A Year Isn’t A Year

timefollowingI recently discussed how a dollar isn’t a dollar.

But I’ve also found, over time, that a year isn’t a year.

A Dollar Isn’t A Dollar

It seems that for some reason we tend to value things with a 1:1 ratio. And that’s true for both money and time.

We might compare what kind of money we could earn at a job we’d probably enjoy against an extra $10,000 or $20,000 per year at a job that’s kind of a bummer and automatically conclude that the latter must win out because it’s… just a lot more money. But is it that the right choice? Are those dollars one and the same?

I’ve realized over the last year that a dollar earned doing something I love and a dollar earned doing something I don’t enjoy are not one and the same. I value each one of them far differently. Just like a passive dollar is worth far more to me than an active dollar – due to taxes, effort, and time to procure – a dollar earned doing something I appreciate and take some pleasure in is worth much more to me than a dollar earned in an activity that kind of bums me out.

And just like a stock has both a price tag and intrinsic value – they’re rarely, perhaps never, one and the same – I’d argue so does money and time.

The Time Value Of Money

As investors, we’re all familiar with the concept of the time value of money, right?

The time value of money is basically the proposition that money in the present is worth more than the same amount of money in the future due to its potential earning ability. If money can earn a return of some type, then money is always worth more the sooner it is received.

This is basically why we invest our money and expect a reasonable rate of return on that investment.

As such, a dollar isn’t a dollar here, either. A dollar today is worth far more than a dollar in 30 years. Not only do you have the earning potential of that dollar today, but, due to inflation, a dollar in 30 years will be worth far less than a dollar today.

The Time Value Of Time

While the time value of money is a well-accepted and well-known concept in finance, the time value of time isn’t.

And that’s a shame, which is why I’m writing this article.

Just like a dollar is worth more today than it is in the future, I’d argue that, all the same, a year today is worth more than a year in the future.

Of course, you have the obvious relation to money there: You can earn money in a year now and invest that money, meaning that money can compound and very likely be worth more than the same money earned in a future year. That relates back to the time value of money.

But there’s so much more.

A Year Isn’t A Year

The future isn’t guaranteed.

As such, a year now is worth far more than a year in 20 or 30 years. After all, you might not even be alive at that point in time.

Not only that, but who knows what kind of health you might be in at some unspecified date in the future. Is financial independence more valuable at 40 years old or 70 years old? At which age are you more able to actually enjoy and maximize the value of your time?

Want to travel when you’re financially independent? How comfortable are those 20-hour flights across the world going to be in your 60s? Probably not as comfortable as they are in your 30s or 40s, which is still probably quite uncomfortable.

Walking around new cities? Tackling a 10-mile bike ride? Hiking? Getting in that afternoon jog? Staying up all night for good conversation? Checking in to a hostel?

How much easier are those activities when you’re 30 or 40 than when you’re 60 or 70?

What about just random adventure? Random chance?

I think we lose those random opportunities the older we grow and the more insulated we become.

I just recently turned 33. And I’ll tell you something. I’ve lost a bit of my edge. That sense of adventure. That sense of wonder. I don’t know if that comes with age, settling, or complacency. But I think it’s real. And that scares me. It scares me to think what kind of person I’ll be 30 years from now. Which is partly why I want to savor every minute now. Not only is the future not guaranteed, but you’re not even guaranteed to be the type of person you might expect yourself to be. And you’re certainly not guaranteed the physical or mental capacity to enjoy freedom as much in the future as you are now.

What you’re capable of – physically, emotionally, and psychologically – surely changes as you grow older. Thus, financial independence, and a year, holds so much more value for me today than it does in 30 years, when most people my age will finally be retiring.

It appears to me that there are two parabolas that exist in life. The first parabola is your age and overall capabilities. As you get older you simply become less capable. (Don’t mind the hand-drawn pics; I’m better at writing than drawing.)

capabilities

 

And then there’s this other parabola involving your age and free time. Your available time – how much you actually own – is at its trough exactly at the same time the first parabola is at its peak.

freetime

(Notice the smile and the frown there?)

Isn’t that a shame? Isn’t it a shame that exactly when you’re most vigorous you have the least amount of free time?

And right at the time your capabilities start to kind of fade you then have the most freedom? Isn’t that backwards?

What if there were a way to change all that?

I’d argue that achieving financial independence early in life is the change.

Well, I’ve been able to sneak a peek at that change. And I think about the last year and realize how fortunate I’ve been. I’ve had just a tremendously fun time. I’ve been so busy writing, creating, inspiring, learning, sharing, and becoming a better person every single day. And I took that leap to full-time blogging because I felt I was far enough along the spectrum of freedom to leap without worry of falling.

The Value Of Becoming The Best Versions Of Ourselves

But what if I would have stayed at the car dealership? Sure, I might have a little more money. But I would have lost all of those experiences. And I’d probably be a worse person for it. How much value is in that? How much should I value each of those years – the one I lived and the other in an alternate universe where I stayed on at my full-time automotive job? Isn’t the former worth so much more?

Not only is the year I lived worth more than the one I didn’t, but it’s already come and gone. Time waits for nobody. If I didn’t take that leap of faith, the year would have passed by regardless. And I’d still be where I was. Thus, every year we have the opportunity to take ownership of in the present is worth far more than those years in the future that have not yet come to pass.

Furthermore, what value is there in becoming a better and more well-rounded person? I can certainly say I’ve learned way more working for myself than I would have ever learned staying at the car dealership. I already knew all there was to know at my old job. I mastered it. It was time to move on and try something new. Does that knowledge not also compound, like money? Think of every year you could learn something new, try something new, go somewhere new. All of those experiences add up and compound to make you a bigger and better version of yourself.

So every year you’re not making the most of every opportunity to own your own time and become the best and freest version of yourself is one less year you can compound all of that knowledge, experience, and happiness.

Thus, I think it’s important to not delay gratification.

No, not that gratification. What’s really gratifying. Freedom. Flexibility. Fun. Options. Chance. And the most important thing of all: owning our own time.

Conclusion

A dollar isn’t a dollar. And a year isn’t a year. Both of them are not only worth more today than they are in the future, but both have relative value as well.

Be the you that you want to be. And be that person as soon as possible. Opportunity is never greater than today. We’re never younger than we are right now, and it’s unlikely you’ll ever be healthier or more capable than you are today. If financial independence could be great at 60, imagine how amazing it could be at 40… or 30. Tomorrow isn’t promised. And that’s why it’s so important to take ownership of your time.

What do you think? Is a year a year? Do you value your time enough to aggressively pursue financially independence so as to enjoy your freedom as soon as possible?

Thanks for reading.

Photo Credit: jesadaphorn/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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146 Comments

  1. Now this is the kind of thinking that makes me want to do more, right now. I think you’re totally right; a year in your 20s is not the same as a year in your 70s. The physical things you are capable of in your 20s are vastly different to those in your 70s, even if you manage to live that long. It’s a shame that in our society, the most active years of your life are potentially spent sat behind a desk. That’s why financial independence and freedom from that is so important. A great post!

  2. Jason,

    Excellent post to reflect on us, our life and our future. The 2 curves you present are explicit, you could have added one for the saving, the spending, which probably follow the same trends.

    I wil to read your post twice to really catch the essence of it!

    Well done and cheers,

    RA50

  3. Jason,
    Great inspiring post.. you’re the man. Those hand drawn pics are a bit depressing but they are drawn in lines of truth. I’ve been on a 16 hour NYC to Hong Kong flight, 1 hour layover, 4 hour flight HKG to Singapore, let’s just say at the age of 27 I don’t know what fell asleep first my legs/bum or myself. I couldn’t imagine doing that flight in old age and/or overweight. The human body just isn’t as forgiving as you age, although the seats were comfortable.
    Cheers,
    -Rich (27)

  4. This is a great article and a great concept. It is precisely why I want (need) to retire early. One of my goals in life is to hike the pacific crest trail – an epic journey from Mexico to Canada. This is something I can only do in retirement since it takes months to complete. I seriously doubt that I will be able to achieve this goal if I retire at an old age. So hopefully I will reach retirement close to the peak of my “capabilities parabola!”

