Money can buy security, options, and freedom—all of which will likely make you happy.

If you gave 10 people a roadmap to buried treasure, 9 of them would expect you to drive them to the location. And then after you nicely drove them, they then would ask you to grab a shovel and dig.

Entrepreneurship is about problem-solving. If your idea of "problem solving" is "help me" "show me" "mentor me" "is there list?" then you don't have a chance.

Every problem you solve in life, no matter how small or inconsequential, makes you a better entrepreneur.

Sadly, no one will guide you. No one will encourage you. Support you. Show you the exact steps. This is not a journey for the faint of heart. And those who can't solve problems don't have a chance.

Good news is, if you're the 1 person of 10 who isn't expecting someone else to do the heavy lifting of problem solving, you're ahead of 90% of the rest of the world.

IMO, one of the greatest influences on success is your environment.

Leaving Chicago for Arizona changed everything for me.

20 years later I moved to Utah. Both moves were great for my life.

Environment can also mean your workspace. Is it clean? Optimized? Can you do meaningful work in chaos?

Can you succeed living at home with overbearing, unsupportive family influences?

Can you expect to get sober working in bar?

Can you expect to lose weight working at Krispy Kreme doughnuts?

Can you expect to stop playing video games when 4 of your roommates insist on your participation?

Can you expect to hone a Fastlane mindset hanging out at Reddit all day where you’re told you’re a helpless victim who needs to be angry?

I created the Fastlane Forum over 10 years ago to help you in this process of having a supportive, or like-minded environment.

If you want to be SERIOUS about changing your life, change your environment first. And put accelerative winds at your back.

Win more battles in the war for your life and happiness.

THE SECRET TO YOUR BEST LIFE...
GEORGE COSTANZA?

The other night I watched a basketball game on a major network, and I couldn't help but notice something during the commercial breaks: One after another, every advertisement was for a product or service that I would never buy.

Each commercial targeted the cultural majority, a Scripted populous seeking an escape, an easy button, or a temporary pleasure push.

Here are the commercials I had to suffer through:

A Coors Light beer commercial.
Sorry, I don't drink alcohol or participate in the Scripted theater that romanticizes its consumption.

An Indeed (job marketplace) commercial.
Sorry, I haven't had a job in decades much less prepared a resume.

A Meta commercial (formerly Facebook)
Sorry, I haven't logged into Facebook in months and I can't tell you what the commercial was about: I immediately tuned it out.

An Arby's commercial, aka, "We have the meats!"
Sorry, I've been eating plant-based for 5+ years and I don't eat greasy factory-farmed meat or processed fast food.

A Coke commercial, a feel-good propaganda piece featuring the sugar-ladened soft drink enjoyed by an energetic lady on roller skates.
Sorry, I don't assault my pancreas on a daily basis.

And finally, in the ultimate irony...

A pharmaceutical commercial for diabetes medications.
Now we know the rollerskating Coke-drinking lady was gliding to the pharmacy to fix all the garbage she consumed that was just advertised.

Altogether, this series of commercials highlighted the power of The Costanza Principle, inspired initially by the memorable Seinfeld character, George Costanza. In that episode, George gets tired of complying with cultural expectations and does the opposite, with meaningful results.

Here are the 4 simple ideas which frame the Constanza Principle and how you can leverage it in your life:

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/the-costanza-principle-the-secret-to-your-best-life.107836/

The Parable of Value, Context, and Self-Worth

Storytelling is one of the best ways to change minds and force comprehension.

I’ve taken the liberty to rewrite a short parable that highlights the power of context, environment, and knowledge.

Hope you enjoy, lots of great takeaways in this one.
.
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A grandmother congratulated her granddaughter on graduating college. She told her, “I want to give you a graduation present. It is an old painting we’ve had in the family for years. It is yours, but before you decide what to do with it, I want you to understand what it is worth.”

The granddaughter examined the picture, which was slightly larger than a paper notepad and featured a portrait of a Victorian woman. Its frame was golden and gaudy, certainly not something she’d hang in her apartment.

Her grandmother continued, handing her daughter a list, “Here are four locations that will help you find its value. The first option is the estate sale I’m holding next week. You’ll be on your own for the last three places. Don’t make a decision on what to do with the picture until you’ve visited all four places.”

Continue reading at the forum...

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/the-parable-of-value-context-and-self-worth.108063/

Everything significant started insignificantly.

Hard to believe, but Amazon started with one line of code.
The Harry Potter franchise, with one word among a million+ words.
The Mr. Beast YoutTube channel, with one video and its first subscriber.
The Morning Brew newsletter, with its first subscriber and its first issue.

Bottomline: Get started, do things that don’t scale, and don’t sweat the seemingly insignificant.

Only regular actions compound into significance.

