As I work toward Financial Independence I’ve learned that I need a career mission for my vision. What does that mean? It means it’s time to find a career where I learn from that will help me with my future plans. Obviously, money plays a very large part in it but it’s not the main part. I have a vision for my lifestyle and there are several things within that vision I want to accomplish. The goal of FI is not to land a job that “doesn’t feel like work”. It’s about freedom.
My Vision
Being free is something we all fight for in one way or another. There are effort and complexity that have to be accounted for in the one thing we can never get back. Time. My vision is to live in the freedom from having to work a 9-5 for a paycheck. Freedom from the status quo box that I’ve been taught is OK to be in. Emotionally and physically free from micromanagement and yearly judgment of your contributions to a team or bottom line.
A salary is a bribe to keep you from working on your vision to build someone else’s
This is something that I wholeheartedly believe. It is VERY enticing and with the way society is molded, it is absolutely necessary in many cases like mine. The larger the salary, the more you are considered a “success”. I’m not going to lie, it feels good to say “I make X figures”. The problem comes when the reply is “yeah but at what cost?”.
Cost of My Job vs. Cost of My Vision
What exactly is the cost of my vision? I’m not quite sure. Let us try and figure it out as I write this post.
- Emotional cost with crazy highs and lows. I guess I can live with that.
- Physically it will cost so I have to eat healthier and stay in shape. Ok, that’s cool.
- The mental cost would probably mean headaches, lack of sleep from time to time and constant learning. Eh… ok.
- Time… it will cost me lots of time. Hold up!
I want to focus on time. That is one thing I know I can’t get back and it is limited in supply. Time is very precious and needs to be handled with care. In the book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F…, the author is very clear about how and why you should only give a f… about things that matter. In my case, it’s about my family and my vision. Needless to say, time is one I give a f… about. That is a high price to pay for a vision.
When thinking about the cost for my job I realize it is the same as my vision. So why don’t I just work on my vision instead of my job? Sounds good but at this point in my life having to adult all the time, I need to figure out how I can make one work for the other. The job is necessary due to my past decisions, what I have been taught and how I have been operating in for the past 30+ years. I get it now.
My Career
Now that it’s all making sense, I now have to pay the cost to exchange one set of problems for another by shifting career goals that align with my vision. My next career should at least sustain the lifestyle I have currently. I will need to learn how to build better and effective relationships that lead to my vision. It should create opportunities to learn how to better run a successful business. Additionally, it should provide more time in the day to work on my vision.
Yes, this is a tall order but absolutely necessary. Sure I can always live below my means and all that but why? I still want to “live”! Don’t get me wrong I definitely need to take cost-saving measures as well as curb my spending habits. That is a given considering the vision I have. I won’t go overboard though. Fancy Meals, Movies, Travel, etc. are essential to my mental health. Again… I want to “live”.
Growing Pains
As I grow in FI I never want to stop learning. I just have to make sure it counts. No more being busy just to be busy. Everything should be productive in one way or another. This isn’t just towards FI but in everything listed earlier in regards to the cost.
If you’re not spending 5 hours per week learning, you’re being irresponsible – Warren Buffett
It never feels good to be called irresponsible. Not one bit! I can handle being called childish WAY better. All I need to do is make sure that 1 hour a day I am learning something. This can come in the form of a book, documentary, blog post from buymytimeback.com, etc. So I’m going to try and not be irresponsible here and go for it!
We will see how this works out!
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