FRLN76: Anti-Depression, Burnout Breakthroughs, & Success Rocket Fuel
I was depressed this year until I picked up Pickleball.
Now I’m obsessed again, with every area of life.
That’s why today we're going to cover:
How to make fitness fun again.
How career burnout can fuel your path to financial freedom.
How to add rocket fuel to your life growth goals (so you can get there faster).
Let’s get started…
This Week’s Podcast: Jess from The Fioneers
Jess is one of the leading voices behind the Slow FI and Coast FI movements.
A more intentional approach to financial independence focused on building a better life now, not just waiting for retirement. Through her blog, coaching, and retreats with her partner Corey, they’ve helped thousands of people rethink the journey to freedom and actually enjoy the ride along the way.
So I had her on the show.
Here’s your preview…
FIT — Find Fun, Get Fit
Jess was so burnt out and exhausted from her career that she had no energy left to figure out what to do with her life.
After a 3-hour panic attack at 3am she had a complete meltdown.
So she took a leave of absence and decided to get her life figured out.
That’s when she got on the path to financial independence, and that’s when she decided to redesign her life to maximize joy along the way. And it’s this exact mindset that not only informs her unique brand of financial independence, but every single area of her life.
That’s why she decided not to force herself into doing work that she hated.
Instead, she and her partner travel the country in a van, exploring epic trails and mountain passes through jaw-dropping landscapes. Because for them, fitness is freedom.
“The journey to financial independence should be as remarkable as the destination.”
And too many people neglect their health in pursuit of their financial goals.
Here’s My Take:
2 months ago, I was completely unmotivated with my fitness routines.
Bored with lifting. Bored with stepping. Bored with squatting.
Maybe you can relate?
I’m a fitness coach. But all of a sudden, fitness felt like a total chore. That’s when I discovered pickleball. And honestly, I didn’t realize this before, but I haven’t played any competitive sports since I was in high school. And it re-awakened something primal inside me that’s been missing ever since.
Now I’m obsessed.
When I play, I play 3+ hours a day and burn over 1,500 calories without even thinking about it because I’m immersed in it. And it’s reignited my strength training, too. My goal is to become a jacked, unstoppable pickleball rockstar.
I forgot how much I loved competing.
And now I feel reborn!
Your move?
Keep trying new activities until one lights you up.
The joy is worth chasing.
RICH — Know Where You’re At, Or Stay Stuck
Jess’s money advice was spot on:
Most people stay stuck because they never stack enough cash to say “F-You” to bad situations, and “Heck Yeah!” to good ones. And the reason they never stack enough cash, is because they don’t know how much they spend.
And they don't know how much they need to live the life they want.
“Know where you’re at. Know what you want. Know what you need to cover your lifestyle costs. And that will give you a tremendous amount of lifestyle freedom.”
Here’s My Take:
Think of it like a GPS.
Like your Google Maps, or your Apple Maps. If you’re like me, you use it all the time, but as a result, you kind of take it for granted. It’s easy to forget that the only way this works is if your GPS knows two things:
Where you’re at currently.
Where you’re trying to go.
And then there’s a third benefit that helps you get there faster is if it’s updated in real-time to reflect traffic patterns or correct your course.
But the bottom line is:
If you don’t know where you’re at... you'll stay stuck.
If you don’t know where you’re going… you'll never get there.
You'll be wandering aimlessly.
And trust me, I know people who make $250,000 a year or more, and they live paycheck-to-paycheck. They’re chained to their high-stress jobs and their high-cost lifestyles, and it’s all because they never take the time to sit down and look at their numbers.
Track your income, track your expenses, and track your investments.
It’ll change everything for you.
(It did for me...)
LIFE — Have The Courage To Create Your New Normal
Which brings me to one of the most powerful things Jess said:
“If you want to do cool things in life, find a community where the thing you want is just normal.”
If the people around you think it’s crazy to want time freedom, to prioritize health, or to invest your money… guess what?
You’ll think it’s crazy too.
But if you surround yourself with other people who think it’s normal? People who support your mission in life? People who are excited for you to find freedom?
Then it’s impossible to give up on your dreams.
Here’s My Take:
When I first discovered financial independence, I created a local meetup group in my community.
At our peak, we had 35–45+ people show up every month.
Some were already Early-Retired Millionaires or Work-Optional. Others were just getting started. But we were all on the path together. All giving each other accountability, perspective, and support.
It’s what helped me stay the course when things got hard.
And it’s what helped me make the most of it along my entire journey to financial freedom.
Honestly, it’s the biggest reason I can think of that I was able to invest enough money to become completely work-optional in less than 3 years. I think the average person can do it in 10. But anyone who’s willing to change their “normal” can do it in less.
Bottom line:
If you want to go farther, faster — go together.
Community is your Rocket Fuel.
ACTION — One Upgrade, One Click, One Question
All that said, here are 3 ideas to build your Fit Rich Life this week, pick one that works for you:
Try one new fitness activity that might be fun for you (yes, I recommend pickleball).
Start tracking your money and investing with a free tool or app.
Find a community online or IRL to support your next big goal in life.
And if you want to hear how Jess redefined the journey to financial independence (and how you can too) — listen to this week’s episode of the Fit Rich Life Podcast.
Listen on:
🎧 Spotify | 🍎 Apple | ▶️ YouTube | 🌐 Web
To your health, wealth, and happiness,
— Justin David Carl
PS — My Investing Mastery: Your Path to Millionaire Course is dropping soon.
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