The most common question I’m repeatedly asked is, “what do you do to earn money,” So, I’m pulling back the curtain…

If you’ve followed me for the last decade, you’ll notice it appears as though I spend the majority of my time adventuring in the mountains with my dog, going to movie matinees and traveling; And, you’d be correct.

In spite of having a lot of free time, I’m quite diligent about ensuring I accomplish something (nearly) every day, to stack the probability that the freedom-lifestyle I’ve constructed continues. Now, I’m not saying the recipe I’ll reveal below is the “only” way to achieve a departure from the time-money slog most 9-5ers are stuck in; But, I can (with confidence) say, this model has worked for me and has been validated over a decade, weathering volatile economic/geopolitical turmoil. 

Martial arts has taught me many life lessons, not the least of which is don’t use your face to block punches! Every martial artist knows there’s really 2-categories of a fight, offensive and defensive; And, being good at both are foundations to work on. I consider this a ‘natural law,’ there’s a power behind it unstoppable by anyone – it just is. So, I’ve structured my daily success-model around it… Most days require that I complete at least one significant (enough) action in the categories of either ‘offensive’ or ‘defensive.’ Let me show you…

A typical Monday for me. Working smarter, not harder… I spend a lot of time in my own head, where my best ideas come from…and where I’m able to reflect on what I observe. It’s tough to see the forest through the trees. ironically, “the trees” are in the city and around others. Getting out in nature, resonating with the earth’s frequency (Schumann resonances)…that’s where the magic happens for me.

[OFFENSIVE STRATEGIES]

We do these to stack assets.

1. BUILD/ACQUIRE ASYMMETRICAL-RETURNING ASSETS YOU OWN

I’m allergic to linear income. Trading 1-unit of my precious time for 1-unit of income is the road to exhaustion. Not to mention, earning money today that’s exponentially losing its purchasing power (inflation) at a rate that outpaces linear income raises confirms you’re on a sinking ship (check out my previous articles to dive deeper into that, start here: https://nsydrs.com/the-most-important-game-youll-ever-play-and-you-must/) 

By contrast, once you’ve earned 10, 20, 30, or 100 times income for a unit of your time, you’ll never look back. To accomplish this, you’ll need to create/acquire assets (digital/physical) that proves this asymmetrical return on investment (“investment” meaning either time or money). 

Have an empty 3rd car garage? There’s someone in your neighborhood who would love to pay you to rent it for their weekend mid-life crisis convertible. Go door-to-door one morning and let all your neighbors know. All you need is one taker and at the 2nd month, you’ll have created asymmetric returns on your time. Contrast that to spending the morning performing any (yes, ‘any’) time-for-dollars work, and you’ll see the dichotomy. Know someone who has a digital product based on a recurring monthly payment model? Ask them if you helped promote it, could you split profits 50/50 with them. Make 1-sale (1-unit of time), get paid over and over without ever having to do too much of anything again.

Once you understand this, you’ll suddenly be open to seeing opportunities everywhere (thanks to the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon: the same psychology behind why you see everyone driving your car right after you buy it).

For years I thought I was getting ahead slogging away in a linear income model. You feel like you’re making progress – because you are (kind of). Wage Growth in the United States averaged 6.16 percent from 1960 until 2021. When you consider that our current (actual) inflationary rate is approaching 15%, suddenly you can see how progress being made for most people is more accurately -8.84%. (The government’s numbers are manipulated to paint a less disastrous image). Even If you use their numbers of 7.2%, you’re still in the negative.  So, are you really making progress? You’re earning more, but not enough to afford the same things year-over-year using that same amount of money to purchase. If eggs cost $2.50 today, but next year they cost $2.87, and your raise only gives you $2.67, are you really ahead? Think!

2. BE LIKE COLUMBUS

Referring back to finding asymmetrical returning vehicles; Eventually, you’ll run out of options because you’re limited by the depth of your knowledge. It’s unlikely you’ll notice opportunities in textiles if you know nothing about that industry. It’s time to set sail and see what’s out there, if anything – it’s an adventure! 

It’s critical to spend time exploring and looking for new ‘land’ to grow or acquire. There aren’t shortcuts here, and if I’m being honest, I spend a considerable amount of time doing this. I read books, interview people, sign up for courses, attend seminars (sometimes across the country) and become a ‘lite expert’ on many topics. The more I know, the more I’m able to see opportunities (and sometimes learn what to stay away from – equally important, if not more important).

If I believe that topic has potential (and doesn’t violate any of my “stay away Rules”) I’ll deep dive in it, and become a low level “expert.” Without having optics, I wouldn’t even know what’s out there.

One of the many seminars I’ve attended, exploring a potential opportunity that I soon recognized violated my “Rules” and wasn’t worth pursuing.

3. YOU CAN’T SOW IF YOU DON’T FIRST PLANT

Farmers know this and so should you. There’s zero chance of a crop if you don’t first plant. [Shameless plug]: Take this article, for example. I never know who might be reading this and finally decide, “I could use some personalized guidance in achieving this lifestyle, perhaps I should stop wasting my precious time, and finally become a mentee of Dr. Nev’s, and join his NSYDRS mentorship program.” These articles are one example of me “planting.”

Remember, there’s no guarantee of a crop even if you’ve planted. I know…we all wish the latter had a guarantee (and the reason so many people fail to continue planting after their first misfire).

I’ve learned to keep planting just like farmers. No planting = zero probability. What if your first morning, talking to neighbors about your garage space, doesn’t land a bite? Do it again. Even if you exchanged 3-units of time (which could easily yield 25X, wouldn’t that still be worth it? I think so. Most of what I do is digital, so I’ve got a great selection of sweat pants! (to my wife’s dismay). I enjoy the luxury of being able to plant from anywhere in the world, any time of day, wearing anything I want. Of course, you get to decide what your precious time looks like for you – there is no “way.”

