Your Financial Freedom goal is fine. But re-think the reasons behind it

Many people have an objective in common: Being Rich.

Call it Wealthy, having a lot of money, or as you wish. But the fact is that they want to have enough money to… (and here is where we differ from each other).

Some people condemn those who want to be rich. I’m not one of them.

But I challenge those who claim:

I want to be rich to stop working

No right or wrong motivators exist, but let’s analyze this one.

Financial freedom as a goal

Let’s define financial freedom as having enough assets from your passive income so you can live as you want.

The question arises: Why do you want to be financially free?

There may be something you don’t like in your life. Something that you will be able to change if you become rich.

The answer, for many people, is simple: If I were rich, I’d stop working

If that is your reason, then I’d suggest digging deeper.

Stopping working is not a solution

Working is the single activity on which we spend the most time. There is no way to stop working at an early age and don’t be depressed.

We all have that friend or relative that doesn’t work. And let’s be honest. Do you want to be like them?

Our brains need to be challenged at the right level. Working gives us health, challenges, good times, self-esteem, stories, and friends. There is nothing wrong with working.

So, there may be something else.

What is there behind working for you? Why do you think it makes you unhappy? Some examples:

• Time: You’d like to work less hours.
• Obligation: You don’t like to “have to” work every day. You may prefer to choose when you do it.
• Activities: You don’t like what you do.
• People: You can’t stand your colleagues.
• Pace: You would like to work faster or slower. Maybe reducing the stress.
• Methodology: You may prefer to change the way you work.

Checking for the hidden reasons will help you understand what you are after by seeking financial freedom.

Better reasons for financial freedom

2 Things will happen after you recognize the items that are bothering you the most:

1. You will come up with better reasons for your “Being Rich” goal, which will fuel you to achieve it.
2. Many of these items can be modeled during your career, so your urgency to become rich will diminish.

Some of the “better” reasons you will find are:

• Working stress-free.
• Spending more time with my loved ones.
• Spending more time with some of my hobbies.
• Doing a more fulfilling job, even with a lower salary.
• Working in my own company, at my pace, and with my rules.
• Take bigger risks.
• Reduce my preoccupations.
• Travel more and have more experiences.
• Etc.

Once you can enumerate what is bothering you, it is easier to focus on actionable steps to change it.

You can change many things in your current position. For others, you will need to find a different position or company.

Conclusion

Becoming rich is one of the most common goals people have nowadays.

But be careful about the reasons you have to achieve it.

If it is because you want to stop working, re-think it.

Understand what matters to you, and take the shortcut.

Stopping working will reduce your enthusiasm in life. But including meaningful activities and relationships will make it flourish.

Thank you for reading. Please, share this piece with your friends and colleagues if you found it helpful.