  5. “I just recently turned 33. And I’ll tell you something. I’ve lost a bit of my edge. That sense of adventure. That sense of wonder. I don’t know if that comes with age, settling, or complacency. But I think it’s real. And that scares me.”

    Wow, that really resonated with me. I’m at a hotel connected to the Mall of America due to a conference for my girlfriend is attending. Last evening we were casually walking around the mall by lego land with the giant lego creations (helicopter, tiger, dragon, transformer, etc), and I told my girlfriend, “I don’t know if those are really legos or not, I wonder if there was a mold and only the very outter portion is legos so they would save time and it wouldn’t be so tedious?” Within a minute of that statement, a little kid, maybe 6-8 years old, turned the corner and saw the multi-story lego transformer and his mouth dropped in amazement.

    My girlfriend saw it too, and I just laughed saying that I’ve become way too rigid, why am I not just as surprised and ‘awed’ as the kid!?

    It made me self-aware of my thinking – such as, what happens 10 years from now? Will I even notice it??

    Very inspirational article and thought process, and loved the hand drawn pics by the way!

  6. Phenomenal post Jason,

    As many of the commenters have said above me, it is amazing how well this post resonates with me. The hand drawn pics, although a bit crude, are very truthful and also want me to quit my job and live a more meaningful life. The charts are depressing but at the age of 27 it is amazing how much wiser I feel than my parents seem to me. Had they known this information and taught this stuff to me, what kind of position would I be in today? Its quite depressing but at the same time gratifying that I have found this lifestyle.

    This post makes me want to go live with my parents again (although my wife might not agree) and share all of the expenses. Helping them reach retirement goals and helping me reach for financial independence.

    Fantastic post. I will be forwarding to my wife and rereading again.

    I can only hope that my charts do not look like the ones above!

    ADD

  7. Great post once again! Time values a lot more than pretty much anything else, except for health of course. It’s just unfortunate we sometimes take so much time to realize this!

    Cheers,

    Mike

  8. Hi Jason,

    Great read & I agree with everything you said. It’s interesting how a dollar and our time is worth more today than in the future, but to have the future we desire we have to “give these things up” today, for a lack of a better explanation. It’s all about balance, eh?

    Best Regards,
    Dividend Beginner

  9. I see it with my grandmother. She is 94 and has all the time in the world to do whatever she wants yet faces diminished capabilities with her vision, hearing and general health. She always told me that now is what you have and the future is never guaranteed. She always told me to go out and do my own thing, whether it was starting a business (which I did) or travel (which I did a lot of as well). She kept reminding me how she planned to travel across the U.S. with my grandfather when they retired. It never happened. He suffered a stroke and was bed ridden for ten years till he passed. As you stated, we really only have our “now time.” The future is certainly not guaranteed and I think her words have resonated with me all these years which is partly why I am the way I am today.

  10. I agree completely. It’s no fun to save all the money to only spend it in your final years (that you may not get). Being able to enjoy it when your young is certainly more optimal.

  11. You probably won’t be able to increase you capabilities while getting older, but you are certainly in a position to increase your free time at an young age!, Continue the hard work and that parabola on the second hand drown picture will change! 🙂

    Another great post, keep up the good work!

    Cheers
    Dividendfreedome

  12. Great point Jason,
    I turned 33 in 2014 and I’ll soon be 34… I, like you, feel that some parts of me are gone and I’m sometimes worried about that. As much as I was craving to see the wolrd, to see the egyptian pyramids and stuff like that it now seems to me that it’s not that important. It dropped very low on my bucket list. I feel less adventurous… Maybe it’s going to change when I’ll reach financial freedom but I doubt it. I’ve changed. I now like taking small walks on the beach or in the forest for a couple of hours while 5 years ago, hiking the Kilimanjaro was a dream or walking the whole appalachian trail another dream.

    It’s true that we don’t know how we’ll be at 65 but one thing is sure, I’m 33 and it’s hard for me to keep up with the crazy rhytm of my job and of society. I can’t imagine how it would be at 65…

    I like the parabolas by the way. You nailed it. We’re losing the best years of our life making someone else rich…

    Great post!

  13. Like many other commenters, this post really resonated with me. Having recently crossed the 30 threshold, my adulthood and the passing of time has really been cemented in my mind. A year today is worth more than a year in my own life 30 years from now (if there is one). A quote that comes to mind when reading this, “Youth is wasted in the young.” For you (and your readers) at least, this appears not to be true. Keep up the good work.

  14. Nicola,

    Yeah, you definitely don’t want to look back and realize your best years were spent being sold away to an employer… especially if the work wasn’t all that enjoyable. So not only is it incredibly important to be free as soon as possible, but also to try and enjoy the ride as much as possible. 🙂

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Cheers.

  15. RA50,

    Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed it. I think it really gets a lot of important information and inspiration across. 🙂

    Yeah, I think you can add a chart there for saving and spending, but it wouldn’t really relate much to the topic. And it unfortunately wouldn’t be parabolic. Most people inflate their spending with their income, which means the precise time you should be saving the most (when your income is highest), you’re also likely spending the most. But I’m doing what I can to change that!

    Best regards.

  16. Rich,

    Thank you. Really appreciate the support!

    That sounds like a brutal schedule. I’m personally not a big fan of air travel. It just drains me. And I can’t imagine my attitude on that will improve over time, which is why it’s important to get while the getting is good. 🙂

    Safe travels, my friend.

    Cheers!

  17. Another thought provoking post, Jason. You’re spot on as usual. I had not thought of it that way though but, of course, the time value of time is much greater than the time value of money!

    I’d love to be able to say at the end of my life that I had been able to take advantage of as much time in my life as possible. FI–although certainly hard work–is worth it in the end because you can get that extra time as yours. More time, more opportunity!

    Thanks again for the great post.

  18. DE,

    That sounds like a lot of fun. An incredible challenge at any age, but probably better to try and tackle that as young as possible. And if you’re able to get there and tackle it, who knows what’s next? If you can achieve financial independence early in life, the challenges can just keep getting added. You’ll own all of your time, which means you can spend it however you want. That kind of control is just incredible, in my view. 🙂

    Best of luck retiring at the peak. That’s the goal!

    Take care.

  19. R2R,

    Thanks for sharing that. I know exactly what you mean. It’s so wonderful to look at the world like a child, but we just lose that innocence and sense of wonder over time.

    But the first step is being cognizant of it. And I think when you gain that freedom, you feel more in touch with your inner child. I remember riding my bike for miles when I was a kid. I felt so free. And I’ve been able to recapture some of that recently. For instance, I went on a long jog yesterday. And it wasn’t filled with worry or concern because I was so tight on time (like it used to be). I wasn’t rushed. I was just running and smiling, enjoying the scenery as I burned off some calories. It’s really those little moments.

    Thanks for stopping by. Appreciate the support!

    Best wishes.

  20. ADD,

    You’re in a great spot there at 27 and taking the necessary steps. Saving and investing appropriately in your late 20s means you’ll likely be free right at the peak of that first chart. And then the bottom chart jumps and flattens out, which means you’re peaking both charts at the same time. 🙂

    Being cognizant of all of this is the first step to making the changes. I never even used to think about this stuff. And that’s really scary, to kind of be ignorant of these concepts. I’m so glad I woke up and got my act in gear.

    Keep it up. There’s a future you already out there living financially free. Just have to bridge that gap in time!

    Best regards.

  21. Mike,

    Yeah, it’s unfortunate. I wish I would have woke up to these concepts even earlier than I did at almost 28 years old. But that just gives me even more appreciation for the position I’m now in. 🙂

    Time is everything. Without it, we’re nothing.

    Cheers!

  22. DB,

    Thanks for reading. Appreciate it!

    Yeah, it’s tough to find that balance sometimes. Although, I’ve found, over time, that I’m not giving up much of anything. The one thing I want more than anything (freedom) is what I’m going after with all I’ve got. Once you realize that your freedom is so valuable, it’s not all that difficult to give up expensive trinkets here and there. Happiness isn’t that expensive. 🙂

    Best wishes.

