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- Jan 13, 2020
- 7
- 17
Hey guys,
I've been quietly absorbing wisdom here for years, and I believe it's time to share my story, hoping it might light up a path for someone else.
From a normal Austrian kid, whose glass wasn’t empty but mostly filled with bullshit, to achieving financial freedom in 8 years.
Short facts about me so you have an idea:
The Golden Rat Race
At 20, I found myself entering law school because I thought it would make me "rich." Suddenly, academia wasn’t just a choice; it became my refuge and my battlefield. Law school was tough, not just academically but also in terms of fitting into an environment that seemed alien to my upbringing and values. When I realized I had put in so much time and effort for a Golden Rat Race as a future lawyer, my world shattered into pieces.
I had no direction - I didn’t know where to go or what I wanted. At this time, I sometimes felt like a frozen piece of meat in a hot pan at night (no idea if some of you guys know what I am talking about). I wanted to drop out of university even with decent grades (Today, I’m happy I did not).
I didn’t know what I should do with my life. I didn’t even know what I want. I just knew what I hated or disliked - so I wrote it down and formulated it into the total opposite (read it in a book) - I had my direction. Entrepreneurship.
My Way Out Was Reading
My glass was not empty; it was mostly filled with bullshit. I needed to break free from the limitations of the negative environment I lived in, from the naysayers and societal expectations. Self-education was my way out. I started with weekly newspapers to understand the world better (at this time, I thought general knowledge was the definition of being intelligent) and moved on to books that changed my mindset.
I read for years, believing in a fairy tale, and slightly took action. But the bamboo grew under the ground for years and suddenly popped out, growing 4 meters a day. Change your mind - change your life - actions will follow almost automatically.
Each page turned was a step away from my old self. Reading wasn’t just about building knowledge; it was about challenging my old beliefs and forging new ones. MJ DeMarco’s first book hit me like a freight train; it completely changed my game plan. I realized I didn’t want to be stuck in a golden handcuffs scenario, working a lawyer’s hours, for what??
My education in law became a background task while I pursued my Dream Life. It was „just“ a mindset shift. I realized I had more time and energy as a student compared to people working full-time. First came a side hustle, then an Airbnb venture, and before I knew it, I was scaling up. Moving to the USA and then to Hong Kong for exchange broadened my horizons even more.
Fast forward to now, and I’m financially free. It still feels surreal sometimes, like living out a fairy tale I used to think was just that - a tale. My family and old friends (most friends are gone due to the different thinking and nothing in common anymore), once dubious, are now my fans, seeing the results.
To anyone out there thinking it's too complicated or out of reach, remember: everything you need to know is already out there. I started from being F*cking normal - mind full of doubt and misconceptions, but through patience, discipline, and a willingness to learn, I changed.
My journey was and is like a roller coaster, but this is the life I chose - filled with trials, errors, and a lot of learning. From a sidewalk mentality to the slow lane and finally, to the FastLane, where I now see opportunities everywhere.
Learnings
I could name plenty, but more or less the information from fast lane books and books you are interested in (making sense for you - solving your problems). INPUT from people better than you. 8 years ago, I knew nobody in person living a dream life. So I believed it must be complicated; otherwise, everybody would live it. So I was thinking complicated for years in all aspects where I wanted to grow. For me, the best things are SIMPLE - in all aspects of life. And for business: Solve a problem = give value - For the value, you get money (from happy people) - take the money to give even more value - and repeat - and enjoy life.
We’re living in the golden age of information. The information is out there. There’s no excuse not to chase what you want.
If there are any FastLaners out there in Austria kicking A$$ let me know. I'd love to connect (Location: Vienna/Carinthia).
Cheers,
A once normal kid from Austria
I've been quietly absorbing wisdom here for years, and I believe it's time to share my story, hoping it might light up a path for someone else.
From a normal Austrian kid, whose glass wasn’t empty but mostly filled with bullshit, to achieving financial freedom in 8 years.
Short facts about me so you have an idea:
- I am from Austria, Europe.
