Author: Route 2 FI Source: theblackswans Translated by: Shan Oba, Jinse Finance
Whether in the crypto field or in life, true success comes from integrating passion, skills, and relationships, rather than blindly dispersing energy or seeking a sense of security. Instead of being conservative, focus on the direction that makes your blood boil, leverage your unique advantages, and achieve long-term growth through compound effects and strategic risks.
In the fast-paced crypto world, building a personal brand, network, and finding your unique advantage are key to success. Ultimately, financial freedom and life satisfaction do not come from following traditional paths, but from going all out to do truly important things.
Let's be realistic: pursuing so-called "balance" in life is a myth, especially when your goal is to master cryptocurrencies and achieve financial freedom. The idea that you can evenly distribute time and energy across career, fitness, family, and entertainment is not only unrealistic but also a wrong strategy for those who want to achieve great success in this world.
What do you really want?
Be honest: Are you pursuing a lucrative portfolio? Traveling freely without constraints? Or living life on your own terms? In fact, most of us want it all - wealth, flexibility, a sense of achievement, and time with loved ones. But the safe, moderate "balanced" route hardly brings excellent results in any of these goals.
Distributing effort is a trap
Trying to be "balanced" means spreading yourself thin, resulting in half-hearted involvement in everything, which almost inevitably leads to mediocrity. In crypto and trading, being too conservative, overly diversified, never taking calculated risks, or blindly following the crowd will ultimately yield only average returns.
Zero-sum game vs. Integrated thinking
Most people treat life (and trading) as a zero-sum game: investing energy in one area means another suffers. But truly outstanding individuals - in crypto, business, or life - never accept this limited "either-or" thinking. They choose goal integration. For example:
Build a trading rhythm that suits your lifestyle, making work feel like play.
Invest in projects you're genuinely interested in, making research and asset management enjoyable, not a task.
Integration multiplies your results
When your passion, work, and relationships are in sync, you're no longer distributing energy, but letting it stack and multiply. The same applies to trading: if you love the process, you'll naturally want to improve. If you're surrounded by sharp, like-minded people, you'll learn faster and discover more opportunities.
Crypto's advantage: Passion + Leverage
Achieving financial freedom through crypto isn't about sitting at a desk or blindly following mainstream thinking, but finding your "advantage" - whether it's a unique trading strategy, deep understanding of a DeFi technology, or skill in discovering undervalued projects. The most successful traders and investors often:
Focus on results, not just staring at charts.
Build systems that amplify their impact.
Make money through their insights and achievements, not by punching a clock.
Find your unique path
The real "secret" is to pursue what makes your blood boil and find a way to get paid for it. In the crypto field, this could mean becoming a top analyst, running a content subscription platform, developing tools, or trading full-time. The key is to integrate your interests, skills, and connections, making every hour spent simultaneously drive you towards professionalism and freedom.
Most people view work like this: you invest X hours and earn Y dollars, producing Z units of product or service. This is a linear mindset. But is this the optimal solution?
When you add leverage to time, the result is not just additive, but compound growth. For example, adding "10" nine times gives you 90. But if you invest at a 10% annual return for 40 years, most would think it's a 400% increase. In fact, the correct answer is 4,525% - meaning $100,000 can become $4.525 million. While this might not sound exciting in the fast-paced crypto world, the power of compounding should not be underestimated.
This is the core of exponential thinking. Leverage - whether capital, technology, brand, network effects, or management ability - can switch you from linear to exponential growth. But most people are too "realistic" and overlook the massive acceleration leverage can bring. To grow quickly, you need to take risks and choose paths that can apply leverage and achieve compounding. A 9-to-5 job without equity has very limited potential.
Many fear choosing paths without guaranteed outcomes, like careers without fixed salaries. But life's most valuable things often start with strategically taking risks. Instead of choosing certainty, consider starting your own project or joining a high-potential team where you can:
Gain growth space,
Accumulate equity incentives,
Develop transferable future skills.
In today's era, building a personal brand is one of the most effective ways to maximize leverage. I've experienced this personally, and looking back, it's truly incredible. People follow my content because I share my real experiences. In investing or cryptocurrency, learning from those with practical experience is far more valuable than just hearing theories.
Whatever you do, apply leverage and think long-term - consider how your knowledge, skills, and mindset can compound over time. Expand your perspective. Those who believe they can change the world often actually do.
Regarding risks, especially asymmetric opportunities (low input, extremely high potential returns), once you've covered basic living needs, you can boldly take action. For example, the FIRE concept (monthly expenses × 12 × 25) provides a basic living guarantee, allowing financial freedom through the "4% rule". But if you're young with low responsibilities, taking risks with limited funds is more meaningful. Ask yourself: What's the worst outcome? Often, it's just returning to square one. The best outcome could be a 10x or even 100x leap in wealth, skills, and opportunities.
Seek opportunities where potential returns far exceed risks. Examples include crypto investments, launching online businesses, content creation, building high-quality networks, etc. Avoid risky behaviors where downside risks far outweigh potential gains.
Focus on long-term returns, not short-term comfort. Many people become less motivated to leave their jobs as their salaries increase. In reality, even if a startup fails, most can return to similar positions.
Take time to think about what you truly want. As the saying goes: "A well-sharpened knife does not delay woodcutting." - Planning and clarity are far more important than blind action. In today's social media-driven era, many people constantly consume "self-improvement" content without ever truly taking action. Watching these videos feels like growth, but it's nothing more than another form of short-term gratification.
Ask yourself: Are your daily activities driving your long-term growth, or are they just satisfying immediate desires? There's nothing wrong with enjoying life itself, but don't let short-term pleasure dominate your life. You can delay gratification - just like in the "marshmallow experiment" - by investing time in things that will bring massive returns in the future, such as learning a language, starting a company, completing a marathon, obtaining a degree, or building a personal brand.
If you're just entering the field with limited capital, your most valuable assets are time and willingness to learn. Focus on what you're good at - writing, trading, research, content creation - and find paths to develop these strengths. If your current skills aren't yet monetizable, start by accumulating experience through internships; if you already have some capabilities, consider: should you choose to earn independently or join a crypto company to gain experience and stable income? Working at a company can provide you with a platform, while you can still develop your own projects in your spare time.
Building influence on Twitter is one of the best ways to connect with top talents in the crypto field. Share your perspectives, interact with others, and provide valuable content. Twitter is like a resume in the crypto world - opportunities often favor those who are visible and active.
If you choose to pursue trading, understand that this is an extremely competitive player-versus-player game. Success requires finding your own advantages, making decisions with probability thinking, and maintaining resilience. Compared to traditional markets, the crypto market is less efficient, offering more opportunities for those with independent thinking and keen observation.
Ultimately, becoming a top performer in any field is an incredibly valuable journey. It's not just about working hard, but working smart, and finding satisfaction in what you do. That true reward and sense of achievement will ultimately be yours.
Core Summary
Forget the so-called "safe route". In crypto, trading, and life, the real winners are those who create their own rules, integrate their personal vision, and go all out on what matters most. This is the path from ordinary to extraordinary, to achieving true financial freedom.
