Space X’s Starship is the most powerful launch system ever created. As the name suggests, it is something worthy of a sci-fi film.
Starship is the largest ever flying object, weighing 5,000 tonnes. It towers above the Texan landscape at 121 metres high (25 metres higher than Big Ben’s tower), with 33 massive engines.
Space X has built a launch tower that not only launches Starship but also catches the 71-metre rocket as it plummets back to Earth from space.
The only part that isn’t reusable is the fuel. Around 90% of the rocket’s fuel is used up in a matter of minutes after launch to help it break free from the grip of Earth’s gravitational pull and reach orbit.
This is where the most effort is required. Breaching Earth’s atmosphere isn’t a matter of explosive speed, it’s a matter of persistent force.
Upon watching the launch, I felt an immediate sense of comradery with the rocket. A kinship, if you will. I couldn’t help but be in awe. As it began its slow, treacherous trudge upwards, I felt like it was holding up a mirror to my life.
You see, becoming a chartered financial planner and building a client base is much like the building and launching of a rocket.
In the beginning, a large amount of energy has to be spent, with no guarantee of success and only achieving modest, if any, results. It can feel like you aren’t getting anywhere. However, if you continue to burn the fuel, you’ll slowly start making headway and there will come a point where the momentum built up over time compounds and begins to pay off.
Right now, I’m still working on building up enough momentum to benefit from compounding – which requires a sustained release of energy by burning the fuel.
Doing so over the last six months, while also becoming a father, has been a challenge, as work/life balance became much more important the moment my daughter was born.
Ever since, I’ve found myself juggling the two opposing desires of any parent: to provide and to be present.
To provide requires burning the fuel – putting in the time. I’m fully aware I’m in charge of my next pay rise and increasing my income only happens through hard work. While I don’t like most of the ‘hustle porn’ online, it’s true that effort and earning potential are intertwined.
However, to be present requires not working all the time. It’s the ability to switch off and enjoy family time; to know you don’t have to squeeze every ounce of juice out of the lemon. After a few internal battles, I’m at peace with the trade-off of spending more time with my daughter.
Her first six months have been the most rewarding of my life and no amount of extra income generated by working more would’ve been worth missing out on this time together. I’ve got all the time in the world and plenty of fuel in reserve to go harder once she’s at nursery and my partner is back to work.
This isn’t to say I haven’t been making progress. Since becoming a father, I’ve onboarded a couple of clients and further developed my professional connections.
My network and level of activity is growing to a point where I’m now beginning to find opportunities to connect people and build up goodwill, with the intention of developing mutually beneficial relationships with other professionals.
There’s still a long way to go, and a lot of fuel left to burn until I rip through the atmosphere and reach orbit. However, I can feel the momentum building and I’m enjoying the ride.
Tom Redmayne is a chartered financial planner at Rockwealth
Comments