FRLN108: Deliberate Practice, Tax-Free Millionaire, Choosing Your Family
Yesterday I got to do something pretty magical.
My wife and I joined one of my mentors and his wife for a Qi Gong and Tai Chi experience with horses — outdoors, slow, grounded, and deeply intentional.
This was my wife's idea, of course (she's magical AF like that).
Chinese New Year is right around the corner, and we’re stepping into the Year of the Horse in February. My wife is half Chinese, and I’ve always felt a real connection to that lineage and energy. So the timing felt meaningful.
What stood out most wasn’t anything flashy.
It was the pace.
I live much of my life with speed, power, intensity, and forward momentum. Qi Gong and Tai Chi are the opposite — slow, subtle, and focused on moving energy with intention.
And that contrast felt like the lesson.
One of my lifelong themes has been balance:
Speed vs. slowness
Power vs. softness
Activity vs. rest
Watching how the horses responded to the participants — mirroring calm, tension, presence, or distraction — was humbling and fascinating. It was a reminder that energy matters, even when nothing looks like it’s happening.
That experience is what I’m carrying into this week’s Fit Rich Life lessons.
FIT — Deliberate Practice Will Change Your Life
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about deliberate practice.
Not just movement — but skill-building with intention.
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been drilling pickleball 2–4 times per week. Not just playing games, but practicing specific shots and techniques on purpose.
The improvement has been wild.
And it reminded me how powerful deliberate practice really is.
Strength training is a perfect example.
Most programs involve:
2–4 sets
8–15 reps
Repeating the same movement over and over
That repetition isn’t accidental. It’s deliberate practice.
And over time, it literally reshapes your body.
You can build biceps, pecs, legs — almost any muscle — by consistently practicing the same movement patterns with intention.
This idea extends far beyond fitness.
Weekly or monthly investing is deliberate practice for wealth
Working on communication in your marriage is deliberate practice for your relationship
Therapy, coaching, reading, or hard conversations are all forms of practice
If you want to level up:
A sport
Your body
Your finances
Your relationships
Ask yourself:
Where am I practicing deliberately each week?
Consistency + intention = transformation.
RICH — Become a Tax-Free Millionaire
It’s the first month of 2026, which makes this a perfect time to talk about the Roth IRA.
A Roth IRA is a tax-advantaged investment account where:
You contribute post-tax money
Your investments grow tax-free
Withdrawals in retirement are tax-free
That last part is huge.
If you max out a Roth IRA for 30 years, you can become a tax-free millionaire.
Here’s a simple example:
Invest $7,000 per year into a Roth IRA
Do it consistently for 30 years
Assume a 10% average return
This will grow to $1,150,800
That’s $210,000 ($7k/yr) in contributions you worked for.
$940,800 is from investment gains that are 100% TAX-FREE GROWTH that took ZERO WORK.
→ Compounding & time did all the heavy lifting for you.
A few key reminders:
You have until April 15, 2026, to max out your 2025 Roth IRA
The 2025 contribution limit is $7,000 (for each spouse if married)
2026 limit is $7,500 & you have until April 15, 2027, to max it out
If you’re 50+, you’re allowed even higher contributions
There are income limits — but you can still contribute legally using a Backdoor Roth (even if you're over the income limit)
The Backdoor Roth is NOT a loophole in a sketchy sense — it’s fully legal and easy to do with most brokerages.
A quick internet search of "your brokerage + backdoor Roth" and you can find instructions on how to do it.
Bottom line:
If you consistently max out your Roth IRA, you’re building wealth that grows tax-free for the rest of your life.
That’s hard to beat.
IMPORTANT: Friendly reminder that a Roth IRA is a tax-advantaged account (like a special bucket for your money). Any money you add to the Roth IRA must be invested. Do NOT let it sit in cash.
LIFE — Your Spirit Chose Your Parents (and Siblings)
This one might be controversial.
The belief is simple:
Your soul or spirit chose your parents — and your siblings — to learn specific lessons in this lifetime.
And what is a belief?
Just a thought or idea you have over and over again until you believe it to be true for you.
Why would anyone choose that belief?
Because it gives you agency.
Instead of:
“Why are my parents like this?”
“Why is this happening to me?”
“Poor me. It sucks to be a part of this family.”
It shifts the question to:
“What am I meant to learn here?”
“How can I use this to heal, grow, and transform?”
“How can I show up powerfully for myself and for my family?”
And doing all of this while holding healthy boundaries AND giving myself permission to be happy, healthy, thriving, and absolutely loving my life (while family members are struggling).
Being happy, healthy, vibrant, & loving my life shows my family what's possible AND allows me to show up in an even bigger way.
That shift changes everything.
Victimhood gives away power.
Agency returns it.
I’ve been sitting with this idea a lot lately as I’ve navigated some real challenges with family members. And while it hasn’t been easy, it’s been incredibly clarifying.
This belief helps me:
Use friction as fuel for growth
See family members as teachers
Stay grounded instead of resentful
Choose curiosity over bitterness or stress
You don’t have to believe this.
But for me, it’s a framework that empowers growth instead of resistance.
When I embrace it, I show up as a better family member — and a more conscious human.
And that feels like a win.
ACTION — Create Your Momentum
Pick one and implement it this week:
FIT — Practice with intention.
Choose one movement, skill, or drill and practice it deliberately 2–3 times this week. Slow it down. Get specific. Progress doesn’t come from more effort — it comes from better reps.RICH — Fund your future self.
Check whether your 2025 Roth IRA is maxed. If not, schedule the contribution. If it is, set up your 2026 Roth IRA contributions now. Simple, boring actions compound into extraordinary outcomes.LIFE — Reclaim your agency.
Reflect on one relationship that’s been challenging lately. Ask: What is this here to teach me? Choose curiosity over resistance — and notice how your power shifts when you do.
Consciously creating powerful momentum is how you're going to make 2026 your best year yet.
Here’s to building your Fit Rich Life through deliberate practice, long-term thinking, and conscious perspective.
To your health, wealth, and happiness,
— Justin David Carl
P.S. If you want more fuel for your fitness, money, and life, be sure to check out the Fit Rich Life newsletter archive and podcast.