  23. DH,

    That’s so great to have a grandmother like that passing along some fantastic wisdom! 🙂

    Sorry to hear about your grandfather. That’s a tough way to go. I once mentioned that I’m planning for a short life. And what I mean by that is that I’m trying to buy my freedom as soon as possible so that even if I were to die early, I’d still have a lot more freedom than most people get. I’m certainly hoping to live a very long time. But the great thing about what we’re doing is that even if that’s not in the cards, you still get to really enjoy plenty of free time to pursue what matters to you.

    Thanks for stopping by and sharing that. Great lesson. Keep up the great work.

    Take care.

  24. Adam,

    Definitely. Once you start to see money for the time it can buy you rather than the stuff it can buy you, life really changes. And then you realize that you might actually be able to spend that money on the time it can buy quite early in life, meaning you “lock in” that benefit. 🙂

    Cheers!

  25. DF,

    Thanks so much. Appreciate the support! 🙂

    I think changing that second parabola is what we all want. I’d rather smile in real life than have my life look like a parabolic smile!

    Keep it up over there as well. Financial freedom is out there waiting for us. We just have to reach out and grab it.

    Best wishes.

  26. Allan,

    I know how you feel over there. I think some change is good, as long as that change is for the better. Often, growing older means improving in a lot of ways. And maybe your change in attitude and goals regarding travel is for the better. Maybe you’re just settling into who you really are and who you really want to be. Only you can answer that.

    But I do think that some change is for the worse. And we’re certainly not getting any younger. I’ve noticed some change in myself that I think is for the worse and I try to remain cognizant of that so that I can work to reverse it when it happens. And sometimes these articles are a great outlet for that, fleshing out those ideas and concepts in my own mind. I hope to never lose that inner child who just wants to be free and wonder. 🙂

    Thanks for stopping by. Appreciate the perspective there.

    Best wishes.

  27. This is amazing article. So simple, yet so brilliant. I am forwarding to everyone I know.

  28. TBD,

    Indeed. Youth is often wasted on the young. I know I wasted plenty of years (and money) in my early 20s. Fortunately, I woke up.

    Our time now is so incredibly valuable. And it’s such a shame that so many people will be perhaps too old to really enjoy the freedom once they finally get their hands on it. Some people have asked if I fear failing. I do. But I fear not having freedom until I’m too old to maximize it far more.

    I think, as a community, we’re doing wonderful things. And that’s both individually and as a group. I also think we’re spreading the word and helping others live better lives. I’m really proud of that. 🙂

    Let’s keep it rolling!

    Best regards.

  29. our next life,

    Terribly sorry to read about that. But I suppose the possibility of such a health concern gives you incredible perspective. It also gives you plenty of motivation to seek out freedom as soon as possible. And maybe you’ll end up with freedom quite early in life with none of the health effects you fear. That would be amazing. If not, at least you took the steps necessary to make the most out of an unfortunate situation. And sometimes that’s all we can do. 🙂

    Thanks for stopping by and sharing that. Best of luck with making the most of every single day. I also hope that you don’t end up with that debilitating disease. Either way, keep fighting the good fight!

    Best wishes.

  30. Nice post as always!

    So, fellow readers – who else thinks we need to start a gofundme campaign to purchase Jason Photoshop?:)

  31. Steven,

    Ha! You riffing on my drawing ability? 🙂

    Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed it. I’ve been feeling really inspired lately, which is what’s behind some of the content. Just so many ideas. I have to remember to pace myself, though. If I want to keep writing for another 5-10 years, I’ll have to spread those ideas out a bit.

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Cheers.

  32. Mantra,

    “Tomorrow isn’t promised today” and you are right. Shouldn’t we get out of what we know so well and gain new experiences, capabilities and knowledge, ESPECIALLY IF you are not doing something you are passionate about? It’s great to think of these topics and it truly hits hard. What’s cool is that you are first hand experience, you love writing and the financial freedom also drives your passions. You’re happy and you’re walking proof things are better when you pursue more of what makes you happy now, rather than later.

    Thanks DM, much appreciated, great article.

    -Lanny

  33. Lanny,

    Definitely. Every new thing we learn, new food we try, new place we visit, new moment we’re afforded to do what we love, or new experience we take in compounds over time, just like money. It all adds up to make us better versions of ourselves. Waiting too long to do what we love means there’s just less time to enjoy all that and allow it to compound. Works just like saving and investing too late… you lose the power of time.

    Thanks for dropping by. Have a great weekend over there!

    Best wishes.

  34. I want to stay anonymous for this comment. Ooh this reminds me of when I worked in my early twenties I would do anything and everything to get ahead and make as much money as possible. What do I mean by that? I would work 9-5, holidays and overtime. I had a job one time where I had to be at work at 6:30 a.m. Another time I worked at a job where I was scheduled until 12 a.m. I’d put up with bad bosses, bad co-workers, etc.

    I would work hard, come in for people who called out all the time, etc. There was hardly any recognition so I felt as if I was working for a ghost. I was basically selling my soul. I threw away most of my money on things that I don’t even remember. It’s interesting that what seemed so urgent to me in my early twenties to purchase that day was no longer important to me the next day, next week, and next year. I basically threw away the life energy of my early years on crap that’s probably still in a landfill.

    “What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?” Mark 8:36-37 / The Message Bible.

    I felt like I was losing the real me when I read that verse. Not trying to be preachy just explaining what woke me up.
    Don’t get me wrong. I don’t believe that money is evil (actually the bible says the love of money is the root of all evil). I’m not against capitalism, we have our problems with it, but it’s a better system than the communist country my parents escaped from.

    When I looked at my lifestyle I didn’t even use most of the products & services that I was paying…subscriptions to The New York Times, The Economist, clothes in my closet that I never wore, DVDs that I never watched, having an expensive desktop computer when I just did basic internet searches and sent emails, a lot of eating out, etc.

    I realized that much of what I loved to do didn’t cost a lot of money: spending time with my folks, my friends, my boyfriend, traveling (expensive but I hack it by waiting for sales, travel off-season, use 3 star hotels), reading, going outside to hike, national parks, museums, etc. I realized I could buy more time in the present by spending consciously and as a result this buys time for the future too.

  35. The Rule of 168 my man. You have 168 hours in any given week. If you assume 8 hour of sleep a night, you are down to 112. Boom, 1/3 of your week, and conversely your year, and life are gone. Next up, a 40 hour work week. I would argue most people who are salaried probably work closer to 50, but if you use 40 just like that you are down to 72 hours or 39% of your time. Factoring in commuting, eating, exercising, and getting ready for work (shaving, showering, and that third “s” word :)) and you are likely down to about 60 hours of free time or 36% of your life. Yikes!

  36. DM.
    Really enjoyed this one. Excellent graphics. The simplest are usually the best ones.

    I always like to think my best years are ahead of me. That’s much healthier than looking back at high school and thinking how awesome it was. However, I was talking to a friend about turning 40 soon. She mentioned how when she hit the number, things physically started going back. Metabolism, and eyesight, specifically. Stuff we take for granted when were young changes when we age. That’s why I encourage people to travel when they are young, because you are more capable and more willing to do things out of your comfort zone. Most of us middle-agers did some things when we were younger we’d probably not be comfortable doing now.

    Anyways, good stuff, and if I need a graphic artist I know where to find you 🙂
    -RBD

  37. Work for someone else vs be your own boss
    Work on someone ‘s set schedule vs set your own schedule
    Travel to work vs walk to the park and blogging while on the swing (hah!)
    Congrats, jason. You inspired us all.

  38. Much more than a finances blog, thats for sure! I came here first for stock info, but you’re one hell of a life coach too, Jason. Great post.

  39. Anonymous,

    Absolutely. It just doesn’t cost a lot of money to be happy. It seems that people want to complicate things. But life isn’t that complicated. Get a roof over your head, put some food in your belly, surround yourself with great people, and be as free/flexible/autonomous as possible. All of those things have profound effects on your happiness, yet they all cost relatively little money at their core.

