Everyone wants to be financially free and retire early, but the reality is that only a small number of people will attempt to obtain it, and an even smaller number of people will make it a reality.
Why is that?
Is it because finance is such a vast and difficult topic to understand? Or because achieving FF requires an extensive comprehension of complex investment strategies, an extremely high income, or an exorbitant amount of luck?
Frankly, it’s none of those things. Achieving FF is incredibly simple. So simple that at the beginning of this blog I boiled it down to just 5 basic steps. These steps are based primarily on sound financial principles, not complex investing strategies or get rich quick tactics. Principles. Ones that never change and always work, regardless of your situation.
But even though this approach to Financial Freedom is simple, it isn’t EASY. It takes work, effort, and a willingness to change how you think and behave when it comes to money.
Because it isn’t easy, the reality is the vast majority of people won’t do it. No matter how much they want it.
Instead, the majority will work year after year wistfully fantasizing about retirement, while simultaneously changing nothing in order to make that fantasy a reality.
That majority comprises at least 75 percent of the population.
Then there’s the people who want it, and are willing to put in a bit of effort, but will ultimately lose interest because no one was there to show them exactly how or what to do.
Anyone who has ever had to supervise people has heard that line utilized as an excuse for not completing just about every task under the sun.
I would have completed that report – but nobody showed me how. I would have prepared that power point presentation – but nobody showed me how. I would have ordered more pens – but nobody showed me how.
A lack of knowledge and familiarity is a huge deterrent to the initiative of otherwise very capable people, and an even bigger excuse for people who are simply not interested in doing the work.
On one hand, this avoidance of hard work, and resistance to figuring things out can be frustrating. But because the majority of people simply procrastinate or avoid things that seem hard or unfamiliar to them, it becomes an absolutely HUGE advantage to anyone who is willing to put in a little elbow grease and figure things out.
This willingness to work hard, tackle things head on, and learn independently, despite the risk of failure or embarrassment, is a significant edge in life. And when you recognize this edge within yourself, it’s almost not even fair (for everyone else).
If you are willing to just do it, to take the initiative and figure things out, even if no one has “shown you how”; you are ahead of about 90% of the population. 90% that would rather wait for someone to come along and show them what to do and how to do it, even if that someone never shows up.
In terms of achieving Financial Freedom, you have to be willing to just do it. No one is going to be there to hold your hand through the process (not unless your willing to pay them a lot of money to do it!)
At least 90% of the people who read this will not put in the work to make early retirement a reality, or they will procrastinate because it seems like an overwhelming task.
Be the minority. Recognize your edge, and don’t just dream of Financial Freedom – do it.