Why “Normal” Money Advice Keeps People Average

I’ve been reading one of the best finance books I’ve ever touched.

And no — not the kind that says “make a budget, skip lattes, retire at 65.”

This was one of those books that quietly messes with your beliefs.
The kind where you keep stopping mid-page and thinking:

“Ohhh… this is why the conventional advice never really worked.”

So I wrote down my favorite takeaways.
Not all 20 (that would be insane for a blog post), but the ones that immediately changed how I think about money, work, and wealth.

Here we go.

1. If you’re not wealthy, stop copying “normal”

I don’t mean this in a rude way. I mean it literally.

If most people are:

• stressed about money

• overworked

• living paycheck to paycheck

Then copying what most people do probably isn’t a winning strategy.

“Normal” isn’t neutral.
Normal is the average outcome of average behavior.

And average behavior doesn’t lead to financial freedom.

2. The “10% into investments and retire at 65” plan is… fine

If that’s what you want.

But nobody becomes wealthy early by following the slow, conventional path and hoping it magically turns into millions in their 30s or 40s.

It just doesn’t.

That path is designed for eventual comfort — not leverage, scale, or freedom early in life.

3. Real wealth comes from building a money tree

This was one of the biggest ideas.

A money tree is something that pays you while you’re sleeping.

Not a job.
Not trading hours for dollars.

Think:

• businesses

• investments

• real estate

• content

• assets that compound

Anything that breaks the direct link between time spent and money earned.

That’s where wealth actually comes from.

4. Wealth is a process, not an event

Even the so-called “overnight successes” are usually:

5–10 years of invisible work
followed by one very visible moment.

The event just gets the attention.
The process is what creates it.

Once I internalized this, I stopped looking for shortcuts and started looking for systems.

5. Pick your lane (most people never do)

The book breaks life into three lanes:

Sidewalk
No plan. Spend it all. Hope it works out.

Slow lane
Conventional career. Invest slowly. Wait decades.

Fast lane
Build something scalable that can grow without trading every hour for every dollar.

Most people are stuck on the sidewalk or slow lane…
and can’t figure out why they feel stuck.

It’s not bad luck.
It’s the lane.

6. If you have to do mental gymnastics… you can’t afford it

“If I get a raise…”
“If my bonus hits…”
“If this deal goes through…”

Nope.

If buying something changes your life for the next five years, it’s not a flex — it’s a trap.

Wealthy people don’t hope purchases work out.
They buy things that barely register financially.

7. Stop being a victim (this one hit me)

Blaming your job, your boss, inflation, or the system might be partially true.

But it gives you zero power.

Extreme ownership is uncomfortable — but it’s the only mindset that actually lets you change your situation.

Responsibility feels heavy… until you realize it also gives you control.

8. The 5–2 trade is depressing

Working 5 days you don’t love
just to enjoy 2 days off.

That’s the default deal.

The alternative is a different season:

• go all-in for a while (7–0)

• build your money tree

• then flip the trade later (0–7 or 1–6)

Not easy.
But it’s a completely different game.

9. Your time is your most valuable asset

People will:

• drive 30 minutes

• wait in line

• burn an afternoon

To save $6 and call it “smart.”

All they really did was value their time at about $3/hour.

Money can be replaced.
Time can’t.

10. Stop saying “I can’t afford it”

Start asking:

“How can I afford it?”

That single question forces your brain to wake up.

It shifts you from passive → creative
from stuck → strategic

Most people never ask it.
That’s why nothing changes.

11. If everybody is doing it… I get suspicious

When something becomes the “obvious” path, it usually means:

• it’s crowded

• it’s slow

• it’s designed for average outcomes

Everything popular tends to be overpriced — including life advice.

12. Want millions? You have to impact millions

This one ties it all together.

Scale doesn’t come from saving $4 on coffee.
It comes from creating value at scale.

If you want outsized results, you need outsized impact.

What to do next (if this resonated)

If you want help with the online income / money tree side of this, I put together a free mini-course breaking down how I started earning online — and the simple system I’d use again today if I were starting from scratch.

And if you want the boring but effective investing setup I personally use, I use Webull. They’re running a promo where you can get free stocks when you open and fund an account — even if you just want to learn how investing works and grab the free money.

Nothing flashy.
Just systems that actually work.

P.S. that book was the millionaire fastlane

Talk soon,
Gabe