/thread honestly

This thread really makes me think about how hard it is to see the world through someone else's eyes. I think I, and most of the rest of the people in this thread, are still really searching for financial fulfillment. Some people are already there, and they probably shouldn't be asking the people still very much on the climb for advice.

This is like what Tim Ferris would have done.

OP, that actually might be a great starting place. Take a couple weeks / months and read all of Tim Ferris' books. I like them a lot.

great advice if that can be obtained without spending $195k in the 2-year span. da ****?

lol p2 dog, lol...kaby's advice is basically:

"You have a million, live like you have $6 million bro, don't work, life will be great!!!!"

Not that I disagree. Only reason I didn't say the same is because he didn't seem interested in those more fun things, like travel.

TS: "You don't have to rush head first into making an already great financial situation even better." =/= don't make any money ever again, obviously ;-)

(1.05mil = 75k/year btw. 150k should be plenty to fund two years with a lot of everything. ofc, do it cheaper if you can, but i was making the point that even with a lavish 75k/year you're still in a great spot at 31)

If we're recommending things, I like https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/ for an alternative vision of what life can be like

OP says he's moving in with gf. One suggestion is to make sure you don't make whatever you choose to do too time consuming. Or maybe not time consuming enough. If you care about your relationship, keep that balance in mind.

I wouldn't stop playing poker entirely either. Poker is an awesome side income. You're obv not gonna grind anymore, but you can still find good cash games locally for short sessions here and there or you can just play solely tournaments when free time allows.

One last possible idea. There is a thread on here, an AMA, about a real estate investor who had great success with basically just him and his wife. There's some good info in it and OP has a website worth checking out. Sitting on $1.2 mil, real estate is a nice way to diversify and generate income full time for the future simultaneously.

Found the AMA

OP:

Listen to kaby.

I also did the traveling and just generally taking time off myself. I made a conscious effort to try different things. Quite honestly, when I started I didn't really have a solid goal other than a vague sense of "I really don't want to do this (poker/trading) for rest of my life."

But I did learn, like kaby, life is a bit easier, at least for me, when there is SOME (not too much) structures imposed. It takes a lot of the decision making out of my life and allows me to focus on solving problems that I like to solve, such as trading algos, law school exams, and now tax structures.

I still think going back to school (including the additional law school) was the best thing for ME. And I think it's something you should seriously consider.

Man, I feel old. This thread sure brings back memories.

word, I did fudge the math. I thought we were spending 195k but that is still a lot of spending.

OP, seeing you have a girlfriend, if you anticipate children, save even more than you would think. Every time you eat dinner, there are more mouths to feed, there will be more people that need to shower, there will be more things getting broke, more clothes, more space needed, MOAR!

For someone who is somewhat in your boat(me), mostly because I second the notion that was stated, no one wants to show up at the casino at 40 grinding to make a living, here are some things I have been trying to be more mindful about: less sugar and carbs, more muscle, more writing, less processed food as a whole, investing in assets(real estate(buy and hold while renting it out)), becoming a better listener, being less of a procrastinator(do, don't think about doing), becoming a better maintenance man, less instant gratification(food often times, it's all it is, collectively, we want that small reward, just that little gratification), more podcasts and attentive listening during them, more in the moment, more patience with my kids and activities in general, more courage, more awareness, more love

I think if I focus on this stuff the money will mostly follow, at least enough of it to keep me plenty above my needs. Cut down on your needs, less is more, less instant gratification. I could have bought 1/10th of the clothes I have in my life and I would be most likely happier. Now, I can never go back to this nor can I experience or know how I would feel if I had only bought 1/10th of them, but lord knows I would have a lot more money and I would not have missed 9 out of 10 of them. In short, it just comes down to being alert about where your dollars are going. It's like someone pointed out, with 1.2 million at 29 and only a girlfriend, damn, that's more than enough to put to work and be thinking retirement. But retirement is nothing, retirement is for the brokes, really. the guys who are stuck in the 9 to 5 and hating it, thinking about that light at the end of the tunnel. the guys who enjoy life and what they are doing don't really think about quitting or feel like a slave at all. that's what you seem to be seeking and we all are. you and I have experienced it and still do, I assume, with poker. the freedom, the passion, and fun of the game that led you to have the 1.2 million you are sitting on, all the while it probably felt effortless, it's really how everything should feel.