- I'm 28 years old.
- Grew up in a working-class family; I'm one of the first to go to university, studying law, thanks to no tuition fees in Austria (high taxes instead).
- I don't have any children.
- Lived in the USA for a while.
- Lived in Hong Kong for a while.
- Own two businesses that align with the FastLane principles CENTS and an old school ski lodge rental business (95% automated) that I've renovated and rent out in a ski resort.
- I reached financial freedom (in terms that I get enough money from my businesses per year to avoid rat race, the rest I invest back in them; I am not there yet to live my wildest dreams (that cost some money) but I am on the way and I am enjoying the ride).
The Golden Rat Race
At 20, I found myself entering law school because I thought it would make me "rich." Suddenly, academia wasn’t just a choice; it became my refuge and my battlefield. Law school was tough, not just academically but also in terms of fitting into an environment that seemed alien to my upbringing and values. When I realized I had put in so much time and effort for a Golden Rat Race as a future lawyer, my world shattered into pieces.
I had no direction - I didn’t know where to go or what I wanted. At this time, I sometimes felt like a frozen piece of meat in a hot pan at night (no idea if some of you guys know what I am talking about). I wanted to drop out of university even with decent grades (Today, I’m happy I did not).
I didn’t know what I should do with my life. I didn’t even know what I want. I just knew what I hated or disliked - so I wrote it down and formulated it into the total opposite (read it in a book) - I had my direction. Entrepreneurship.
My Way Out Was Reading
My glass was not empty; it was mostly filled with bullshit. I needed to break free from the limitations of the negative environment I lived in, from the naysayers and societal expectations. Self-education was my way out. I started with weekly newspapers to understand the world better (at this time, I thought general knowledge was the definition of being intelligent) and moved on to books that changed my mindset.
I read for years, believing in a fairy tale, and slightly took action. But the bamboo grew under the ground for years and suddenly popped out, growing 4 meters a day. Change your mind - change your life - actions will follow almost automatically.
Each page turned was a step away from my old self. Reading wasn’t just about building knowledge; it was about challenging my old beliefs and forging new ones. MJ DeMarco’s first book hit me like a freight train; it completely changed my game plan. I realized I didn’t want to be stuck in a golden handcuffs scenario, working a lawyer’s hours, for what??
My education in law became a background task while I pursued my Dream Life. It was „just“ a mindset shift. I realized I had more time and energy as a student compared to people working full-time. First came a side hustle, then an Airbnb venture, and before I knew it, I was scaling up. Moving to the USA and then to Hong Kong for exchange broadened my horizons even more.
Fast forward to now, and I’m financially free. It still feels surreal sometimes, like living out a fairy tale I used to think was just that - a tale. My family and old friends (most friends are gone due to the different thinking and nothing in common anymore), once dubious, are now my fans, seeing the results.
To anyone out there thinking it's too complicated or out of reach, remember: everything you need to know is already out there. I started from being F*cking normal - mind full of doubt and misconceptions, but through patience, discipline, and a willingness to learn, I changed.
My journey was and is like a roller coaster, but this is the life I chose - filled with trials, errors, and a lot of learning. From a sidewalk mentality to the slow lane and finally, to the FastLane, where I now see opportunities everywhere.
Learnings
I could name plenty, but more or less the information from fast lane books and books you are interested in (making sense for you - solving your problems). INPUT from people better than you. 8 years ago, I knew nobody in person living a dream life. So I believed it must be complicated; otherwise, everybody would live it. So I was thinking complicated for years in all aspects where I wanted to grow. For me, the best things are SIMPLE - in all aspects of life. And for business: Solve a problem = give value - For the value, you get money (from happy people) - take the money to give even more value - and repeat - and enjoy life.
We’re living in the golden age of information. The information is out there. There’s no excuse not to chase what you want.
If there are any FastLaners out there in Austria kicking A$$ let me know. I'd love to connect (Location: Vienna/Carinthia).
Cheers,
A once normal kid from Austria
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