You don’t need more time, you just prioritize other things

[Kevin88660]

Literally shocks me how many people ignore facts even when presented, just because it doesn't fit in their worldview.

Statistically speaking, high achieving men are more often married, not single. Sure, you can be single and climb the mountain. Plenty have done it. (To be fair, I have not studied the statistics on women.)

But the notion that you must be single to achieve greatness, or even that being single makes it more likely just isn't backed up by data.



Most presidents are married. Yes really.

And we're talking the VAST MAJORITY.



I hope most people who read this would decide to work smarter, not harder. This comment sounds a little too close to the "definition of insanity".

It is less about increasing the odds of success (though it could to some extend depends on the person) but more of being fearful of getting stuck in relationships and marriages, while quarreling and fighting over money.

“Fixed money first before others” is quite an old mantra and exists outside the business/entrepreneurship circle as well.

In other world more young people are getting both cynical and realistic, for good or for bad reasons depending the point of view you are looking at.

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Skroob]

Playing computer games all day with minimally sustainable income is one.

I did a bunch of research into streamers and content creators to see if there was a market there for some app ideas I had. On average, they make literally nothing. The "successful" ones, the ones that can do it full time for a "living", on average make like 30k. And they're happy about it! "I get to eke out a subsistence living playing video games 15 hours a day, begging for a dollar at a time (that Twitch takes 30% of)." I'd call 30k a month a good start.

Needless to say, I did not build that product. Absolutely zero disposable income in that crowd. Would have been a waste of time.

 

[Black_Dragon43]

Most presidents are married. Yes really.

And we're talking the VAST MAJORITY.

Yes, like Hilary and Bill are “married” right?

Or Trump and Melania LOL!

Give me some of dat good shit you’re smoking @BizyDad !

hope most people who read this would decide to work smarter, not harder. This comment sounds a little too close to the "definition of insanity".

Well, I agree with that. You should work super hard and super smart. But, on many things positive feedback doesn’t come immediately and your effort is disproportionate to the rewards at first. MJ calls this the desert of desertion I believe. It’s exactly why to get to Heaven you first need to pass through Purgatory and clean all that filth…

Especially your previous comment that you’d let kidnappers kill your own kid for a mere $100k because you won’t negotiate.

That’s not what my previous comment said.

Any feedback on “Give And Take” book? If you’ve read it.

I liked the book, and got quite a lot of value out of it. I am a big giver @Antifragile, it’s why I keep on giving so much to you even after you blocked me and repeatedly insulted me, while I never insulted you back!

Being ruthless doesn’t mean you’re a psychopath. It doesn’t mean you don’t have values. It doesn’t mean you don’t have family or friends, or business associates for that matter.

You are stronger with a strong network around you. Being ruthless doesn’t mean neglecting that, it simply means knowing what’s important for you and going after it regardless of what you need to sacrifice.

For example, Johnny boy kicked his girlfriend out of the house and is a guy I’d definitely describe as ruthless. Because his goal and priority is building the business. And if his girlfriend stops him from doing that, it doesn’t matter how he feels towards her, he gets her out of his life. If you and Johnny boy are competitors in similar circumstances, I’d bet on Johnny boy kicking your a$$ any day, because he is simply willing to give up a lot more than you are to win in business.

But, to be fair with you, if I was a woman and had to choose between marrying you or Johnny boy, I’d always pick you. So don’t cry too much about me picking him in business over you!

A good distinction for ruthlessness is this. Someone is ruthless when they sacrifice moral values (duty to others, etc.) for worldly success.

 

[Antifragile]

Yes, like Hilary and Bill are “married” right?

Or Trump and Melania LOL!

Give me some of dat good shit you’re smoking @BizyDad !


Well, I agree with that. You should work super hard and super smart. But, on many things positive feedback doesn’t come immediately and your effort is disproportionate to the rewards at first. MJ calls this the desert of desertion I believe. It’s exactly why to get to Heaven you first need to pass through Purgatory and clean all that filth…


That’s not what my previous comment said.


I liked the book, and got quite a lot of value out of it. I am a big giver @Antifragile, it’s why I keep on giving so much to you even after you blocked me and repeatedly insulted me, while I never insulted you back!

Being ruthless doesn’t mean you’re a psychopath. It doesn’t mean you don’t have values. It doesn’t mean you don’t have family or friends, or business associates for that matter.

You are stronger with a strong network around you. Being ruthless doesn’t mean neglecting that, it simply means knowing what’s important for you and going after it regardless of what you need to sacrifice.

For example, Johnny boy kicked his girlfriend out of the house and is a guy I’d definitely describe as ruthless. Because his goal and priority is building the business. And if his girlfriend stops him from doing that, it doesn’t matter how he feels towards her, he gets her out of his life. If you and Johnny boy are competitors in similar circumstances, I’d bet on Johnny boy kicking your a$$ any day, because he is simply willing to give up a lot more than you are to win in business.

But, to be fair with you, if I was a woman and had to choose between marrying you or Johnny boy, I’d always pick you. So don’t cry too much about me picking him in business over you!

A good distinction for ruthlessness is this. Someone is ruthless when they sacrifice moral values (duty to others, etc.) for worldly success.

You should be an economist!

All other things being equal, a person who’s willing to do more for his business will do better. But in life all things are never being equal!

You make your bets this way. I’m pointing out that there is another and better way.

One sided doggedness creates a tunnel vision. More hours into business doing more things you shouldn’t be doing. Running east looking for sunset and thinking that the solution is to run faster.

In business, I’ll always bet on a well rounded person. He/she will see things that obsessive and narrow minded people can’t.

Moreover, people who get overly obsessive become weird. I meet them and have no interest in spending any time with them. Our group hangs out and talks about our kids, families, sports and hobbies! Then we do business together as we have trust. I wouldn’t trust you to Johnny boy. Your “ruthlessness” is just a fancy word for “I’ll F*ck you when I can make more money”. That’s short sighted.

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Black_Dragon43]

I wouldn’t trust you to Johnny boy. Your “ruthlessness” is just a fancy word for “I’ll F*ck you when I can make more money”. That’s short sighted.

