Jesus lives in a Venezuela. He saves 30% of his salary and lives lean without spending much money on himself. He practices what he read from his favorite American motivational books. Every year Jesus looks at how his country's currency depreciation devalues his savings and that his savings are less than it was the previous year in purchasing power despite him adding 30% of his annual salary to it.
Jesus comes to the realization that his previous belief of saving his money is counterproductive. He also realizes American motivation books on saving are not applicable to his situation. He instead needs to re-evaluate his deep seated belief of becoming wealthy through saving and find another way to achieve success as his current belief of wealth and goals is moving him one step forward but two steps back
An American women comments he should relax more like her? He replies he rather needs perspective to adjust to a new plan of action due to the circumstance of his times which are not applicable to her. He says he has to adjust his attitude and work harder and smarter without being complacent and common sense complacency will lead him to failure and not being able to retire ever. He wants to tell her he has to work twice as hard as her to get a fifth of what she has. He wants a word to describe this.
The word perspective doesn't convey what I want to say as to me it feels like a personal change of attitude or view where as I want to convey it as he is adjusting to his situation of the day. Also it's not that his view of success was bad as saving is good for most people.
Foresight or reflection also doesn't fit in as for him it is more common sense action but since losing money when saving is not common sense you can't call him common sense.
I couldn't think of a word where he has to work much harder than someone in the US. A word that conveys the attitude he needs to take. He has no choice. He has to take that attitude.
