Spending money on getting a healthy lifestyle has diminishing returns. Sure, if you are holding two part time jobs and barely holding yourself above poverty lin

Spending money on getting a healthy lifestyle has diminishing returns. Sure, if you are holding two part time jobs and barely holding yourself above poverty line, getting an extra $100 per month to put into fresh produce (or simply keep into your bank account for the peace of mind to let you sleep better at night) will do tons of good to your health. On the other hand, if you prioritize health over frivolous consumption, there are few and highly specific situations where making a 7-figure income will ensure a measurably better health outcome than a 6-figure income. On the other hand, jumping from 6 to 7 figure incomes requires more than raw talent. You need to consistently push yourself to comply with social expectations above and beyond what most middle class people would consider "normal". Whether you are serving bosses or clients, your perceived value added will go up if you go the extra mile in whatever you do. When you are young, in your late 20s to early 30s, you can afford to pull off that kind of thing without (much (perceived)) costs to your health. The thing is that the more you exceed expectations, the more unreasonable the next round of expectations are going to be, even if your compensation grows at the same rate. And to tie this up with the OP, let me say that self control is a tool. Its not good or bad in itself, but you can use it for fair or ill purposes. You can use your self control to assess when you have reached enough success and stay there, or you can use it to push through whatever personal problems your unsustainable success is causing you. Most people disengage too early and never realize their full potential, others (the over achievers among us) tend to keep going until they burn out or worse. Few people are wise enough to stop near the sweet spot.