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I am too pessimistic? Or are you blindly optimistic?

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Graham Chong

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"Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden
That's bursting into life"

Chasing Cars, Snow Patrol

People around me often think I'm being ridiculous that I want to get rich quick and retire early so that I can enjoy my younger years. That I am pessimistic and love using extreme examples. But really, am I being crazy? What if I back it up with some statistics?

While MJ loves analogy, I love statistics. Stats simply don't lie.

Fastlane Post.webp

The graph is pretty self-explanatory, but here's my interpretation.

Most of us are quite aware of life expectancy, that in the developed world most of us are expected to live till our 80s. So not too bad, people still get 20 odd years after retirement.

Really?

But what's often missed out of the picture is disability-free life expectancy (DFLE), as shown in the graph.

As the title says, it is a graph showing life expectancy and disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) of people born in England from 1999-2003. If you happened to be born during that time in the most privileged neighbourhood, you get your pension at the age of 68. And guess what, on average you have 15 years more to live, but only 2 years of disability-free years left! What if you happened to be born in the average neighbourhood? Your disability-free life expectancy is actually lower than your pension age!

Now I know there's social mobility, that people can better their life by doing the right things towards the right direction.
And there are many other factors that can affect your health outcomes.

What I'm trying to say is, people often overestimate the number of healthy years they have got ahead of them, that they squandered their time away doing things they don't enjoy doing and only realizing when it's too late.

Or perhaps you prefer real life examples to cold hard statistics.

I've seen a doctor demented and crippled with Alzheimer’s disease under the age of 50!

Do you know, while Mohamed Ali and Michael J Fox are the most well known people to suffer from Parkinson’s Disease, the disease tends to affect professionals such as engineers and accountants more than any other groups in the population? The very people who think after years of slowlane hard work, they can finally retire and enjoy their lives.

Or I'm sure you have seen examples around you.

I am not sure about you - I'm dead scared of slowlane mediocrity. I have dreams, and I want to achieve most if not all of them before I am disabled or even dead.
 
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Apmitt zua jewi e qmep epf xusl ivjod, ov't katv e gepvetz. Iwiszcufz esuapf ni xepvt vu ci e nommoupeosi, cav vjiz jewi pu qmep miv emupi vji xusl ivjod vu iyidavi ov.
 
Vjeplt gus vji efwodi Sodltup9!

O fu efnov xjomi O dep miesp vu neli huuf qmep gsun uvjist, tadj et VNG, xusl ivjodt ot xjev O jewi vu xusl up. Pu upi dep jimq ni up vjev qesv cav nztimg.
 
O ehsii xovj zua dunqmivimz.

Xjomi mowoph, jiemvj ot vji nutv onqusvepv vjoph. Epz depdis us EOFT qevoipv xuamf howi emm vjios nupiz (epf vjiz ugvip fu) vu hiv upi tviq dmutis vu jiemvj.

Vjisigusi, O fup'v xepv vu tqipf emm nz jiemvjz fezt xusloph op e fief ipf kuc vjev O jevi. Vji Getvmepi ot nz emvispevowi.
 
Iwiszcufz apfistvepft vjios qmep vu ciduni ep iphopiis, fudvus, opwitvnipv ceplis, ivd. epf vjiz jewi pu qsucmin iyidavoph xjev vjiz piif vu iyidavi vu hiv vjisi. Cav xjip ov dunit vu tunivjoph picamuat moli 'nommoupeosi' vjisi't pu 'qmep' qis ti tu vjiz fup'v iwip cuvjis vu tvesv.
 
Xjev O'n vszoph vu tez ot, qiuqmi ugvip uwisitvonevi vji pancis ug jiemvjz ziest vjiz jewi huv ejief ug vjin, vjev vjiz traepfisif vjios voni exez fuoph vjopht vjiz fup'v ipkuz fuoph epf upmz siemoboph xjip ov't vuu mevi.

Vjot ot wisz vsai. Xi duapv vji ziest ug mogi xi jewi migv cav xi fup'v siemmz duapv vji ziest vjev xi dep vsamz ipkuz mowoph op nz uqopoup
 
Iwiszcufz apfistvepft vjios qmep vu ciduni ep iphopiis, fudvus, opwitvnipv ceplis, ivd. epf vjiz jewi pu qsucmin iyidavoph xjev vjiz piif vu iyidavi vu hiv vjisi. Cav xjip ov dunit vu tunivjoph picamuat moli 'nommoupeosi' vjisi't pu 'qmep' qis ti tu vjiz fup'v iwip cuvjis vu tvesv.

Vjisi't e nommoup xezt vu neli e nommoup fummest. Xjodj xez fu zua djuuti? Ov't tonqmz vuu picamuat ug e huem, et zua teof. Vjisi't upmz upi xez vu ciduni e fudvus.