    And money definitely isn’t evil. It can be evil if it’s used in such a way. But it’s an inanimate object. Not only is it not evil, but it can do amazing things… like buy time or change the world. I’m trying to do both a little at a time. 🙂

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Best regards.

  40. tstanda,

    Indeed. Not only is there not that much time in any given week, but it’s most often just freely frittered away. And that’s a shame because it’s truly the most valuable commodity we have. Doing my best to change people’s perception of the value of time. 🙂

    Cheers!

  41. RBD,

    Ha! I’m starting a second career as a graphic artist. It’s off to a great start. 🙂

    Yeah, we’ll never be younger than we are right now. The sands of time are slowly escaping. But I view that as a good thing. It gives one motivation and a sense of urgency… or it should, at least. I have no idea what kind of person I’ll be when I’m 60, or if I’ll even be alive. And that’s why I’m doing all I can to savor every minute along the way.

    You make a great point there about comfort zones. I know for sure my zone has closed in a bit over the years. And I fear that it might shrink even more in the future. But I’m fighting that as much as possible. Taking the leap I took last year was an example of that. I think every so often I’ll try something really new just to keep that comfort zone from shrinking too much.

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Best regards.

  42. Sokhar,

    Thanks so much. 🙂

    I never intended for this to be just a stock or finance blog, because I think a good and well-rounded life is so much more than that. And the journey to financial independence is a lot more than saving and investing. Doing my best to show all the facets as I go.

    Appreciate the support very much.

    Best wishes.

  43. TDD,

    Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

    The time value of time is far more important than the time value of money, though they kind of work together. The more money you have, the more time you can possibly buy. And that’s kind of why I think of money in terms of time.

    And more money definitely means more opportunity. I also hope to one day look back at my life and smile, realizing that I owned as much time as I could possibly get my hands on. I think we’ll be able to do that if we continue saving, investing, and buying that time.

    Thanks for dropping in!

    Best regards.

  44. Hi Jason,

    First of all, thanks for providing such an inspiring and debate provoking post. That is exactly what we all need from time to time.

    For me, many things come to mind when I read this. First of all, we must realize that today is simply the day where you are the youngest you will ever be in life, and that this life will end with certainty at some point, and at time that we do not currently know. So the present value of the present is infinite in that regard. I do also think that what is important to us also changes as we grow older, some of this is caused by physical changes in our body and brain, and the rest is caused by our perspective on life that changes as we live through it.

    I’d challenge some of your assumptions that capability deteriorates smoothly as we age. For example, I was gaining weight at the rate of 2-3 lbs a year from age 32 until 40 until I decided to take charge of my life and health and do a long fast and switch to a vegan diet. I went from nearly 200lbs to below 160lbs and I’ve been able to stay between 160 – 165 lbs over the past 2 years (I’m 6’2″). So I’m fitter now with more energy than when I was literally a teenager, all because of a positive change that I was able to make during mid-life. I believe people can make the same adjustments when they are older to stay at optimal health. Diet plays a huge part of this, much more so than exercise.

    The other aspect that came to my mind was the fact that I had a child later in life at 40- with that comes responsibilities and time commitments that must be allocated- even being fully retired now would not grant full flexibility given that it’s not practical to hike the Appalachian Trail or do something similar when there is a toddler to look after. However it’s a trade off in the sense that I am happy doing simple things around the house and enjoying the family time and spending time with my daughter, and it equally rewarding as when I went to climb Kilimanjaro with a friend at the age of 34 or or other similar life adventures like this. In other words, I’ve moved on to a new phase in life and am totally happy with it. In the two charts there is a sense that you are projecting a trajectory based on the assumptions from a point in time, but life doesn’t always work out to be that way.

    Another point I’d like to make is that our feeling of happiness changes as we age. When we are younger it’s more like a nervous energy, a little uncontrolled and frantic when we get very happy about something. Think back to something like your first kiss and you’ll get an idea of what I’m talking about. As we get older this turns into a more peaceful calm feeling of happiness, but one where we are very much at peace and in control. This might be what you are referring to when you mention “losing your edge”. But you are not, it’s just your body changing as you enter a new phase of life. When we get to mid-life we are kind of in between this nervous energy and calm feeling when we are happy so we can see and appreciate that spectrum.

    Time is even more slippery than money as you can’t accumulate a bank of time to spend at a faster or slower rate. It’s all just a continuous block of the “present” that streams through your entire life. This is why attitude and mental outlook is the key to a happy life. If we keep an attitude of having an open mind then we don’t have to stop learning and having new experiences when we get older. It is a choice. We have to be comfortable with looking foolish and being wrong, as without that we won’t be able to continue learning. We learn by making mistakes and reflecting upon them, and we should be open to this throughout our life.

    I know the dealership was tough and didn’t agree with you but I’ll bet you could take the wonderful attitude and mental outlook you have today and be a shining star in the dealership. You’d be creating the change that you’d like to see in this world in your job, just like you are inspiring so many with your writing today. Think about how many people you interacted with and touched when working at that dealership (both employees and customers), I’m sure you would be able to inspire them beyond their limited time at the dealership. And by doing this I guarantee you would be off to do bigger things at the same dealership or perhaps somewhere else. Doors open for inspiring people, just as they are doing now for you today.

    So I’d say that both of those curves drawn are an illusion to some degree, once your mind aware of all of this. Besides the right attitude and intention, it’s a realization that relationships with people are what produces true wealth in life. If you think about it, great sums of money without the existence of other people have no value at all- the only utility of money is to pay for goods and services that come from other people . When you think of it that way, money received by theft or deceit is not worth anything, at least to me. I’ve rambled on past my original point which is the time value of the present is enormous, and the present is all that we ever have in this world. Make it count. Yes, creating good financial habits like saving and dividend growth investing is wonderful but we all still have to live our life, during every phase of it, all in the present moment.

    Stay inspiring,

    Mike.

  45. Mike,

    Thanks for taking the time to drop the thoughtful comment.

    Yeah, I think you can argue with some of the assumptions. You can always cite anecdotes of “that guy who’s fitter at 50 than he was at 20”, but, by and large, most of us will be a shadow of our former selves across the spectrum of capabilities – physical, emotional, mental, psychological, etc. – at, say, 60 compared to 30. I work out just as much as I did a decade ago, but it seems to take twice the work to achieve half the results. It’s just time and nature taking their course. Nothing wrong with it. But it’s important to be cognizant of the fact that we, as organic human beings, slowly deteriorate (and die) over time and so you want to make the appropriate moves to align your free time and capabilities accordingly.

    “I know the dealership was tough and didn’t agree with you but I’ll bet you could take the wonderful attitude and mental outlook you have today and be a shining star in the dealership. You’d be creating the change that you’d like to see in this world in your job, just like you are inspiring so many with your writing today.”

    Unfortunately, that’s just not the case. And we don’t need to wonder. I was there… for almost nine years. I lived it. And I was working just as hard – harder, actually, when considering both the job and the blog – this time last year as I am right now. But it’s a car dealership. You’re servicing people’s cars. They’re not looking to be inspired. They want their car fixed right in a timely manner and for a fair price. That’s pretty much it. I think I can count on one hand the number of times I actually had a real conversation with anyone. And I’m me, the guy who lives and breathes this stuff every day. So I think to say that opportunities are equal no matter where you go and what you do is just false. I did my best there and I think I did a good job at it. But to compare the opportunities available in doing what I do now and what I used to… well, they’re just not comparable. The good news, however, is that new (and better) opportunities can be created. There’s so much opportunity out there.

    “So I’d say that both of those curves drawn are an illusion to some degree, once your mind aware of all of this. Besides the right attitude and intention, it’s a realization that relationships with people are what produces true wealth in life. If you think about it, great sums of money without the existence of other people have no value at all- the only utility of money is to pay for goods and services that come from other people.”

    Again, I disagree. The curves are real. They’re a crudely drawn version of how age, capabilities, and time all interact with one another. And, unfortunately, with most people living the way they do, they interact quite poorly. But it can be changed. I also disagree that the only utility of money is to pay for goods and services. Money has a great deal of value beyond just that, which is something I spend a great deal of time discussing.

