FRLN85: Avoid Fitness Setbacks, Real Money Freedom, The Only Path To Happiness
Some people build businesses and bank accounts…
But they sacrifice their health, freedom, and happiness to do it.
Not Heythem Naji.
At 27, he’s built a life that’s healthy, profitable, and free — all while keeping his values front and center.
In this issue, we talk about:
The habits that transformed his health
Why chasing money first can wreck your life
How presence, not productivity, is the real secret to happiness
Let’s get started…
FIT — Avoid Huge Setbacks
Heythem’s fitness tips are simple but powerful:
“Track your food and get a mentor.”
For him, pairing food tracking with a mentor completely changed his health.
A mentor brought accountability, fresh eyes, and solutions for problems he couldn’t solve alone. Food tracking kept him honest. Both prevent small bad habits from snowballing into big setbacks.
Here’s My Take:
I tracked my food every single day for 10 years straight.
Not because I’m obsessive, or that I think everybody needs that. But because my relationship to food was a big part of my healing journey. And my goal was important enough to make sure I didn’t mess this up.
Because before I tracked my food?
I'd eat great for 6 days straight, then unknowingly consume 7,000 calories on a cheat day and destroy all my progress for the week.
Tracking my food forced me to slow down for 1–2 minutes before meals and be intentional about what I was putting in my body. That’s how I went from “kinda fit, kinda fat” to a six-pack at 33… and have stayed lean for a decade.
Now, I eat intuitively — but I had to earn that freedom.
That said, I’ve also got one rule I live by:
If I’m stuck on a goal for more than 3 months, I get a mentor. Why? Because humans are meant to grow together, and struggling in isolation is optional.
So if you’re not already, track what you eat for the next 30 days.
You’ll learn more about your habits than you think.
RICH — The Real Secret To Money Freedom
When Heythem chased money, he burned out.
He got depressed, lost track of his purpose, and no one wanted to be around him (his words, not mine).
So he decided to flip the script:
He decided to make money doing work he loved. Which led to more freedom, more energy, and ironically… more money.
“Freedom looks different for everyone — but don’t just do something because it makes good money.”
Here’s My Take:
When I was working in investment banking, I thought, “there’s got to be a better way…”
Ever since, I’ve focused on work that I find fun and interesting.
Even when I worked in the Hollywood nightclub scene, I was having fun, even though I’d never go back. And when I transitioned to enterprise B2B sales for a Silicon Valley startup, I had more fun than I could have imagined.
It was my “fun first” mindset that made me one of the top salespeople at the company.
And as a result, I worked 4 hours a day, 4 days a week, 80–90% of the year…
For almost a decade.
Today, my money works for me. I can write this while sitting at a pickleball court in Grand Junction (Colorado), the day after an epic hike in Zion with my wife.
Fun fuels freedom. Freedom fuels true wealth.
If you’re only optimizing for money, you’re building a cage.
If you optimize for freedom, you’re building a life.
LIFE — The Only Way To Appreciate It
If you know anything about Heythem, his happiness secret won’t surprise you, it's…
"Be more present."
Some days, he realized he’d spent zero minutes with himself.
No quiet. No stillness. Just a blur of work, social media, podcasts, and noise.
Now, he takes intentional time to be with himself — walking without his phone, sitting quietly, or simply being bored.
Paired with faith that life knows what it’s doing, this has brought him deeper happiness.
Here’s My Take:
I’ve started every morning with at least 20 minutes of meditation since 2014.
That’s my guaranteed time to be with myself before the world starts pulling at my strings.
These days, I mix in walking meditations, hikes, and spiritual practices that keep me grounded and grateful.
It’s in those moments of presence that I appreciate life most.
When I get to connect with who I am and who I’m becoming.
In a world that worships speed and stimulation, presence is a rebellion.
It’s also the only way to appreciate your life as it is happening.
Right here, right now.
ACTION — Build Your Fit Rich Life
Pick one and build your Fit Rich Life:
Track your food — for the next 30 days, I used MyFitnessPal (free).
Audit your income streams — are they giving you freedom, or just money?
Schedule 20 minutes a day — no phone, no noise, no distractions, just you. Sit in silence or take a walk without your smartphone.
And if you want the full conversation with Heythem — including his journey, lessons from visiting 40 countries, and how he’s building an online business that supports his freedom — listen to this week’s Fit Rich Life Podcast.
🎧 Spotify | 🍎 Apple | ▶️ YouTube | 🌐 Web
To your health, wealth, and happiness,
— Justin David Carl