So, if you’re anything like us you want to live the life of your dreams, right? Well the life of your dreams is different for everyone, but the one common thing is that we all need to set up some mileposts to guide us along the way.

Maybe you’ve heard the saying that ‘A goal without a plan is a dream’. So, maybe live the life of your dreams should really be ‘Planning your life to meet your life goals!’ Naw…that doesn’t sound nearly as good. But sometimes it’s better to face reality and not sugar coat things. Whatever terms you want to use…life plan, desired end state, retirement plan…they are all planning terms to living they way we want to live. Continue reading…

We totally buy into the thinking that you can live the life of your dreams. It’s really not a dream at all, but an attainable goal that needs to be planned for, and the plan needs to be flexible and well executed. The foundation of our plan is what we call our 5 Pillars. When we first started the show, and on a few episodes along the way, we talked about the 5 pillars that guide us on our journey and give us focus for our decision making. Here they are:

The 5 Pillars That Guide Us

Since nothing is set in stone and we like to keep our journey under continuous review, we often challenge ourselves and even question ourselves to make sure we’re on track. Those reviews have been pivotal to us, and make sure we keep stretching our simplicity muscles on a regular basis. That’s why we’re doing Courtney Carver’s Dress For Less and Project 333. That’s also why we like to do an occasional digital fast, and that’s exactly why we’ve changed our 5th Pillar from focusing on “Future” to focusing on “Freedom.” Having Freedom as one of our five pillars gives us the lens to view and evaluate things we let into our lives to ensure they really do make it simpler. That “thing” we purchase today will have ramifications tomorrow, so we strive to make sure it fits our long-term goals. That commitment we reluctantly make today, or make in haste, can also keep us from doing what we want down the road. Taking the time to establish your pillars and deliberately making decisions based on them can keep you on the path for your simple journey.

Here’s Why We Changed From ‘Future’ to ‘Freedom’:

One of the best books I’ve read in the past few years, and then bought the audiobook as well, is The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco. Now, don’t be fooled by the title! It totally sounds like a cheesy “get rich quick” book, but honestly it’s anything but. I would recommend it to anyone who’s thinking about their financial future, setting up a side gig, or even just while considering how your finances affect how you want to live your life. All of this directly impacts your ability to live the life of your dreams.

Essentially, MJ describes three different paths that most people follow regarding money:

“Time is the most important asset I have, far exceeding money” and 

“The more I help, the richer I become in time, money, and personal fulfillment.”

Excerpts From: MJ DeMarco. “The Millionaire Fastlane.”

There is much, much more to his theories than that and I’m WAY oversimplifying it, but MY point is more focused on his explanation of ‘Freedom’. You know, I had read through his passages in the book a couple of times and understood them, but they really didn’t sink in…I didn’t internalize them. That was my fault, not his. But finally one day as I was walking along some paths in the woods at this park near our house, I was listening to the audio version of The Millionaire Fastlane again and that’s when what he was saying really sunk in. The lightbulb finally turned on. The concept itself wasn’t a new “revelation” for me…matter of fact it fit right in with the way we were already thinking…but I realized that the way I had thought of our ‘Future’ pillar, really translated into ‘Freedom’. The more I thought about it, the more Freedom stood out as what we were really searching for. “Future” seemed to be too nebulous for me now. Something that you always work toward and never achieve. But Freedom, as we defined it, was something tangible, within reach and something we could measure. So here’s the passage that finally broke through to me:”

“And finally, wealth is freedom and choice: freedom to live how you want to live, what, when, and where. Freedom from bosses, alarm clocks, and the pressures of money. Freedom to passionately pursue dreams. Freedom to raise your children as you see fit. And freedom from the drudgery of doing things you hate. Freedom is the liberty to live your life as you please.”

And there it was…our new 5th Pillar! So, as I thought more of Freedom I broadly thought of it in two categories: Freedom From and Freedom To. So we decided to put pen to paper…or actually fingertips to keyboards…and list out some of our Freedom Froms and Freedom Tos.

Freedom From:

Freedom To:

Now, these are some of our Freedoms. Yours may and should be different. But there’s certainly value in sitting down and writing them out.

Freedom Traps

But we feel like we owe you a warning. There are some “Freedom Traps” out there too. Some things dangle perceived freedom in front of you but, when abused, they become “freedom traps.”

Unfortunately, it’s so easy to fall into these traps. You know, these traps aren’t labeled ‘TRAP.” The traps we face are cleverly disguised as the shiny new boat that’s on sale, has low monthly payments, and promises of freedom on the lake or high seas with friends and family. It’s the credit card commercials we’re inundated with, especially now, leading up to the Holidays, that promise joy, status, good cheer and love from those you buy things for.

We all face these traps. One trap we avoided was that huge Class A motorhome that we had picked out that was priced at just what we paid for our current home. It was big and shiny, had tons of storage for ‘stuff that’s supposed  makes us happy’, and five (yes 5!), flat screen TVs. Of course it also promised to give us a life at one with nature (that’s nature with 5 flat screen TVs) but with all the conveniences of home (more actually). All this as we traveled across the country in style!

Thankfully, we avoided that trap and opted for our tiny teardrop trailer, where we actually do get to enjoy our great country, live closer to nature, have all the conveniences we need to sleep and eat but without the fluff. Plus, we saved for it and paid cash. That’s freedom!

For us, having Freedom as one of our five pillars gives us the lens to view and evaluate things we let into our lives to ensure they really do make it simpler. Like I said earlier, that thing we purchase today will have ramifications tomorrow, so we strive to make sure it fits our long-term goals. Taking the time to establish your pillars and deliberately making decisions based on them can keep you on path for your simple journey and have a much stronger shot at living the life of your dreams! Take some time and read the reviews of MJ’s The Millionaire Fastlane on Amazon and you’ll see that I’m not the only one who thinks so highly of it. I’m sure you’ll love it to!

So, have you taken time to think about & plan to live the life of your dreams? How have you fallen into “freedom traps” before and what do you do to avoid them now? We’re also curious to hear…what are your Freedom Tos and Freedom Froms? Let us know in the comments at SimpleLifeTogether.com/049, or reply to someone else’s comments too!

Dan’s Thing:  Belkin Mini Surge Protector with Dual USB Ports

Vanessa’s Thing: Courtney Carver’s Dress With Less Less and Project 333

2013 Podcast Awards:

Simple Life Together Meetup in D.C. Only a few seats left!!!

You can download a PDF of our show prep, too.

The Millionaire Fastlane by M.J. DeMarco

Project 333 and Dress With Less

PodcastAwards.com

Belkin Mini Surge Protector with Dual USB Ports

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Photo Credit: Modified Photo from dennisbehm