    I think you may have missed the point of the article… or perhaps many of the articles I write. Or perhaps the philosophy. And that’s okay. 🙂

    Thanks for stopping in.

    Cheers!

  46. Good post for the “younger group” to ponder, and so very true. In one month I will be 69, and I can say for certain there are things I would like to do that are not possible now due to physical ability (for example, climb another 14-teener in CO). That is not to say I have regrets since I was lucky enough along the way to get the time to go after a lot of “non-career” activities and vacations.

    There are other schools of thought about this early retirement thing, which I think is better stated by you as achieving financial independence. If you really like your job/career, and the people around you are great, then earning money on a job is not “work”. In such a situation, why stop if you are only having fun and doing what you want to do! And if you are not, and it is not meaningful to you, then get out and do something about it. Each person (like you) has the capability of doing something about an unfulfilling situation or job. Other people are not responsible for your happiness and your failure to become financially independent, so I would encourage others that there is great liberation in taking responsibility for your actions and life.

    The key is to be lucky enough to find or learn how to alter the situation so it is not “work” for you. Then find a way to obtain sufficient time off for all those other activities. For me, I was lucky enough to manage the “job situation” such that I worked part time and a self employed consultant for 10 years before becoming fully retired at 68.

    Your blog is great, and your example of life changes to improve and do what you want to do is awesome! So keep up the good work.

    Best regards,
    Redfish

  47. Redfish,

    Thanks so much for the kind words. Very much appreciated. 🙂

    “Each person (like you) has the capability of doing something about an unfulfilling situation or job. Other people are not responsible for your happiness and your failure to become financially independent, so I would encourage others that there is great liberation in taking responsibility for your actions and life.”

    Couldn’t agree more. There’s a ton of opportunity out there for the taking. And if you won’t take it, someone else will. More importantly, however, is that being happy is possible. But you have to want to be happy and develop a life philosophy toward that end. And then you have to actually take action. Not just once, but every day. You have to live and breathe the life you want to live. Nobody else but you will do that. You alone are responsible for your own happiness. I simply try to provide the inspiration for others so that they take that action, but it’s ultimately up to each individual.

    Sounds like you’ve lived (and are still living) the kind of life you wanted to. And I really applaud that. Good for you for taking action and holding yourself responsible. I read so many stories in mainstream media of people always trying to blame someone for their own predicament. You can make excuses or solutions. I prefer the latter. And it sounds like you do as well.

    Keep on living the good life over there!

    Best regards.

  48. I think it’s how you take care of yourself. My dad is 71 and he spent his whole life eating well, working out, taking vitamins, and today he can do anything people 30 years younger than him can do. He runs marathons and is full of life and vitality. That’s why your health is the most important thing – more important than financial freedom. Without it, nothing else matters. If you take care of your body odds are you will be healthy to enjoy the entirety of your life, not just the first half.

  49. dzogen,

    Absolutely. Health is extremely important and there are always those cases that veer far off the averages. But the average life expectancy for a male in the US is only 76:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy

    So once you hit 70 or so, time just isn’t on your side anymore. Which is really why it’s so important to take ownership of your time as soon as possible.

    You’ve got guys like Buffett – he eats like a child and he’s well into his 80s. Then you’ve got guys like Jobs who, as I understand, was kind of a health nut at times and died quite young from cancer. You never know what the future will bring, unfortunately. But preparing way ahead of time by buying your time and then living out that life you want is incredibly important. And that improves your health as well. I have much more time to exercise now than I did back when I was working at the car dealership. And I have a lot less stress as well. Both bode pretty well for a long, healthy life. And I think achieving financial independence fairly early in life gives you those opportunities to improve your health even without trying real hard. 🙂

    Take care!

  50. Excellent post, Jason!! Thank you very much for your inspirational ideas… Of course, buying our free time! that is what we do when we buy good quality stocks 🙂 I am very happy to have found this way of investing, even though I am already 34 I feel I can manage to get my FI by age 45, which it is not too bad. As it is known, health is the most important, so I am willing to drop my job so I can get rid of this stressful lifestyle, which is killing me, not only because of the hours spent in the highschool, but specially for the high stress that comes from dealing with teenagers (I can not imagine myself in the same position for +35 years!! but everybody here seems to assume that. I just do not).
    Take care and good investements,
    Rachel.

  51. I’d like to say something…as someone that has worked with customers at various stores: retail, fast food, and a call center. Just like Jason said, people aren’t looking to be inspired. I came to work, had a good attitude and tried to do my best but when customers came in, most were nice, some were rude, but a lot of them didn’t want to be inspired right then and there. They just wanted to do their business and go on with their lives.

    I spent a huge chunk of my teens and early twenties at customer service jobs and I hate to be a downer but there is a reason why these jobs are called “crap jobs.” Especially by people who do these jobs past high school and college. A lot of times you feel like a robot saying and doing the same things over and over again. There is repetition in all jobs I understand but when you spend entire shifts, day after day, year after year, checking out customers, putting items back, facing products, working weird hours…it’s robotic and gets old.

    At the call center you spend 7-8 hours each day answering the same questions every 5 minutes, getting yelled at by the 1% of rude customers, 99% of customers just want their business but that 1% will takeout their anger on you, worrying about call center stats (which are strict), etc.

    There were situations where customers that had bad days or bad lives, would go out of their way to make you miserable. We had a customer that accused one girl of taking her wallet, then the customer called in a half hour later and said that she found her wallet at home. I’ve had customers yell at me and at other reps and we were supposed to just take it. I remember working holidays, one day I had to come in at 3:30 for a 4 a.m. Thanksgiving holiday opening, you have to come in early to clock in, get your badge, do a team meeting and see which register you were at, and we just stayed behind the register checking out a huge line.

    We were only allowed to leave for breaks and lunch when someone came to our register to relieve us. One time I had the flu and had to call out for an entire week and one of the managers I worked with actually asked me, “Do you want to work here?” even though he could seriously see that I was ill.

    Some customers assume that you are absolutely stupid and will treat you as such. I was trying to tell a customer once how he could get a tax receipt for donating to the library and he gave me the most skeptic look I’ve ever seen in my life. Some customers assume you’re stupid and know nothing beyond customer service just because for that moment in time you work as a CSR.

    Some people don’t see you as a human with dreams and goals past customer service. They just see you as a servant that exists to serve them.

    Not all customers are like this, the majority of them aren’t but the 1% that does will make you hate humanity. There have been situations where my co-workers and I have cried over how a customer mistreated us when we did nothing wrong.

    In my share of working with customers I’ve been called “stupid” several times. I had a lady who told me I didn’t know anything. Another one who wanted to argue about why her bill was incorrect when it was correct even after I spent a half hour going over her billing issue and explaining each charge. I’ve had situations where I’ve solved many issues but when I’ve done everything right and the customer doesn’t want to hear the truth, they will call a manager and complain about you.

    I had one lady who was upset that I didn’t know everything about this scanner she was asking about and the thing is that CSR’s can’t know everything about a product because we got products in all the time, and we can’t know 100% about each and every product in the store. We can only know the basics of a product and I would do my best to find out more at a customer’s request.

    I’ve had amazing customers too. Customers who called me their angel for fixing an issue, who only wanted to talk to me because they said I was the nicest person in the store, I’ve had customers who opened up about their problems when they couldn’t with their family & friends. I have had customers apologize to me for being rude to me but not all do this.

    One time at the retail store, a customer’s debit card wouldn’t go through and I tried three times, then he accused me of purposefully not letting it through when it wasn’t my fault at all. I had no reason to ever hurt a customer. I just wanted to do my job, get paid, have a life like everyone else. Another time I was trying to help a customer and he didn’t like our policy, then he said, “yea yeah you’re sorry, whatever, I don’t believe you. You just care about your paycheck.”

    I welcome you to work one year as a customer service rep and you’ll understand that people don’t want inspiration even if you are the best around and have a great attitude, in an environment like a dealership or similar environment. Most people that come in to work as CSR’s quit, there is a huge turnover rate at retail shops, call centers, restaurants, etc.

