I want you to run a thought experiment. Imagine you wake up to a giant surprise. It’s Tuesday morning and on Monday night a mysterious benefactor showed up. And they slid _a cool billion dollars_ into your bank account. __What would Tuesday look like?__ ## First, blow it out! Ok, I know what you’d do with that windfall. You’d hop on a private jet and take the family to [an Aman resort]() in Bali. Or you’d hit up your real estate broker and [buy the biggest McMansion]() on the block. Maybe you’d upgrade to a Model X. Or if you’re feeling spicy, [a Porsche.]() And, of course, you’d top off those [college 529 plans]() for the little ones. So yes, the billion dollars would be nice. ## Next, a reality check But now let’s look at the constraints in this situation. Sure, with a billion dollars, you could [buy a ton of shit.]() But some hard truths would remain. If you had [high blood pressure](), well it wouldn’t go away. You couldn’t just yank your kids out of school – Unless you wanted to isolate them socially by homeschooling them with the world’s best tutors. (And they would still throw tantrums.) If your [marriage was rocky](), it would stay rocky. (I mean, _let’s be honest here_.) Your friends wouldn’t have more free time to hang out with you. (Unless you put them on your payroll. And even then, they’d be _your employees._) Your in-laws, well they’d still be your in-laws. And many of the difficult thoughts in your head – whether it’s insecurities about how you look, a [fierce inner critic]() or low self-worth – wouldn’t go away (unless you spent [countless hours in therapy]()). ## So back to the drawing board Let’s get to the real juice in this thought exercise. How would you spend your time? Like, what does your _Average Tuesday_ look like? The one where your kids are at school. Your friends are at work. And you need (and want) to be home. Let’s say you sleep 8 hours. Exercise for 2 hours. Read for 1 hour. Hang with family for 2 hours. Watch 1 hour of TV. See a friend for 1 hour – Assuming they can get out of work. (All, _very generous allocations_.) Guess what? You still have 9 hours!!!! Where do you go from here? Maybe another hobby? (OK, guitar lessons and practice for another hour!) We’re down to 8 hours. You’ve run out of “self-improvement” activities. ## The answer may shock you The truth is with all this time freedom you’ll have to __find joy in everyday-ness of life.__ I call it my [tiny moments happiness theory.]() > “If you can’t be happy with a coffee, you won’t be happy with a yacht.” The everyday-ness of life will vary from person to person. Some will enjoy strolling in nature. Others will find peace in a stillness practice. Maybe you’ll find serenity in cooking. And some may never find it. ## _You_ take the test A question I ask myself every day is: > If $1 billion dollars showed up in my bank account, would I still have the same day I’m having today? I want the answer to that question to be __an emphatic “yes”__ as often as possible. Don’t get me wrong, it helps to [be semi-retired]() and to have [a decent nest egg built up.]() But I still “work” [35 hours a week.]() I picked a random day to put this to the test: ![Blog post image](/images/blog/CleanShot-2024-05-16-at-09.15.26@2x-160x1024.png) On Thursday, May 16th, 2024 I will: * Surf with a friend * Meditate twice * [Coach]() one client * Get coached (by [the amazing Jess Morey]()) * Chat with an industry peer * Record [a podcast]() * Write this blog post * Watch an episode of [Peaky Blinders]() I’ll take that random Thursday any day, whether there’s $1 million in the bank…or a billion. * * * ## Are you a high-earner going through a career transition? Find purpose, navigate money scarcity and reimagine ambition with our Group Coaching program. [Apply today]()