Author Topic: What about Ambitions?  (Read 7397 times)

CoreyTheMan

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What about Ambitions?
« on: March 31, 2015, 08:14:10 AM »
So, I have been on this blog for a while (like a year and a half now), I think this may be my first post. I have been practicing the mustachian lifestyle for that long as well. But I have this ache or issue that I would like fellow mustachians who have already dealt with it to help me with. I think retiring early and living out your dreams is an awesome goal but what if you wan't more than that. Since being a child I have always had the ambition to try to be great. I want to build a hugely successful company but this lifestyle seems to be about being content and complacent which I am not because I am hungry to achieve. Has any other Mustahcian had to deal with this issue before?

dandarc

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #1 on: March 31, 2015, 08:20:37 AM »
Content yes - complacent I would say not at all.

The real point of all this is FREEDOM.  Some get to the point where they no longer have to work, and retire.  Others keep working for a variety of reasons.  I'd venture to say that having the freedom a large stash would help tremendously with your goal of building a company from the ground up.

libertarian4321

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2015, 08:40:40 AM »
So, I have been on this blog for a while (like a year and a half now), I think this may be my first post. I have been practicing the mustachian lifestyle for that long as well. But I have this ache or issue that I would like fellow mustachians who have already dealt with it to help me with. I think retiring early and living out your dreams is an awesome goal but what if you wan't more than that. Since being a child I have always had the ambition to try to be great. I want to build a hugely successful company but this lifestyle seems to be about being content and complacent which I am not because I am hungry to achieve. Has any other Mustahcian had to deal with this issue before?

Yes. 

I wanted to start at Center for the San Antonio Spurs (Coach Popovich, I'm still available if you need a middle aged guy with minimal post skills- call me!)

Everyone thinks they are going to build the next Google, or beat LeBron one on one, or find a cure for Cancer, or (insert grandiose dream here).

For most, it ain't going to happen, no matter how special they think they are.

So on the 99.999% chance that you won't build the next Facebook (if you are over 22 years of age and haven't started the company yet, it's probably not going to happen), it's good that you came here so you'll have a back up plan.

And if that isn't demotivating enough, I leave you with this :) :



teacherwithamustache

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2015, 08:41:45 AM »
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  What is the definition of success?

Do you want to build your kick ass company and never have a family?  Do you want to build your kick ass company and then die at 55 from a heart attack and then your 20 year old son sales the business for 75 percent of its value and goes on a 2 month vegas bender with the profits?

I believe the main point of this site is to show you how to take control of your life and do what you want to do with your time that FI provides.  If you are happy with your ambition of building a kick ass business then go for it.  Do what makes you happy.

There was a story that a professor told me once,  A native american indian and a retired Wall St banker were sitting at a bar:  The WSB says that now that he is retired he is going to go hunting and fishing every day and his wife can just deal with all of the BS paperwork of life.  The Indian looks at the WSB and just shakes his head and laughs.  The WSB asks what is funny and  says "white people are crazy".  "You come to this land and you see that the Indian males hunt and fish all day and the women do all of the real work.  You look at our way of life and think you could improve that"?





Iron Mike Sharpe

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2015, 10:33:50 AM »
So, I have been on this blog for a while (like a year and a half now), I think this may be my first post. I have been practicing the mustachian lifestyle for that long as well. But I have this ache or issue that I would like fellow mustachians who have already dealt with it to help me with. I think retiring early and living out your dreams is an awesome goal but what if you wan't more than that. Since being a child I have always had the ambition to try to be great. I want to build a hugely successful company but this lifestyle seems to be about being content and complacent which I am not because I am hungry to achieve. Has any other Mustahcian had to deal with this issue before?

I think you have misinterpreted what this site is about. Please re-read the blog from the beginning.

Retired To Win

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #5 on: March 31, 2015, 06:36:38 PM »
... But I have this ache or issue that I would like fellow mustachians who have already dealt with it to help me with. I think retiring early and living out your dreams is an awesome goal but what if you wan't more than that. Since being a child I have always had the ambition to try to be great. I want to build a hugely successful company but this lifestyle seems to be about being content and complacent which I am not because I am hungry to achieve. Has any other Mustachian had to deal with this issue before?

I don't see a problem.  If striving for "greatness" is a value to you that trumps earlier retirement, there's nothing wrong with that.  If that striving is what is going to get you up in the morning full of fire and raring to go... go for it.