    The people who stay at those jobs stay because they don’t have any options. They don’t have a mom/dad or a spouse to fall back on. I worked at those jobs because I didn’t know what kind of degree I wanted to pursue and it didn’t make sense to just get any degree. I’m in college now pursuing a practical degree because I know what I want now.

    At the call center the HR people would do multiple weekly interviews because after 2 weeks of training, the newbies
    who try that job for a day or two will quit. Even though these jobs are undesirable in our society we had to act as if we wanted to be there, otherwise management would frown on that and ask if you aren’t happy there and if this job is for you. When you interview for those jobs the HR folks take it seriously too, they want people who stay, not just leave even though they know there is a huge turnover rate on this industry.

    And yes we’re happy to have jobs yea I get that argument but life shouldn’t be just about surviving and paying your basic bills. Life should be more than that. Look when people at these survival jobs find a better opportunity like a college scholarship or grant, or a professional job then they move on with their lives and quit these jobs immediately. I would see people leave for a better opportunity and I’d wonder when I could leave.

    Jason doesn’t talk about the bad parts of the job, a lot of times he will say the job wasn’t his passion, he’s being too nice, it would look too negative on him if he talked about every bad customer experience and every bad management experience. But it’s those bad experiences that pushes people to look for alternatives like getting an education, or going to vocational school, or financial independence.

    While I’ve talked about customers, but sometimes the problems were with co-workers, we had one gal at work who liked to spread gossip and cause unnecessary drama to the point that several people complained about her. I’ve had several managers that liked to micro-manage me to death. Not only me but others as well. I realize that it didn’t matter who I was, how nice I was, how positive and helpful I was, this industry was never going to change.

    For better or worse it is what it is. However it taught me what a difficult industry it is and how little it pays. That’s why you see a lot of these people that work at fast food jobs/retail requesting $15/hour because they’re stuck and want out. I no longer work in customer service. Instead I’m the customer now and I’m very nice, I tip well when I go to restaurants, and sometimes I’m overly friendly because it’s a tough job. But really the best way to understand the industry is to work in it. I learned so much about business, corporate politics, customers, and humanity.

    A lot of co-workers also have their own things they’re dealing with, they have other things that they’re thinking about and they’re not looking for inspiration. And I would say that 70% of people in our society don’t care about financial independence. When I try to talk about this stuff with friends they nod but I can tell that the interest is not there so there was no way I would talk about it with co-workers.

    When I read things like “The Secret” and motivational books that focused on attitude, positive thinking, etc. It seemed like a fantasy, a lot of those authors are upper middle-class or vastly wealthy and they could afford to be positive because their lives are comfortable.

    They don’t have to deal with customers who yell at them and then having to pretend it didn’t bother you and put a smile on your face so you can help a new customer. They also don’t know what its like to stress over how to manage a tiny paycheck so you can choose to either go to the dentist or pay rent. You can’t positive think your way into wishing your dentist will give you a free checkup.

    A lot of people I worked with would lose their motivation and show up for the paychecks. I got a lot of people who told me ” I’m just here for the paycheck” or “We gotta laugh to keep ourselves from crying girl!”

    Sorry for writing a novel.

  52. To me, one of the secrets in life is finding work you love. I was fortunate to do just that when I trained to be a registered nurse back in the 1970’s. In the intervening 40+ years, I’ve had multiple jobs, married and raised a family, and had many adventures along the way. While my body has certainly changed and I’ve had my share of health challenges, my mind feels the same as it did when I was 20, and I’m still able to get out and walk 10-15 miles/week. I’m also still working. I’ve always been very frugal and have managed to live beneath my means, financially, my entire life. I’ve been financially independent for the past 10 years, but that fact hasn’t altered how I live my life as I’ve developed a routine that brings me satisfaction and gives my life a sense of purpose – key factors to aging well, in my opinion.

    To me, a year at age 25 and a year at age 55 have equal value. Altered/diminishing physical abilities do not equal diminished ability to extract satisfaction from life. Aging well involves adapting to the changes that come with time. I no longer want to do many of the things I did in my 20’s and have developed many interests I enjoy indulging that I didn’t have when I was younger.

    Age with an open mind and enjoy the journey.

    Thanks for another great post!

  53. This post reminded me of one of my favorite sayings- “you need to make hay while the sun shines.” It’s so true, not just with money but with life experiences. Thanks for the inspiration today!

  54. I love that “seeing money for the time it can buy you rather than the stuff it can buy you”

  55. Hi Jason,

    Thanks for the response. I don’t think I missed the point of the article- I’m living a lot of this actually and generally agree with the philosophy. However I was trying to offer another perspective.

    You are likely right about your experience at the dealership. Jack Welch once said about working in an environment: “Learn to love it, Change it, or Leave it!” In the end the latter choice is as good as any other. Your story and writing is so inspirational so I know you are loving what you do now.

    I know that having enough money buys freedom but I’m already past that point, so am looking at using money to help others various ways.

    Age wise- I believe that for a man testosterone peaks at age 20, physical strength at 30, endurance at 40. However wisdom and mental acuity can continue to climb into the 60’s, 70’s and beyond provided the degeneration of the brain doesn’t set in.

    Maybe my other points were too tangential to the central theme of this article. Anyway, I really did enjoy this as well as your other pieces.

    Best wishes.

    -Mike

  56. Jason,
    One of the surprising things that I have noticed about being retired is that time has slowed down. Not literally, of course, but the weeks are not flying by like when I was working full time. I get to do things at my own pace, take my time and do it right, not worry about having to get up in the morning, etc. Mrs. X and I have started an exercise program to compliment our walks/bike rides and I expect we are changing our parabola of capabilities by getting in better shape! HA Reminds me, I have to go dig up some more tree stumps in the back yard. Nice day for it, 53 and sunny, going up to an expected high of 65.

    DIdn’t you experience something similar? I seem to recall you writing something about time seeming to slow down in an earlier article.
    Peace,
    KeithX

  57. Great article and replies. For me I can say that the abilities curve is definitely real, but mainly on a physical basis. I’m 47. The curve is not the same for everyone, and is not a elliptical shape in most cases. Injuries, illness, etc happen in chunks and vary greatly. What is for sure is that I can’t see as well as I did at 30, run as fast, etc. – and at 57 its a pretty safe bet that I won’t be able to do everything I do now. Its just a matter of the degree of decline.

  58. Rachel,

    Financial independence by 45 would be incredible. That’s pretty far ahead of the curve, as you probably already know. Awesome work. 🙂

    I can tell you firsthand that dropping the day job (if you don’t enjoy it) can work wonders in terms of reducing stress. I’ve witnessed a dramatic change in my overall quality of life as it pertains to stress (or lack thereof) since I left a job that I strongly disliked. It would seem that you’ll probably experience the same. A lot to look forward to!

    You’re getting there one stock purchase at a time. Keep it going.

    Best regards.

  59. Anonymous,

    Thanks for sharing that. I definitely feel your pain over there.

    “Jason doesn’t talk about the bad parts of the job, a lot of times he will say the job wasn’t his passion, he’s being too nice, it would look too negative on him if he talked about every bad customer experience and every bad management experience.”

    Indeed. I don’t want to harp on all the negatives of the job because that’s just not what this is all about. But I’d say probably 75% of my days were downright miserable. Of course, I’m happy for that. It gave me the ultimate motivation to seek financial independence. 🙂

    It sounds like that’s the best aspect of your work experience as well. You’ve seen the grind. There’s no better motivation to get out than being in. Just have to make the most of those paychecks and leverage the income so as to get out of the fire as soon as possible.

    Best regards.

  60. Jason, you do a great job of weaving several topics into one thoughtful, well written post. My wife and I traveled in our 20s and early 30s – Kenya, Rwanda, Chile, Argentina, Paris. We recently had a son with another one on the way. My goal is to retire at 55 with $3M in our retirement account. While components of both parabolas are uncontrollable, I will do the best to lengthen my capabilities parabola (i.e., eat right, exercise, regular checkups) while shortening my free time parabola (i.e., save $, invest wisely). Hopefully this works!

