I want to be rich. I'll admit it.

But not so I can buy a Lamborghini.
I’d prefer a Porsche. Kidding.

I want to be rich so I can control my time.
So I can sit at a cafe and order my wife breakfast without looking at the prices.
So my parents don't have to worry about money.
So I can travel freely and show my kids the world.
So I can take my friends out to dinner and say, "Don't worry, it's on me."
So my kids can get the very best education.

That's my idea of a rich life.

Money isn't the goal; it's a tool to live a deeper, more fulfilling, adventurous life.

When I ran cross country in high school, we used to have this saying we’d repeat to ourselves before meets: “pain is temporary, winning is forever.”

I thought it was cheesy back then. But a version of it got me through my marathon last September.

When I was at mile 20, cramping in both legs, my back spazzing out, I asked myself: “What story do I want to tell at the end of this? That things were hard, and I quit? Or that things were hard and I finished anyway?”

When you’re faced with an obstacle on your path (which will inevitably happen), you’re also faced with a choice: Do you turn back around with your tail between your legs? Or do you figure it out and make it happen?

What you consistently choose determines the life you live.

A sign of a future successful person: when you talk to them, it feels like they've thought deeply about what they’re doing. They’re awake. They’re intentional. They think about what they do because they know that movement doesn’t mean achievement. Speed is motion. Velocity is motion with direction.

In your pursuit of speed, remember: being busier, isn’t always better.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (NBA player and 2x MVP) on why he’s successful:

"My whole life is consistent. Everything I do. From what I eat, to when I sleep, to my recovery, to my loved ones. Everything's consistent. It's a routine for me at this point.”

Shaquille O’Neal reflecting on Kobe Bryant’s passing:

“I’ll never get to see Kobe again, in real life, forever. And I just should have called. He should have called. We both should have called. … Call your mom. Call your brother. Call the homeboy you used to party with in college. Forever is a long time.”

Yesterday, a podcast clip went viral because a CEO of a tech startup said “If you are not working 7 days per week, you are going to lose.”

People were hating on him because they believed he was too hardcore and that he shouldn’t promote hustle culture.

It’s the age old problem: Do you work a lot and achieve a lot, or work little and live your life?

Here’s my take:

Work too little and they'll say you're unserious.
Work too much and they'll say you're delusional.

I say spend your time how you want.

If you want to work a lot and achieve a lot, then work a lot.
If you want to work little and live your life, then work little.

It becomes dangerous when you sit in the messy in-between, choosing one but envying the other.

Also, life has seasons. It's okay to be unbalanced for a season (or multiple seasons) of your life and be more balanced in other seasons of your life.

I'm a big fan of having a "you do you, and I'll do me" type of mentality when it comes to life philosophies.

I can't rack up points on your scoreboard and vice versa.
My scoreboard is mine. Yours is yours.

The point is, there are no rules, and you can change your mind.

The one thing I do know is that spending your time hating on how other people live their life is probably not the best use of your time.

Do you, and carry on. ✊

Until next week,

Author of You Can Just Do Things

Ps. I recorded a podcast with my friend Jack.

We talk about:

Listen on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple podcasts.

You can grab your copy here.

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