The System Made You Lazy, Here’s How To Escape & Get Rich

If you’re ambitious but lazy, this article’s for you. Here’s the harsh truth. Your clock is ticking and nothing is changing. Yes, your head might be racing with ideas and ambition, but without action, the life you’ve always dreamt of will start to fade away. Every day you wait, the more time you waste, and if you’re not careful, your life will start to look a little something like this: flat, predictable, and totally uninspiring. This is the reality for most people, spending the past five years in the same job with maybe a couple of pay rises if you’re lucky. You can even see after these pay rises, the line doesn’t improve that much and sometimes even goes down. This is because the more people earn, the more they tend to spend.

The worst part of all is that this lifestyle pattern has become normalized by society, telling you that you’re lazy and don’t have what it takes to be successful. But even if this has been you for the past two, three, four-plus years, it doesn’t have to be you this year. I don’t believe you’re lazy, you’re just trapped in a system designed to keep you spinning your wheels on a flat line, convincing you that slow progress is the only way. So, what you’re feeling isn’t laziness, it’s frustration with a path that was never designed to help you thrive. Today’s article is all about my five-stage process to escape this trap and start creating some real momentum in your life. So, let’s get to it.

Stage 1: Stagnation

Stage one is called stagnation, and I’d imagine that is likely where you are right now. The reason you feel like you’ve been thrown in at the deep end without any preparation or guidance is because that’s exactly what’s happened. You leave school and get your first job, and that’s it. You’re left to your own devices. So you play it safe by sticking it out in the same job, taking zero chances. If you stay in this stage too long, you risk becoming a debt slave, where your income barely keeps up with your monthly expenses. Right now, the national debt clock is sitting at $36 trillion and increasing by the second. If this doesn’t prove that our society is built on debt, then I don’t know what will. People are owning fewer houses, fewer cars, and fewer luxuries as the trend of renting instead of owning grows. This isn’t just happening because times are changing. The elite have made their plans clear with something called “The Great Reset.” This aims to shift power away from people by depriving them of ownership and controlling it all themselves. Imagine the government owning your home and then letting someone else live there whenever you’re away. This is the future they want, and it means escaping society’s trap will be nearly impossible.

They’ve sold us the lie that money doesn’t make you happy. This was created by the rich to control the poor, keeping us dependent on state pensions that barely cover anything. In reality, money equals freedom, and freedom equals happiness. The rich are just going to keep getting richer, so why not just join them? If you can recognize this stage early, then you can take those calculated risks to get out before it’s too late. Don’t be part of the 58% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, which I reckon will increase over the next few years. The first action you take is the most important. Start by gaining full control of your finances. Track every dollar you spend and be honest about what’s essential and what’s a luxury. Use this awareness to automate your savings so you consistently put money aside each month, no matter how small the amount. At the end of the day, even your Xbox is smart enough to save your game progress, so why not save your funds?

Stage 2: Ignition

The next stage is called ignition. Now, believe it or not, more than 50% of people never even get to this stage, which means this is when you might start to see a difference between you and your friends. At this stage, you’re doing everything you can to break out of stagnation, but it’s pretty hard because you’ve got a couple of things that are holding you back. First is your friends. They won’t always like your new attitude, as it forces them to either change themselves or be left behind. Both of these things are very painful. So instead, they will try to drag you back down to their level, as that’s the easier option. I’m sure you’ve experienced this before when you tell a friend about one of your achievements, they don’t seem that happy for you and try to shift the conversation to be all about them. The second issue you’re going to face is inflation. Keeping all the money you save in the bank will actually slow you down in the long run and create more stagnation stages along the way. So, how does this happen? Well, due to inflation, the value of cash in your account diminishes year after year.

Here’s a calculator that shows you the impact of inflation on your savings over time. Now, let’s say you have $5,000 in your bank account, and uh, you’re not earning any interest. If inflation happens at a rate of 2.5% a year, which is pretty normal, in 20 years, your $5,000 will still look like $5,000 in your bank account, but it will only be able to buy the same amount of stuff as $3,051 could buy today. So, even though the numbers don’t change, the real value of your money shrinks because things get more expensive. That’s why saving money in a way that grows over time is so important. So now, let’s compare that with a scenario where you invest your money. So, if you were to invest that same $5,000 into something like the S&P 500 and average a 7% annual return adjusted for inflation, the estimated value of your money after 20 years would grow to over $20,000. However, it’s important to note that there are no guarantees. Investment returns can go up and down, and past performance is not a guarantee of future results. So, this really shows the power that compounding returns can have over time, instead of letting inflation eat away at your hard-earned cash.

