3-4 times a week, I drag myself to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training.
2-3 times a week, I fumble through guitar chords.
I spend some mornings in the pool, and some doing weight training or yoga or something.
Every other day, I write a blog.
And everyday I learn 10 mins of Portuguese on Duolingo.
Combined they take just 3 hours of my day everyday.
None of these activities make me money.
In fact, they cost me time and energy I could spend “hustling” or “grinding” toward greater wealth.
But here’s what I’ve realized – I’m already living the life that many wealthy people eventually discover they wanted all along.
Recently, I’ve been watching a lot of Youtube channels that interview old and some wealthy elderly people about how they spend their time once they achieve complete financial independence.
After selling their businesses, cashing in their shares, or building their empire, what do they do with their freedom?
The answer is surprisingly simple and perhaps even disappointing to those chasing wealth. They simply:
- Take up gardening
- Learn to paint
- Study languages
- Write memoirs
- Travel (until it becomes mundane)
- Play golf
- Mentor others
- Spend time with family
Notice something? Most of these activities cost very little or nothing at all. The billionaire might learn the skill at the same rate as I would. Their paint dries just as slowly. Their guitar strings vibrate at the same frequency.
The Irony
Many wealthy individuals spend decades accumulating money, postponing life’s simple pleasures, only to eventually return to them. They chase exclusive experiences – private jets, luxury resorts, VIP clubs, only to discover that these things quickly lose their shine.
I mean, how many times can you visit an exclusive nightclub before it feels routine?
Private luxury plane would be no different than a bus ride I assume.
How many luxury hotel rooms can you stay in before they all start looking the same?
Money can’t:
- Make a sunset more beautiful
- Deepen a friendship
- Enhance the joy of mastering a new skill
- Improve the taste of home-made food
- Make meditation more peaceful
Why Wait?
This brings me back to my weekly routine of BJJ, swimming, guitar, reading and writing. These activities give me:
- Physical challenge and growth
- Creative expression
- Learning opportunities
- Community connection
- Personal accomplishment
Much more money couldn’t make these experiences more meaningful. So why wait until we’re extremely wealthy to start living?
The Secret
The most profound truth I’ve learned is this: The best time to live fully isn’t after making multi-millions – it’s now. Money should enable life, not become its purpose.
So start that hobby you’ve been postponing. Learn that instrument. Write that story. Take that hike.
The secret to a rich life isn’t in your wallet – it’s in how you spend your time and important hours. And that’s something you can start investing in today, regardless of your bank balance.
Remember that someone with a billion dollars, someone with a million, and someone with almost nothing can have very same profound experiences and that’s what life is really about.