There are a million alternative ways to make money. Do not think for once you have to go do some drastic and elaborate leaps to find it, find that niche perse. I'm not sure what my point is, sometimes I forget to keep that in mind. But what I am really saying is, focus on the most important things in life, think about what life is, it's not a job. It's like a big science project and you are trying to make the best one. It doesn't happen through a job, it happens through you. you gotta go do you and be very mindful, and then the job will do you, and it won't feel like one. I don't like jobs, I like activities, keep growing them and good things will follow.

Also, this is a forum. There are no answers here but the discussion is good. We know nothing about you or your desires, you have to find them and expand them, as do I.

I can't say I have that great of a circle of bosses but I am definitely starting to see the significance in building a team. You say you are introverted, make it a personal challenge to shake some hands or introduce yourself to strangers, ask questions.

The issue isn’t just the success stories. A lot of people have quit one job/occupation, went in search of something more meaningful and ended blowing through their entire savings in the process. Taking a vacation, even an extended one, is one thing. But sometimes people slip into the doldrums and start making really bad financial/investment decisions. It’s like hitting a bad stretch in poker: even though we know what we’re supposed to be doing, we start chasing.

Completing the degree and at least trying out a normal job is a pretty good way to limit life risk and see what the "real" world has to offer.

One of the reasons I did school/travel is because it's less risky than jumping into real estate that has the potential to chew up both a lot of cash and a lot of time.

I don’t think myself or Kaby was advocating just trying to live out your life on 1.2M. I’m saying it’s no hurry to make a ton more money and your free to pursue paths like teaching or getting a random PhD where your salary caps out at 60-90k.(Not saying these are the things you like, maybe for you it’s being a white water rafting guide or something). Making 40-60k/yr doing something you like plus having 1.2M in the bank is an amazing situation to be in.

I think we all skipped possibly the most important question that every poker player is supposed to ask themselves every street:

What are you trying to accomplish?

If you can answer that even remotely the avenues you want to take become clearer and make more sense.

Do you remember what the thread was called related to Law? Searched and couldn't find anything

It’s the law school thread in the lounge. It’s just broadly law school thread but a lot of former pro players in there.

Ah thanks, see it.

great post!!!!

I'd echo the people saying completely cut the cord from poker if you are going to do it. You can always come back to poker as a hobby/side job *after* you've established yourself in something else but getting established while continuing to try to grind poker on the side is very difficult imo.

Of course. I didn't mean to imply that going back to school was a bad idea. I think something along the lines of what you did is the best idea itt. Even if he is sure about programming, a CS degree seems the way to go.

Some great posts and advice in this thread. I really appreciate it.

I actually took about 6 months off after crypto, before returning to poker. In that time, I've taken a semester long class on cheese with a friend in BU's culinary program. I picked up Brazilian Jujitsu as a hobby, train 4 times per week and have become friends with a lot of the guys there. I love the advice on mindfulness and living a well rounded life. I try to meditate daily, using the headspace ap. And although I'm not much of a travel guy, I do take at least one (non-poker) big trip per year, Italy last year, and Paris this coming December.

I still don't really know what I'm doing "next" but a lot of good ideas and perspectives ITT. I'm planning on taking a business 101 class in the spring semester at a local community college to get my beak wet on something. I also started reading the idiots guide to house flipping. Through thinking about the careers suggested, I'm realizing that being my own boss is actually very important to me. And that leads me towards learning about running a business or real estate.

For the love of God do not get into real estate. From what I've read about your personality, it wont suit you at all. You're dealing with the lower end of the human race doing that stuff. Besides which, it's a crowded trade that doesn't scale well and involves quite a bit of risk and a whole lot of stress in a way a small business doesn't. Every Adidas sharp and his grandmother is in house flipping these days and they're way more motivated to squeeze out an edge than you'll ever be.

Real estate makes sense for someone starting without much money, looking to leverage capital - bank mortgages are one of the few ways that income rich asset poor people can gain access to leverage. It's fine for someone who doesn't mind risk and a dirty, dirty grind for the sake of reaching a comfortable middle class position by middle age. That's not you.

None of what you mentioned seems better than grinding poker tbh. Not just your last post but other ideas you had in this thread (CS degree, coding)

I mean I can understand wanting to do something new but most jobs really suck. Running a business is cool if its something you're REALLY passionate about. But expect to work a crap ton of hours in order to make it successful.

Its almost like you get your knowledge from tv shows or something.

I know a full time investors who has only 9 doors, high end, perfectly located commercial units, he rents to doctors and lawyers and has a wait lists to get into his units, he's a king at managing them. If you suck, you suck, doesn't matter what kind of business you are in, you need to be better than your competition.