First of all @Antifragile I wouldn’t qualify myself as ruthless. I could be ruthless, but it doesn’t come naturally to me. For example, I would never kick my girlfriend out of the house to focus more on the business. I do have quite a strong sense of loyalty to people around me, which is of course balanced by concern for my interests.

Another example — when I last sponsored the forum, I thought the commitment was for 1/6th of the price. When MJ clarified I said “no problem, let me find a way to make it work” even though I’d probably not have agreed to it had I known this from the beginning.

So I’m quite far from the definition of ruthless… but it is true, I CAN be ruthless if I want to, and there were times when I have been. I have a comparatively easier time to be ruthless than your average person, because I love conflict, whereas most people shy away from it.

Also, you are absolutely wrong about ruthlessness being a fancy word for “I’ll F*ck you when I can make more money”. That would be shortsighted indeed.

I will give you a historical example, from one of my favorite TV shows, and imo the best political Machiavellian drama: The Three Kingdoms, which is somewhat of an embellished retelling of the historical period in China between the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the rise of the Jin Dynasty.

There is this character there (real historical figure too), called Sima Yi. Sima Yi is the exact definition of ruthless, and he is the ultimate victor, establishing the next dynasty in China. Sima Yi starts by working for Cao Cao (the leader of one of the Three Kingdoms). He is extremely loyal, and even risks his life several times for the Cao family.

At the end of the show, he fakes illness while the Cao family leaves the city for a funeral, allows his wife to bleed to death (whom he actually loves but chooses to sacrifice), since she was a Cao spy, while giving birth to his son, and using his contacts and the loyalty of army officers, takes full control of the city and begins pursuing the Cao family. Once he captures them, there is this scene when he holds his foot over Cao Cao’s descendant’s head and says “I may have taken out my sword only once, but I have been sharpening it my entire life”

THAT is what ruthless means. It doesn’t mean shortsighted. The guy who screws everyone around when he can get a small edge, that’s not being ruthless, that’s being stupid. A ruthless person may and in fact will most often act in a morally upstanding way. That is why the drama is so successful in portraying what ruthlessness is, because it makes you understand that it’s not something you can judge externally, by looking at what someone does. Because they can act in an upstanding way their entire life.

Notice the key points:
- ruthlessness is internal, and will usually show no external signs… in fact, the most ruthless people will behave exactly like you @Antifragile and speak about how much trust there is between them and their business partners, they’re all like family, talk about sports, have fun etc.
- ruthlessness involves sacrificing a moral value for a worldly value (in his case his wife & moral duties for establishing an empire)
- a ruthless person may do no immoral thing for a very long time, if that’s the most effective strategy.

The most successful people are 100% like Sima Yi — they would do ANYTHING to succeed, in a smart way.

More hours into business doing more things you shouldn’t be doing. Running east looking for sunset and thinking that the solution is to run faster.

Ok, but that’s just being stupid. You’re working hard on unimportant things. What I mentioned before was working hard & smart. The most successful people work hard, they’re smart, AND they’re ruthless. This doesn’t mean they can’t be buddies and talk about sports and socialize. Usually they are very good at doing that.

 

[Kevin88660]

First of all @Antifragile I wouldn’t qualify myself as ruthless. I could be ruthless, but it doesn’t come naturally to me. For example, I would never kick my girlfriend out of the house to focus more on the business. I do have quite a strong sense of loyalty to people around me, which is of course balanced by concern for my interests.

Another example — when I last sponsored the forum, I thought the commitment was for 1/6th of the price. When MJ clarified I said “no problem, let me find a way to make it work” even though I’d probably not have agreed to it had I known this from the beginning.

So I’m quite far from the definition of ruthless… but it is true, I CAN be ruthless if I want to, and there were times when I have been. I have a comparatively easier time to be ruthless than your average person, because I love conflict, whereas most people shy away from it.

Also, you are absolutely wrong about ruthlessness being a fancy word for “I’ll F*ck you when I can make more money”. That would be shortsighted indeed.

I will give you a historical example, from one of my favorite TV shows, and imo the best political Machiavellian drama: The Three Kingdoms, which is somewhat of an embellished retelling of the historical period in China between the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the rise of the Jin Dynasty.

There is this character there (real historical figure too), called Sima Yi. Sima Yi is the exact definition of ruthless, and he is the ultimate victor, establishing the next dynasty in China. Sima Yi starts by working for Cao Cao (the leader of one of the Three Kingdoms). He is extremely loyal, and even risks his life several times for the Cao family.

At the end of the show, he fakes illness while the Cao family leaves the city for a funeral, allows his wife to bleed to death (whom he actually loves but chooses to sacrifice), since she was a Cao spy, while giving birth to his son, and using his contacts and the loyalty of army officers, takes full control of the city and begins pursuing the Cao family. Once he captures them, there is this scene when he holds his foot over Cao Cao’s descendant’s head and says “I may have taken out my sword only once, but I have been sharpening it my entire life”

THAT is what ruthless means. It doesn’t mean shortsighted. The guy who screws everyone around when he can get a small edge, that’s not being ruthless, that’s being stupid. A ruthless person may and in fact will most often act in a morally upstanding way. That is why the drama is so successful in portraying what ruthlessness is, because it makes you understand that it’s not something you can judge externally, by looking at what someone does. Because they can act in an upstanding way their entire life.

The most successful people are 100% like Sima Yi — they would do ANYTHING to succeed, in a smart way.


Ok, but that’s just being stupid. You’re working hard on unimportant things. What I mentioned before was working hard & smart. The most successful people work hard, they’re smart, AND they’re ruthless. This doesn’t mean they can’t be buddies and talk about sports and socialize. Usually they are very good at doing that.

Didn’t expect to read someone quoting about Sima yi in a non-Chinese forum.

I also remember reading that Obama stopped dating non-African American women because if he was to marry outside of his race that would hurt his political image. He has big political ambition early in his life.

If you are aiming for big prize, every moves in your life counts.

 

[BizyDad]

Being ruthless doesn’t mean you’re a psychopath. It doesn’t mean you don’t have values.

Someone is ruthless when they sacrifice moral values (duty to others, etc.) for worldly success.

Dear Reader,

These statements are not contradictory. I know. It sure seems like they are. It merely takes a Dragon interpreter to understand the difference.

