FRLN110: The Secret To Getting Ahead, The Money & Wealth Skill, Exponential Growth

Yesterday I did something simple — but important.

I played in my first official DUPR-rated event.

If you’re not familiar, DUPR is the official skill-level rating system in pickleball.

It’s how players are ranked, matched, and tracked over time — based on real competition, not vibes or self-assessment.

No big moment.
No breakthrough performance.
Just reps, structure, and process.

And what stood out most wasn’t the rating.

It was the power of finally starting — and knowing I’ll keep showing up.

Because real progress doesn’t come from one great day.

It comes from starting… and not stopping.

That’s the lens for this week’s Fit Rich Life Newsletter.

Let's dive in.

FIT — The Secret To Long-Term Results

Two steps forward, one step back is still forward.

I tweaked my back 1.5 weeks ago. Had to go to the chiropractor.

6-months ago I did the same thing and stayed injured for weeks because I didn’t slow down. I pushed through. I ignored the signals.

This time, I responded differently.

I took two days off.
Went back to the PT exercises I knew worked.
Respected the process.

My back is now 98% better.

That’s progress.

Not because I avoided a setback — but because I handled it better.

And because I slowed down, I was able to get healed up enough to compete in my first DUPR-rated event and get an official DUPR.

Could it have been higher? Sure.
Could it have been worse? Absolutely.

But the real win wasn’t the number.

It was showing up.

It was learning the system.
Understanding the format.
Getting myself on the track.

It's gonna be a long road to a 5.0 DUPR (semi-pro level).

But here’s something I know about myself:

I’m a train.

I’m slow to start.
Then I pick up speed.
Then momentum takes over.

Once I’m moving, it gets harder and harder to stop me.

That’s when my discipline and obsessive focus kick in.

I don’t quit.

I gnaw on the bone until it cracks.

I don’t care how long it takes or how many mistakes I have to make to learn, grow, and get better.

Two steps forward and one step back is still forward — especially if you stay on the tracks.

RICH — Money & Wealth Are Skills You Can Build

I grew up poor.

My parents went bankrupt.
Money was always stressful growing up.
And that pattern followed me into adulthood.

For a while, I played the “looking rich” game.

Nice condo.
Range Rover.
Eating out constantly.

Behind the scenes?

$80K in debt and six years behind on my taxes in my early 30s.

That was my wake-up call.

I didn’t want to struggle with money forever.
I didn’t want to repeat the same patterns.

So I did something unglamorous but life-changing:

I decided that early financial independence was my number one goal.

I reoriented my whole life around that goal.

Made some drastic life changes along with...

Thousands of hours learning about money, personal finance, investing, and wealth — while upgrading my habits and mindset.

Today at 43, I’m a financially independent work-optional multi-millionaire, and I help support my parents financially.

Here’s what matters for you:

Even if you grew up poor, you don’t have to stay poor.

Even if your money is a total dumpster fire right now...

It doesn’t have to stay that way.

But if you want your money situation to change, you have to change.

That means better habits.
Better thinking.

And consistent effort in learning how to make, manage, and grow money.

This will include shifting the way you live and taking action on what you learn about money & wealth for a number of years.

It’s not easy.
But it is simple.

Start.
Stick with it.
Let it compound.

And you'll be f****cking amazed just how far you come in a few years.

LIFE — Consistency Compounds (Then It Accelerates)

Almost everything meaningful in life compounds with consistency.

The problem is that we think linearly.

Effort in → results out.

But compounding doesn’t work that way.

On June 8, 2024, I committed to posting every single day on Threads.

No breaks.
No missed days.
Just reps.

I started with 1,800 followers.

As of this morning — 20 months later — I’m at 59,000.

Here’s the wild part:

At the end of December 2025, I was stuck around 20K followers and had been for 3–4 months.

Nothing seemed to be working.

But I didn’t stop.
I kept refining.
I kept putting in good reps.

Then I gained 39,000 followers in a little over a month.

That’s compounding finally turning exponential.

This is how it works with:

• Investing & Wealth

• Fitness & Health

• Business

• Ect.

The longer you stay consistent — while improving the quality of your reps — the faster it grows.

The key isn’t intensity.

It’s starting… and not stopping.

ACTION — Get On The Train (and stay on it)

Pick one and implement it this week:

• FIT — Get on the train.​
Choose one strength training movement, drill, or rehab exercise you know moves you forward and do it 2–3 times this week. Start slow. Stay consistent. Momentum comes after continuous motion.

• RICH — Stay on the train.​
Set up or reinforce one automatic money habit — investing, saving, or debt payoff. The goal isn’t a perfect decision; it’s staying in motion long enough for compounding to take over.

• LIFE — Don’t jump off.​
Identify one habit, relationship practice, or daily ritual you’ve been inconsistent with and recommit — imperfectly. Miss a day if you must, but don’t quit. Get back on the train.

The biggest breakthroughs don’t come from intensity.
They come from consistency.

Get on the train.
Stay on the train.
Let time and consistency do the heavy lifting.

Here’s to building your Fit Rich Life through patience, persistence, and unstoppable momentum.

To your health, wealth, and happiness,
— Justin David Carl