Assuming you are someone who interacts with the real world, you would have seen news articles that start with "XYZ company lays off..." or "US inflation hits a record high..." over the past few months.

Relying solely on one employer for your security and future can be, at best, naively risky and, at worst, suicidal. One wrong move and you'll be potentially unemployed for life.

A career alone won't make you wealthy, which is why starting a side hustle while working a career should be your #1 priority.

If you're still reading this, I'll assume that money is your top priority at this stage of your life, especially if you are under 30. If money isn't important to you, that's fine too.

Firstly, you should secure a job at a well-known company (think Big 4, FAANG, MBB, IBD, Fortune 500). This will ensure your resume is robust. Then, you should start a side hustle the very next day. I'm serious about this.

Inflation's through the roof, rents are sky-high, food costs are going nuts, and hell, even burying someone in the ground costs more now.

Your pension fund isn't safe, your job isn't safe and your dollar is being abused.

You thought you could get ahead by saving $5 in coffees and splitting the bill with a date. NO. It won't even move the needle.

Your job is going to be gone soon, made irrelevant as A.I. continues to develop and your company struggles to out-compete inflation.

Your company is either going to fire you or go bankrupt in the next 3 to 4 years. The pension fund you've been paying into is not safe at all. Your index fund portfolio is not going to beat inflation. If your portfolio grows by 10% every year and inflation is at 11% every year, YOU ARE LOSING MONEY!

You can't afford a house. Hell, you can't even afford rent.

A low 6 figure salary is not enough to lead an average life, even as a single male. If you are married with kids, it is a nightmare. Rent, groceries, mortgage, gas will eat up into your income and you will be left with nothing at the end of the month.

This is exactly why start a side hustle. You have to truly internalize the fact that you are falling behind if you do not put in the work now.

Inflation rates are skyrocketing, everything is expensive and your salaries and bonuses are unlikely to provide you with a comfortable life even if you are in a revenue generating role (Tech Sales, IB/PE, etc.).

Even if you make $600k per annum, a significant portion of your income will go to Uncle Sam even before it comes to you.

And, you can never scale or sell your career.

Wealth is relative and investing in index funds is not enough. You can invest in index funds once you become slightly wealthy. But before that, investing in anything other than yourself and your business is financial suicide.

If you are reading this blog, it is assumed that you are in a proper "career" and not some shitty burger flipping job or a minimum wage job that every self improvement guru watching teenager perceives a 9 to 5 to be.

Read the full post here at: https://fitnessandfinancesfirst.com/2024/04/25/if-you-fail-to-act-immediately-you-will-be-left-behind-forever/