Even if one understands, BD sure makes it sound like ruthlessness is sociopathic.

So for the record, you do not need to be a psychopath, a sociopath, or even ruthless to achieve a fastlane lifestyle.

And that's what this forum is about right?

I work tirelessly and bring in an additional MRR of $3.5-5K every single month, with 90% retaining rate. On track to breaking the $1M mark this year.

First of all @Antifragile I wouldn’t qualify myself as ruthless.

This is a perfect example. This guy is going to be running a million dollar biz. And he's not even ruthless!

I will give you a historical example, from one of my favorite TV shows, and imo the best political Machiavellian drama: The Three Kingdoms, which is somewhat of an embellished retelling of the historical period in China between the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the rise of the Jin Dynasty.

There is this character there (real historical figure too), called Sima Yi. Sima Yi is the exact definition of ruthless, and he is the ultimate victor, establishing the next dynasty in China. Sima Yi starts by working for Cao Cao (the leader of one of the Three Kingdoms). He is extremely loyal, and even risks his life several times for the Cao family.

At the end of the show, he fakes illness while the Cao family leaves the city for a funeral, allows his wife to bleed to death (whom he actually loves but chooses to sacrifice), since she was a Cao spy, while giving birth to his son, and using his contacts and the loyalty of army officers, takes full control of the city and begins pursuing the Cao family. Once he captures them, there is this scene when he holds his foot over Cao Cao’s descendant’s head and says “I may have taken out my sword only once, but I have been sharpening it my entire life”

Also, you are absolutely wrong about ruthlessness being a fancy word for “I’ll F*ck you when I can make more money”.

If you look up the definition of ruthlessness in the dictionary I'm pretty sure

Spoiler: It says

Spoiling the end of a great TV show

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Black_Dragon43]

Dear Reader,

These statements are not contradictory. I know. It sure seems like they are. It merely takes a Dragon interpreter to understand the difference.

Even if one understands, BD sure makes it sound like ruthlessness is sociopathic.

So for the record, you do not need to be a psychopath, a sociopath, or even ruthless to achieve a fastlane lifestyle.

And that's what this forum is about right?

Yes, of course you don’t. But the fastlane lifestyle isn’t about being the richest man in the world.

It’s about achieving financial independence. What does that mean? $1M-50M in the bank depending on where you live.

Of course you don’t need to be ruthless to achieve that sort of success. I was now talking about those who achieve maximum success financially — the Bill Gateses of the world.

 

[BizyDad]

Yes, of course you don’t. But the fastlane lifestyle isn’t about being the richest man in the world.

It’s about achieving financial independence. What does that mean? $1M-50M in the bank depending on where you live.

Of course you don’t need to be ruthless to achieve that sort of success. I was now talking about those who achieve maximum success financially — the Bill Gateses of the world.

My bad. I thought this thread was about Johnny boy. Way to hijack the thread bro!

 

[Black_Dragon43]

My bad. I thought this thread was about Johnny boy. Way to hijack the thread bro!

I just came to say that the most successful people are ruthless, just like Johnny boy. And they will sacrfice whatever they need to sacrifice to achieve their goals.

But you seem to have interpreted that however you wanted, rather than as I said it. Is that also my fault bro?

It literarily says “I’ve been saying that the MOST successful people are ruthless” in my first post in this thread…

Never said you need to be ruthless to be fastlane.

I know that some people don’t have the capacity to hold multiple distinctions in mind when having a conversation, but it’s an important skill.

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Kevin88660]

I just came to say that the most successful people are ruthless, just like Johnny boy. And they will sacrfice whatever they need to sacrifice to achieve their goals.

But you seem to have interpreted that however you wanted, rather than as I said it. Is that also my fault bro?

It literarily says “I’ve been saying that the MOST successful people are ruthless” in my first post in this thread…

Never said you need to be ruthless to be fastlane.

I know that some people don’t have the capacity to hold multiple distinctions in mind when having a conversation, but it’s an important skill.

To put things in better perspectives I think ruthlessness is not about treating others badly for selfish gains.

The kind of ruthlessness is about the ability to make tough decisions that are rationale but emotionally difficult for average people.

Like in a war a general needs to needs to make a decision to put 100 soldiers in danger instead of getting 10000 soldiers killed.

Just like Elon Musk went into Twittter to fire everyone who refuse to work very hard to turn a failing company around.

 

[Antifragile]

ruthlessness is internal, and will usually show no external signs… in fact, the most ruthless people will behave exactly like you @Antifragile and speak about how much trust there is between them and their business partners, they’re all like family, talk about sports, have fun etc.

I was waiting for you to find a way to call me ruthless, ultimate move!

But you paint yourself into a corner with this comment. Johnny boy is the epitome of "external signs". He was on Mike Carlooch show talking about lawsuits. Now kicking out his GF. And you saying you'd bet on him to win in business because he's ruthless.

So which is it?

We get into these mental gymnastics often... While it's mostly useless, it does provide for temporary entertainamnt.

Now, with respect to your TV show comparison... hence my joke that you should be an economist! You have every corner of the debate covered with theoretical explanations, including carefully curated fictional stories. What I am saying to you is - welcome to the FLF! Real people. Real results. The promise of this place is living a life of the 1% and not sacrificing everything for it. Kudos to Johny boy for his ambition and current achievements, it sure beats lazy bums complaining non-stop about their lives sucking. But I am here to say that the average reader here should know - you can have a family, a dog, a cat, a lawn AND a business.

 

[thechosen1]

To put things in better perspectives I think ruthlessness is not about treating others badly for selfish gains.

The kind of ruthlessness is about the ability to make tough decisions that are rationale but emotionally difficult for average people.

Like in a war a general needs to needs to make a decision to put 100 soldiers in danger instead of getting 10000 soldiers killed.

Just like Elon Musk went into Twittter to fire everyone who refuse to work very hard to turn a failing company around.

I know the MBTI personality test is a meme, but this is that XNTJ-type of effectiveness. Having that means cutting the BS and getting to the solution at all costs without the fluff.

I was waiting for you to find a way to call me ruthless, ultimate move!

