Author: The Black Swan

Compiled by: TechFlow

You might think it's weird to work during a festival, but I say, why not? Writing is what I love.

At six o'clock in the morning, when most people are still immersed in the holiday sleep, typing on the keyboard to write something is a rare kind of peace for me.

When you become an entrepreneur, time blurs. Days start to blend together, Sundays become the same as Tuesdays, and holidays lose their special meaning.

Many people long to escape from the 9-to-5 life in pursuit of freedom, but the truth is not as simple as they think...

I realized a long time ago that I would never live what I would call a "normal life," and I stopped trying to fit in that lifestyle.

To be honest, working for yourself is both simple and complicated.

In a sense, when you cut through the clutter of corporate life—the tedious meetings and bureaucracy—making money can actually be pretty straightforward.

In fact, if you’re smart and driven enough, you could potentially earn more than you’d ever earn in a traditional 9 to 5 job in just a few years. Doesn’t that sound tempting?

The problem is that when you become your own boss, you will find that the challenges are much greater than when you were an employee. Running a business of your own means that you need to solve all the problems yourself. Don't expect someone to cover your back when things go wrong. You need to be responsible for paying salaries, applying for loans, and balancing the expectations of investors.

It’s a harsh reality that makes you realize that the “carefree” life you had as an employee is a luxury. Employees have a clear career path and guidance from their superiors, while as an entrepreneur, you need to make a difficult decision between two bad options, with no clear right or wrong. The pressure can be suffocating, and you may not even realize you’ve made a fatal mistake until it’s too late.

Let’s talk about mental stress. You’re always “on call”, but this is nothing like the financial professionals complaining about working late at night on PowerPoint. This stress is endless, and it doesn’t disappear when you “get off work” - because there is no such thing as “getting off work”.

Redefine the meaning of time

When you become an entrepreneur, your concept of time changes dramatically. Days seem to blend into one, Sundays are no different than Tuesdays, and holidays become meaningless. Many people yearn to break free from the constraints of a 9-to-5 job, thinking they will have more freedom, but they often overlook that freedom also hides new constraints. If you don’t pay attention, work can seep into every corner of your life, leaving you with little time to do anything else.

This may be controversial: despite the challenges of entrepreneurship, I still firmly believe that running your own business is more fulfilling than any 9 to 5 job. You begin to question why anyone would choose a stable job over the growth and autonomy that entrepreneurship can bring.

The truth is, most people never really face real hardship until they actually start a business. 9-to-5 jobs aren’t actually hard; they’re just tasks that you have to do.

The real challenge is that you have to make critical decisions every day that determine whether your business will flourish or stagnate. If you ask other entrepreneurs what their biggest regret is, many will tell you that they wish they had started this path earlier.

Although starting a business may seem complicated and chaotic, it is also the only path to true freedom—if you can handle the stress.

How to make goals become reality?

I was recently chatting with a friend. He's in his early 30s and has a good job. He excitedly shared with me his goal: to buy a house in the most affluent neighborhood in our town before he turns 45.

I wondered for a moment if his goal was unrealistic or just self-consolation. But I chose to continue the conversation and asked him how he planned to achieve this goal. His answer was vague and general: "I don't know, I just know that I will become rich."

This is the mentality you need to avoid. Every year, you need to take a practical step toward your goal. Your dreams and actions must be aligned. Many people say they want to be rich, but they get stuck in careers that don't make them rich. After a few years, they often wonder where they went wrong.

Often, this reflection occurs when they realize they never really calculated how much money they would need to achieve their dreams. I remember early on focusing on my FIRE numbers (Financial Independence Retire Early), as well as my spending habits and expenses.

Interestingly, I’m not a fan of keeping track of every single expense in my daily life. Once you reach a certain level of wealth, this becomes unnecessary. You don’t want to be the person who curtails your life experiences for fear of losing money in the future. Not only does this mindset make you anxious, it can cloud your judgment and prevent you from making wise decisions. Rather than obsessing over the details, take the long view and focus on the big picture.

Many people wait until they are 35, for example, to reevaluate their lives. This is a mistake. By that time, too much valuable time has been wasted without making any real progress. If you are like my friend and dream of owning a house in a fancy neighborhood, you have to make sure your actions support that goal. If your goal is to make $100,000 a year, and you are on track to achieve that goal, great! You are on track and feeling fulfilled. But if your goal is to live in a fancy house by the time you are 40, now is the time to make some serious changes.

This may be a bit blunt, but it is true.

If you want to change the trajectory of your life, you must first learn to control your living costs. Especially when you are young - there is really no need to live in a luxury apartment if you are under 30. To be honest, at this age, no one cares where you live.

Even if you live in a small room in a shared house, your quality of life will not be much worse, but you can save a lot of money on rent. However, one thing you must remember is that you should not skimp on the life experience! Whether it is going out with friends or hanging out at a bar, don't always think about the price, just enjoy these beautiful moments.

Make it a habit to invest at least 25% of your after-tax income in a regular investment, such as an S&P 500 index fund, stocks, cryptocurrency, or real estate. As for your annual bonus, use it to make a major asset investment, such as investing in a private company, starting your own business, or buying a house. If you have more money, you can make more investments each year, but at least make sure to invest at least once a year.

Alternatively, use the time you would have wasted on binge-watching TV shows or frivolous entertainment to try to start a business. In ten years, you might own shares of index funds or Bitcoin, valuable alternative assets, or even a successful business—all while maintaining a normal life. Sure, you may not go out partying every weekend, but you’ll find that you’re having more fun than most people.

It's almost impossible to get into financial trouble following this strategy. It allows you to enjoy life while achieving happiness through discretionary spending, while ensuring that you have equity in at least one asset every year. Unlike the traditional retirement model that emphasizes "working hard", this approach allows you to automate your investments and focus on accumulating assets while still enjoying life.

Of course, if you decide to start a business, you have to be prepared to work harder. However, many people may not take this last step. In short, make sure your actions are aligned with your goals. If you want to be rich, but find that you are still far from your goal - then face it!

You need to adjust your direction and realign your actions with your ambitions. While my approach may not be right for everyone, I believe it is the best strategy for pursuing wealth and enjoying life at the same time.

That’s all for today.

See you in the order book, friends!