The goalpost moves the second you reach it. Your brain recalibrates every win into the new baseline, then immediately starts calculating what's next. Wealth protects itself when you decide what enough means before you get there. Great read, Ryan.
You nailed it—our brains are wired for “next.” The trick isn’t killing ambition, it’s defining it. Defining enough early keeps drive from turning into danger.
It is hard to keep your goalposts from moving when the dollar is increasingly becoming more worthless.
My original retirement goal was a million although at that time, it would have been more than enough. A few years ago I commented to a relative that I would be comfortable with 1.5 million. Now, with inflation becoming a permanent and increasing problem, you have to move goalposts because dollar values become arbitrary.
To combat this, I put a good portion of my retirement funds into precious metals. I don’t want a private island or a leer jet. I also don’t want constant erosion of my assets.
So true. Getting comfortable with 'enough' is, at first, a mathematical question. But once you've solved the equation for enough, you must answer the far tougher question: "Enough for what?" Only then can you truly reach financial contentment.
Having this problem in my marriage. Wife won't stop moving the goalposts. All I want to do is play pickleball, go to gym, and study French. Actually going back to work next year to get some space. Ugh!
I hear you. As much as I enjoyed the article, this is what is often overlooked. There is usually more than one player in the game: wife, kids, etc. and even if you can stop moving the goalposts, others often can’t. Also, without deep communication it is a real problem. The only advice I can come up with is “someone’s got to be happy. It might as well be you.”
The “enough” framework is relevant to so many domains ;-)
Best article you've ever written. Full Stop
Appreciate the kind words!
The goalpost moves the second you reach it. Your brain recalibrates every win into the new baseline, then immediately starts calculating what's next. Wealth protects itself when you decide what enough means before you get there. Great read, Ryan.
Appreciate that, Terrence.
You nailed it—our brains are wired for “next.” The trick isn’t killing ambition, it’s defining it. Defining enough early keeps drive from turning into danger.
It is hard to keep your goalposts from moving when the dollar is increasingly becoming more worthless.
My original retirement goal was a million although at that time, it would have been more than enough. A few years ago I commented to a relative that I would be comfortable with 1.5 million. Now, with inflation becoming a permanent and increasing problem, you have to move goalposts because dollar values become arbitrary.
To combat this, I put a good portion of my retirement funds into precious metals. I don’t want a private island or a leer jet. I also don’t want constant erosion of my assets.
So true. Getting comfortable with 'enough' is, at first, a mathematical question. But once you've solved the equation for enough, you must answer the far tougher question: "Enough for what?" Only then can you truly reach financial contentment.
Having this problem in my marriage. Wife won't stop moving the goalposts. All I want to do is play pickleball, go to gym, and study French. Actually going back to work next year to get some space. Ugh!
I hear you. As much as I enjoyed the article, this is what is often overlooked. There is usually more than one player in the game: wife, kids, etc. and even if you can stop moving the goalposts, others often can’t. Also, without deep communication it is a real problem. The only advice I can come up with is “someone’s got to be happy. It might as well be you.”