How do we evaluate whether a choice we have is in our best interest? What factors should go into making such decisions?
No doubt, there are a plethora of possible answers.
But I would argue that almost no metric is more important than that of your personal freedom.
What is it worth to you to give that up? A salary? A bigger home? A retirement?
Have you ever heard the story of the businessman and the fisherman? Here’s a link to one version I found: https://medium.com/@guyriese/when-the-american-businessman-met-the-mexican-fisherman-2ad149667e02
The idea is that the fisherman is living a life of freedom, fulfillment, and abundance, while the businessman is living a hurried and stressful life.
The businessman enthusiastically shares a 25 year vision and business plan that the fisherman could use to really take his small fishing business to the stars.
But at the end of the parable, 25 years later, the fisherman’s projected future retirement looks no different than the life he is currently living.
No doubt, there are a plethora of possible answers.
But I would argue that almost no metric is more important than that of your personal freedom.
What is it worth to you to give that up? A salary? A bigger home? A retirement?
Have you ever heard the story of the businessman and the fisherman? Here’s a link to one version I found: https://medium.com/@guyriese/when-the-american-businessman-met-the-mexican-fisherman-2ad149667e02
The idea is that the fisherman is living a life of freedom, fulfillment, and abundance, while the businessman is living a hurried and stressful life.
The businessman enthusiastically shares a 25 year vision and business plan that the fisherman could use to really take his small fishing business to the stars.
But at the end of the parable, 25 years later, the fisherman’s projected future retirement looks no different than the life he is currently living.
This might be controversial to say, but here goes: When you have freedom of time, you need less money.
After all, what can money buy that freedom can’t? Obviously there are some things—for example, freedom doesn’t pay medical bills.
Still, most of the frivolity on which we choose to waste our dollars is merely a substitute for freedom.
Today as an entrepreneur, I make the rules. I get to stop working at 12pm if I want to. The rest of the day is my lunch break.
Maybe that life is not for you. Heck, it may not be for me! And if so, I’ll use my freedom to decide on another schedule.
I make the rules. You make the rules.
So what are you going to do with it?
—
Steve Schramm
IG: @swschramm
Steve Schramm
IG: @swschramm