NFA Finance

I had to think about it for a minute.

Because I’m probably not the guy to teach you how to fold a fitted sheet in eight seconds, organize your refrigerator with color-coded bins, or get a free upgrade at a hotel.

I don’t really have those kinds of life hacks.

But at 47 years old, I’ve definitely figured out a few things that make life work better.

And the funny thing is, the best life hacks I know aren’t hacks at all.

They’re habits.

They’re principles.

They’re things I learned the hard way.

DO SOMETHING EVERY DAMN DAY

This might be the biggest one.

I’ve learned that you don’t have to accomplish something massive every single day.

You just have to move.

Make the phone call.

Post the video.

Write the blog.

Work on the car.

Go to the gym.

Fix one thing.

Sell something.

Learn something.

Just don’t let the day end at zero.

People wait for motivation. They wait until Monday. They wait until January. They wait until they have more money, more time, better equipment, the perfect opportunity.

I’ve done enough waiting in my life.

Now I’d rather do something imperfectly today than perfectly someday.

CONSISTENCY BEATS MOTIVATION

Motivation is great when it shows up.

The problem is, it doesn’t always show up.

Habits do.

I’ve done push-ups every day for more than a decade. I’ve built long streaks posting videos. I write this blog every single day.

There are plenty of days when I don’t feel like doing any of it.

I do it anyway.

That might be one of the greatest “hacks” there is.

Stop negotiating with yourself about the things you already decided matter.

LEARN HOW TO FIX YOUR OWN SHIT

I mean this literally and figuratively.

Cars. Houses. Businesses. Problems. Life.

I’ve spent plenty of nights staring at a truck that won’t run, tracing wires, replacing parts, getting pissed off, thinking I found the problem, finding out I didn’t, and going right back after it.

But there’s something powerful about knowing you can figure shit out.

That doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourself forever.

It means you shouldn’t be completely helpless when something goes wrong.

Learn.

Ask questions.

Take it apart.

Understand how it works.

And if you screw it up?

Learn from that too.

DRIVE THE DAMN CAR

This has become more than a saying to me.

It’s a philosophy.

People buy beautiful cars and then spend their entire ownership experience worried about mileage, scratches, depreciation and what the next owner might think.

Fuck that.

Drive it.

I feel the same way about life.

Use the good dishes.

Wear the good watch.

Take the trip.

Build the car.

Ride the motorcycle.

Call your friend.

Go see your family.

Whatever your version is, stop saving your entire life for later.

There’s no guarantee that later shows up.

BUY WHAT YOU ACTUALLY WANT

I’ve bought a lot of things in my life because they were good deals.

Sometimes that works.

But I’ve also learned that a cheap price doesn’t make something valuable to you.

I’d rather wait and buy the car, motorcycle, house, or whatever else I genuinely want than fill my life with shit I bought simply because the numbers looked good.

There’s a difference between getting a deal and getting what you want.

Ideally, you do both.

TURN PROBLEMS INTO SOMETHING USEFUL

Something is always going to go wrong.

The question is what you do with it.

A broken truck can become knowledge.

A failed business can become experience.

A bad deal can become a lesson.

A difficult period can become a story.

Hell, today a problem can even become a video, a blog post or a business opportunity.

You already paid the price for the lesson.

You might as well collect the value from it.

STOP WAITING FOR PERFECT

I’ve probably wasted more time in my life waiting for the “right time” than I ever wasted making mistakes.

There is no perfect time.

There’s what you have today.

Start there.

My YouTube channel doesn’t need to be perfect for me to post.

A business doesn’t need to have every system figured out before the first dollar comes through the door.

A project car doesn’t have to be finished before you enjoy it.

Start ugly.

Fix it while it’s moving.

NOBODY IS COMING TO DO IT FOR YOU

This one isn’t particularly inspirational.

It’s just useful.

Ultimately, your life is your responsibility.

Your money.

Your health.

Your business.

Your happiness.

Your mistakes.

Your future.

Other people can absolutely help you. I’ve had plenty of people help me throughout my life, and I’m grateful for them.

But nobody else can want your life more than you do.

Once you really understand that, something changes.

You stop waiting.

MAYBE THAT’S THE REAL LIFE HACK

So if you came here looking for some secret trick that makes life easy, I don’t have one.

Actually, I’m increasingly convinced there isn’t one.

Most of the things that have improved my life require doing the exact opposite of looking for a shortcut.

Show up.

Stay consistent.

Learn how shit works.

Fix what you can.

Learn from what you can’t.

Buy things you actually love.

Use the things you own.

Don’t save your entire life for someday.

And do something every damn day that moves you forward.

None of that is really a hack.

Maybe that’s the hack.

— Nick Francis
NFA Finance