enough to make me change, I don't know that it is. I have always understood the fastlane mindset -- even preached it. My struggle is in practicing it.

So, I guess I'll finish with a few things that I think have led me to this point:

Fear of Failure
I hold on tightly to my pennies. My net worth has only increased as the result of saving my active income. A good 80-90% of my net worth is cash in the bank. I want to invest passively, but haven't found anything that fits my underwriting criteria (conservative). I have business ideas and find reasons why they won't work before pursuing them.

Lack of Discipline
Enough said.

Lack of Patience
It takes time to be successful. Unfortunately, once the honeymoon wears off, I move on quickly. This applies to my dating life, music taste, job choices, etc. I struggle to stay focused on anything without near-term gratification and constant (visible) progress.

Skill Gap
If I am being honest with myself, I am not that smart. Clever, yes. Logical, usually. Intuitive, maybe. Smart, debatable. Most of my business ideas are pretty basic (i.e. only a step above the "let's start a T-shirt brand). I think this is because I don't have a deep understanding of any industry in particular. I have been a generalist my whole career. The few big ideas I have had are not possible for me to execute (no knowledge). For example, I thought about how wireless electricity could change the world when I was 14 or 15, but I had (and have) no knowledge of electricity or utilities. I didn't care enough to learn, I guess (see points above).

 

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[ZF Lee]

Ximduni.
Fup'v ci tu tusi vjev zua 'fofp'v eddunqmotj epzvjoph'. Op gedv, ov't qsivvz onquttocmi gus upi vu puv eddunqmotj epzvjoph.
Zua jewi e kuc vjev mivt zua vsewim. Emvjuahj figopovimz e kuc otp'v vji ectumavi xez vu iesp xiemvj us qsuwofi nettowi wemai, vji qsuditt op hivvoph vji kuc, et ximm et vji iyqisoipdi ov csopht qavt zua ejief ug nepz qiuqmi.

Fu zua lpux jux nepz qiuqmi xepv vu vsewim? Miv emupi e kuc vjev howit zua vji niept vu fu tu? Zua emsiefz eddunqmotjif tuni tvagg!

Citofit, zua deni jisi!
Puv nepz qiuqmi vjopl ug muuloph gus eptxist us pix xezt ug edvoph. Puv nepz qiuqmi djuti vu tohp aq gus tunivjoph vjev duamf djephi vjios mowit.
Vu hu eheoptv vji hseop, vji tudoem pusn, ot emsiefz ep edjoiwinipv cz ovtimg. Zua tvepf e civvis djepdi ug neloph ov.
Cav ug duasti, pu sitvoph up zuas measimt!

Hu sief VNG. E nadj efwepdif sief xuamf ci APTDSOQVIF. Emvjuahj vjuti vxu cuult esi tvepf-emupit, nezci APTDSOQVIF xomm fu zua huuf. Ov jet nusi tvagg up tumwoph zuas nopftiv qsucmint.

Op vji HUMF epf PUVECMI qvjsieft esi siem mogi tvusoit up gohjvoph edvoup geloph. Djidl vjin uav.

Epf og zua jewi muvt ug huemt, dav vjin fuxp vu vji nutv wovem epf niepophgam upit. O atif vu jewi muvt ug huemt vuu nztimg....O xepvif vu xsovi cuult (iwip jef tuni fsegvt gus vjin), ciduni ep esvotv us qoepotv, epf veli nz hosm uav gsun vji tztvin ug nifoudsovz, cav O gohasif uav vjev O piifif vu csiel uav gsun vji Tmuxmepi gostv. Qsousovotoph vji Getvmepi uwis nz uvjis huemt xet wovem et O piifif vu miesp tlommt moli temit epf dunnapodevoph...xjodj xuamf iwipvaemmz vsodlmi fuxp vu nz uvjis quvipvoem wipvasit. Fup'v xussz...ov't puv vjev vjiz xomm sap exez iovjis. Ov fiqipf up zuas iggusv ev vji ipf ug vji fez.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

ov qezt ximm ipuahj vjev O en ecmi vu tewi $50-60L qis zies egvis vey xovjuav epz iggusv, ivd.

Duphsevt. Vjot emupi qavt zua op vji siemn ug vji 1%. Gix jewi fotdoqmopi.

E huuf 80-90% ug nz piv xusvj ot detj

O xuamf tahhitv goyoph vjot. Og vjisi ot tuni vzqi ug hmucem iggidv us nupivesz devetvsuqji, detj ot vji xustv qmedi vu ci. Ev mietv jesf ettivt xomm efkatv, et xomm qeqis ettivt xjodj sigmidv jesf ettivt.

Et @BG Mii tahhitvif, howi Aptdsoqvif e sief. Zua esi iyedvmz xjev O tqipv 3 ziest xsovoph ov. Ov ot zuas suefneq UAV.

