Every Sunday morning I like to write about 3 random things that are on my mind.
Sometimes these things are about business…
Sometimes they’re about life…
And other times they’re just truly random.
So with that said…
Let’s jump into the first thing on my mind this morning.
1. You should live somewhere because you want to live there, not because of the tax rate
A reader named Chris emailed me the other day saying he was intrigued by moving to Austin because there’s no state income taxes.
However…
He also mentioned he wasn’t that big of a fan of Austin when he was here.
It was too hot for him…
And he’s not really an “outdoorsy” person and he noticed a lot of people here are always hiking, paddleboarding, out on boats etc…
So I gave Chris my 2 cents which was basically “sounds like you don’t actually want to live here, but you’re thinking about it because there’s no state income taxes. Moving solely for that reason seems like a terrible idea to me”
Funny enough, I see people make decisions like this a lot.
Moving solely for tax reasons is a terrible idea.
What you really want is to find somewhere that you…
-enjoy the people
-like the weather
-and you fit with the vibe
That’s gonna affect your day-to-day life more than anything else.
And then if you find that spot, and they happen to have good tax benefits, even better.
Like for me, I live in Austin, and I love it here.
I’d live here even if they changed the laws and all of a sudden we had a state income tax.
So the fact that I have no state income tax is just the cherry on top.
It’s not my main decision point.
And I think that’s an important distinction if you’re considering moving somewhere.
Alright, let’s hop into the second thing on my mind this morning…
2. The sooner you can get away from searching for “quick fixes” the more successful you’ll be
This thought has been on my mind for a while.
I even mentioned it in an email a few weeks ago.
But if you’re always looking for “quick fixes” and “magic bullets” in your life, you’re selling yourself short.
Why?
Because the best results don’t come from quick fixes.
And that’s true whether we’re talking about your weight, your income, or your golf swing.
We all want quick fixes…
And it’s why we buy things that promise us a quick fix…
But if your goal is to get the best results…
Then you should STOP looking for quick fixes.
Seriously.
Instead, you want to find the approach that is most proven to bring you the best results.
Cause that’s what matters long term.
Not the quick fix.
Alright let’s do one more of these.
This one might ruffle some feathers…
3. I feel like a man without a political party
For most of my adult life, I’ve been pretty conservative on economic issues, and liberal on social issues.
I like small government, low taxes, and letting businesses do their thing…
I also like allowing people to live their lives as they see fit. So I’m in favor of things like gay marriage, guns, abortion rights and legalizing marijuana.
However these views put me at odds with both political parties in the US.
I don’t fit neatly into their box.
And in the last few years, I feel like I’ve grown even further away from both parties.
Republicans used to care about things like small government and spending. Now they don’t give two shits about it. They’ve been over-run by authoritarian politicians who care more about conspiracy theories and hot-button cultural issues than actually governing.
And the Democrats aren’t any better. They used to be the party of individual rights and free speech. They fought the establishment in the 70’s and 80’s and were all about letting people live their life. But now most Democrats are in favor of censoring everything that goes on Twitter, podcasts, Youtube etc…
I’m not in favor of any of this.
So I feel further ostracized from both parties.
And what’s even worse is that neither of them actually have principles.
They just care about getting re-elected and amassing more power.
So they’ll say one thing to the public, and believe something completely different when in private.
The whole thing is f’d up.
It’s like watching pro wrestling.
It’s all an act.
And the sad thing is, the logical, middle of the road politicians (who actually care about governing, and understand compromise) are all getting kicked out.
It’s nearly all extremists now (on both sides).
And I don’t see this changing anytime soon.
Which sucks.
I don’t know where I’m taking this…
Or even if I have a big point to make…
But I feel like a citizen who doesn’t have anyone that actually represents me.
And that’s a weird spot to be in.
Alright, I need to wrap this up…
Hope you enjoyed this…
And got a nugget or two of insight…
Enjoy your Sunday,
– Justin
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