If you want to get involved with investing, then I’d recommend you download the Trading 212 app, where you can invest as little as £1 or €1 to get started. Even if you manage to invest £5 or €5 per day for the next few months, it will really help you get started with those first steps and break out of that stagnation stage.

Stage 3: Acceleration

Next is the acceleration stage. Now, this is where you’re starting to- to gain some real momentum. But what got you here won’t be enough to carry you to the next stage unless you want to wait decades to achieve financial freedom. This is the time to accelerate. You need to fully commit to taking advantage of current opportunities, as they won’t be around forever. At this stage, there are three Cs that I focused on which helped me accelerate my wealth dramatically: cash flow, connections, and confidence.

Let’s start with cash flow. You need a constant supply of money coming into your bank account so that you can use it to generate more wealth. Think of cash flow as the fuel for your financial engine. The best way to generate cash flow is to start a side hustle that provides immediate income. This doesn’t have to be your billion-dollar unicorn idea. It could be a small, service-based side hustle with low startup costs that meets a specific need. Whether it’s offering social media management, video editing, or Facebook ads to businesses, your goal is to bring money in fast. If I were starting over, I would set up a service-based business targeting other businesses, especially during economic uncertainty. Companies are willing to pay for anything that boosts their profits, and positioning yourself as someone who can deliver results makes you indispensable.

Now for connections. Surrounding yourself with the right people can have a massive impact on your trajectory. It’s no coincidence that successful people often associate with others who have achieved similar or greater success. You know the saying, “Surround yourself with five losers, and you’ll be the sixth.” Talking to like-minded individuals opens your eyes to new opportunities, motivates you, and provides valuable insights. Make an effort to network on platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn, and don’t shy away from reaching out to people who inspire you.

Finally, there’s confidence. This is what separates those who accelerate their progress from those who stagnate. Confidence allows you to take calculated risks and make bold moves that others are too afraid to try. Without confidence, you’ll hesitate at crucial moments and miss out on life-changing opportunities. Push yourself to step out of your comfort zone and take risks, whether that’s pitching to a big client or investing in a skill that sets you apart.

Stage 4: Expansion

Welcome to the expansion stage. Now you’ve built up some acceleration with the three Cs, it’s time to focus on expansion. This is where your wealth starts to grow exponentially as you invest in assets that generate passive income and appreciate over time. The first step is understanding the difference between assets and liabilities, which you’ve probably come across before. Many people waste their resources on liabilities like expensive cars or homes that don’t generate income. While these might look good on the surface, they drain your wealth over time. Instead, try to focus on assets that put money into your pocket, such as rental properties, dividend-paying stocks, or useful skills that you can use to start a side hustle. I know you might be thinking this sounds a bit daunting right now, but remember, everything in the other stages would have built towards this phase in your life. You might be 8 to 10 years deep into this plan at this point. So, although you’re sat at home now thinking, “I’m not in a position to do this,” you will be.

There are two main approaches you can take at this stage. Let me explain them both. First, diversification: spreading your investments across multiple asset classes to protect your wealth and reduce risk. Second, high-conviction plays: concentrating your resources on a few investments that you have a deep understanding of and strong confidence in. This approach carries more risk but can lead to faster and larger returns if executed well. Many billionaires, including Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, built their wealth by focusing on high-conviction plays like these. The approach you choose depends on your risk tolerance and expertise. If you’re just starting, diversification might be the smarter route. However, as you gain experience and confidence, high-conviction plays can help you expand your wealth even further. Remember, the goal at this stage is to acquire assets that work for you. Every dollar you invest should have a purpose: to grow your wealth and to move you closer to financial freedom.

Stage 5: Mastery

Welcome to the final stage: mastery. This is where you’ve achieved financial freedom and can live life on your own terms. At this level, money is no longer a concern. Your assets generate enough income to cover your expenses, fund your lifestyle, and allow you to focus on what truly matters. But mastery isn’t just about enjoying the fruits of your labor on a beach in the Maldives; it’s also about leaving a legacy and helping others achieve their own success. The wealthiest people in the world, from Warren Buffett to Oprah Winfrey, understand the importance of giving back and building something that lasts beyond their lifetime. At this stage, your focus should shift from accumulating wealth to managing and preserving it. This means reinvesting profits to maintain and grow your portfolio, mentoring others, and sharing the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Ultimately, mastery is about more than just money. It’s about achieving true freedom: freedom to spend your time as you wish, freedom to pursue your passions, and freedom to create a lasting legacy that benefits others. So, are you ready to follow this path to wealth and take control of your financial future? The journey won’t be easy, but if you follow these stages, you’ll unlock the life you’ve always dreamed of and end up right here at the top.