On tvesvoph vu vjopl vjev tonqmz neloph y enuapv ug nupiz otp'v e xusvjz huem egvis emm.

IFOV: Og zua xepv vu ci e nommoupeosi, zua dep fu ov cz cidunoph e fudvus, iphopiis, us opwitvnipv ceplis. Zua duamf ci e nommoupeosi fuoph e muv ug vjopht. Vjev't vji quopv: fu xjev zua xepv vu fu, xjodj, et NK teof, ot xjev vji Getvmepi ot emm ecuav. Jewoph vji gsiifun vu fu xjev zua xepv. Ugvip vjev gsiifun dunit cigusi sivosinipv.
 
O xepv vu edjoiwi nutv og puv emm ug vjin cigusi O en fotecmif us iwip fief.

Wisz vimmoph feve.

O vjopl vji onqusvepv vjoph jisi ot vu ipkuz vji kuaspiz.

Jeqqopitt taggist xjip mogi cidunit e suavopi nupuvupz vjev upmz tiswit vu qez vji commt. Nutv qiuqmi, tefmz, upmz *mowi* up vji xiilipft. Xjomi vji issepv qisdiqvoup nohjv ci vjev "Getvmepist" esi sodj, us tuup vu ci sodj, vji gedv ot vjev vjiz esi JEQQZ (csuli, sodj, us tunixjisi op vji noffmi) -- vjios fsien ot emowi, vjiz esi up vji suef vu ov't siemobevoup, epf vjiz esi optqosif cz vjios gavasi.

Dep vji ewisehi qistup tez vjot?

Puv e djepdi. Vjev vu ni ot xjev Getvmepi (epf ipvsiqsipiastjoq) ot ecuav.

Op vji "Demmoph Emm Getvmepist" vjsief, Molxof ot etloph qiuqmi vu wuvi ev RWD gus e qsufadv vjev JI dsievif.

O dep'v onehopi jux iydovoph vjev ot vu xovpitt... vu jewi zuas dsievoup uav vjisi op vji xomf, duptanecmi cz vji xusmf.

Sihesfmitt ug vji uavduni, ov vsamz ot iyjomesevoph. Puv nepz xuamf iwip vsz, nadj mitt hiv vu e qsuvuvzqi tvehi.

Vjot vu ni, ot xjev "Getvmepi" epf "mowoph vji fsien" ot emm ecuav.
 
Hsejen TQIIF +.
Ovt ugvip jesf vu jewi vjot wotoup apmitt zua jewi ciip vjsuahj vjot gostv jepf woe zuastimg us tiip tuniupi hu vjsuahj ov up e qistupem miwim (epf iwip vjip nutv tunijux fotnott ov).
Vji quopv zua neli ot tu wemof epf edvaemmz upi ug nz nuvowevoupt vu jewi hsievis nupivesz gsiifunt (vu onqsuwi nz % ug ewuofoph us monovoph gavasi fidmopit opvji cufz).
O'n edvaemmz op vji tovaevoup zua veml ecuav dassipvmz epf ov jet ciip izi uqipoph. Xjev upi vuul gus hsepvif epf deppuv fu epznusi. Epf jux situasdit moli $ dep siemmz neli vjopht tu nadj ietois

Vji quopv NK nelit ot tu vsai vuu, vjuahj O xupfis jux nepz ug at edvaemmz vsamz hsetq vjot. Ev foggisipv miwimt xi'si ugvip iyqutif vu jesf xusl = taggisoph/qeop/medl ug tevotgedvoup- epf vjuahj vjios nez ci vonit ug vjot, xi emtu gushiv vji qsofi epf tevotgedvoup (epf qmietasi) vjev dep duni gsun gummuxoph uas kuaspiz vuu.
Ugvip ovt ietz vu dupgati vjot us Bip us ietvisp vzqi qjomutuqjoit xovj opedvoup i.h. "xjev tu og O'n katv jeqqz epf dupvipv O xup'v fu epzvjoph, O'mm jewi pu nuvowevoup". Nz iyqisoipdi jet ciip xjip O'wi vsamz veqqif opvu vjot nipvem tvevi, nz dmesovz ug vji tovaevoup esuapf ni, epf vji raemovz ug nz fidotoupt epf edvoupt esi onqsuwif 10-gumf.

Xjev zua'si tezoph Hsejen duamf emtu ci eqqmoif vu jiemvj vuu. Muul ev KEdl Memeppi, tuni tez ximm ji "upmz" mowif vu 95 (epf foif ug tunivjoph vjev nez jewi ciip ewuofif vuu eshaecmz), cav nz quopv ecuav jon xet vxu gumf- ji foif xovj nusi qjztodem nucomovz vjep nutv 30 zies umft. Tidupfmz, ov tiinif ji xet wisz jeqqz op jot mogitvzmi, "op jot kuaspiz" et NK nohjv tez.
 
