Hey Friend,
On the weekend, a great young guy I used to coach in Under 18’s football reached out to me for some guidance.
He must be about 20-odd these days.
He’s already got $8,500 invested in Raiz and $23,000 sitting in a savings account. That tells me he’s already built some great financial habits.
But he felt like the money sitting in his savings account was dead money and not doing anything for him.
Not true.
Although cash in a savings account won’t give you the best financial ROI, it gives you options. It gives you breathing room. It gives you an intangible ROI – peace of mind.
He said his goal was to be semi-retired by 40. Essentially, he didn’t want to be working until he’s 70.
My ears pricked up.
Whenever I hear people say they want to retire early, it tells me they’re not doing work they enjoy.
I told him,
One of the secrets of life is finding work that doesn’t feel like work to you.
It’s sad.
Society conditions us to believe work is something we must do to earn a living and not something that we should pursue for enjoyment – where money is merely a by-product.
So we seek the careers that can pay us the most, but neglect the careers that will fulfil us the most.
I often talk about this idea with clients.
Your physical bank account vs your spiritual bank account
Most people optimize their physical bank account (how much they can earn), but they neglect their spiritual bank account (the satisfaction and fulfilment they get from their work).
Both accounts are important.
But chasing money in a career you don’t enjoy can crush your soul.
Back to this young bloke.
He’s almost finished his electrical apprenticeship. And his boss will be putting him through a dual-trade as an air conditioner mechanic.
This will be a brilliant skill base for him.
I’d argue trades are more valuable than higher education these days, and far more in demand. And trades aren’t something AI can replace.
With a trade, you can earn great money as an employee, and if you’re entrepreneurially minded – you can start your own business down the track.
So even if this young man doesn’t love his current work and career path, he can still use it as a vehicle to get him ready for his next life phase.
That’s what I did.
I knew mechanical engineering wasn’t for me. But it was a great vehicle to build up my skill base and set myself up financially.
And when I started to get into personal development in my mid-20s, my mindset around work changed.
Even though I didn’t love the work I was doing, I still wanted to do my best and become a reliable and valuable employee.
There’s an idea from the book ‘The Science of Getting Rich’ that I often share with others who are not yet in their desired line of work:
“You can get into the business you want by making constructive use of the business you are already established in; by doing your daily work in a Certain Way.”
Going about your daily work in a Certain Way, means choosing a great attitude. Doing your best. Keeping your vision for yourself and your future front of mind. Leaving others with ‘the impression of increase’ – that feeling you’re someone who is advancing in life, someone they want to be associated with.
“The man who is certain to advance is the one who is too big for his place, and who has a clear concept of what he wants to be; who knows that he can become what he wants to be and who is determined to BE what he wants to be.”
When you start to live and work this way, being more and doing more than you are asked, new aligned opportunities will open up for you.
I asked him if he reads books.
His Mum bought him the Barefoot Investor when he was 18.
But he wasn’t quite ready to take in the message.
Understandable, I definitely wasn’t at 18 either. But now this young guy was a few years older – and thinking about his future.
I told him reading is one of the best practices I’ve developed.
“Readers are leaders.”
“The more you learn, the more you earn.”
“Read what you love until you love to read.”
I suggested starting off with ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear.
Because, it’s an easy read for beginners. And the idea behind small changes compounding into big results over time, is one of the most important ideas for anyone to learn.
To finish off our conversation, he thanked me and asked:
“Is there any way I can repay you for helping me?”
To which I responded, just implement what I’ve shared, and pay it forward to someone else in the future.
Because that’s the greatest thing a mentee or student can do.
Implement what you’ve been taught. And when you’ve internalised the lessons, pay it forwards to help someone else one day.