But you paint yourself into a corner with this comment. Johnny boy is the epitome of "external signs". He was on Mike Carlooch show talking about lawsuits. Now kicking out his GF. And you saying you'd bet on him to win in business because he's ruthless.

So which is it?

We get into these mental gymnastics often... While it's mostly useless, it does provide for temporary entertainamnt.

Now, with respect to your TV show comparison... hence my joke that you should be an economist! You have every corner of the debate covered with theoretical explanations, including carefully curated fictional stories. What I am saying to you is - welcome to the FLF! Real people. Real results. The promise of this place is living a life of the 1% and not sacrificing everything for it. Kudos to Johny boy for his ambition and current achievements, it sure beats lazy bums complaining non-stop about their lives sucking. But I am here to say that the average reader here should know - you can have a family, a dog, a cat, a lawn AND a business.

You're 100% right of course AF, but when people are going from the state [no business] to [kind of a business] to [real business] it certainly helps to have less weights around their necks.

Yes, when you have a business doing 40 million in revenue per year, you might have a stable full of ponies, a couple homes, 12 children, and a weekly bingo club.

It's just different when you're 18 years old, living at home, trying to decide if you'll go to college or wash windows or try some other idea from this Fastlane thing you read about once. Different people, different lives, different stages...like MJ said.

Many ways to get there, but the shortest path between two points is a straight line. Honestly when you're starting out, the hardest part is probably deciding on that second point!

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Antifragile]

I know the MBTI personality test is a meme, but this is that XNTJ-type of effectiveness. Having that means cutting the BS and getting to the solution at all costs without the fluff.


You're 100% right of course AF, but when people are going from the state [no business] to [kind of a business] to [real business] it certainly helps to have less weights around their necks.

Yes, when you have a business doing 40 million in revenue per year, you might have a stable full of ponies, a couple homes, 12 children, and a weekly bingo club.

It's just different when you're 18 years old, living at home, trying to decide if you'll go to college or wash windows or try some other idea from this Fastlane thing you read about once. Different people, different lives, different stages...like MJ said.

Many ways to get there, but the shortest path between two points is a straight line. Honestly when you're starting out, the hardest part is probably deciding on that second point!

We aren't far apart @thechosen1

Allow me to clarify one point. I met my wife when we were nothing (financially). We fell in love. All of side-hustles and life problems - we shared that. We helped each other. She was my rock and I was hers. The one thing I can't stress enough is that it wasn't an anchor, it was a jet engine for me!

Now you can say "well, other girlfriends may not support their boyfriends at 18 y.o. age as yours did for you". Sure, but that's exactly the point - you don't kick out your gf because you are focused on business, you do that if she is not the right person for you!

And even if I am wrong and @Black_Dragon43 is right, I would not trade a thing about my "poor years" life. What worked for me was incremental and consistent improvements. 1% better than yesterday types. And yes, I've put in my fair share of the 16hr days... so it does make sense from time to time. Like when there is a deadline.

 

[Black_Dragon43]

I was waiting for you to find a way to call me ruthless, ultimate move!

Except I never called you ruthless. I said ruthless people will often behave LIKE YOU, ie decently.

And it served to underlie the opposite of what you were saying… people like myself or Johnny boy are often more trustworthy precisely because we don’t pretend to be angels.

Johnny boy

Johnny boy is ruthless and it is helping him get ahead, BUT… he suffers from the same problem Andrew Tate suffers from, which landed him in jail. It’s called HONESTY. A problem I also suffer from actually.

Who is going to be a more efficient boss? The one who tells his factory workers the truth, ie I want you to keep slaving away so that my pockets grow fat, OR the one who tells them, “we’re all in this together, we all own the factory, this is all your work as much as mine!”

We know the answer to that my friend… why do you think all your politicians lie to you every single day? Because it works.

Now, with respect to your TV show comparison...

It’s a historical drama, it chronicles that period. Maybe you should read up on some history, would certainly remove the pink shades

 

[Antifragile]

Except I never called you ruthless. I said ruthless people will often behave LIKE YOU, ie decently.

Classy flip flop.

And it served to underlie the opposite of what you were saying… people like myself or Johnny boy are often more trustworthy precisely because we don’t pretend to be angels.

I am having fun with this. Thank you.

No, when I hear someone say "don't be afraid of lawsuits" I interpret it as someone doing something deserving of a lawsuit. Colouring outside the lines, so to speak. Not my way of doing business. I believe in good business.

I am no angel, but I sure as hell try to benefit as many people in my orbit as I can. And guess what? It pays well. Some of the easiest money I've ever made was because of my reputation based on my past actions. One time, I had a handshake agreement that gave 50% cut on a deal I paid for. I explained what I needed done, he did the rest. Profit was $600k and cost me maybe 4-8 hours of staff time. Same for the other side. We split it $300k each. Easiest $ made purely because of a trust in our relationship.

Johnny boy is ruthless and it is helping him get ahead, BUT… he suffers from the same problem Andrew Tate suffers from, which landed him in jail. It’s called HONESTY. A problem I also suffer from actually.

Are you high right now? Did you smoke something potent recently? Even if you aren't, lie - it's good to explain the nonsense you just wrote. Honesty doesn't land you in jail.

Who is going to be a more efficient boss? The one who tells his factory workers the truth, ie I want you to keep slaving away so that my pockets grow fat, OR the one who tells them, “we’re all in this together, we all own the factory, this is all your work as much as mine!”

That's just the thing. I don't want to be the only one who succeeds. I give my employees profit share. I've cut massive cheques based on performance that made the company great profits. Your theoretical example above is useless because all you see is "black/white" correlations.

Let me rephrase that. Only an idiot would tell their employees "I want you to work hard so I get rich". A real entrepreneur would focus on creating alignment between impact on the company and employee pay.

Your employees coming up with ideas to make you even more money while you aren't there is the "secret" that most of us already know, just not you. You are welcome

We know the answer to that my friend… why do you think all your politicians lie to you every single day? Because it works.

You lost me with the "politicians" comment.

It’s a historical drama, it chronicles that period. Maybe you should read up on some history, would certainly remove the pink shades

Thanks. No. But thanks.

