{"id":43411,"date":"2020-11-20T13:22:15","date_gmt":"2020-11-20T18:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/?p=43411"},"modified":"2021-02-03T16:01:51","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T21:01:51","slug":"escape-to-freedom-1-what-is-your-freedom-lifestyle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/blog\/escape-to-freedom-1-what-is-your-freedom-lifestyle\/","title":{"rendered":"Escape to Freedom #1 – What Is Your Freedom Lifestyle?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u201cI just don\u2019t know where to start.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n That\u2019s a phrase I\u2019ve heard hundreds of times from clients with whom I\u2019ve worked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n They know they want to make serious changes in their lifestyle, they know they want to make money outside of their 9-to-5 job, they know they want to have a sense of freedom \u2014 but they literally don\u2019t know where to start.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n With apologies to singer Janis Joplin and songwriter Kris Kristofferson, the concept of freedom is pretty closely aligned with the ability to have more choices. Freedom\u2019s just another word for having choices.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When choices are cut off we feel trapped.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Trapped in a job we don\u2019t enjoy. Trapped in a country with high taxes we oppose. Trapped in a financial system of relentless surveillance and confiscation. Trapped with co-workers who are a drain on our life energy. Trapped in a recurring schedule that gives us so little discretionary personal time.<\/span><\/p>\n And the reality is, every individual has his or her own priorities, values, and circumstances that shape their concept of personal freedom. On top of that, those elements are not static. They change at different times in our lives.<\/span><\/p>\n Sifting through all of that requires some clear-eyed introspection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Here’s a podcast from The Expat Money Show<\/a> <\/strong>where Mikkel and I talk about safely leaving the rat race by starting an online business!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/i><\/b>The hidden obstacle to not knowing where to start is that people don\u2019t first think about where they want to end up. Once you define that, the \u2018getting started\u2019 part is much easier. <\/span> The two broad categories most people need to define are:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The first is very personal and completely individual and there are basically no wrong answers. One person\u2019s #1 priority is spending time with family, another\u2019s #1 priority is <\/span>avoiding<\/span><\/i> time with family. Ha!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As to the second category \u2014 how you make money, there have never been more choices available than there are now. And remember, choices equal freedom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So you need to spend time thinking about where you want to end up in terms of what you actually do week to week to make money.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Once you have a clear vision of your preferences, it makes it quite easy to know what you want and therefore where to start.<\/span><\/p>\nFreedom\u2019s Just Another Word For . . . having choices.<\/b><\/h2>\n
The Real Reason Most People <\/b>\u2018Don\u2019t Know Where to Start\u2019<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n
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\n<\/span>There are a lot of elements to knowing where you want to end up, which I wrote about <\/span>here<\/b><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n