5 Things You Can Do Today To Invest In Your Future Freedom
So, how can you invest in your future freedom?
1. Build your financial foundation.
Great wealth builders focus on both saving money and earning more. Like it or not, your personal finances play an important role.
Many people can’t reach their dreams because of financial constraints. They are overwhelmed by debt. They live paycheck to paycheck. They have no space to pursue their dreams. If you’re currently living beyond your means and have no additional money to put to work for you, it will be harder to build wealth.
A strong financial foundation, on the other hand, opens a way for you to reach your dreams. It gives you the freedom you need to pursue them.
To me the two most important things for laying a strong impenetrable financial foundation are these:
Drop Your Living Expenses Like Crazy. Take the steps to permanently remove the impact that “Bills” have on your finances. This is the definition of wealth. What we are talking about here is the gap between your expenses and your income. Expenses should always be lower than your income. The larger that gap, the more wealth you can accumulate. It's hard to invest when you have no money or resources to invest. This means stay away from credit card debt, reduce electricity costs by going solar, don't buy things you don't need and fall into the consumerism trap, and make other small changes to help curb the amount of finances going out - that way you get to keep most of the finances coming in, or invest them!
The second most important thing in laying a financial foundation is to create a passive income. One that can be maintained without much time consuming it (even if it may consume time in the short run that will pay off in the long run). When you get to keep a large portion of the money your household is bringing in and it isn’t consuming all of your time to maintain that income you realize you suddenly have the time to spend doing what you want (which could include other things that earn an income or help secure your financial position in this life)
2. Build your knowledge.
To reach your dreams, you need knowledge. You need to know how to get to your destination. Knowledge is power. The more you have of it, the more power you have, especially when it comes to any kind of freedom.
Start paying attention to what you are absorbing through your ears on any given day. IT REALLY MATTERS!
Just as your liver absorbs what you drink, and your skin absorbs whatever it is exposed to, your ears are absorbing the sounds and words you are subjecting your brain to, on any given day, at any given moment.
If you spend your free time watching the Kardashians or listening to 80’s love songs everytime you drive somewhere - you aren’t utilizing the times when you could be absorbing knowledgeable information that can get you closer to living your dream.
In some instances (like watching the news regularly) you may actually be doing a number negatively on your knowledge bank.
Thoughts become things. Pay attention to what you are feeding your brain. Get books on tape, or download an app onto your smartphone like audible. There are many to choose from and almost all of them offer free trials. Listen to words that empower you - with knowledge.
3. Build your relationships.
You can’t get to your destination completely alone. Most of us need others to be with and to assist us in our journey. For that reason, you should build your relationships.
The most important relationship is the one with your family. So make time for them. Don’t let it become something that you come to regret later. Your family does not have to consist of blood relatives - most of mine isn’t. Instead the humans closest to you, the humans who know you the most and love you without conditions attached.
Make time for your friends. Help others without keeping score, and in turn they will help you.
Make connections with strangers, go out of your way to offer a helping hand in any situation that comes about if you are in the position to do so.
These interactions have the ability to literally change a person's life trajectory, but that can’t happen if the opportunity is allowed to just pass.
4. Build your spirituality.
Like it or not, there will be difficult times. In such times, it’s your spirituality and your relationships that helps you through.
Spirituality should not be confused with organized religion. Instead should be thought of as an inner journey of peace and freedom.
Spirituality is the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.
Build your spirituality through spiritual habits. These habits could be meditation, or reconnecting yourself with the earth or something else that works for you.
5. Build healthy habits.
Your physical health is essential for your productivity.
If you are healthy, you can be productive for a long time.
If you aren’t, you will have to spend your resources dealing with health issues.
Build healthy habits in these areas: the way you eat, rest and exercise.
If you do these things, you are investing in your future as well as your future freedoms; freedom of finances, freedom of time, and a free soul are just a few of the freedoms gained. You might not feel the full benefits now, but you will shortly, and they will be lasting.
Doing these things now can have a huge impact on your future and your freedom.