[DEFENSIVE STRATEGIES]

We  do these to protect our assets and smart work. There’s nothing worse than losing all of what you’ve created because you got complacent/cocky and dropped your hands (and took one in the button – aka: boxing slang for getting hit on the chin). Your defensive strategies ensure you’ll keep the crop you’ve grown. Here are some of my go-to’s…

1. YOU CAN’T SEE THE FOREST THROUGH THE TREES

Just when you believe you’ve got it all figured out, a wrench is thrown at your plan.

A common way this happens is making the mistake that, “what is true today, will be true tomorrow.” This action involves evaluating both sides of my argument, questioning if my assumptions are still valid.

In 1999, owning Blockbuster video stock (for those of us who are old enough to know what that is) was looking like a smart buy. Yet, in 2000, management passed on the opportunity to buy Netflix, failing to recognize technology tends to advance (duh!) and disrupt less efficient products. This sealed their fate. I don’t need to remind you what happened to Blockbuster. If you weren’t paying attention, you’d have held on, all the way to the bottom.

Imagine playing a game based on a set of rules, spending years strategizing how to win, and one day those rules are changed on you! This is exactly what has (and will continue) to happen to everyone who is earning a linear-living. Whether you’re a doctor, dentist, lawyer, bus driver, a small business owner, or an employee with a “guaranteed” salary and “benefits” – you are not immune – you may just not know it (until now, keep reading)… This is the realization I had. This was the primary reason why I’ve devoted the last decade deep-diving on this subject – It’s the most important force we are all facing…and yet, most don’t have a clue.

Forces can be negative or positive. If you’ve been feeling as if you’re stuck treading water and not making much progress…then you’re most definitely on the wrong path – and it’s highly improbably your current situation will magically improve if you keep doing what you’re doing.

You must be right over and over again. Nothing is forever, so continue to validate your arguments and be married to the idea that you will change your mind when it’s time to do so.

The lie, “winners never quit and quitters never win,” is the exact opposite of what I’ve discovered to be a holy grail to achievement. There’s most definitely a time a place to quit something that isn’t working – and, there’s no honorability in sticking with something you’re either not happy doing or isn’t serving your life goals.

2. WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW CAN (AND WILL) HURT YOU

I spent half my life building myself into a box I didn’t know I didn’t want. If only someone had explained to me what I know now – I’d have done things very differently.

Thankfully, breaking free of my own shackles (although painful) was achieved; But, could easily have been sidelined by many variables I didn’t know about as an inexperienced sailor in open (treacherous) waters.

A guide is essential. If you don’t have one, you’d better get to learning about the risks, what to avoid and what ‘black swan’ events could derail your plan. Implement a strategy to protect yourself from those, know how to avoid them… that’s half the battle. One wrong move could easily end your journey…for good.

I may be a BTC maximalist, but just because you have a friend who likes a certain equity, investment or IPO/ICO, doesn’t mean you should put your money to work there unless you truly understand the fundamentals. There are many traps that could cause you to fall.

3. INVEST IN PROTECTION

Protection is inexpensive insurance when you consider the potential costs. An friend of mine who’s a former Marine once taught me the saying “two is one, and one is none.” Have a backup!

It’s always better to have protection and not need it, then need it and not have it. 20-years ago, as an inexperienced business owner, I learned this lesson the hard way. I had neglected to carry appropriate insurance for my employees – it wasn’t deliberate.. I simply didn’t know.

When an employee was injured on the job in a car accident, she (rightfully) filed an injury claim against my business. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue; However, without any insurance, I ended up with a $150,000.00 surgery/damages bill that I had to write a check for. Think you had a bad day?! The lesson to not ignore worst-case scenarios and protect against them was one I learned early, and one I’ve taken seriously since then.

It behooves me when I learn of people who don’t take an hour or two to consider protecting their assets.

According to claims data reviewed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), thefts of catalytic converters (an exhaust part on your gasoline car) increased a whopping 325% in 2020, it’s far worse at the time of writing this article pretty much everywhere in North America. On two of my luxury vehicles, the catalytic converters cost $2,500 parts alone! (#1stworldproblems). I’ve taken measures to protect them (which, for obvious reasons, I can’t disclose here) for a cost of only $30/vehicle and 1-hour of my time. Oh, and the maintenance on my protection will require about 10-minutes/year  of time – talk about asymmetric ROI! 

This is just a sample of the many areas of protection I recommend to my NSYDR mentees, but hopefully you’re grasping the fundamental concept.

This goes beyond insurance. Think personal protection…if you can’t protect yourself, what good are any of your investments? I recently installed a video surveillance camera system around my home, you wouldn’t believe what goes on while you’re sleeping – it’s shocking even in luxury neighborhoods.

Plan for the worst, hope for the best. This isn’t about being afraid or paranoid, it’s about being prepared. and having a system or plan in place to cover your rump.

It’s by no coincidence we’ve chosen a vicious attack dog to protect our home!

Albeit, not a comprehensive list. Hopefully I’ve convinced you, you’re better off working smarter (not harder). Spend dedicated slices of your precious time using critical levers that make an asymmetric difference, both on the offensive and the defensive. By doing so, you’re stacking toward displacing your time-for-freedom; A result that I believe is the most precious resource a human could gain. 

If I’ve left you with more questions than answers, consider applying to get on the waitlist for an NSYDR seat.

Thanks for reading. Consider sharing this post with a friend who might benefit from this information.