I’ve been on my grind for three and a half years. I started off as a writer with no voice and no clue. I was writing romance and erotica and had no clue how I was going to make it. After a bit of learning and effort I figured out a content creation strategy that worked well enough to make a small living in a 3rd world country. I was focused on wealth rather than income, so I resolved to work for myself. I knew I would be poor as hell for a few years, and I was absolutely OK with that. Now, I’m reaching an inflection point. I can plan to “take my foot off the gas” in a little over two years, or I can work hard for another 4 and a half years in the hopes of getting rich. I’ve decided that I won’t be aiming to get rich, even by my little 3rd world country’s standards.
If you live in a poor country, you’re going to need to focus on money
I don’t regret the time I spent alone in my room, grinding hard. It’s given me a great foundation, and in about 15 months to a year I’ll be in the top 10% of asset holders for my target country of Vietnam. This might sound amazing, but Vietnam is pretty damn poor. Being in the top 10% means being worth about $50,000 and spending a little more than $9,000 annually. I’ll write an article on how I got to those numbers in the future, but let’s stick to the point. Poor countries are poor. The country I’m from isn’t much wealthier than Vietnam. If I stayed here and pushed to be in the top 10%, I would be looking at spending $15,000 per year comfortably (net worth of $75,000). You can live comfortably, but you certainly won’t be a baller by American or Canadian standards. You’re also below the poverty line in terms of your annual spending. If you work a regular job in my country, top 10% income is far more than $15,000 per year, but there also isn’t a safety net. No welfare, and no unemployment So if you’re smart you’re being frugal. Either way, if you live in a poorer country, focusing on money for the first few years is a must. I would say the same notion applies in rich countries if you want to be a standout man, but you aren’t at existential risk.
Being a well rounded person is important
It’s been over four years of grinding on my end. My life is improving, but it’s also shit. I don’t have a dating life right now, and I haven’t been in touch with a lot of my friends. I personally don’t want to live like this for much longer. I would rather take my foot off the gas in a couple of years, move to Asia, get in shape, make some friends, date, get married, and start a family. What’s the point of getting rich if you miss out on your 20s and can’t enjoy your money? None, in my opinion. This means that I’ll be taking my foot off the gas soon.
Are you a 1 in a million man?
Everything in life is about probabilities. I just talked about being in the top 10% of people within a certain cohort. But what about health? I also want to be in the top 10% health-wise. What are the chances of being top 10% in both? Assuming you’re an average person…about 1%. This is because .1X.1=.01. If you don’t understand what I’m saying here, take a Khan Academy class on probabilities. It’ll help a lot. Basically my point is, the odds of being in the top 1% in 3 areas (such as…health, finances, and social skills) are 1 in a million. I don’t like taking 1 in a million chances. Being in the top 10% in 3 areas makes you a 1 in 1000 man (.1³=.001). This is still quite excellent, and much more achievable. This is why I will be shifting my focus away from money soon.
Rich lonely men are likely to be common in the future
Women can’t be bought. They like living good lifestyles, but you can’t just buy them like ornaments. Friends definitely can’t be bought. By the time a lot of people are rich they’re so old that they basically only have their money as leverage in relationships. They also don’t have the time to create strong relationships. This means that there are a lot of men who are currently on track to find themselves with a lot of money, and not much else. It’s really sad seeing people my age fall into this trap. There will be a lot of depressed men in the future if current trends continue.
Choose wisely
I’ve already decided that I’m not going to shoot for the top 1%. I’ve met a lot of people and seen what it takes to get there. It leads to a lot of pain and suffering, especially for the people around them. The top 1% of people in their 30s in my country are worth more than a quarter million dollars. Probably more than $300,000. That’s far more than what I’m aspiring to. They’re going to have 4 times what I have, and I’m sure that in some ways they’ll have far better access to things like healthcare. But I’ll take my chances. I’m young, and things are getting better every day. By the time I’m in my 40s and 50s, basic healthcare will likely be far better than we can imagine, even in poor countries. I prefer to play the odds, and not make the final sacrifice. Instead, I’ll focus on what’s important.
