I was thinking about how I knew at least 20 peers in high school who were so driven and curious just like me and they aren’t so driven anymore.
They wrote books for fun, lasers, all kinds of crazy, great things. It is now 10 years and they mostly seemed to have settled down.
The ones who stuck to it had the advantage of compound interest. But for many ulc-ers (unexpected life crap) got in the way.
You accidentally have a baby
Your spouse turns out to be abusive
You or someone you know has a terrible illness
You wrestle with mental issues
You parents need you
If you are able to stick it out – like your retirement account, the bulk of your savings comes at the tail end after 10 years.
You keep drawing
You keep programming
Your skill in your interests compound over the years.