  61. nicenurse,

    Thanks for the perspective there. So glad that you found your calling early on. That’s pretty rare, I imagine. Not only have you found something you really enjoy, but it also brings about positive effects on others. So there can be profound satisfaction and meaning there in your job. I was fortunate enough to kind of stumble into writing, which brings about similar feelings of satisfaction.

    Although, I don’t necessarily share the viewpoint of doing what you love being the answer. And that’s only because I don’t know if there’s anything on this planet that I’d love to do for 8-10 hours per day, 5-6 days per week, 48-50 weeks per year, 30-40 years. I love writing. But will I still want to write about all of this for another 30 years? I think that’s doubtful. But there’s always the chance to parlay that into something related. Or try something totally new and different. And I think that’s the real value in financial independence. It’s not just being able to not work. It’s about being able to do whatever you want to do.

    “To me, a year at age 25 and a year at age 55 have equal value. Altered/diminishing physical abilities do not equal diminished ability to extract satisfaction from life.”

    I think that depends on the person. As I noted in other comments, there will be anecdotes of people who are just as healthy at 60 as they are at 20 or 30. But the statistics and odds really aren’t on your side there. Furthermore, at 55, you simply have less life left. The odds of being alive tomorrow at 55 compared to 25 are quite different. And so, to me, a year at 25 holds far more value. Not just in terms of overall capabilities likely being much greater – certainly physically – but also just in terms of the time value of time. I’m in excellent physical shape now. Will I be at 55? I hope so. But will I even be alive at 55? Who knows. Thus, I want that freedom now. 🙂

    Thanks for sharing. Really appreciate the perspective!

    Best wishes.

  62. colormefrugal1,

    Get while the getting is good. 🙂

    Or one of my favorite quotes:

    “Nobody on his deathbed ever said, ‘I wish I had spent more time at the office.'” – Paul Tsongas.

    Have a great weekend!

    Cheers.

  63. KeithX,

    Yes, I did write about time slowing down a little while ago:

    https://www.dividendmantra.com/2014/08/slow-down/

    I’m glad you’ve experienced the same thing. It’s a real phenomenon, in my view. Time is all relative, right? How fast it goes by seems to depend on how we spend it. And I think taking a slower approach to life seems to actually lengthen life in terms of how fast that time seems to tick by.

    Enjoy the yard work! 🙂

    Best regards.

  64. JayP,

    Agreed. It’s obviously impossible to shape out everyone’s unique and individual deterioration… and then there are varying degrees of physical and mental deterioration; they don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Some people are extremely mentally sharp well into old age and even up until death. Buffett is a great example of that. Some people unfortunately see steep declines in mental capabilities as they age, due to disease, genetics, an accident, or just nature.

    But I think we can agree that, by and large, one’s overall capabilities at, say, 40 are probably going to be greater than they are at 65 (a more traditional retirement age). And I think when you look at the average American in terms of physical and mental capabilities, that’s very true. Moreover, the time value of time kind of dictates the value of a year there as well. At 65, the average American male has only about a decade of life left. At 40, they’ve got an average of more than 35 years left. So freedom is worth much more when you’ve got 30+ years to enjoy it, especially when you’re probably not too far off from your overall peak. 🙂

    Cheers!

  65. Thanks for this lovely note back! Didn’t mean to be a bummer on the conversation. 🙂 Odds are, everything will be fine. We just don’t want to have wasted the good years, in case it’s not. But truly this is the case for everyone — nothing is guaranteed. And we love how you put it, that the years now are worth more than the years later. Have a great weekend!

  66. DJ,

    Thank you. As a writer, that’s a huge compliment to me. 🙂

    Yeah, those parabolas are kind of your averages there, right? Those are a glimpse of the life you don’t want. But I think many of us that are on this path to financial independence are likely going to see far different graphs there. Not only do you get to probably change the capabilities to some degree (as much as you have control over) due to more time to exercise, a better ability to cook and eat right, and less overall stress, but you then get to maximize free time straight through those improved/maximized capabilities. That’s how life should be lived.

    Best of luck with your goals!

    Take care.

  67. This reminds me of the parable of the person waiting and waiting and waiting for the imagined better future to arrive that never does – the person ends up realizing at the brink of death that life has been wasted waiting for that idealized future that never came. It’s like someone who has a checklist for the ideal spouse and will never settle until every detail is checked off.

    I’m not saying one needs to settle for things, but one needs to realize that an integral part of life is enjoying the day-to-day, hour-to-hour, the here and now. Of course, it’s difficult to truly master planning for the future while simultaneously living in the present. But you have to remember to enjoy the journey even more so than the destination.

  68. I totally agree re mental acuity. I am 62, continue working (not out of necessity really), but never been “smarter” ever in my life. All mental activities inside and outside of job are quicker and more creative than ever before and I often annoyed with younger people as to how slow they are. Cannot explain the phenomenon though, just enjoying it.

    Regards,

    Joe

  69. Hi Dm,

    Wow another great article! This really sums up why I want to get FI as fast as possible. I work from home two days in the week and it is just awesome. No stress to catch the train and sub but instead of commuting to work I can go for a long run on the beach. Because of the long run on the beach I’m energized for the rest of the day.

    I really enjoy my job but I can’t see me doing it till I’m 67 ( which would mean that I still have to work 40 years!) so I’m happy that I already have amassed a nice portfolio. I will probably be FI by the age of 30 -35, if I reach FI I will probably work freelance for the company but only because I like it and not because I have to.

    Have a good weekend.

  70. “When I try to talk about this stuff with friends they nod but I can tell that the interest is not there”

    I got the same nod. Later learned they are drowning in debt. Glad to have discovered dividend blogs!

  71. Steve,

    Yeah, that would be a real shame to wait and wait and wait for something that never arrives. It reminds me of the phrase “delayed gratification” and what that really means to me. I occasionally get emails asking how I can so easily delay gratification. But, in my mind, I’m not delaying gratification at all because what’s most gratifying of all is freedom… gratification is not waiting and waiting and then perhaps not being able to one day enjoy all that I waited for. So all that I do is basically designed to hasten gratification, to bring about real change and introduce true gratification as early as possible in my life. And that leads back to quitting my dissatisfying job last year to pursue things I was far more interested in. Why wait? 🙂

    So it’s indeed possible to both enjoy the journey and the destination. In fact, I view financial independence as both a journey and a destination. Even getting there is really just a new beginning, a new phase where you can take on opportunities as you wish.

    Don’t put off tomorrow what you can do today!

    Thanks for stopping by.

    Best regards.

  72. Geblin,

    Thanks so much. Hope you enjoyed it.

    I’m with you 100%. My life today is so completely different and better than it was a year ago that it’s not even comparable. I almost cannot put into words how much better my life is without the day-to-day stress of working at my old job. Stress is so incredibly harmful. The more you can avoid it, the better. I’d imagine that bodes well for a long, healthy life. So if you can maximize your free time early in life, it seems to make sense that you’ll also be maximizing the other chart as well. 🙂

    I also agree with you on your second point. I love writing, but I don’t foresee myself blogging three times per week and then doing freelance writing until I’m in my 60s. Just not gonna happen. But that’s what’s so great about being free. You have choices and flexibility. You can do what makes you happy. And when whatever it is you’re doing no longer makes you happy, you can move on. I tend to get burned out on stuff every 5-7 years, so I really crave that flexibility to take on various opportunities, regardless of pay.

    You have a great weekend as well!

    Best wishes.

  73. GRAPHS!!!!

    I LOVE the article!

    I never knew until I read this that I’m a master of this. People often ask why I have the work ethic I do and I’ve never been able to put it in words but this is a KEY part in that.

    *On a side note: Every part of me wants to jump in and add about 50 criteria for each of your graphs to make them more quantitative and less qualitative but I think the majority of your readers will be smart enough to get the point,*

    I’ve had this same view point my whole life, I knew I wanted to have kids young so that I could give them my best, unlike my parents who were spent and had nothing left by the time I needed them the most. I knew I wanted to have 6 figures saved by the time I was 30 and I just smashed that goal. I know I want to retire into contracting at my leisure by the time I’m 50 so I use my brain and not do grunt work… All of which are based on the argument more work up front saves you on the back end, just like your graph shows. MY ONLY concern in all of this is, what if I burn out like a capacitor during load dump because I pulled in too much current(Work). Only time will tell but Rockefeller did okay so hopefully I will too!