Have a great week! ~MJ

ONE LIFE METAPHOR EVERYONE NEEDS TO HEAR.

Interesting story from my own life. You aren’t alone in your struggle and I mentioned it in the latest issue of the Fastlane Newsletter (if you’re a member of the Fastlane Forum you get this automatically).

----- STORY -----
My stepson never cared about financial freedom or wealth until he started getting up at 6AM and working Monday through Friday. Now all of a sudden, he's interested in his step-dad's advice.

After several conversations and strategy pow-wows, he's devised a Fastlane plan. This is a great start.

However, there's one big problem, a problem that will likely prevent him from succeeding: He's addicted to social media. He wastes countless hours scrolling content on YouTube and Instagram.

He fails to see this as an issue, making the problem worse. He fails to recognize his addiction. He fails to recognize what this is doing to his brain, his motivation, and his goals. And when you add up his full-time job, his commitment to the gym, and his social media addiction, there's no time left for his Fastlane plans.

If nothing changes, he will remain hog-tied to a job he hates, clutching on the ubiquitous excuse of "I don't have time!"

Actually, as I remind him, he does have time. But social media is more important. Whenever I see him lost in a social media binge, I tell him, "That's not going to make you rich," and he realizes just how much time he's wasted.

As I've been saying for years, your actions express your priorities.

Continue reading; visit below.

https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/364132/emails/87087096398874552

To discuss or comment:
https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/one-metaphor-everyone-needs-to-hear.108335

Quick hits:

1) At some point you have to stop reading about swimming, and just jump in the pool.

2) Action, and the challenges yet to arrive, is the only thing that can help you determine the next best book to read.

A reader emailed me last week and asked the following question:

I've read all three of your books and I can't thank you enough, you've changed my life. [Redacted] What other books do you recommend to help me get started on my Fastlane?

While I appreciate the compliment, there are two mental roadblocks to unpack here, roadblocks that will prevent this user from actually experiencing the "life change" he claimed.

The first roadblock is a fundamental truth: I didn't change this reader's life; I only changed his thinking.

And until that thinking manifests itself into repeated action over the weeks, months, and years, "you've changed my life" will wither into an empty platitude of unfilled aspirations.

A book is only as good as your ability to implement it into action. While changing your headspace is a great start, ultimately, those thoughts must materialize in the REAL WORLD. A great quote from the Lao Tze comes to mind:

-- Watch your thoughts; they become words.
-- Watch your words; they become actions.
-- Watch your actions; they become habits.
-- Watch your habits; they become character.
-- Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

In other words, changing your thoughts ignites the process and is step #1. That life change that this reader expressed? That's steps 2, 3, 4, and 5— arguably, the hardest part of the process. And because this reader viewed my books as something much more, his expectations will be malformed. The result likely will be a failure, not success.

The second roadblock is multi-faceted. Continue reading below.

Hope everyone has as great weekend! MJ

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/the-absolute-best-book-you-must-read.76834/

I started writing The Millionaire Fastlane when I was 35, and I considered myself young and in the prime of my life. Released it by 37. Today, more than a decade later, I am no longer young.

Yet, I've never been wealthier, happier, and healthier, the latter two being the most important. In fact, I feel better today at 53 years young than I did at 33 years old.

What's my secret?

I leveraged my superpower, and that superpower is decision-making.

I’m living a dream and when I reflect on my choices, it boils down to this:

Hard decisions = Easy life.
Easy decisions = Hard life.

Choose wisely.

Hard decisions = Easy life.
Easy decisions = Hard life.

YOU HAVE A HIDDEN SUPERPOWER. ARE YOU USING IT?

What were some of the hard decisions in my life, that led to an easier life? Here are just a few:

-- The hard decision to take the road less traveled and be an entrepreneur where peer pressure, academia, and media promoted a job culture. The easy decision would have been to get a job and pave the way to an unfulfilled life with a seemingly secure paycheck.

-- The hard decision not to get wrapped up in my emotions and get married young to the wrong woman at a time when I was still "finding myself." The easy decision would be to succumb to my emotional impatience and get married fast, only to get divorced years later while enduring the financial turmoil that comes from it.

-- The hard decision to leave cold Chicago for sunny Arizona with no job and no money. The easy decision would be to stay and argue that my friends and family are here! The easy decision would have eroded my happiness, motivation, and zest for life.

-- The hard decision to save and invest a lot of my outsized earnings when I was in my thirties. Instead of buying a fleet of Lambos, I bought one every few years. As such, I can still live the same luxurious life with zero financial stress for the rest of my life. The easy decision would have been to spend everything, avoiding tax burdens and the long game.

-- The hard decision to change my diet. After suffering many chronic health issues in my 30s and early 40s, I made the hard decision to change what I shove into my mouth, which requires daily, if not hourly, discipline. The easy decision would be to continue eating whatever I wanted (the standard American diet), while neglecting the consequences.

