"True financial freedom is not about the amount of assets, but the confidence to switch survival modes at any time."
Written by: TIGER
Almost a month has passed, and it's time to review and clarify my thoughts.
The goals of the past few years have been very clear: steady growth, aiming to jump from A8 to A9 as soon as possible.
With this clear goal, the action plan became much simpler. My previous strategy can be summarized in two points:
First, I gave up all distractions that would not help me move from A8 to A9. For example, I had discovered some small opportunities that might earn me A7 after completing certain builds, but I decisively abandoned those trivial gains.
Second, I focused on steady progress, constantly seeking positive EV (positive expected value) opportunities, and placing multiple bets to dilute the impact of luck as much as possible. For instance, throughout 2023, I invested a lot of energy into "grabbing benefits" (taking advantage of various airdrop rewards). Even if I lost some gas fees, I felt it was worth it because, at that time, it seemed like a typical "limited loss, unlimited gain" opportunity.
Everything was progressing step by step, and my assets were steadily accumulating. Until January of this year, when I experienced a significant drawdown in my account, the original plan was instantly disrupted. (I have documented the specifics in my previous articles.)
Reflection After the Drawdown
I returned to my home country, took a break, and allowed myself to clear my mind and reflect.
After returning, I found that my friends were all living vibrant lives. Whether they worked in the system or started their own businesses, whether they were financially comfortable or struggling, everyone seemed to be enjoying life, unlike me, who was frowning and feeling pessimistic. It turned out that living happily doesn't require spending a lot of money. I, however, was emotionally at rock bottom due to paper losses, suffering more than anyone else.
They helped me re-understand the saying from the "Tao Te Ching": "Wealth and honor lead to arrogance, which brings misfortune."
I gradually realized that the pain I was experiencing far exceeded the sense of achievement from making money and project success. This significant drawdown actually had no substantial impact on my daily life—life went on as usual, I ate and played as before, and my quality of life did not decline. In simple terms, this paper loss was not worth the torment I was putting myself through.
Perhaps it was because I had a smooth journey from childhood to adulthood: I was admitted to university through the Olympiad, and my subsequent entrepreneurial projects received good responses. Suddenly facing this severe blow made me start to doubt myself.
Fortunately, after a month, I emerged from the shadow and recognized a fact: whether I am working on projects or investing, the most important thing is to gain a sense of achievement. For me, the numbers in my account are not important; continuous positive feedback is the indispensable motivation.
Having realized this, my perspective on wealth has become much more indifferent. Ultimately, once wealth reaches a certain level, its contribution to improving quality of life is quite limited—at most, it means having a few more nice cars and luxury homes. My life is already free from financial worries, and I am not keen on supercars or mansions, so what is there to be conflicted about?
My biggest cognitive trap was mistaking the level of assets for a progress bar in life.
Starting Again: New Plans
After adjusting my mindset, I decided to implement "dynamic planning" and re-evaluate my next steps. Based on the current financial situation and market environment, it is urgent to find directions worth building on continuously. Specifically, I set the following new plans for myself:
Adjust the goal: I had been aiming for A9 for the past few years, but now I will be more pragmatic and change the goal to first return to the asset level before the drawdown.
With the change in goals, opportunities that I previously deemed not cost-effective can now be reconsidered. For example, avenues like SEO and traffic arbitrage, which I previously dismissed as "small money," can now be explored.
Maintain constant attention in investments, seeking ultimate arbitrage opportunities. Only by staying at the table can I seize opportunities as they arise. In other words, never leaving the game allows me to wait for my next good hand.
Continue to focus on the AI sector. I am not referring to the "AI projects" that are just concepts in the Web3 world, but rather truly delving into the AI industry itself. The world is paying attention to the AI revolution—regardless of whether I can benefit from this trend in the future, being at the forefront means I can use the latest and most powerful AI tools first, and the most advanced tools are often the strongest productivity multipliers.
Continue to deepen my involvement in the blockchain on-chain field. The public chain world is like an open "dark forest," fraught with dangers but with transparent rules. I want to hone my skills in this real battlefield to meet opportunities with true strength.
Strive to increase my cash cows. In simple terms, I want to create more products that can generate stable income streams beyond my main business.
Remember that "wealth does not enter through urgent doors." Reflecting on my previous losses, my biggest enemy was impatience; when I rushed, my actions became distorted. I have stumbled twice on this, and having one or two experiences means I cannot afford a third.
After this adjustment, I feel much lighter. The path of growth inevitably has ups and downs, but every setback is valuable nourishment, helping me clarify what I truly want. Letting go of burdens and moving forward lightly, I am ready to face the next stage of challenges—so long as I move forward steadily according to these plans, I believe that wealth and growth will come unexpectedly in the future.
"True financial freedom is not about the amount of assets, but the confidence to switch survival modes at any time."
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