From the moment we’re born to the moment we leave this world, life gives us a steady stream of problems, challenges, and — if we’re paying attention — opportunities.
We can’t avoid them. But we can learn how to respond to them.
What truly matters is how quickly we transform worry into action.
The shorter that gap becomes, the more we grow.
The longer it lingers, the more stuck we feel.
And this simple truth — this gap between anxiety and intention — shows up powerfully in how we deal with money.
Over the years, I’ve come to see that money is a game. But not everyone’s playing it the same way. Trust me - I used to be playing multi player game and still even now I occasionally do to. So, this is a self reflection and a reminder myself to stay on my lane.
Some of us are in it as a single-player journey - focused on our values, goals, and our version of "enough."
Others are pulled into the multi-player chaos - where we measure our lives by what others appear to be doing, buying, or achieving.
Let me tell you a story about two people I’ve met many times in different forms - let’s call them Arun and Rishi.
Arun: quiet climber of his own mountain
Arun is 38. He works in IT. He lives a calm, grounded life in Adelaide with his wife and two kids. You won’t see him flexing on social, but what he does have is clarity.
He doesn’t chase the next hot stock or over hyped crypto coin. He knows his FI number and have his investments aligned accordingly. And he and his wife have open conversations about spending, priorities, and what really matters to them.
Arun doesn’t care what his neighbour drives. He’s content with his 10-year-old Toyota, a pantry stocked with half-price groceries, and a portfolio that grows slowly and steadily.
He plays the single-player money game. And he plays it well - not for applause, but for peace.
Rishi: always chasing the next level
Rishi is also 38. He started his career alongside Arun, but life took him on a flashier path. He’s in senior leadership now, speaks at conferences, and wears his success - quite literally - on his sleeve.
New watch. Latest car. Holidays that look picture-perfect. On the surface, he’s thriving.
But behind closed doors, Rishi’s exhausted. He constantly compares himself to others. His investments are scattered - a bit of crypto, some stocks a friend recommended, maybe a property bought after a BBQ chat.
He's always thinking, “What’s next?”
And never feeling like he’s caught up.
Rishi plays the multi-player game - and he doesn't even realise it. He’s unknowingly trapped in an endless race with no finish line.
There is even a term for it called as Hedonic Treadmill. Linked video about it.
The Difference that matters
Both Arun and Rishi deal with the same pressures — rising costs, job demands, uncertainty about the future.
But the difference is how they respond.
Arun is intentional. He doesn’t let external noise drown out internal clarity.
Rishi reacts. He lets comparison shape his next financial move.
And here's what we’ve learned - not just from watching others, but from our own costly mistakes:
We’ve invested based on FOMO.
Bought stocks after social media hype.
Dabbled in “hot” investments just because they came up in a casual conversation.
We’ve held onto bad decisions hoping they’d turn around.
But we’ve also gained something more valuable than money: awareness.
Before you make your next money move…
Take a pause. Ask yourself:
Am I making this decision because it aligns with my goals — or because someone else did it?
Am I playing the long game — or reacting to what’s trending?
Is this property or investment something I truly understand — or just something that came up at a BBQ?
Do I know my FI number, or am I chasing income based on my current lifestyle without checking what’s actually enough?
Because here's the truth:
A buyers agent wants to sell you property — that’s their job.
A fund manager wants to sell you their products — that’s their job.
Your job is to know what problem you're trying to solve.
If it’s financial independence - great. But what does that actually look like for you?
Do you need a flashy car, luxury holidays, or constant upgrades?
Or is what you really want - peace, freedom, and flexibility - already within reach, if you only stopped to define it?
The real game is yours alone
Next time someone tells you about a massive investment win or a big-ticket purchase, resist the urge to think:
“I wish that were me.”
Instead, ask:
“Does that fit into my life? My values? My version of success?”
Because everyone’s running a different race. Everyone’s climbing a different mountain.
Don’t confuse your single-player game with someone else’s multi-player drama.
There’s real power in saying:
“I do not seek status, admiration, or belonging through material things.”
That doesn’t mean you live without joy or comforts. It means you choose intention over impulse, and clarity over comparison.
Start small. Track your expenses. Define your "enough."
How I manage my money - and how it can help you too
If there is one simple thing that you could do for managing your finances - it’s simply tracking your income, expenses, liabilities and your net worth. Every month. This simple step done diligently over a long period of time is the quiet simple profound hack to build your wealth.
And from there, take action that actually gets you closer to the life you want - not the one someone else told you to chase.
When i’m done writing this I reflect myself that I've been Rishi many times than I was Arun. But I'm slowly realising that it's a single player game and I want to be more of Arun than Rishi. But we all are humans and we have our sides.
I like myself when I'm Arun and when I try to be Rishi - I catch myself and go back to ask the same questions about what I'm chasing and that helps to bring me back to being like Arun or maybe in this case as Sam as that's the game I'm playing and the journey I’m on.
