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The Game of Life

· 10 min read

What needs to be taught to navigate a successful life but you only find out through luck or self motivation?

What is it all about, what does success look like? what common obstacles? what one-way decisions?

15 Questions to Invest in Your Future Self​

The Heroes Journey

Think like an investor, but optimize for wisdom, not just wealth. All decisions are bets on your future self — make them count.

I. Purpose & Leverage​

  1. What unique leverage can only you create from this path? (Your specific combination of skills, network, and timing that others can't replicate)

  2. Is this decision moving you toward or away from your highest leverage activities? (The few things that compound exponentially vs. busy work that scales linearly)

  3. When you're 80, will you regret not taking this path more than you'd regret the opportunity cost? (The asymmetric risk of inaction vs. action)

II. Identity & Values​

  1. Who do you need to become to make this succeed, and do you want to be that person? (Identity change often matters more than skill acquisition)

  2. Are you solving for status, wealth, or genuine curiosity—and which creates the most sustainable motivation? (Internal vs. external scorecards)

  3. What would you choose if you knew you couldn't fail, and what would you choose if failure was guaranteed? (Separating ego from authentic desire)

III. Optionality & Timing​

  1. Does this decision increase or decrease your future options? (Reversible vs. irreversible decisions have different risk profiles)

  2. What information or conditions would need to change for you to reverse course? (Pre-mortem planning and exit criteria)

  3. Are you early enough to compound advantages, or late enough to have clarity? (Timing the intersection of preparation and opportunity)

IV. Risk & Antifragility​

  1. How can you structure this to have unlimited upside with limited downside? (Asymmetric risk/reward profiles)

  2. What would need to break for this to completely fail, and can you strengthen those weak points? (Systems thinking about failure modes)

  3. If this path becomes 10x harder than expected, would you still find it worthwhile? (Stress-testing your commitment and passion)

V. Network & Systems​

  1. Who wins when you win, and are they positioned to help you succeed? (Aligned incentives create the strongest support systems)

  2. What second and third-order effects will this create in your life and others'? (Unintended consequences often matter more than direct results)

  3. Are you building or burning social and reputational capital with this choice? (Long-term relationship ROI often trumps short-term gains)

The Meta-Question​

After answering all 15: If your future self could send you one piece of advice about this decision, what would it be?

The Journey​

The Hero's Journey of Discovery.

The Game of Life

Evolve With The Game​

Predict => Prioritize => Prompt => Develop Agency to Control the Game.

Predict: Where The Ball Is Going​

The convergence of AI agents and cryptocurrency is creating a new economic operating system.

  1. AI agents will handle most routine knowledge work by 2027
  2. Every white-collar worker will soon have multiple AI agents working on their behalf
  3. The global economic impact will be in the trillions

Prioritize: Positioning For Advantage​

Those who understand how to build, direct, and leverage AI agents will have unprecedented economic opportunity.

  1. Simple AI agent businesses can generate $5,000+ monthly with minimal overhead
  2. Building AI agent applications requires far less technical expertise than traditional software
  3. The integration with blockchain creates new asset classes and revenue models
  4. This shift is happening faster than educational systems can adapt

Prompt: Directing Energy With Precision​

Learning to build and direct AI agents today positions us to capitalize on these technologies now, not in some distant future.

  1. Multiple platforms now enable non-technical users to build AI agents
  2. Major technology companies have committed billions to this transformation
  3. Early adoption provides compounding advantages as these technologies evolve
  4. The ability to build these systems can be developed through structured practice

Earning a Living​

The trillion dollar question: How will you earn a living in the age of AI?

  • Entrepreneurship (Startup Checklist)
    • Starting a Small Business
    • Developing and selling products
    • Offering services
  • Crypto Opportunities
    • Investing
    • Staking
    • Yield Farming
    • Trading
    • Mining
    • Airdrops
    • Smart Contract Development
    • Tokenomics Incentives
  • Traditional Employment
    • Full-time or Part-time jobs
    • Seasonal/temporary work
    • Internships
  • Self-Employment/Freelancing
    • Freelance writing, design, programming, etc.
    • Consulting
    • Tutoring/teaching
    • Virtual assistance
  • Online/Digital
    • Blogging and Affiliate Marketing
    • YouTube Channel Monetization
    • Online Education Courses
    • Selling digital products
    • Print-on-demand merchandise
    • Dropshipping
    • Web design/development
    • Social media management
    • Online surveys/focus groups
    • Microtasks on sites like Amazon Mechanical Turk
  • Investing
    • Cryptocurrency
    • Stocks and Bonds
    • Real estate
    • Peer-to-peer lending
  • Buying and Selling
    • Cryptocurrency
    • Selling unused items online
    • Flipping items for profit
    • Craft/handmade good
    • Yard sales
  • The Gig Economy
    • Food delivery
    • Pet sitting/dog walking
    • Babysitting
    • House cleaning
    • Landscaping
  • Rental Income
    • Real Estate
    • Equipment
    • Vehicles
  • Sharing Economy
    • Ride-sharing
    • Home-sharing
    • Knowledge-sharing
    • Delivery Services
  • Passive Income
    • Dividend stocks
    • Rental properties
    • Royalties from books/music/patents
    • Affiliate marketing
  • Miscellaneous
    • Clinical Trials
    • Donating plasma
    • Mystery shopping
    • Focus groups
    • Cash back apps and credit cards
Mantra

