EP181: The Destruction of the Middle Class
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Have you ever noticed how all the biggest financial gurus in the world agree on one thing when it comes to the middle class escaping the rat race?
And they say that this grind-to-rise culture applies to everyone from the person starting out their hustle to even people who have already “made it” with their nice 6-figure salary, cushy office chairs, and who can forget their nifty pens. 🖋️
BUT, WHAT IF THEY’RE WRONG?
So, we sought to answer this question.
The three things that we discovered if harnessed properly will help you shatter the golden shackles that have kept you stuck in the rat race and in the end, you may realize that you have more in common with Neo from the Matrix than you think. 🤓🤓
But before we go any further, let’s dive into this idea of the rat race, what it really means for you, and how it can impact every area of your life, from your mental health, to your physical health and wellness.
Because your life is precious, so you want to make the most of it!
👉 Picture this: Each morning, you rise to the piercing call of your alarm, savoring that cup of coffee as if it were your lifeline. Then, you plunge headlong into the maze of your day that feels strangely recognizable yet frustratingly infinite.
At every corner you turn, there stands another obstacle, and just when you feel like you’re finally making strides, you awaken to the realization that you’re stuck on a perpetual treadmill, caught in an unending loop, witnessing the same scenery time and again.
We don’t know about you guys, but that sounds truly terrible and honestly, depressing to us. The harsh reality is that each day, you find yourself in pursuit of the next latest and greatest thing, always just out of reach: the next promotion, a bigger home, a new car, or maybe even that extravagant vacation you keep putting off.
But just when it feels like you’re finally getting ahead, the next best thing appears, just out of reach.
And don’t even get us started on the topic of weekends. 😵😵
As great as they are, they are fleeting moments where you can catch your breath, post some glam shots on social media so that everyone knows that the chase is worth it, all just in time to dive back into the grind first thing Monday morning.
Even worse, you can’t even enjoy your Sunday because you have such a bad case of the Sunday Scaries that your anxiety levels are through the roof.
What we just described right there is the glamorous hamster wheel that most of us are stuck in, propelled into motion by high heels and three-piece suits, overpriced Starbucks coffees, and speeding on the freeway. Always rushing, never enjoying. In a nutshell, what we just described is what the world knows as the “middle-class rat race”.
This brings us to Price’s Law, which is basically a productivity concept, which you can apply to a lot of different situations.
Let’s pretend for a second that you have a garden that’s home to 100 plants. 🌱
Following Price’s Law, approximately 10 of these plants (equivalent to the square root of 100) could be responsible for generating around half of the entire garden’s yield in fruits or flowers.
This phenomenon is comparable to having a selection of garden MVPs, your standout producers.
Since we know you are a master gardener, we already know that you would spend your time and energy cultivating those 10 standout plants rather than the other 90. Well, the same idea applies to the world of business and finance.
Those lucky peeps who have managed to escape the constant grind of the rat race have mastered one pretty basic and super important principle: separate your time and your effort from income.
Think about it – this means that on a cozy, lazy Sunday, you aren’t burning the midnight oil to finish a deck that’s due first thing in the morning. Nope, instead, you get to relax, enjoy the fruits of your labor, and unwind like you truly deserve.
You see, guys, in life, not all actions are created equal. 😖😖
Some have a smaller impact, like lighting a small match, while others are more noticeable like a blazing fire lighting up the night sky.
The true art lies in distinguishing between tasks that can catapult you forward and those that merely contribute to the background noise. And here’s the game-changer: recognizing those tasks that demand the least effort from you but yield the most substantial returns.
This may involve venturing beyond conventional boundaries, perhaps diving into alternative investments or exploring uncharted avenues.
Can you envision those tasks and daily routines at this very moment? Which ones are worth eliminating, and which ones deserve a more intense focus? It’s all too effortless to find yourself trapped in a loop, constantly sprinting but never experiencing genuine progress.
What really matters here is strategic focus. ✨
Why deplete your energy on activities yielding minimal impact when you could instead direct your efforts towards those brimming with maximum potential?
Whether it’s within the realm of business, striving for a greater ROI, personal development, or cultivating relationships, it’s these chosen few activities that genuinely create a significant difference.
The solution here is to prioritize tasks based on the ROT — Return On Time. ⏰
It’s really not that different from our example of the gardener, this time picking out the very best seeds for their garden. You’re carefully handpicking tasks that hold the potential for the most bountiful results, ensuring that your efforts are not only intelligent but also highly efficient.
This brings us to our third and final discovery. ⏬
We hate to break it to you, but giving this one up might be as tough for you as giving up boba would be for us – and if you know us, we LOVE our boba. 🧋
What we are asking you to do is something that might feel a little invasive and even a little uncomfortable 〰️ open up your closet doors.
No, we haven’t lost it. You see, your life is like a cluttered closet, bursting with clothes you haven’t worn in years. That neon windbreaker or those acid-wash jeans that fit 15 years ago and now just gather dust aren’t really doing anything other than taking up space, space that you need for other things!
It’s time to tidy up that closet, shedding around 90% of those outfits you rarely ever wear.
Ask yourself: which clothes (or tasks) are occupying space but never have the chance to shine?
It’s the moment to really summon your inner Marie Kondo; if they don’t “spark joy” (or produce results), it’s time to bid them farewell. Ultimately, you’re left with a wardrobe (or life) that’s sleek, effective, and incredibly stylish.
As we draw to a close today, we are reminded of our friend Neo from the iconic universe of The Matrix. 🎬🎥
Just as Neo did, each of us finds ourselves at a pivotal crossroads, a moment that shapes our fate.
You’re being offered those two pills, one blue and one red.
🔵 Opt for the blue, and you dive back into that seemingly eternal, foreseeable maze, eternally chasing after that elusive dream. It’s draining, yes, and it’s a path well-trodden, but here’s the question to ponder – does it truly satisfy your soul?
🔴 On the other hand, the red pill offers an awakening, a profound shift in perspective.
It may not be the simpler path, but it’s the route to authenticity, where you’re no longer trapped in endless circles but instead forging a trajectory that’s uniquely your own. This isn’t a race about merely ‘keeping up,’ but one about ‘breaking free.’ Here, you don’t just play the game; you become its master.
As we strive to break free from the middle-class rat race, the key isn’t to work harder but instead, to work smarter.
It doesn’t entail saturating our days with meaningless tasks, but rather, it involves selecting the ones that hold significance.
Much like the standout plants in your garden or the timeless pieces in your wardrobe, it’s all about prioritizing quality over quantity.
Now, the question remains: Will you opt for the blue pill of comfort or the red pill of liberation?
As Neo came to understand, reality often possesses more flexibility than it initially appears. Occasionally, recognizing that you’re not trapped is the first step toward freedom. 🙌
At the end of the day, escaping the middle-class rat race may come down to a singular element: choice.
And the ability to make the correct choices has the potential to change everything.
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