Defining financial freedom: What does it mean to you?

Defining financial freedom: What does it mean to you?
 

It might seem obvious, but have you ever spent time thinking about the specific dollar figure that will grant you financial freedom? 

 

It’s something we’d all love to have, but the definition of financial freedom is not uniform. Thinking about a specific dollar figure is an interesting exercise because it helps you find your ‘why’. And it’s your personal ‘why’ that will anchor you through financial turbulence and the ups and downs of life. 

 

In the 5 years I’ve been coaching, I’ve heard a lot of my clients’ ‘whys’. And they generally fall into 5 categories:  

1. Freedom over time and money. The ability to completely pay off a mortgage, help family and friends and never have to worry about where money is coming from again. 
2. Freedom to choose. Having decentralised options for investing and storing money. We no longer need to have everything locked up in a legacy banking system that doesn’t serve us. 
3. Freedom to feel empowered: Education takes time, but it’s an investment that will pay dividends in the future. Learning about alternatives to traditional finance gives us options to step out of old patterns and into true empowerment. 
4. Freedom to have a Plan B. When the rules can change at any given moment, it becomes more important than ever to have a Plan B. 
5. Freedom from fear. Complete financial freedom means not having to rely on any person or institution for assistance, ever again. 

 

But here’s where it gets interesting…

What I see from students’ time and time again is that once they’ve achieved their goal, different priorities start to emerge. 

And it can often be things they’ve never thought of before!

This is wonderful because when you reach financial freedom, you truly stop restricting yourself and start to see that ANYTHING is possible. 

 

Here’s an exercise you might like to try: 

1. Think of a dollar figure that will give you financial freedom and consider why this is the case. Is it to pay off a mortgage? Buy that beach house? Become a philanthropist? Think about how much you’ll need to do this. 
2. Write it down on a piece of paper and take a few moments to bring it to life. Really immerse yourself in a reality where you’ve achieved it. What does life look like? Where are you living and who is around you? Write it all down. 
3. Now put your piece of paper somewhere accessible. When you start to feel the pull of fear-based narratives and constrictions, take another look and connect to your ‘why’.  

 

I’ll leave you with this. 

 

There’s a whole new asset class emerging and it’s there for everyone, no matter where you live, or what your circumstances. Opening ourselves up to alternative options gives us the opportunity to relaunch our finances and start creating the life of our dreams. 

 Happy manifesting