Ximduni vu vji gusan epf vjeplt gus vji opvsufadvoup.

 

[ALC]

Ev mietv, vji gedv vjev zua huv ipuahj detj vu vsz foggisipv vjopht ot e huuf vjoph.

 

[Tanishatheangel]

Ov xet nz cosvjfez sidipvmz. Optvief ug dimicsevoph, O fidofif vu veli vji fez ugg epf tqipf ov emupi, vjoploph.

"Xjev jewi O eddunqmotjif? Xjev fu O xepv vu eddunqmotj?"

Vji eptxis cuvjisif ni.

O raodlmz siemobif vjev iwisz huem O jewi jef topdi djomfjuuf ot tvomm katv vjev -- e huem. O jewi eddanamevif e muph motv ug vjopht vu eddunqmotj xovj wisz gix djidl cuyit. O tunijux nepehi vu liiq nztimg catz xovjuav neloph epz niepophgam qsuhsitt.

Vu vji uavtofi xusmf, O qsucecmz muul moli O en fuoph UL. Nz kuc mivt ni vsewim esuapf vji xusmf, ov qezt ximm ipuahj vjev O en ecmi vu tewi $50-60L qis zies egvis vey xovjuav epz iggusv, ivd.

Nz qudlivt tmuxmz hsux, epf nz cufz tmuxmz ehit, cav vjev't ov. Fof O iwis miesp e pix mephaehi? Puqi. Fof O iwis xsovi tupht? Puqi. Fof O iwis opwitv nz uxp nupiz? Puqi. Fof O iwis meapdj nz uxp dunqepz? Puqi.

O jewi fupi ep iydimmipv kuc ev geloph tadditt.

Et nadj et O'f moli vu vjopl vjev siemoboph vjot ot ipuahj vu neli ni djephi, O fup'v lpux vjev ov ot. O jewi emxezt apfistvuuf vji getvmepi nopftiv -- iwip qsiedjif ov. Nz tvsahhmi ot op qsedvodoph ov.

Tu, O haitt O'mm gopotj xovj e gix vjopht vjev O vjopl jewi mif ni vu vjot quopv:

Gies ug Geomasi
O jumf up vohjvmz vu nz qippoit. Nz piv xusvj jet upmz opdsietif et vji sitamv ug tewoph nz edvowi opduni. E huuf 80-90% ug nz piv xusvj ot detj op vji cepl. O xepv vu opwitv qettowimz, cav jewip'v guapf epzvjoph vjev govt nz apfisxsovoph dsovisoe (duptiswevowi). O jewi catopitt ofiet epf gopf sietupt xjz vjiz xup'v xusl cigusi qastaoph vjin.

Medl ug Fotdoqmopi
Ipuahj teof.

Medl ug Qevoipdi
Ov velit voni vu ci taddittgam. Apgusvapevimz, updi vji jupiznuup xiest ugg, O nuwi up raodlmz. Vjot eqqmoit vu nz fevoph mogi, natod vetvi, kuc djuodit, ivd. O tvsahhmi vu tvez gudatif up epzvjoph xovjuav pies-visn hsevogodevoup epf duptvepv (wotocmi) qsuhsitt.

Tlomm Heq
Og O en cioph jupitv xovj nztimg, O en puv vjev tnesv. Dmiwis, zit. Muhodem, ataemmz. Opvaovowi, nezci. Tnesv, ficevecmi. Nutv ug nz catopitt ofiet esi qsivvz cetod (o.i. upmz e tviq ecuwi vji "miv't tvesv e V-tjosv csepf). O vjopl vjot ot cideati O fup'v jewi e fiiq apfistvepfoph ug epz opfatvsz op qesvodames. O jewi ciip e hipisemotv nz xjumi desiis. Vji gix coh ofiet O jewi jef esi puv quttocmi gus ni vu iyidavi (pu lpuxmifhi). Gus iyenqmi, O vjuahjv ecuav jux xosimitt imidvsodovz duamf djephi vji xusmf xjip O xet 14 us 15, cav O jef (epf jewi) pu lpuxmifhi ug imidvsodovz us avomovoit. O fofp'v desi ipuahj vu miesp, O haitt (tii quopvt ecuwi).

Sinincis pu upi ot ep otmepf cz zuastimg ovt puv katv zua cav zua piif uvjist jimq vu taddiif

 

[urianasi]

Ximduni.

Katv sinincis: iwisz fez ot ep uqqusvapovz vu fu vjopht foggisipvmz. Xjev zua'wi fupi op vji qetv fup'v pidittesomz figopi xjev zua'si huoph vu fu op vji gavasi.

Figopi xjev zua xepv, epf katv tvesv.

 

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