And good luck.

arebelspy

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2015, 08:27:08 PM »
So, I have been on this blog for a while (like a year and a half now), I think this may be my first post. I have been practicing the mustachian lifestyle for that long as well. But I have this ache or issue that I would like fellow mustachians who have already dealt with it to help me with. I think retiring early and living out your dreams is an awesome goal but what if you wan't more than that. Since being a child I have always had the ambition to try to be great. I want to build a hugely successful company but this lifestyle seems to be about being content and complacent which I am not because I am hungry to achieve. Has any other Mustahcian had to deal with this issue before?

I think you have misinterpreted what this site is about. Please re-read the blog from the beginning.

+1.  Mustachianism and badassity doesn't mean retiring and doing nothing.  At all.

It gives you the freedom to do great things, rather than locking you into purposeless work for someone else.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

Ricky

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2015, 08:59:08 PM »
I get what he's saying about complacency. Many here have their FIRE plans set and are just counting down the days, rather than focusing more on self fulfillment.

My take on the blog is that the goal is FU money through efficiency and frugal behavior. Retirement is NOT the goal, even though it is interpreted that way by many here.
« Last Edit: March 31, 2015, 09:03:55 PM by Ricky »

expatartist

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2015, 09:41:18 PM »
OP, think I understand where you're coming from. It takes time to define what Achievement means to us - it means something different to everyone, and changes over time. Often achievers find that, sometime in midlife, their definitions of success were hubristic and they look inward and seek to redefine what success means to them. Though I've never craved greatness with a capital G, I always wanted to live an extra-ordinary life. To me, for many years, that involved taking financial and career risks to work on independent creative/philanthropic projects, and live where I wanted to. None of this involved working a 9-5 job at an office, saving a percentage of income, etc. At the time, I believed a low-risk life = mediocrity.

The careers or lifestyles most conducive to FIRE can seem stale compared to other, more adventurous options...10-15 years of working in the same job, or the same city, with the same commute. Posters here tend to disparage risk-taking by the young, in favor of looking at the long-term benefits of compound interest. A waiting until FI attitude for life to begin which can be unfortunate (but those with kids have responsibilities larger than their personal desires). After 'finding' MMM a couple of years ago, I eventually decided to commit full-time to an arts job which ticked a number of boxes, and got serious about building my stache and investments. This stability has been good for other areas of my life as well.

We want different things at different stages of life. You sound like perhaps you're in your 20s/early 30s, so would need to save less to have that retirement cushion than the geezers (like me) in their 40s+. You could save a smallish stash, lock it away in low-fee, tax-deferred investments for 20+ years, save another stash to start your businesses, and take things from there. Entrepreneurialism is by nature fraught with risk. Perhaps you have the right personality to become an entrepreneur, or perhaps something else. We never know how successful we can be till we try. You might sell those businesses for millions and/or change the world. But, if not, someday you'd still have that stache.
« Last Edit: April 01, 2015, 01:23:47 AM by expatartist »

Otsog

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2015, 12:47:38 AM »
I've started to wonder if those who reach the tops of their fields are able to actually enjoy it.  The competitive personality required to achieve those heights would never allow you to not work insane hours or be totally obsessive. I saw a piece 60 Minutes did on Nick Saban (college football coach) and his quest for perfection. It just made me think that if my ambition made me give up everything in life except football (or w/e) I would be absolutely miserable, it wouldn't matter how much I loved football (or w/e).

The ones who seem to be the most content and tops of their fields are more Science/Philosophical types like Richard Feynman.  But I guess their ambition is usually geared towards curiosity rather than greatness.

Retired To Win

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #10 on: April 01, 2015, 06:59:30 AM »
I've started to wonder if those who reach the tops of their fields are able to actually enjoy it.  The competitive personality required to achieve those heights would never allow you to not work insane hours or be totally obsessive...

