The people I see achieving early financial independence often share a common trait—they are driven, almost to a fault.
That doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy themselves. In fact, sometimes when they do, they go all in. But everything they do is at 100%. There’s a deep passion and an extreme drive that sets them apart from others.
I think if we were to condense that common thread, it would be this: they are always living in what we call the gap.
The Risk of Pushing The Limit Too Long
They hit a success milestone and then immediately reset the goalpost. They keep chasing the next benchmark, always pushing forward. This isn’t innately a bad trait, but it can show up in detrimental ways.
One pattern we often see is that they stay too long at the punch bowl. They miss the right moment to exit—whether it’s because their business was at its absolute peak, their profitability was at its highest, or, if they’re in the public markets, their stock was worth millions. They had the opportunity for a financially successful exit, but they kept resetting their goals and expectations.
Finding What Fills Your 168 Hours
The best antidote to this critical flaw is revisiting what success looks like for you. If your primary metric is “more”, it’s a dangerous treadmill.
The most successful individuals recognize this and cultivate satisfaction that sticks without the driving need for “more” or “next”. They understand what they truly want out of their financial lives. They reach the point where they can have whatever they need—and then they know when to focus on enjoying it.
It’s a difficult question to answer because it’s different for everyone. But the most successful people need to take a step back, have a reality check, and define what enough looks like for them. Once they do that, they can build a financial plan that aligns with their actual needs and aspirations—rather than constantly moving the goalpost.
