If you don’t get screwed now, you will eventually get screwed later. The sooner you accept life isn’t fair, the sooner you can make winning decisions and succeed.

Finding happiness is also accepting that fairness is a human construct. If you plan to play someone else’s game, then you must accept the game will likely be rigged in their favor, no matter how impartial they try to be.

Let me share a story of how I got screwed recently. This was a low-level screwing that isn’t a big deal. However, based on all the banter that followed in our group chat, I thought it would fun to revisit it and share some teachable moments for more important situations.

Never let anything get in the way of pursuing your dreams. If you do, you will regret it.

Remember that annoying kid in school who made fun of you for getting a good grade? The goal was to make you feel bad at doing well so he wouldn’t feel so terrible about himself.

I had plenty of encounters with such kids growing up at my public high school. In the end, I brushed their mockery aside. I decided to be the best student possible to have as many opportunities as possible.

I thought the mockery would slow down as I got older. However, it seems to have amplified due to the internet. Most recently, I was criticized for my idea of starting and keeping a family business going. My idea was to provide options for my children when they graduate from school. The world is a harsh and competitive place.

Andrew from Vancouver, who is 29 with no kids said I was “obsessed.” Another guy named Li from somewhere in Asia, who is also 29 with no kids, called me “crazy” over e-mail. I’m not sure why people without kids feel like they know about the pressures parents face. But it’s a curious phenomenon I’ve observed since I became a father.

Why is planning ahead and offering an idea to help other concerned parents considered obsessive and crazy? Besides, what kind of fool would sell a cash cow that is enjoyable to run in a low-interest rate environment?

In my mind, it is stupid not to plan for the future. Globalization increases competition for jobs while technology reduces the number of jobs required to produce.

Paradoxically, life is getting easier and harder at the same time. As parents, we must fight for our children until they can independently fight for themselves.

January 2021 went by so fast I almost forgot to do a review. Although January flew by, it didn’t feel that different compared to the end of last year. COVID-19 is still out there in force.

When I saw 22,000+ fans at the Super Bowl in Tampa, I was shocked! However, later learning they were all vaccinated gave me relief. Now it’s just fingers crossed the vaccine does its job. Let’s hope there isn’t a spike in cases a month later.

Waiting to get vaccinated is like one big marshmallow test. I’ve already accepted my family won’t be able to get vaccinated until around June. Therefore, we need to remain cautious.

At the same time, it’s probably going to get harder to wait as more people share they got vaccinated and more people post about their fabulous lives. Therefore, we must also make the best use of our time.

My beginning of 2021 review will focus on Family, Financial Samurai, and Finances. The three F’s of life!

Now that I’ve shared my 2020 review and 2021 outlook for stocks and real estate, I’d like to share my personal goals for 2021.

Given the circumstances, we made the most of our time in 2020. However, as each month goes by with no pandemic resolution, I’m slowly getting more frustrated about not being able to live my desired life.

I care about my family and the safety of my fellow citizens. This care is why we haven’t traveled or partied with others since March 2020. Even though the chances of getting the virus are low and the survival rate is high, we don’t want to contribute to the spread.

At the same time, we know we are in the back of the bus for getting a vaccine. Therefore, our patience must last until July 2021, at the earliest.

The first half of 2021 will be much like the second half of 2020. We must hold on!