Last May, I got laid off as a Lead Data Scientist.

Same month, I went all in on solopreneurship.

This February, my monthly income cracked past my old salary.

I felt rich.

Not just because of what hit my bank account. But because I finally had full control over where I work, when I work, and how I build.

Because I was building something that was mine.

Because I was learning, earning, and meeting incredible people I never would've crossed paths with in corporate life.

The biggest shift wasn't hustling. It was strategy.

I had to let go of 5 habits that kept me broke, overwhelmed, and playing small.

1. I stopped being available

I used to be always on for my friends.

I used to answer every DM. Every ping. Every "quick call" request.

Now? If it's not a call, it can wait.

I left group chats. Cancelled endless catch-ups. Turned down invites that didn't align with my interests anymore.

Not to be rude. But to protect my energy.

I stopped being available to internet strangers.

I often get messages like this:

"Hey! Love your work. Let's hop on a call and see how we can collaborate."

That's code for: I want 30 minutes of your time, but I haven't thought through why.

It's too unspecific, and it's asking too much of me before I even know the person.

Compare that to this:

"Your post on failing 3 Meta interviews gave me the courage to share my own. Would love to tag you when it goes live."

Clear. Thoughtful. Easy to respond to.

Respect your time. Others will too.

2. I stopped giving a f*ck

I used to worry what my old colleagues would think.

"Oh wow, she's an influencer now?"

"Coaching? Isn't that all fluff and nonsense?"

But here's what I learned: most people are too busy worrying about themselves to worry about you.

And if they do judge? That's their discomfort with your growth. Not your problem.

People will hold a certain image of you, and when you become someone else, they can't cope with the shift between who they think you are, and who you've become.

But that's their problem to have.

Life's too damn short.

We're all gonna die one day.

Stop playing small for someone else's feelings.

No one on their deathbed ever said,

"I'm so glad I lived my life trying not to offend Steve."

3. I stopped analyzing endlessly

I used to build the perfect plan.

Research for days. Compare every course. Map out every move.

I wanted things to line up perfectly, because I didn't want to waste time.

That, ironically, wastes time.

If you want to achieve anything meaningful in life, you have to take some level of risk.

To take risks is to realize that, you'll never be 100% prepared.

Jump in. Learn by doing. Trust you'll figure it out along the way.

Imperfect steps beat perfect plans every time.

4. I stopped listening to those who're close to me

I was about to invest £7,800 in a property sourcing agency.

I knew it was the right move. I didn't know the market, didn't live nearby, and had no time to waste.

But I still asked my boyfriend.

Because deep down, I was scared.

I was scared to take action, so I went looking for someone else to blame for my inaction.

Unsurprisingly, he said:

"Can't you do it yourself. That's a lot of money!"

I laughed because I knew this was exactly what he'd say. He meant well. But he wasn't the one trying to scale a business, invest smart, and buy back time.

£7,800 is expensive? Compared to what?

How much time and money would it cost me to do everything myself?

Same thing happened when I wanted to spend $5,000 on a business coach.

He said:

"Do you think you can do it yourself? 5K is a big amount of money."

I listened to my heart and went with it.

I made that money back in a month. Doubled it the next month.

So know this:

If someone hasn't walked your path, they can't see your mountain.

You're an adult.

You know what you want.

You already know what to do.

Stop finding innocent people to blame on your inactions.

Don't just listen to those close to you.

Listen to those close to your goals.

5. I stopped paying with my time

Most people pay with their time.

• 40 hours a week for a salary
• 20 hours watching YouTube tutorials.
• Months or even years of trial and error.

Don't get me wrong. We all pay things with our time.

And it's a reliable way to pay.

But after I spent $5,000 on business coaching and saw a 4x return in a few months, something clicked.

The only way to get rich is to spend money to make money.

Realizing this was the biggest mind f*ck.

I still remember watching money rolling into my bank account and mouthing "f*ck" silently 5 times on my chair.

The same year, I spent:

• $49 on an AI course → landed me a speaking gig that paid $1000
• $600 on a writing course → made $6000+ on Medium and Substack

• $26,400 on coaching and newsletters → made that back in 4 months

The thing is, you can't scale time.

You only have 24 hours a day.

But you can scale money.

Rich people get this:

• They buy $10M worth of properties, get paid in rent and capital gains
• They angel invest $2M in startups and get paid 10x, 100x in a few years
• They pay chefs, coaches, and consultants to buy back hours so they can focus on their business that make more

Spending money to make money is the biggest cheat code in life.

But most people will never, ever get past this.

Because they see money as something emotional, something to hoard.

Not just a tool.

I would've never got past this either, had I not been laid off and started building my own business.

I'm glad I did.

Final note:

I didn't learn any of this in school. Or at work. I learned it after getting laid off and betting on myself.

If you're on the edge, wondering if you should start, leap, invest, or let go…

Here's your sign.

You already know what to do.

You might be interested in:

Connected with me on LinkedIn!