24 Comments
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TheGamingDividend's avatar

This entire article fully resonates with me and it's exactly why I prioritized my finances. I wanted to put myself in a position to quit those meaningless jobs and do work I found meaningful.

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Jonathan Pohl's avatar

Well, i have seen plenty of people obsessed with being rich. Taxi drivers, toilet cleaners. There is no guaranteed way to become rich. This involves luck, and thas beyond human control.

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Lauren Taylor's avatar

This is so true. Not where I want to be yet but doing the 3 things you mentioned - an aspirational hourly rate, concentration of force, and giving myself no other option but to succeed – allowed me to get further in 3 years than I ever would have otherwise.

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Lucas's avatar

Dan, I can't believe this essay is free. I read it, then read it again, and spent a few hours thinking. For that, and only that, I appreciate it a lot.

What I like most here isn't the obsession with wealth per se, more the clarity of purpose. The idea of setting a delusional hourly rate works like a confrontation with our inner apathy. This too gave me a headache (in a good way, from thinking about it too much 😅). I really loved what you said about rejecting a 5k hourly gig, because of the honesty behind giving a value good enough to make that money worth it. That would probably take you more than a few hours, and I can relate to that train of thought completely!

On that note, do you set a healthy balance between a realistic hourly rate compared to that aspirational rate? From my perspective, that is the sweet spot, right?

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Robert Henry's avatar

We set our rates too low because we rate other people's lives around us too high.

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Monica Copeland's avatar

Thank you, Dan. I always look forward to your letters. You are appreciated!

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Sarvam's avatar

I’ve chased momentum before clarity way too many times! Slowing down to actually think feels underrated, and kind of like the real flex. 🤔

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Angel Peguero's avatar

Thanks Dan!

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Investing Lawyer's avatar

Red pill. Choosing blue pill and staying in the same place forever is a no-go.

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Robert Taylor's avatar

Money isn't everything but having enough solves an awfull lot of problems.

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Mattias Acosta's avatar

I really enjoy your spiritual/philosophical tone paired with brutal realism and clarity. These are great insights.

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Lisa Frattali's avatar

I recently ran new numbers for my hourly worth . It was sobering and alarming. Time is our most precious commodity. And allowing others to waste yours is really dumb .

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Tim Crane's avatar

Thanks Dan 🙏🏼

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Steven Edwards's avatar

Good one Dan

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Noah Samson🕊️'s avatar

Wow this is so true. We can learn anything in due time if only we channel our focus right and put our minds to it. A well thought-out piece put together.

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Rory Harvey's avatar

Love Naval’s idea but as humans we anchor and adjust, or as Morgan Housel said we keep moving the goalposts.

How can we trust this aspirational rate we set, and how do we set it if we keep changing our course.

Great point, but I think it runs deeper than setting a standard. More emphasis needs to be on deciding what standard to set.

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