Hi everyone, I just got done reading MF yesterday. I finished it in 2 days. It was very easy to read and was the kick in the a$$ I needed. I am 33 and have been a corporate web developer for 9 years. I am married with a 2 year old and I live in an affluent town. I have a cushy job that I am over qualified for that pays in the low six figures.
I could just mail it in, take my 3 to 10 percent yearly raises and just drift along to retirement because honestly my life is pretty easy given my lifestyle and income. In fact, before I found this book I was gonna do just that. I was gonna commit to maxing my 401k and HSA just a few weeks ago and just wait. But then something changed my perception and outlook...
My wife is brazilian and we visited her family for the first time in her home country. Im still here as I write this post. Brazil is a beautiful country with beautiful people. The first thing I noticed, however, was how little the average person has compared to people like me and my wife. But you know what I also noticed? These people are HAPPY. They dont have much, but are still invigorated by life. Meanwhile, the last few years of my life have been a blur caused by the 5 for 2 and meaningless possessions. I can barely remember anything anymore because every day is literally exactly the same with no context.
I had an epiphany on this trip that time, relationships, and freedom are what are important to me. My motivation right now is just that...to gain time. Can I amass enough money to allow my wife to see her parents more than 2 weeks a year? How about enough money to have them stay in the states for 6 months on my dime? How about we just get up and live here for 3 months out of the year? Cannot do that shackled by the 5 for 2.
Motivation is just mental masterbation though. I know I need to fuel this dream with a consistent process. I have come up with a few steps I am going to execute as soon as I get back.
Eliminate distractions
1) I am selling my high horsepower daily driver hobby car. This car hobby is a distraction because it takes up my time and money. I am sacrificing something I enjoy in order to free up time for my process. I already put a down payment on a 40 mpg car that costs 7k less than my current car. I am paying with cash and putting current gas guzzler for sale.
2) I am paying off all debt outside my mortgage. The burden of that debt causes me anxiety and is a massive distraction. I will never fall into debt again over material possessions.
As for my first steps toward more freedom I set two goals for myself.
1) Update two friends websites.
2) reach out to a stranger and either update their site or create a new one from scratch.
Since I am a corporate web dev, I really work on niche projects, not end to end stuff. So doing sites like these will allow me to widen my array of skills.
I could just mail it in, take my 3 to 10 percent yearly raises and just drift along to retirement because honestly my life is pretty easy given my lifestyle and income. In fact, before I found this book I was gonna do just that. I was gonna commit to maxing my 401k and HSA just a few weeks ago and just wait. But then something changed my perception and outlook...
My wife is brazilian and we visited her family for the first time in her home country. Im still here as I write this post. Brazil is a beautiful country with beautiful people. The first thing I noticed, however, was how little the average person has compared to people like me and my wife. But you know what I also noticed? These people are HAPPY. They dont have much, but are still invigorated by life. Meanwhile, the last few years of my life have been a blur caused by the 5 for 2 and meaningless possessions. I can barely remember anything anymore because every day is literally exactly the same with no context.
I had an epiphany on this trip that time, relationships, and freedom are what are important to me. My motivation right now is just that...to gain time. Can I amass enough money to allow my wife to see her parents more than 2 weeks a year? How about enough money to have them stay in the states for 6 months on my dime? How about we just get up and live here for 3 months out of the year? Cannot do that shackled by the 5 for 2.
Motivation is just mental masterbation though. I know I need to fuel this dream with a consistent process. I have come up with a few steps I am going to execute as soon as I get back.
Eliminate distractions
1) I am selling my high horsepower daily driver hobby car. This car hobby is a distraction because it takes up my time and money. I am sacrificing something I enjoy in order to free up time for my process. I already put a down payment on a 40 mpg car that costs 7k less than my current car. I am paying with cash and putting current gas guzzler for sale.
2) I am paying off all debt outside my mortgage. The burden of that debt causes me anxiety and is a massive distraction. I will never fall into debt again over material possessions.
As for my first steps toward more freedom I set two goals for myself.
1) Update two friends websites.
2) reach out to a stranger and either update their site or create a new one from scratch.
Since I am a corporate web dev, I really work on niche projects, not end to end stuff. So doing sites like these will allow me to widen my array of skills.
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