Reconciled
Yesterday, in a Twitter DM, someone asked me what’s one piece of advice you often share to help others achieve financial freedom and live a fulfilling life?
It's a simple answer.
I've been teaching it to my boys since they were 9 and 6 years old and will never tire of sharing it:
- Know what you want
- Understand what it takes
- Do the work. Day in. Day out
My son simplified it to Know --> Plan --> Do
I love when someone can take something you've taught or preached and make it even simpler - a clear sign they've been listening.
But, there's a rub.
A rub I don't always talk about.
Somewhere in the process, there needs to be a Reconciliation.
6-Pack Abs
Let's work through an example.
- You want a 6-pack
- It requires < 1,500 calories per day
- You aren't willing to eat < 2,000 calories per day
You see the rub?
You're not going to get your 6-pack.
That's okay, though...If you're okay with it and you've reconciled yourself to it.
If you're willing to do what it takes to achieve what you want, there's no reconciliation required.
If you aren't willing to do the work, you've got two choices:
- Understand what you'll get for what you're willing to do and be happy with it
- Recognize you don't really want it and move on
You're either going to reconcile to a lesser goal or you're going to move on.
The Problem
One of the biggest challenges I see is people don't want to Reconcile.
They want a lot. Heck, social media shows them every day what they want and what they don't have. It's shoved in their faces. Never ending.
But, they don't do their homework.
They don't do the work to understand what it takes.
If they do, they rarely say I see, roll up their sleeves and get to work.
That's too hard.
It's not for them to work that hard...They want to work smart...Surely there's a shortcut...
Still wanting, without doing and minus the reconciliation, they do a few things:
- Blame
- Complain
- Get Angry
Blame
It's easy to point the finger when you want something and don't get it.
To blame others.
The Left...The Right...The Government...Someone !
As my business partner, Alex, says, when one finger points out, two fingers point back.
Often, the blame lies within.
If we know what it takes and aren't willing to do it, there's nobody to blame but ourselves.
Complain
F*cking Energy Vampires.
I can't handle complainers in life.
It's not in me to rail at everyone or everything holding me back. It never was and never will be.
Sure
I can hear some of you
Easy for you, Clint, you're a rich CIS-Hetero Middle-Aged White Guy
100%
You're right
And, you're wrong
I don't think this way because I'm rich
I'm rich, because this is the way I've always thought and it's how I live
I've had ADHD my whole life, suffered from depression for 20 years and was, in hindsight, possibly suicidal for a period of time before I was diagnosed.
It's part of me
It doesn't define me
There's no time to complain. There's work to be done.
Do yourself a favor and cut the energy vampires from your life.
Get Angry
We've all seen the GIF:
Don't be this person.
This is the face of someone choosing an Emotion (Anger) over Action.
The thing is, if they chose action and it reconciled with their goals, you'd almost never see this face.
The Action towards your goals creates happiness and satisfaction, but:
The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder; a waif, a nothing, a no-man.
Thomas Carlyle
We see so many angry people on TV, the News and Social Media.
They're lost. Without purpose.
Without purpose, they're aimless, they have no path.
WIthout a path, there's no purpose centred action. Their energy is misdirected to ANGER.
They're Unreconciled
DON'T BE THEM
Choose, instead, to be the light:
Reconcile Yourself
Regularly ask yourself these three questions:
- What do I want
- What will it take to achieve
- Am I willing to do what it takes
If you Want It, Do It
Repeat this for 10 Years and let's talk.
TGG Podcast
This week on the Growth Guide Podcast, we re-released one of our top listened to episodes with my guest, Brian Feroldi, author of Why Does the Stock Market Go Up? Everything You Should Have Been Taught About Investing In School But Weren’t.
The Stock Market is the simplest path to grow your wealth.
Stocks can be scary for beginners because they don’t teach this in school.
Why Does the Stock Market Go Up breaks down basic investing concepts so anyone can understand and take action, including:
- What is a stock
- What is a stock market
- What’s a public company
- Why do stocks have value
- Do you need a financial advisor
- How to avoid investing mistakes
- What is a stock’s value based on
- Why do stock prices go up and down
Listen to the podcast on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Last Word 👋
I love hearing from readers and I'm always looking for your feedback.
How I'm doing with the Growth Guide. Is there anything you want to see more of or less? Which aspects of the Newsletter or Podcast do you like the most?
Hit reply, say hello, and let me know what you think of Reconcile Yourself.
I'd love to chat with you !
All my best,
Clint