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Panos Daras]

The most butthurt people I ever see in my entire life are people who get told they would need to change priorities in order to succeed.

“Hey, how do I find time to work on my business? I spend 5 hours a day playing patty cake with my kids, my wife makes me stay at home, I spend 4 hours a day at the gym, and I’m not trading away my time with my friends, we go golfing every other day for another 4 hours”

Your success is the last thing on your list of priorities, don’t be confused when you get proportional results.

You are competing against guys like me.

Gym is only 30-40 minutes 3x a week.
I kicked my girlfriend out of my house to stay focused.
I have 3-4 friends I see once a week and we talk 80% business.
I don’t have kids (that I know of)
I don’t have a wife
I don’t even have a dog

I wake up and think about my goals, I work, I go to bed thinking about my goals.

I prioritized my goals as the top 4 on a list of 5 important things to me.

I will expect proportional results.

You really want to spend time with the kids, you want to keep your safe full time job with no risk, you want to do everything but work and that’s fine, you can do that, just don’t be confused why you’re not getting anywhere.

Everyone acts like they were handed the life they are in and have no choice. You chose everything you have and everything you’ve done has led to today.

Everything in your life is your choice. You choose to spend your time any way you’d like. I’d love a dog. I’d love to spend time with my girl. I’d love to have a lot of friends hanging out every night. I just know that at the end of the day, it takes away from my goals, and I’ve already made the decision that I would trade all to get all.

You can have anything you want in life, you just don’t get to pick how much it costs. You are responsible for every second of your day, whether it feels that way or not. You could spend 17 hours working on your one singular goal 7 days a week, you just refuse to accept what you would have to give up. You love hearing things like “burn out”, “overtraining”, “work-life balance”. That shit isn’t real. Never losing momentum IS real. I’ve had singular strains of work that have lasted for weeks, only interrupted by dreams about the work I have to do before getting back to it. The truth is that there’s nothing more pleasurable than that.

Give all to get all, it’s an easy trade.

In 5 years I do not want to have a really good excuse. I don’t care how good it is. I don’t care if anyone around me is patting my back telling me it’s okay, I did what I could, it’s not my fault. That’s good as dog shit to me.

If I want time off, I have to earn it with progress. Each level gets a little reward before getting back to work. Double the company, take a winter vacation, repeat next year. Don’t want average results? Don’t act like an average person.

You're super dedicated, and that's good!
But remember, everyone's journey to success is unique, and what works for you might not vibe with others.
That is why we always need to ask ourselves what success looks like at every stage of our lives!
For example for me first came love - found a girl and got married, then the family had a child that was very important to me. Then comes health (which should have been number one in the first place).
So then I prioritized quitting alcohol and smoking and losing weight and keeping it off which I did.
And now FOR ME comes financial freedom because the risks of not having it are too damn high.
In addition, burnout is a real issue for those who work too much without taking breaks or taking care of themselves. To be successful in the long term, it's necessary to pace ourselves and know our limits. And the same goes for overtraining. If you go and lift too much you will feel like you were hit by a truck the next day and can get injured! In the end, always remember that sustainability and consistency are key to sustainable success, no matter how you might define it.
Also, I am really tired of people telling others just work harder. It is very lazy advice in my opinion for 3 reasons:
1) Hard work is subjective. If hard work was the key to success masons would be billionaires. Some people have different capacities for work and it can depend on other factors eg if you have health conditions, smoking, drinking, and is also genetically predisposed. This does not mean that you cannot improve though.
2) Hard work and work, in general, needs to be applied to THE RIGHT TASKS. It is equally important to work on the process of achieving your goals and create an environment that works FOR YOU so that you have a fighting chance. Winners and losers have the same goals and many times work the same amount of hours. But winners could be focused more on the right tasks.
3) Luck and timing can be very important more than we give them credit for. Americans especially find it hard to grasp because historically you had two oceans dividing you from enemies. For most countries around the world, no matter how hard you worked you could be one raid away from oblivion. The Ukrainian refugees that work with me are the hardest workers in the room but they were unlucky. Some of them went from good jobs to crapy entry-level ones. And they are actually happy to be alive.
I would propose that you do you and really refrain from judging other people. Every one of us is different and that is OK.
Last but not least, try to think about why you do what you do. What is the reason you want to be a trillionaire? What do you value? It is equally important to construct your mission and it should be something more than, more money.
In the end, remember everyone is going to die along with the universe itself so none of these really matters.

 

[Odysseus M Jones]

I don’t have kids (that I know of)

Tissues do not get pregnant

 

[Brandonistaken]

The most butthurt people I ever see in my entire life are people who get told they would need to change priorities in order to succeed.

“Hey, how do I find time to work on my business? I spend 5 hours a day playing patty cake with my kids, my wife makes me stay at home, I spend 4 hours a day at the gym, and I’m not trading away my time with my friends, we go golfing every other day for another 4 hours”

Your success is the last thing on your list of priorities, don’t be confused when you get proportional results.

You are competing against guys like me.

Gym is only 30-40 minutes 3x a week.
I kicked my girlfriend out of my house to stay focused.
I have 3-4 friends I see once a week and we talk 80% business.
I don’t have kids (that I know of)
I don’t have a wife
I don’t even have a dog

I wake up and think about my goals, I work, I go to bed thinking about my goals.

I prioritized my goals as the top 4 on a list of 5 important things to me.

I will expect proportional results.

You really want to spend time with the kids, you want to keep your safe full time job with no risk, you want to do everything but work and that’s fine, you can do that, just don’t be confused why you’re not getting anywhere.

Everyone acts like they were handed the life they are in and have no choice. You chose everything you have and everything you’ve done has led to today.

Everything in your life is your choice. You choose to spend your time any way you’d like. I’d love a dog. I’d love to spend time with my girl. I’d love to have a lot of friends hanging out every night. I just know that at the end of the day, it takes away from my goals, and I’ve already made the decision that I would trade all to get all.

You can have anything you want in life, you just don’t get to pick how much it costs. You are responsible for every second of your day, whether it feels that way or not. You could spend 17 hours working on your one singular goal 7 days a week, you just refuse to accept what you would have to give up. You love hearing things like “burn out”, “overtraining”, “work-life balance”. That shit isn’t real. Never losing momentum IS real. I’ve had singular strains of work that have lasted for weeks, only interrupted by dreams about the work I have to do before getting back to it. The truth is that there’s nothing more pleasurable than that.