Everyone needs to feel their efforts to add value are appreciated

Gaining Knowledge​

If you can't validate the truth, you can't assess the velocity of progress, if you can't assess the velocity of progress, you can't make accurate predictions. If you can't make accurate predictions, you can't invest wisely in the future. If you can't invest wisely in the future, you lack the agency to drive improvement. Knowledge comes in two main categories:

  1. Science: Knowledge about the nature of the world, what exists and how it works
  2. Technology: Knowledge of how to transform the physical and social aspects of our environment.

Layers of knowledge:

  • Embodied Knowledge - Knowledge embedded in tools and platforms where you don't need to know how to make the tool to use it
  • Codified Knowledge - Knowledge that exists in symbolic space as codes, recipes, formulas, algorithms, and manuals
  • Know-How - Knowledge that exists in people's heads that can't be easily explained or transferred through conversation, requiring extensive practice of growth experiments to evolve through experience.

Wisdom is knowing when and how to apply the power of knowledge, based on having a strong values system.

Knowing Yourself​

What are you here to do? Why?

The quality of our lives are a reflection of the stories we repeat and the company we keep.

Team sports are life's greatest teachers of how success flows from selfless coordination of pure intent.

Practice​

Building agency: the ability to act autonomously to control your life involves several key practices:

  • Shift your mindset: Move from focusing on problems to seeking solutions. Rather than saying "I can't because...", ask "How can I make this work?". Developing a growth mindset helps you see yourself as capable of learning and changing.
  • Take small, intentional actions: Start by owning what's within your control, even in minor ways. Setting achievable intentions builds momentum and the habit of purposeful action.
  • Practice deliberate discomfort: Try exercises that push your boundaries, such as asking for discounts, traveling alone, or visiting unfamiliar places. These experiences prove you can handle new situations.
  • Control your environment: Be selective about what information you consume and who you spend time with. Your surroundings significantly impact your sense of agency.
  • Build competence: Learning new skills increases confidence in your ability to affect change. The more capable you feel, the greater your sense of agency.
  • Navigate constraints creatively: Instead of just complaining about limitations, find ways to work within or around them. Constraints can actually spark innovation.
  • Manage emotions and beliefs: Identify and challenge limiting beliefs that might be holding you back. Unconscious beliefs often prevent us from even trying.
  • Seek supportive environments: Organizations and relationships that encourage initiative and provide clear opportunities foster agency. Environments where speaking up is valued help agency flourish.

Capabilities​

What range of capabilities will be in greatest demand in the age of AI?

Prioritization​

Intrinsic​

CapabilityNeed/DesireProgress
Understand What Drives You?/5?/5
Managing Your Mindset?/5?/5
Systems Thinking?/5?/5
Investing?/5?/5
Decision Making?/5?/5
Problem Solving?/5?/5
Optimism?/5?/5
Storytelling?/5?/5
Selling?/5?/5
Independent Learning?/5?/5
Creativity?/5?/5
Coaching?/5?/5
Communication?/5?/5
Leadership?/5?/5
Listening?/5?/5
Networking?/5?/5
Prioritizing?/5?/5

Leveraging Technology​

What technology does everyone need to understand how to use effectively to gain greater agency?

AI can provide greater agency if you know what and how to ask.

Crypto was invented to provide every citizen with greater agency of the flow of capital.

Together they provide potential for Extreme Agency of Knowledge and Means to transform society.

Metacognition​

Confidence is not knowing you will succeed, but believing you have the resilience to adapt.

  • Character Traits: elevates intellectual standards
  • Intellectual Standards: improves ability to reason
  • Improved Reasoning: evolves character traits

Character Traits​

  • Curiosity
  • Respect
  • Empathy
  • Honesty
  • Integrity
  • Humility
  • Courage
  • Purpose
  • Perseverance

Intellectual Standards​

  • Accuracy
  • Breadth
  • Clarity
  • Depth
  • Logic
  • Fairness
  • Precision
  • Relevance
  • Significance
  • Sufficiency

Improved Reasoning​

  • Assumptions
  • Purposes
  • Inferences
  • Questioning
  • Concepts
  • Points of View
  • Implications
  • Information

Reflection​

Balance investment of time in deep thought to connect the dots versus investing time to connect with others.

  • What are your strongest capabilities?
  • Where are those capabilities most needed?
  • What are your blind spots? How do you know?
  • What are your weaknesses?
  • How can you bridge gaps?
  • Who can you team up with?
  • What can you outsource?