-- The hard decision to make fitness a priority in my life. The easy decision to sit on the couch and play video games.

-- The hard decision to continually educate myself. The easy decision is to binge Netflix and constantly entertain myself like the average person.

Every day, you face numerous choices, from the trivial to the complex. However, the hard decisions are the ones that require courage and sacrifice. Ultimately these are the ones that pave the way for a more comfortable life.

EVERYTHING YOU WANT IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HARD.

Continue reading...
https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/one-superpower-everyone-has-but-rarely-uses.108553/

Hope everyone has a great day! -MJ

Welcome to everyone who has come over from my other text network! Much appreciated. If you're curious, I left the other platform due to limited space. As you can see here, there's plenty of space for info dissemination, and I like the emojis/reactions 10X better.

Also, TELEGRAM does NOT quarantine my posts to check for political correctness.

That "other" platform?

They review texts for political correctness.

They once held one of my texts because it had the word "BREW" in it -- screw that. Negative skew abound! No thanks, I'll keep my money!

Have a great day, and thanks again!

Started writing my next book, no details to disclose at this time because my track record of writing can take years. The topic of this book is not about wealth, or “Fastlane” and is pretty narrow. Stay tuned!! Hope to have it not take forever, have a new writing environment! Hope everyone has a great weekend, give a loved one a hug 🫂 ❤️!!

Many folks asked me how to make better decisions...

HERES HOW. 📈👍

In 2021, I made the biggest purchase of my life, a 13,000-square-foot, $5.3M estate in the suburbs of Salt Lake City. At the time, housing prices were at all-time highs while the cost of money, or interest rates, were at all-time lows.

In the last newsletter, I stated that your life's superpower is your choices. Decisions shape your destiny and engineer your life. Like your decision superpower, there is another superpower you can leverage to make good decisions. It's the superpower I used to make the hard choice to make the biggest purchase of my life.

No, this fantastic decision-making tool is not a website, a matrix, or complicated life hack. What is it?

Read on...

https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/364132/emails/89081760727435147

Want to spare yourself from an expensive divorce in terms of TIME, MONEY, and EMOTIONAL toll?

I posted this on the forum and it's a SMALL piece of advice that can have a BIG outcome.

This concept was mentioned in The Great Rat Race Escape and it applies to both men and women. This is my own personal guideline that has served me spectacularly.

This also is a great example on how you can manipulate probability to change the odds into your favor.

They say all marriages end in divorce at about a 50% clip. Follow these rules, and you likely reduce those odds from 50% to 25, 20, or better, 10%.

It’s called the 1-2-3 Rule of Relationships…

1 HOUR
2 DAYS
3 YEARS

Before you even think about getting married, DO THE FOLLOWING, or any variation of…

SPEND 1 HOUR to discuss core values like religion, politics, kids, hobbies, financial priorities, fitness and health priorities, and other things that cause huge relationship divergences. Most relationships fail under the burden of mismatched values.

• She wants to save and go Fastlane, you want to spend and be a Sidewalker.
• She wants to be Christian, you want to be an atheist.
• She wants to be a fiscal conservative, you want to be a pink-haired milquetoast socialist.
• She wants to hit the gym 4X a week and eats plant based, you want to sit on the couch and eat cheese all day.
• She wants 3 kids, you want 3 rolls on your chin.
• She has "can do" growth mindset, you blame everyone with a fixed mindset.
• She loves camping, you love gaming.

Can that relationship survive with these divergences? No -- and this relationship will DIE under its own weight.

SPEND 2 DAYS in the most hellish conditions to see each other at your worst. Basically, you’re looking to share a highly stressful situation.

Some examples:

- You’re trapped at the airport due to bad weather.
- You and your partner do a home renovation that goes bad.
- Moving from one house to another house involving moving a lot of boxes, furniture, etc.
- Putting together a backyard shed (think IKEA furniture stuff)

SPEND 3 YEARS to date each other to understand how you grow together, if at all.

Relationships diverge. Or they grow into each other getting stronger. The 3 years is a great standard to learn each other fully, to go beyond the "honeymoon stage," and to go beyond the fake role-playing, and to truly see each other as raw individuals.

Follow these 3 guidelines, and you likely will save yourself from a marriage that ends badly. And instead, live happily ever after.

The $2 "life-hack" that can change everything.

From the Fastlane Newsletter...

I had this nagging itch on the instep of my foot a couple of months ago. It got so bad that it started affecting my sleep and work. I scratched the hell out of it to the point it got calloused. Still, the itch remained and continued for months. After trying the usual modalities to rid me of this itch, like antifungals or hydrocortisone, I started testing other treatments.

Was it food related?
Was it nerve related?
Was it poor posture?