Although I did not by any means reach the top of my field, the bolded text pretty much described me back then.  Thank goodness I had a major philosophy shift.  I'm much happier now.  (Although I am working on being a little less obsessive about my -- supposed to be a hobby --blog.  :O  )

REfinAnon

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #11 on: April 01, 2015, 07:55:07 AM »
I think this is a really good question. As a young person in a demanding career path (private equity) I've found that thinking so much about retirement has made it way harder to put up with the demands of today. Has anybody else experienced this? I can't tell how much of this is due to mustachianism and how much is due to me just hating my job - but I'm really struggling emotionally - yet still a believer in mustachian concepts.

forummm

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TonyPlush

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #13 on: April 01, 2015, 10:34:23 AM »
I also struggle with this. My ambition to be "rich and successful" in the mainstream's eyes (big promotions, high salaries, starting a company, etc.) is more about "beating the game" than any actual want of the money. It's a goal that many strive for, and achieving it would feel satisfying. But then I consider there are always trade offs. The successful, ambitious people in the mainstream's eyes almost always have deficiencies in other areas, whether that be neglecting family life or not having any time to actually enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Another important point that helps to think about... retiring in your 40s, or earlier, is an extraordinary feat in and of itself. In fact, it's something most of the world's most "successful" people never attain.

Coonz

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #14 on: April 01, 2015, 10:50:41 AM »
I don't think being a mustachian means being complacent or giving up on ambitions. I have interpreted it the opposite way. I find it empowering- we have control of our lives and do not have to be tied to an unfulfilling job for 60+ years. If we put in the work and planning, we get to live out our dreams and goals! Financial independence, retiring early, living below your means (and your peers), quitting a job that makes you miserable because you can afford to... those are very ambitious undertakings! Complacent people would continue to follow the norm.

As for your specific ambitions, what is the problem? Do you feel like your dreams interfere with the ideas on this blog? How could you want more than living out your dreams? If you feel that way, you need to change your dreams! As for starting a business- perhaps your budget will include all of this wisdom on how to reduce expenses so you can save up a cushion for supporting yourself while you try a new business venture. Many people dream of starting their own business but the biggest them stopping them is that they can't afford to quit their day job. With the power of the stache, YOU can afford to quit your day job.

Why does saving more money make you less likely to be great? Does spending more money make you a better person? More likely to be famous? Why do you think that? Do you want to be famous for doing one great thing? Or do you want to be recognized for living a life of endless great deeds/accomplishments? Start doing great little things now and perhaps a great big thing will come along your path.

If you are somebody who likes the feeling of achievement, working in a project-based field may help you feel that accomplishment. You have a task, you work hard, there is a culmination, people celebrate, and then you get to move on to a different project. Perhaps you can volunteer to help build houses or put in a few hours at an event- very easy to see the achievement there.

Dicey

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #15 on: April 01, 2015, 11:05:35 AM »
No.

southern granny

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #16 on: April 01, 2015, 08:42:13 PM »
If that is your dream, then go for it.  If you can achieve it, then a lot of future employees will benefit greatly.  I think this site is about being able to do what makes you happy.  For someone else that might be surfing or hiking.  All I want is to take a few trips a year, have enough money in the bank to cover emergencies, and spend my afternoons sitting in the back yard swing with my dog and a good book. 

CoreyTheMan

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #17 on: April 02, 2015, 08:59:11 AM »
I would like to thank everyone that took the time to give me honest and constructive criticism. I noticed a couple responses sounded a little on the harsher side and I apologize if I came off offensive with my question. I always had the need to become really good at something and I am willing to work for that but I also believe that not every really successful person got there by ruining their relationship with their family and friends and ruin their health. I think there is a good balance and am not willing to give up my desire to achieve something great. FYI, I am 25 and do not have a wife and kids or even a gf and I do make great money and am healthy and have a great relationship with my family.

wordnerd

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #18 on: April 02, 2015, 05:45:39 PM »
If removing your need for a paycheck eliminates your desire to be great at something, that thing probably wasn't your passion. Our culture and educational system are set up to encourage us to strive for the next external "achievement"--grades, degree, job, promotion. Switching your mindset to following your internal motivation (which will still be there, probably more so, in FI) is difficult because it goes against our cultural notion of success.

My point is this--go through the painful work of figuring out what your true ambitions are, and FI will only help you meet them.

RapmasterD

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Re: What about Ambitions?
« Reply #19 on: April 02, 2015, 06:31:09 PM »
SUMMARY: "Great" is a very subjective and abstract term. It means something quite different depending on the source.

PROOF POINT: In my eyes, Mother Teresa was great. She dedicated her life to helping others.

AND OF COURSE...SOME SNARK: However, I don't think she was a big money maker. Case in point, I don't recall seeing her on the Forbes 400 back in the day. Perhaps I missed it.

CALL TO ACTION: Define what "great" means to you. We'd love it if you'd share it with us.