One
of the greater takeaways from primary school was the knowledge of the 7 key
questions - Why What When Who Where How and How Much? Of these, I believe "Why"
would be the most important question, especially when you embark on an endeavor
of any sort.
"Why" creates the motivation and provides the
cornerstone foundations for the pursuit of any goal or dream. If your reasons
for doing so are strong enough, naturally motivation wanes and one would almost
always fall short of arriving at the finishing line. Thus before one begins any
journey or endeavor, I would recommend examining your reasons behind doing so,
lest you put in a hard shift of wasted effort.
My
own reasons behind pursuing financial freedom? Simple, I subscribe to the notion
of a competent man, where:
"A
human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog,
conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall,
set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone,
solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook
a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for
insects." - Robert Heinlein
Well,
not literally word for word, but to summarize there are so many more adventures
in life that are available once one unlocks the door to F.I.R.E , instead of following
the masses and doing the 9 to 5 till you're 65. Not to say that the route to
financial freedom is easy, I actually think otherwise.
It comes with itself a
host of sacrifices, and living life with contrarian values. My underlying
theory is, if you had a chance to work hard for 10 years, earn your ticket to
being financially free, and then live life on your own terms, embark on your
own adventures and call the shots to your life with no scythe hanging over the
top of your head (your boss / financial troubles), would you do so? The
question I get asked frequently is: What happens if you make it after 10 years
but you pass away the very next day? Would it be for naught?
The
short answer would be yes, but would you rather not take your chances and lived
like the masses? And chances are, your keystone habits would have changed
during that time, giving you the satisfaction of achieving something most
people wouldn't even have dreamed of, and perhaps even inspiring some others in
the process. That my friend, might be just a tad sufficient to warrant such a
journey. After all, the rewards are in the journey and not the end in itself.
So,
my dear readers, what is your "Why" behind your journey?
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