Financial Freedom: What Does Living Life on your Terms Look Like To YOU?

When people hear that I retired at 32, they often assume that I am sitting on a beach somewhere.



I remember for the first several years, I traveled, lived in beach towns (Dana Point, CA; South Beach, Miami; Redondo Beach & Manhattan Beach, CA; Clearwater, FL; Tampa, FL). I can tell you that I got bored pretty fast.  What I realized is that we work so hard for something (for me it was financial freedom and a strong a residual income), then when you get there, it's like "what now?"




I am sure you have heard the phrase, "It's not the destination, it's the journey..."  This is so true.  What I learned is that the couple of years I worked really hard to achieve financial freedom were fun and I should have enjoyed that journey.  After arriving at my destination (financial freedom and a residual income), I got bored real quick. I thought that "great life" of living of the beach was what I wanted.

So what then to me is retired?  Well, to me, at least, it's not sitting around doing nothing or traveling all the time. I'm sorry, but I enjoy working.  What I want with financial freedom is to:

1) Not have to work if I don't want to.
2) Get up when I want, go to bed when I want.
3) Go on a trip or travel whenever I feel like it.
4) Simply go to whatever yoga class, play volleyball whenever I want, or go to the gym whenever I want.

I don't want to be tied or forced to do anything.  Now, when I *choose* to make commitments to people, obviously, I am tied to those commitments and I cannot do what I want during those times. The point is that I chose to do those things.

I think so many people out there feel like someone else has control over their life and they feel like they have to ask permission to do anything.  I cannot live this way and I would imagine most people don't want to live this way.

So what is your picture of freedom (both financial and time)? What is living life on your terms?