I tried various things, like a food-elimination diet, acupressure, lymphatic massage, and a bevy of strategies that might impact this nagging issue.

About 3 weeks later, the itch was gone. While I didn't discover the cause, I did find a strategy that lessened the itch and ultimately eliminated it. And it was all made possible by a lifestyle strategy you can deploy with just a few bucks: a health journal.

CONTINUE...
https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/364132/emails/90426822565562191

The price of your comfort and security is mediocrity.

The reward for your discomfort and insecurity is wealth.

Choose wisely.

SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND GET TO WORK!

Summary? No one cares, and no one believes you.

I was raking in the cash and needed an extra pair of hands to keep things rolling. Enter my mother. She had reluctantly taken up the unenviable task of managing the accounts receivable while I hunted for a suitable employee.

Let's back up a bit, though.

See, my mother had always been the voice of pragmatism. She wasn't exactly the cheerleader for my entrepreneurial ambitions. And truth be told, who could blame her? I'd been running with one idea after another, tripping up more often than not, while she sent up her daily mantra from the foot of the stairs, "GET A JOB BABY!"

So, picture this.

She's poring over the monthly invoices, numbers running into six figures, and she looks at me wide-eyed, "You're owed all this?" I nod, and her jaw quite literally drops. That was it. That was the moment her doubt evaporated, replaced with a newfound faith in my business pursuits. Years later, I'd take great pleasure in wiping off her mortgage with one fat check.

https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/364132/emails/90986578829116937

You can't change the world until you learn how to change yourself.

Every year of my life I've changed and I'm proud of it.

I would NOT recognize younger me from 5, 10, 15, or 20 years ago. If you're the same person today as you were just a few years ago, you're doing life wrong.

Stop being change-adverse and start embracing it.

BONUS: CHANGE is also what creates wealth as shifts in culture, technology, and tastes evolve. Those who continually adapt, win. Think about AI, the latest emerging tech. Countless wealth will be created in this tech by early adopters who learn how to leverage it and bring it to the common masses.

Luck is for Schmucks. *THIS* is for Winners
How to make luck work in your favor!

I swear, if I hear another wannabe entrepreneur justify dropping out of college because Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates dropped out, I'll vomit.

Read on and discover why these two examples mean nothing, especially if you think dropping out of Johnson County Community College with no education, experience, or skills is a good idea.

In the vast cosmic ballet, there's a pervasive illusion that luck is the master choreographer.

Hang out on Reddit or some other mainstream media rag, and you'll be bludgeoned repeatedly with the idea that luck is in control. I mean, why bother trying to win your best life when luck lurks around every corner, thwarting your best attempts?

But what if I told you there's a powerful tool, honed by centuries of thinkers that can smack luck in the face and let you take charge of your destiny?

READ ON:
https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/luck-is-for-schmucks-this-is-for-winners.109274/

Reminder as we head into a weekend, and for many here in the USA, a long weekend...

The best investment you can make is not in your business, the stock market, or in some cryptocoin; it's in your HEALTH.

It's understanding that your FREE TIME young is worth far more than your FREE TIME old.

Don't sacrifice your youthful vibrance in a savings scheme that pays elderly entropy.

If you're finally *free* but too old to do anything with that freedom (Travel the world, ski, play sports) then what is the point?

Your $1.9M portfolio that you slaved and saved for 35 years means nothing if you killed yourself in a job and can't enjoy it, much less walk a flight of stairs.

Make HARD decisions today so you can earn the interest of EASY later.

Have a great weekend!

I tweeted this the other day and it was in the Fastlane Newsletter. If you haven't seen it, it bears repeating:

"Financial blasphemy: I drink $6 coffee. I spent $5.3M on a 13,000 sq/ft estate w/a $6K mortgage. I have 12 credit cards where $1000s are charged monthly. I dine out 3-5X week. When I shop, I don't look at prices and throw whatever I want into the shopping cart. The word "budget" is not in my vocabulary. I also have no savings plan, I don't make regular investments in index funds. Despite doing everything CONTRARY to what financial experts preach & every finance book ever sold, I have total financial freedom. Here's are 8 truths that made it happen.." (you can find the full tweet in the link)

Among one of those truths, there was one I want to call your particular attention to:

The true secret to wealth/unfettered financial freedom (not the mediocre suckfest promoted nowadays) is by owning things you can control as an INSIDER. This puts the power of asymmetrical business returns that compound into your grasp. Buying index funds does not count.

If you look at any person who has accumulated wealth (and by wealth I mean at least $10M+) you will see the above FACT as common denominator. In fact, Sam Altman (the entrepreneur behind the ChatGPT AI) echoed the same in a legendary blog post on becoming successful. He said:

Continue reading…

https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/364132/emails/93514015180850948