I have been thinking about why some people are so much more successful compared to others. Are they smarter, luckier, or have more connections? I think a lot of it comes down to having a lot of uninterrupted free time. That is the magic ingredient or secret. Behind almost every entrepreneur or other success story, is someone with also a lot of free time.
Why does free time matter so much?
1. A lot of time is needed for mastery. Even though the ‘10,000 hours rule’ may not apply to everyone or withstood scrutiny, it’s evident that a lot of time is still necessary to become good at something, whether it’s 5 years or 20 years. Talent is necessary, but so is time. This is why musicians and athletes spend so much time practicing, even when the are already very good. And having a lot of time can overcome some lack of talent.
2. Getting into a ‘flow state’ requires uninterrupted free time. This seems especially important with coding or writing. Tech companies invest a lot of money into resources to help workers be more productive by minimizing distractions. A 30-minute work session is more productive than two 15-minute chunks with a large distraction in the middle.
3. Successful people seem to care a lot more about ‘owning their time’ than owning things. This is why a common thread of advice of the most successful people in business is ‘learning to say no’. It’s not the missed opportunities that do you in; it’s not having the time to act on existing ones. It is cliched to say, but true: time is irreplaceable.
4. More controversially, the most successful people at their domains–like Mr. Beast, Andrew Huberman, or Andrew Tate–eschew family life for autotomy. The entire ‘creator economy’ (e.g. social media, podcasting, fitness, etc.) is powered by 20-30-somrthings with lots of free time, who are almost always single or only in short-term relationships. They develop a oneness with their hobby or business endeavor. As soon as wife and kids enter the picture, outputs craters.
Young people especially in competitive sectors such as finance or tech, prioritize the attainment of credentials and careers over family. This has always been a problem or contradiction with modern American society, which valorizes individual accomplishments, yet prioritizing one’s own needs to achieve this is also considered selfish.