Give all to get all, it’s an easy trade.

In 5 years I do not want to have a really good excuse. I don’t care how good it is. I don’t care if anyone around me is patting my back telling me it’s okay, I did what I could, it’s not my fault. That’s good as dog shit to me.

If I want time off, I have to earn it with progress. Each level gets a little reward before getting back to work. Double the company, take a winter vacation, repeat next year. Don’t want average results? Don’t act like an average person.

That was a good read thank you for the reminder !

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Black_Dragon43]

I am no angel, but I sure as hell try to benefit as many people in my orbit as I can. And guess what? It pays well.

Yes of course. Most of the time honesty and benefiting others pays well. No surprise there and completely off topic to our discussion.

Discussing with you is quite painful. You’re not careful about what is being said, and hurry to jump to conclusion + turn it personal and political when it’s not.

Honesty doesn't land you in jail.

Ummm, yes it absolutely can. There are thousands like Andrew Tate who engaged in some form of human trafficking and they’re now on their yachts, while Andrew is in jail. Why? Because Andrew was very public about what he did. He was honest about it. That cost him.

Your employees coming up with ideas to make you even more money while you aren't there is the "secret" that most of us already know, just not you. You are welcome

Ummm no, that’s exactly what I was saying. Your great leader is highly able to incentivize others to produce wealth for them, while holding the lion’s share for themselves. The way they do this is through propaganda, ie LIES.

The lies don’t have to be complete lies — yeah, a great idea will raise your salary from $100K to $200K with the bonuses… BUT, it will make the owner of the company 10-20x that amount or maybe even more.

And some people are inevitably going to be happy with that because they’re not leaders. That’s fine. But let’s not pretend that you won’t be getting the lion’s share of their efforts, because that would be a lie.

For some to be emperors, others have to be servants. It’s a truth, not everyone can be the boss. Alexander the Great said that there can only be one sun in the sky… it’s true.

 

[Antifragile]

Yes of course. Most of the time honesty and benefiting others pays well. No surprise there and completely off topic to our discussion.

You said honesty = prison. Utter nonsense. Off topic and beyond …

Discussing with you is quite painful. You’re not careful about what is being said, and hurry to jump to conclusion + turn it personal and political when it’s not.

I’m an entrepreneur, not a PHD economist pretending to explore the theoretical.

If you don’t explain things in a way that’s easy to understand, it’s on you - the author! Not on me - the reader.

Aren’t you some marketing professional? You should know this.

Ummm, yes it absolutely can. There are thousands like Andrew Tate who engaged in some form of human trafficking and they’re now on their yachts, while Andrew is in jail. Why? Because Andrew was very public about what he did. He was honest about it. That cost him.

That’s a ridiculous statement.

Simplifying it to apply generally:

- Bobby is a successful thief. But he posted his conquests on FB. He’s honest. Now he’s arrested.

Nope. He’s arrested because he did illegal shit!

- Grandma told Kevin he looked ridiculous in that shirt. That’s honestly and nope; no prison for grandma.

Give me a break dude. You claimed to have some super high IQ while duking it out with @BizyDad … what happened?

Ummm no, that’s exactly what I was saying. Your great leader is highly able to incentivize others to produce wealth for them, while holding the lion’s share for themselves. The way they do this is through propaganda, ie LIES.

You sound like a commie.

Do you suddenly have a problem with people who take the most risk making the most money? It’s NOT a lie. It’s called Employment Contract!

The lies don’t have to be complete lies — yeah, a great idea will raise your salary from $100K to $200K with the bonuses… BUT, it will make the owner of the company 10-20x that amount or maybe even more.

See comment above. No lies. But no commie BS either.

And some people are inevitably going to be happy with that because they’re not leaders. That’s fine. But let’s not pretend that you won’t be getting the lion’s share of their efforts, because that would be a lie.

Now who’s jumping to conclusions? I said “profit share”. My books are open. Everyone knows how much I made. And of course it’s more. Want to make what I make? simple - start your own business. Do what I do.

For some to be emperors, others have to be servants. It’s a truth, not everyone can be the boss. Alexander the Great said that there can only be one sun in the sky… it’s true.

Here you go again trying to …

 

[Black_Dragon43]

So I don’t get it @Antifragile … do you feel more like a man sitting behind a computer screen and being unecessarily aggressive to others online?

I’ve been behaving quite respectfully towards you, but you seem to keep trying to score points and put one over me.

You said honesty = prison. Utter nonsense. Off topic and beyond …

Ummm no, I didn’t. I said honesty CAN lead to prison. And I explained what I meant in my previous comment.

Nope. He’s arrested because he did illegal shit!

Except he wouldn’t have been arrested if he did illegal shit and didn’t share his conquests. It is his honesty that made his arrest possible in that scenario. Causes are of multiple types. His honesty contributed to the arrest.

Want to make what I make? simple - start your own business. Do what I do

Quick question… do you want your employees to start their own business, or to continue doing great work for you? Imagine your most loyal and trusted men quit tomorrow to start their own business. What would that mean for you?

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[heavy_industry]

Quick question… do you want your employees to start their own business, or to continue doing great work for you? Imagine your most loyal and trusted men quit tomorrow to start their own business. What would that mean for you?

I appreciate your point that some systems degenerate into tyrannical power structures, but the beauty of capitalism is that you can choose were you work, for whom you work, or if you choose to work at all.

If the deal that you're getting is not good enough, you have the freedom to leave.

I don't see business and economy as a 0 sum game, where employers and employees are in a master-slave relationship, and one exploits the other. That's the socialist hypothesis, which I believe it is fundamentally wrong.

People get significantly more productive when they work together. They do this by choice.

Case in point: when the world population started its parabolic rise, there were a bunch of theories that said that by the year 1980, 1990, 2000 etc. Everybody will starve to death and the planet will be depleted of all resources.

Guess what actually happened?
Everybody got richer, world poverty has dropped at the lowest levels in recorded history, and everybody got more food, more medicine, better sanitation, and increased life expectancy.