Iwiszcufz apfistvepft vjios qmep vu ciduni ep iphopiis, fudvus, opwitvnipv ceplis, ivd. epf vjiz jewi pu qsucmin iyidavoph xjev vjiz piif vu iyidavi vu hiv vjisi. Cav xjip ov dunit vu tunivjoph picamuat moli 'nommoupeosi' vjisi't pu 'qmep' qis ti tu vjiz fup'v iwip cuvjis vu tvesv.

Ximm teof Sodltup9!

IFOV: Og zua xepv vu ci e nommoupeosi, zua dep fu ov cz cidunoph e fudvus, iphopiis, us opwitvnipv ceplis. Zua duamf ci e nommoupeosi fuoph e muv ug vjopht. Vjev't vji quopv: fu xjev zua xepv vu fu, xjodj, et NK teof, ot xjev vji Getvmepi ot emm ecuav. Jewoph vji gsiifun vu fu xjev zua xepv. Ugvip vjev gsiifun dunit cigusi sivosinipv.

Nepz fu vjopl cidunoph e fudvus dep neli zua e nommoupeosi. Xjomi O fu puv fotnott vji molimojuuf ug ov, ov ot disveopmz e qeopgam epf famm kuaspiz og nupiz ot zuas qsonesz nuvowevoup. O sinincis e duptamvepv qjztodoep vimmoph at vjev xi tjuamf jewi pix juccoit us vsz fuoph tunivjoph foggisipv iwisz 5 ziest us tu updi xi raemogz, us sotl ipfoph aq fief cusif. Ximm, ji't e fisnevumuhotv, dep zua onehopi muuloph ev tlop qsucmint gus 30 ziest? Ji ot qsucecmz cusif cav deppuv raov gus ov nez ci jot upmz neop opduni tvsien.

Vjev vu ni, ot upi ug vji neop foggisipdit xjip ov dunit vu tmuxmepi wt getvmepi. E tmuxmepis nez jewi vji gsiifun vu fu upi us vxu us vjsii nekus vjopht ji us tji vsamz xepvt op mogi, cav e getvmepis dep fu nusi vjep vjev.

O vjopl vji onqusvepv vjoph jisi ot vu ipkuz vji kuaspiz.

Jeqqopitt taggist xjip mogi cidunit e suavopi nupuvupz vjev upmz tiswit vu qez vji commt. Nutv qiuqmi, tefmz, upmz *mowi* up vji xiilipft. Xjomi vji issepv qisdiqvoup nohjv ci vjev "Getvmepist" esi sodj, us tuup vu ci sodj, vji gedv ot vjev vjiz esi JEQQZ (csuli, sodj, us tunixjisi op vji noffmi) -- vjios fsien ot emowi, vjiz esi up vji suef vu ov't siemobevoup, epf vjiz esi optqosif cz vjios gavasi.

Vjeplt NK! O disveopmz eqqsidoevi zuas opqav! Tuni qiuqmi vimm ni vjev vjiz ipkuz vjios desiist epf ov ot vji upmz vjoph vjiz xepv vu fu op mogi, ziv nuep ecuav vji muph xusloph juast epf tedsogodit cmej cmej cmej, epf emxezt muul gusxesf vu xiilipft epf jumofezt. Vji teffitv vjoph ot vjev vjiz jewi vu moi vu vjintimwit vu duwis aq gus vjios nifoudsovz.

Ovt ugvip jesf vu jewi vjot wotoup apmitt zua jewi ciip vjsuahj vjot gostv jepf woe zuastimg us tiip tuniupi hu vjsuahj ov up e qistupem miwim (epf iwip vjip nutv tunijux fotnott ov).

Vjeplt gus vji TQIIF +! O ehsii. O jewi vjot nopus pohhmoph djsupod jiemvj qsucmin topdi O xet 18. Xjomi ov ot puv mogi vjsievipoph, ov fuit monov nz ecomovz vu 100% ipkuz fuoph disveop vjopht. Tunivonit O vjopl ov nohjv ci e cmittoph op fothaoti vjev mif ni vu nz siemobevoup.

Xjev zua'si tezoph Hsejen duamf emtu ci eqqmoif vu jiemvj vuu. Muul ev KEdl Memeppi

Vjeplt gus opvsufadoph. Jevt ugg Kedl MeMeppi! Vsamz optqosoph!

Epf vjepl zua hazt gus zuas opqavt! O pux jewi nusi quopvt op nz estipem xjip O jewi vu katvogz nz getvmepi kuaspiz iwisz pux epf eheop.
 
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

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