1. The past
I'm 17. In my country there are different types of "lanes" in high school, and I was in the toughest one. Loads of chemistry, physics and math. Most students in my class went to school from 07.00-16.00, and after that they'd go home to study some more. They literally had no other life besides studying.
This got me thinking. They're wasting their youth on reading stuff they'll forget 90% of, for what? Some DISGUSTING 9-5 job where they'll make around $3500 a month (that's a great income where I live).
I want to become free and independent - to create something that is my own. So then I won't have to worry about grades, that chemistry test about chemical bonds or drawing the same velocity-time graph for 6 months. I'll just have to learn what I really need to succeed.
Real knowledge > Grades and "education"
So before I went on summer vacation, I started learning programming. Ruby and Python - all on a very basic level. Then I moved on to the front-end languages for the web, which I found more engaging. It went really good, and I learned at a lot faster pace than I would've in school.
2. Now
A few days ago I read Fox's thread here on the forum, which inspired me to make some money making web pages for people. Actually I'd gotten the idea weeks before from one of James Altucher's articles, but that thread got me interested for real. Luckily I had experience with WordPress from a job I had before, and over time I'd gotten pretty good with HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
Why not try it? Can't see myself coding webpages in the future, I want something greater than that, but it could be a good hustle for now.
That will be a job in progress. Although I'm quite comfortable with the web design part, acquiring customers is something I'll need to work on. Really have no clue how to do that in this business. I tried to e-mail local business owners in my town, asking them to contact me if interested, and they either:
a) Don't respond
b) Get mad because I imply their 2007 website might need an update.
3. Goals
1. ONE WONDERFUL THOUSAND
Believe me - I think big. However I can't start thinking about those glorious millions before I've even made $1,000, so that will be my goal for now.
$1,000 is a lot of money for me, that'll be a challenge. But I'll achieve it. Then I'll make $10,000.
2. LEAVE THIS COUNTRY
This is more of a long term goal - ideally I will achieve this in about 2 years.
Why? My country is cold, unpleasant, and got a lot of taxes. The government can take about 60% of your income, which isn't exactly great. I've also got a lot of bad memories here, memories I just want to leave behind. I simply want to start a new life together with my wonderful girlfriend in a fresh place.
I'm thinking some place warm instead.
To summarize:
1. Try to make websites for profit
2. Earn $1,000
3. Increase earnings
4. Leave country
I'm 17. In my country there are different types of "lanes" in high school, and I was in the toughest one. Loads of chemistry, physics and math. Most students in my class went to school from 07.00-16.00, and after that they'd go home to study some more. They literally had no other life besides studying.
This got me thinking. They're wasting their youth on reading stuff they'll forget 90% of, for what? Some DISGUSTING 9-5 job where they'll make around $3500 a month (that's a great income where I live).
I want to become free and independent - to create something that is my own. So then I won't have to worry about grades, that chemistry test about chemical bonds or drawing the same velocity-time graph for 6 months. I'll just have to learn what I really need to succeed.
Real knowledge > Grades and "education"
So before I went on summer vacation, I started learning programming. Ruby and Python - all on a very basic level. Then I moved on to the front-end languages for the web, which I found more engaging. It went really good, and I learned at a lot faster pace than I would've in school.
2. Now
A few days ago I read Fox's thread here on the forum, which inspired me to make some money making web pages for people. Actually I'd gotten the idea weeks before from one of James Altucher's articles, but that thread got me interested for real. Luckily I had experience with WordPress from a job I had before, and over time I'd gotten pretty good with HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
Why not try it? Can't see myself coding webpages in the future, I want something greater than that, but it could be a good hustle for now.
That will be a job in progress. Although I'm quite comfortable with the web design part, acquiring customers is something I'll need to work on. Really have no clue how to do that in this business. I tried to e-mail local business owners in my town, asking them to contact me if interested, and they either:
a) Don't respond
b) Get mad because I imply their 2007 website might need an update.
3. Goals
1. ONE WONDERFUL THOUSAND
Believe me - I think big. However I can't start thinking about those glorious millions before I've even made $1,000, so that will be my goal for now.
$1,000 is a lot of money for me, that'll be a challenge. But I'll achieve it. Then I'll make $10,000.
2. LEAVE THIS COUNTRY
This is more of a long term goal - ideally I will achieve this in about 2 years.
Why? My country is cold, unpleasant, and got a lot of taxes. The government can take about 60% of your income, which isn't exactly great. I've also got a lot of bad memories here, memories I just want to leave behind. I simply want to start a new life together with my wonderful girlfriend in a fresh place.
I'm thinking some place warm instead.
To summarize:
1. Try to make websites for profit
2. Earn $1,000
3. Increase earnings
4. Leave country
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today
