My Evolving View on the Wheel of Life

Think of life like The Sims — we have various need bars requiring attention. The Wheel of Life is a self-assessment tool that gives you the big picture to check if your life is balanced.

I organize my Wheel of Life around five dimensions:

1. Vitality & Wellness — the foundation of everything
2. Wealth & Security — freedom and resilience
3. Intellectual Growth — continuous learning
4. Relationships & Social Connection — the fuel of happiness
5. Self-Actualization — purpose and meaning

It acts as a vehicle for our journey. When the wheel is round, the ride is smooth; when neglected, we risk burnout. Addressing these gaps shifts us toward fulfillment.

I manage this in Notion using the Board View. It offers a bird's-eye view of everything while letting me drill down into specific areas via sub-pages or tables, ensuring my planning has both high-level vision and actionable depth.

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Vitality and wellness serve as the backbone of life. Modern longevity science no longer focuses on single metrics but emphasizes building a systemic anti-aging strategy through diet, metabolic control, exercise efficiency, mental restoration, and data monitoring.

Here is the integrated summary of the five key perspectives:

• Nutrition: Following the 2026 Food Pyramid concept, prioritize Real Food over refined carbohydrates. Since modern diseases often stem from overnutrition rather than deficiency, adopt a diet that supports GLP-1 to optimize metabolic health at its source.

• Fasting: Utilize intermittent fasting protocols, such as 16:8, to activate the Autophagy mechanism. This not only reduces Visceral Fat but also significantly improves Insulin Sensitivity and lowers chronic inflammation. I keep it to one day a week.

• Workout: Muscle is today's body currency, key to blood sugar control. Combine Zone 2 cardio with HIIT, aiming to boost VO₂ Max — a top longevity marker (Forbes, 2025). Running in sunlight is my favorite: it builds fitness, lifts mood, supports immunity, and fuels vitamin D — all in one.

• Mindfulness: Meditation and sensory withdrawal (Pratyahara) are not just relaxation but forms of "Active Resting." These practices effectively regulate the brain's DMN (Default Mode Network), helping consciousness detach from distractions to restore focus and calm. If full meditation feels hard or time-consuming, try cyclic sighing: two quick inhales through the nose followed by a long slow exhale. A 2023 Stanford RCT found it the most effective 5-minute daily practice for reducing anxiety and improving mood.

• Biomarkers: Beyond VO₂ Max and insulin sensitivity, regularly monitor ApoB (lipid risk), hs-CRP (inflammation index), and Epigenetic Clocks. Additionally, Grip Strength and Gait Speed serve as reliable indicators for assessing biological age.

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In a fast-changing world shaped by AI, uncertainty, and shifting values, it's time to rethink how we work, live, and plan for the future. From a side product to legacy, from mini-retirements to how you invest. These ideas might help you build a life that's resilient, intentional, and actually fulfilling.

Perspectives on building the foundation of freedom:

• Side-Product: A small product on the side is extra perspective. It gives you another angle on your main work. You have to research, organize, and ship, and that learning comes back to the day job. Start small and build something of your own.

• Mini-Retirement: Rethink the age-65 retirement model — money later can't buy the energy you have now. Life is measured by experiences, not just the end of work. Take mini-retirements along the way to avoid regretting a life spent only working.

• Legacy Planning: Discussing the afterlife while alive is rarely done but essential. Early preparation relieves your loved ones of burden and confusion during difficult times. Consider it a fundamental responsibility; clearing this mental load allows you to live worry-free and stay focused on the present.

• Die with Zero: Inspired by the book Die with Zero, shift your focus from over-saving to maximizing "Net Fulfillment." Avoid leaving large, unused sums at death. Instead, give inheritance early when it matters most, and invest in life experiences while you have the health and energy to fully enjoy them.

• Insurance & Investment: The fundamentals remain unchanged: the compound effect is king. Remember that ~90% of active fund managers underperform the index (S&P data). The best investing is often "boring" — automate monthly contributions into broad indices and forget about them. Simplicity beats complexity. For details, please read Just Keep Buying.

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By dedicating just 15 minutes daily, I read around 20 to 40 books a year. This habit offers a deep sense of fulfillment rather than immediate rewards, transforming knowledge from simple input into actionable insight. To manage information overload, I use Zettelkasten method to organize my knowledge, using modern tools like Heptabase.

Facets of my Intellectual Growth Journey:

• Creation as Learning: Learning has evolved; skills like languages or arts can now be acquired with minimal human instruction, though human guidance remains valuable.
• The Craftsman's Soul: AI replaces tasks, not roles. While workflows change, the human focus shifts to meaningful, precise work — quality and detail are the new differentiators.
• Domain Expertise: AI requires high-quality prompts to function well. Specialized knowledge (e.g., from a doctor or lawyer) is essential for effective prompting; lifelong learning is key.
• The Exposure Effect: Just keep showing up. Passion often follows knowledge. Proactive exploration and exposure to new things help discover interests and improve decision-making.
• Mental Jailbreak: True transformation requires breaking existing worldviews. To achieve what lies beyond your current reach, you must continually upgrade your mindset and capabilities.

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Relationships and social connections are the ultimate Fuel of Happiness, serving as the unchanging core of human satisfaction. While our identities and surroundings evolve, our need for meaningful interaction remains constant.

My favorite five key elements:

• The Unchanging Core: Happiness and life satisfaction remain fundamental human needs — a biological constant. I am always grateful for enduring relationships that have lasted decades.
• The Drive for Connection: Imagine being the last person on Earth; actions would lose meaning. We must admit that social context and competition are key drivers of our motivation.
• Cherish the Impermanent: You only live once. People evolve, and past versions of ourselves fade away. Most relationships are transient by nature; cherish them while they last.
• The Warm Glow of Giving: Be genuinely interested in others. Listen and support. Helping others succeed offers a "helper's high" often more rewarding than personal victory. Ironically, those who lift others up usually gain the momentum to succeed themselves.
• The "Happy Person Yields" Principle: If your personal life is fulfilled, do not entangle yourself with external provocations. Yielding isn't submission; it's wisdom. Engaging with toxic people only drains you, while they have nothing to lose. The best response to toxicity is silence and distance.

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Time, health, and opportunities are finite and irreversible. Embracing "You Only Live Once" is not recklessness but urgency — let scarcity drive you to make every moment count.

My core insights towards Self-Actualization:

• Alexander Mindset: Alexander the Great famously said, "If the mountain will not come to me, I will go to it." Great achievers refuse to be bound by convention — understanding change and avoiding rigid adherence to outdated norms allows goals to be realized and dreams to shine.
• Finding Mission Is Not Selfish: In the past, religion often provided purpose, but most modern people lack faith. Seeking your mission is not selfish or anti-social; it is connecting with something greater than individual existence. At the same time, cultivate the ability to find joy in yourself — sustained deep engagement free from self-consciousness.
• Intangible and Elusive: From Bruce Lee to the bestselling The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene, the highest realm of power is formless like water. Everything you need comes from your environment; true adaptation means seeing through your own eyes and often ignoring advice others try to sell you.
• Embody Future Truth: Live in the present as if your desired future is already reality. See five steps ahead and let that vision guide daily actions, pulling future success into the now.
• Contribution Mindset: Self-actualization is not purely inward; true fulfillment arises where personal growth intersects with service to others. Constantly ask: "How can I contribute and help?"