On a smaller scale, the same thing happens with businesses.
People start to aggregate because they can generate more resources when they collaborate with each other.

The reason not everybody starts their company is because they are not willing to put in the colossal effort required to become a highly competent person.

The business owner risks everything, and is responsible for everything, so it should be no wonder that it gets the largest possible piece of the pie. He or she deserves 100% of the excess profit made by the company. Without them, there would be no company, no jobs, and no products. Nothing.

Most people are simply not willing to take this route and spend 2 years working for free when building their business. They can't or are unwilling to handle complexity or take personal responsibility for everything.

They would much rather just do their job, leave at 5PM, and get their paycheck at the end of the month.

And that's fine, if that's what they want to do with their life.

Nobody is forcing them to do anything. That's the beauty of capitalism.

People are free to do what they want, and they will suffer the consequences.

 

[Antifragile]

So I don’t get it @Antifragile … do you feel more like a man sitting behind a computer screen and being unecessarily aggressive to others online?

I’ve been behaving quite respectfully towards you, but you seem to keep trying to score points and put one over me.



Ummm no, I didn’t. I said honesty CAN lead to prison. And I explained what I meant in my previous comment.


Except he wouldn’t have been arrested if he did illegal shit and didn’t share his conquests. It is his honesty that made his arrest possible in that scenario. Causes are of multiple types. His honesty contributed to the arrest.



Quick question… do you want your employees to start their own business, or to continue doing great work for you? Imagine your most loyal and trusted men quit tomorrow to start their own business. What would that mean for you?

Give me a break. I’ll just ignore the “I’m frustrated with your posts because they show me being wrong and I can’t yet accept it” …

@heavy_industry explains it well above.

If my best employees quit to start their own businesses, I’d offer to invest with them to give them a head start. And when they succeed, I’d be making 10x more by doing 10x less. That’s capitalism. That’s honestly. That’s doing good business.

We all know that 99/100 will not quit to start their own businesses. So again, it’s 99% theoretical discussion.

In practice, I’ve invested in 3 business start ups because I believed in people and my relationship with them!
1. Pretty much 100% loss.
2. Makes 6 figure profit for me today for doing nothing.
3. Made me 7 figures already and likely to do even better in the years to come.

My message to the readers here is that business isn’t about how much effort and time you put into it. It’s about creating a lever! Asymmetrical returns. The bigger the lever, the more you make.

Things that lever your business:
1) Money - doesn’t have to be yours! Investors are there for a reason.
2) Employees/ contractors/ partners- people!
3) Technology

With that you can have massive financial success AND a family, dog, house etc.

 

[Black_Dragon43]

I appreciate your point that some systems degenerate into tyrannical power structures, but the beauty of capitalism is that you can choose were you work, for whom you work, or if you choose to work at all.

If the deal that you're getting is not good enough, you have the freedom to leave.

I don't see business and economy as a 0 sum game, where employers and employees are in a master-slave relationship, and one exploits the other. That's the socialist hypothesis, which I believe it is fundamentally wrong.

People get significantly more productive when they work together. They do this by choice.

Case in point: when the world population started its parabolic rise, there were a bunch of theories that said that by the year 1980, 1990, 2000 etc. Everybody will starve to death and the planet will be depleted of all resources.

Guess what actually happened?
Everybody got richer, world poverty has dropped at the lowest levels in recorded history, and everybody got more food, more medicine, better sanitation, and increased life expectancy.

On a smaller scale, the same thing happens with businesses.
People start to aggregate because they can generate more resources when they collaborate with each other.

The reason not everybody starts their company is because they are not willing to put in the colossal effort required to become a highly competent person.

The business owner risks everything, and is responsible for everything, so it should be no wonder that it gets the largest possible piece of the pie. He or she deserves 100% of the excess profit made by the company. Without them, there would be no company, no jobs, and no products. Nothing.

Most people are simply not willing to take this route and spend 2 years working for free when building their business. They can't or are unwilling to handle complexity or take personal responsibility for everything.

They would much rather just do their job, leave at 5PM, and get their paycheck at the end of the month.

And that's fine, if that's what they want to do with their life.

Nobody is forcing them to do anything. That's the beauty of capitalism.

People are free to do what they want, and they will suffer the consequences.

I am not a communist, please don't let @Antifragile 's slander affect your judgment.

I believe capitalism to be the best system that there is, because it is the way of nature.

However, capitalism will not, and cannot eradicate abuse, it can, at best, contain it.

The big difference between communists and I is that communists believe that abuse can be eradicated if we just organise society differently. I don't. I see abuse as part and parcel of the nature of the world, it cannot be changed or eliminated. When you try to eliminate it, you will usually create much greater abuse. (and I'm not referring to local abuse you encounter around yourself which you should try to eliminate, I'm referring to structural abuse that just happens in the world).

We live in a world where the strong devour the weak. That's the fundamental reality - the lion eats the gazelle and can care less about the pain it causes. Of course in human society we have laws, morality and religion to mitigate and contain that, and for the most part they're doing a good job.

But every year 600,000-800,000 people get trafficked.
500,000+ are raped or sexually assaulted
50,000,000+ live in slavery

And the list can go on.

And no, business isn't a 0-sum game, for the most part. Trade + production increases the pie for everyone. That much is true. We've got more people today living better lives than they ever had through history.

But the distribution of currently existing resources is 0-sum. If you take an extreme scenario, there is only one Versaille Palace in the world. Only one person or group of people can own it, we're certainly not making another. There's only one Grand Canyon. And so on.

And I agree most people are not willing to become entrepreneurs. But you know why many are not willing? Because us existing entrepreneurs, not to mention the state, schools, religions, etc. have educated them into weakness. That's what the SCRIPT is. The whole effort of society goes into the production of drones & slaves. That's what schools do.

And we do that because it's much easier to control people if they willingly surrender their control to us, rather than through force. Force is very expensive. Because if the truth were exposed, the danger is that these very same slaves would rise up and take by force what they want, instead of placidly going along with things. And we want them to go along.

We want to keep them slaving away for us. Making us rich. Using their intelligence under our guidance, putting money in our pockets, while they live comfortable lives.

