A growing trend on social media are influencers sharing their daily routines. These videos are meant to show what a perfect day should look like (in their eyes) that are designed to go viral.
What I’ve found interesting is most of these influencers show themselves alone throughout the video. Many people comment that “this is what a poor person’s idea of what rich people are like.” It’s a lot of showing off how much money they (allegedly) have with name brand clothes, shoes, cars, etc. Every second of the day seems carefully constructed for aesthetic appeal.
The goal? To make the viewer believe this is what success and happiness look like. Never in any of these videos do you see them working a “normal” job, humbly living below their means, and investing on a professionally approved schedule. There’s no talk of Roth IRAs, an investment risk budget, or building an emergency savings account. Instead, their version of success seems to hinge on constant consumption, not on financial literacy or security.
The message is subtle but persistent: this is what your life could look like if you had more money, less financial discipline, and a better sense of style.
What I find especially interesting about these videos is how frequently the influencer is alone. There’s rarely any real human connection.
This fantasy life can be very misleading. It doesn’t highlight the grit, sacrifice, and patience that usually go into building a genuinely successful life. These videos also never touch on the bad days which happen to everyone, or when things don’t go exactly according to plan, and your incredibly structured routine has to get thrown out for the day.
As we know with investing, the stock market is not just a smooth climb up. Just like in our real, unfiltered lives, there are ups and downs. Some days we really do have that incredible day, when we check all our boxes that could include exercise, healthy eating, seeing friends and family, and finishing the work we needed to get done. But we also have days that we would never want to post online. Those days might include getting sick, needing an unexpected home repair, an argument with someone you care about, or an issue at work.
This is much closer to reality than the perfectly scripted day the influencers try selling to us. Just like the stock market, you will have your up and down days, but as long as you stay disciplined, live within your means, and invest responsibly, you should have more good days than bad.
Quote of the week: Denis Waitley: “Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.”
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