Currencies and technologies change, but the value you provide through a unique combination of skills is timeless. Each new skill you learn multiplies the value of your existing ones, making you an irreplaceable asset in any economic environment.
Even paying for a course or mentorship that turns out to be 'bad' is a net positive if it teaches you what to avoid. By adopting the belief that 'winners win no matter what,' you can see every experience as a lesson that improves your future behavior and likelihood of success.
You don't need to be a proven success to build an audience and create leverage. By documenting the hard work, the process, and the sheer volume of effort you're putting in, you can attract a following who will be ready to support you when you eventually launch something.
While remote work is possible, physically moving to an industry hub like New York for finance or D.C. for politics dramatically increases your chances of success. Proximity to key people and opportunities is a powerful 'hack' that accelerates career growth by changing who you are exposed to daily.
A study found seminary students who were early were 6x more likely to help someone in need than those who were late. This shows that having spare capacity (like time) is the primary determinant of whether you can seize an opportunity, far more than your good intentions or self-perception.