Think about it. You're a 20 year old Bangladeshi. You accepted to freely go work in Dubai, only to find out that they're not giving you your passport, so practically, you've been trafficked and are now for all practical purposes a slave, with no other choice but to do what you're told. And along comes a grandfather in his Bugatti with some bimbos laughing and hollering, while you're opening his gate one evening. And he sings to you and expects you to sing back. What do you do?

Do you explode with RAGE? Or do you smile back and sing along?

There was a video of Andrew Tate doing exactly this. And guess what, the Bangladeshi guy smiled back. What is the meaning of that smile?

It means that he accepted his place, as the place he deserves. But why should he deserve that place? Maybe his IQ is 2x that of the old fart, he is fit as F*ck, and 10x more capable. He could take by force, in the state of nature, what he wants, or within the rules of capitalism by starting a business. But we don't want him to do either... we want him to remain a guard, because we need guards for our compounds.

Who is going to guard our streets, sweep the trash, clean our houses, fill the counters of our supermarkets, etc. if everyone were to try and start their own business? That would be a nightmare. So society as a whole has formed a conspiracy against the individual and his best interests. Because his best interests are contrary to the best interests of society.

Most people never wake up to realise this. They never wake up to understand how they are controlled. Because once again, if they did, they would explode with rage. So ignorance is a necessary part of maintaining the balance of the world.

We do need selfish people. But we also need unselfish people. The world and nature exist in a balance between the predator and the prey. If everyone wanted financial independence, the world would be a living hell. Good thing that only a few people want it badly enough.

Imagine hiring Johnny Boy... he's a veritable entrepreneur, the LAST person you want to hire. Because you know he's only there to steal your know-how and as soon as he can go out on his own, he will do it.

We all know that 99/100 will not quit to start their own businesses. So again, it’s 99% theoretical discussion.

Exactly, and we'll do our best to keep it that way. We'll install whatever limiting beliefs are necessary. We will tell them how risky it is. We will exaggerate as much as possible the burden we have to carry, and make the task seem impossible. We will give them as much comfort as possible, and as much praise as needed. We'll make them respectable, and we'll help them feel happy. We'll give them a husband or a wife, and we'll get them to have children, we'll encourage them all along the way. We will not give them the Millionaire Fastlane , we'll keep that for our entrepreneurial friends, or if we do, we'll give it to them with the hopes they'll never read it.

Heavens forbid that they start to think that they could be an entrepreneur. Or they could have their own business. Or that they could take risks. No, we pray every night that they go on being cowards, and never take risks.

It is just as Felix Dennis has said when he lost some of his most productive employees. Outwardly he praised them for going out on their own and encouraged them, even supported them, but inwardly, he would never forgive them for it. Talent is valuable Antifragile, and we both know we'll do our best to keep it, whatever that is. And we're both glad this is only a theoretical question, because if it was a practical one, we'd be in fear & trepidation.

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Johnny boy]

Can all of the smart guys on here who are all living good lives and making good decisions stop arguing for a second lol

Post is not about you, you are living life just fine.

It’s for dweebs who think last place priorities will get them first place results.

Y’all are getting SUPER granular about this.

Everyone has contradictory pieces of their life, I do too. I don’t worry about it too much. I’m not a robot. How could every one of my decisions be perfectly aligned with a philosophy? I bought a mustang gt yesterday. Was that strategic and prioritizing my 30 year goals over anything else? F*ck no. But F*ck it, vroom vroom.

As with most of life, 80/20 is the way to go.

 

[Johnny boy]

Imagine hiring Johnny Boy... he's a veritable entrepreneur, the LAST person you want to hire. Because you know he's only there to steal your know-how and as soon as he can go out on his own, he will do it.

I was fired from Safeway getting paid $7.50 an hour after taxes and union dues because I would go hide in the freezer on hot days and text my girlfriend. I’d be sweating and when I came out my hair would be frozen.

I was fired from being a camp counselor when I was 16 because I made the 9 year old group all cry and chant in unison “we hate John, we hate John” when the recreation director for the city was touring the camp.

I was fired from selling cars because I got in a fight with the lesbian boss’s lesbian sales friend and they sent me home for a week to “think about my actions” but I went to vegas and partied the whole time. (and for breaking in the backseat of one of the showroom Jetta’s)

 

[heavy_industry]

I was fired from Safeway getting paid $7.50 an hour after taxes and union dues because I would go hide in the freezer on hot days and text my girlfriend. I’d be sweating and when I came out my hair would be frozen.

Dude I can't stop laughing

This is the most epic shit I've read. It sounds unreal, but at the same time it doesn't surprise me at all.

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Spenny]

I was fired from being a camp counselor when I was 16 because I made the 9 year old group all cry and chant in unison “we hate John, we hate John” when the recreation director for the city was touring the camp

This is TRUE villian backstory

 

[WJK]

Johnny boy, I read this entire thread. I agree with you in a lot of ways. I have had periods of time where I was totally focused on my businesses or furthering my education. Success has been a lifelong quest.​

I've taken a lot of flack over the years for being too focused. When I was young, I was always told I needed to get a life. All I did was work and go to school while the people around me were busy partying and doing stupid stuff. I didn't pay any attention. I was too busy building a life. Later, in my middle years, the same type of people told me I was just "lucky" to be successful. They concluded that success just fell on me for no good reason other than common chance. All that work and education were totally discounted. It usually ended with me being socially excluded -- which is OK with me. I don't want to watch them sitting on their pity pots moaning and groaning about all of their problems. So, I had to go find like-minded people. I can tell you that the higher you climb your mountain, there are fewer people sharing your path.​

The bottom line is that I have worked just about every day since I was 11 years old. I retired from my career 20 years ago. I'm not good at being retired. In the end, I have found that it's work that I really enjoy. I just keep working at the businesses I have built post-retirement. They aren't huge, sexy ones -- but they have meaning for me.​

I can't think of anything that I really want to buy. I've become a minimalist rather than a materialist. I've traveled a lot over the years. I now enjoy being home and venturing out occasionally when I get restless. I don't have to do better than anyone around me. Now my only competition is with myself, and I'm finally comfortable.​

​