How Knowing The Difference Between Goals And Objectives Can Make Life Much Easier
"At that point, we can literally do whatever the semi-retired f*** we want."
In yesterday’s story on the difference between persistence and stupidity, I said I had two follow-ups planned:
One, a bit more theoretical around the idea of patience and trusting the process.
Another, more concrete on doing ambitious things with work and money for a few years versus considerably more challenging, maybe impossible periods of time.
As it turns out, I think it makes more sense to combine the two. So that’s what we will do today. We merge why I have difficulty around patience and trusting the process with concrete ways I deal with that—let’s face it—issue with my personality. We’ll end the post with another restaurant recommendation from Spain, as I look ahead to February.
But first …
Thanks to everyone signing up with or upgrading to founding memberships.
This doesn’t come up much, but it probably should—
If Substack ever goes under, don’t worry! I routinely export my subscriber list to a Google Sheet. So I have all of the information I need to keep this newsletter going. I expect Substack to be around forever—they’re doing all the right things—but you never know.
I know it sounds like a joke, but I’m serious. I plan on writing this newsletter until the day—or day before—I die. In two years tops, I aim to write from a terrace in Valencia, Spain.
As I say in some of the headers and footers to the email versions of these posts: My goal here is to build a community of diverse, yet likeminded individuals on distinct journeys, sharing informative, inspiring and exciting experiences.
I believe you do this by consistently telling a story—over time—focused around a handful of core themes. You can best do this with a relatively small, but solid group of paid subscribers (like we have), rather than thousands of disengaged free subscribers.
I love the Bruce Springsteen quote about great rock bands:
The narrative you tell together is bigger than any one you could have told on your own.
Your support helps drive my journey. Your journeys—as you wish to share details—help inform mine. I do everything I can to ensure this is a two-way street.
The founding membership provides me with more support up front. It gives you a way better deal in the long run. If I live to 100, a $100 founding membership works out just $1.92 per year. Consider how long you think I’ll actually live and do the math! And the reality is I will always have free subscribers upgrading to and existing subscribers on monthly and yearly memberships to help sustain a revenue base for the duration. However long that might be.
Take all of this together and I’m saying I’d rather have you pay now and be here comped forever over reassessing the $50 (or whatever) you’re paying every year in 3, 5 or 10 years and deciding it’s too much. That’s no way to build a community. I prefer this approach to “flash sales” and “discounts” that go on for far too long. I’ve been there, done that. And I don’t like it. Sales will be rare and I’m increasing prices at the end of the year.
This newsletter—and me and my partner’s ambition to move to Spain—has lit a fire under me. And, as I’ll explain, helped make me a more patient person.
Maybe you’ll be able to relate.