    It’s just always made sense to me and… to be blunt when I was in college the majority of my peers were so lazy I knew it wasn’t really that hard of a goal. 😉

  74. anti1b,

    Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂

    “*On a side note: Every part of me wants to jump in and add about 50 criteria for each of your graphs to make them more quantitative and less qualitative but I think the majority of your readers will be smart enough to get the point,*”

    I certainly hope people are smart enough to get the gist. It seems some want to nitpick the general idea the graphs are trying to convey (which I knew would happen), but that’s truly just missing the forest for the trees (which is something that I see happen a lot).

    “MY ONLY concern in all of this is, what if I burn out like a capacitor during load dump because I pulled in too much current(Work). Only time will tell but Rockefeller did okay so hopefully I will too!”

    The good news is that there’s a spectrum of freedom there. I got burned out doing what I was doing. So I quit. Now I do this. Nothing says you need to do one thing all the way through. Once you have significant assets providing this massive tailwind for you, you can jump and probably end up okay. I look at my own situation and realize that I’ll eventually be a millionaire… even if I stop investing altogether. Once you see that, the only risk becomes the potential of regret, which is something I’ve been discussing a lot lately. If you feel burned out, do something else. The investments will be working on your behalf in the background either way. Once you have some money working for you, you can scale back as you go and find what really makes you happy. Because that (not money) is the reason for all of this. 🙂

    Keep it up!!

    Best regards.

  75. They are usually real lego. At the mall in my city, they had people help build (myself included) lego bricks (4 sides, empty center) out of smaller normal pieces that were used to make the basic shape. Then staff assembled the bricks and did the finishing touches.

  76. Depending on your situation, another option could be to take some unpaid leave or quit your job to hike the PCT. You can always resume your journey to retirement after you complete that goal (with some new life perspectives).

  77. I think you’re actually being quite generous with the free-time graph. I’d argue for most people there is a sharp drop around 18-20 years old, and remains largely flat until 60ish. Being a late 20-something student affords me oodles of free time, and it’s great to be able to just get up and do stuff that actually interests me, both inside and outside of school. I work part-time and supplement my income with a (tax free) scholarship, so I actually earn only slightly less than other people I know working full time. I could work more, but I’ve decided I’d rather just enjoy my summer and spend more time outdoors and having fun. All the while still aggressively investing my earnings. I’m on track to break 6 figures in investments this year!

  78. It’s interesting cause my parents actually maintained their adventure and expanded it upon retirement. They’ve always been active people, and once they retired they dived head first into multi-month long vacations around the world. They did 3 week treks in Nepal, treks in Peru, numerous biking trips in Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and are planning an upcoming trek in the Swiss Alps. They’re now in their late 60s and are as active as ever! So fear not, your sense of adventure can easily be rekindled if you want it to be. I find it also greatly helps to surround yourself with adventurous people. Do that and you’ll quickly get your spark back!

  79. MN,

    You’re probably right there about the illustration. They are both freehand, but it’s really more about the gist and concept than being exactly right. Besides, everyone will experience slightly unique results. Some people will remain physically and mentally sharp well into their 60s or 70s, whereas others might deteriorate much faster. I’d rather plan for the worst than hope for the best. 🙂

    Sounds like you’re in an amazing spot over there. I think you’re making a great choice, picking more time over more money. You’ve got your whole life in front of you which will likely offer plenty of opportunities to make money. But, in the end, I view excess money primarily as an instrument to buy time. So that’s effectively what you’re doing, which, again, is a great choice, in my view.

    Keep up the great work!

    Cheers.

  80. One thing I’ve noticed is how, when you aren’t financially free, you literally spend your time wishing your life away. Three days until the weekend. Four months until vacation. Six months until I can put in for a transfer. That’s it, over and over. How sad of an existence it is.

    But what’s even sadder to me is how we as a society have sort of succumbed to defeat. The idea of spending our lives working for an employer, working jobs that we hate and dealing with people we hate even more, bring herded back and forth like sheep; we accept that as the norm! It is what it is, we say. Stop whining and do some work. That’s how life is.

    Bullshit. We’ve conditioned ourselves to think that’s how things are supposed to be and they shouldn’t. Some would call us whiny Millennials, but I think what you say and what you are aiming for is absolutely right, Jason. You could spend your life working or you could spend your life happy. Just because society tells us to choose the former doesn’t mean we can’t choose the latter.

    My dad joked with me the other day when I came home from work exhausted, “Oh well. Only 30 more years until you retire”. Screw that. I’ve got better things to do with my years and I’d rather do them while they are still valuable. Because like you say, a year in the present is worth more than a year in the future.

    Okay, so I don’t quite know exactly what I’d do after retiring. But I know what I WOULDN’T do. And that’s stress out about getting to work on time, nasty customers, mystery shops, sales goals, corporate auditors, and everything else. And you know what ELSE I wouldn’t do? Spend my life wishing it would pass by quicker.

    Sincerely,
    ARB—Angry Retail Banker

  81. What a great post Jason! Love those hand drawn charts. You’re totally correct that a year in your 30’s isn’t the same as a year in your 60’s. Doing the same activity in your 30’s will be totally different than doing it in your 60’s. Traveling around the world in your 60’s will definitely be different than in your 30’s. I was lucky enough to travel all over Europe in my 20’s. Now 10 years later I can say I probably wouldn’t do some of the things I did.

  82. ARB,

    100% on the same page, bud. I know exactly how you feel. I wrote a bit about that phenomenon – wishing our weeks away – a little while ago:

    https://www.dividendmantra.com/2014/08/slow-down/

    It’s a shame that we do that. We don’t necessarily enjoy our jobs, so it’s just wishing the weeks away. But we’re also wishing our lives away in the process. If you’re able to free yourself of that weight, stress, and lack of enjoyment, you all of the sudden don’t want time to go by so fast. And once you’re able to slow down and really focus in on projects you like, you find that time actually goes by slower. I notice that my days absolutely seem to go by slower now. Can’t slow physical time. But you change the relative passing of it, I believe.

    Keep it up over there. You’re cognizant of the drawbacks and taking the steps necessary to get out. That’s really key. 🙂

    Best wishes!

  83. Tawcan,

    Thank you. Appreciate the support!

    I know what you mean over there. You might see a lot of backpackers in their 20s or even 30s hitting up hostels and partying their way across continents. Don’t see that so much when people are in their 50s. Not saying that’s a bad thing necessarily, but one changes over time. And I think I can appreciate both sides of the coin and thus want to experience both sides of the coin as much as possible. I want to cherish that innocence of childhood, but also really appreciate the maturation process rather than resent it because I feel like I missed out on youth.

    No sense in maximizing free time right as your overall capabilities are starting to decline. We can do better than that. 🙂

    Have a great weekend!

    Cheers.

  84. Thank you, Jason, I am doing all I can, 80% of my salary saved for stocks each month, two months already since I started and I made it. So it is just patience and hard work. Wish you the best,
    Rachel.

  85. Hi Jason, I am reading your post from a hostel in Kyoto. I retired at 51, am 54, and still enjoying those travels. Today I walked 6 hours in Kyoto, but I can sense the years in my legs ! Your post is so true. And fortunately I did a lot of travel during my working years too, so not too much regret, but .. some.

  86. My email is [email protected]. As for blog comments, unfortunately it’s a technical issue that I am attempting to get resolved. I have no idea why comments don’t seem to go through (I’ve checked to make sure if I had anything enabled that would block comments, but nothing). I’m trying to see if the good people on the wordpress.org forums can help me with that.

  87. Hi DM

    I’ll rank this as one of my top favorite post in your site.

    There’s just something special that struck everyone about this, not a different equity allocation strategy or whatever, but something general that is SO TRUE to anyone out there.

    A year now isn’t a year in the future, that itself a time value of money and now it resonates with how you blogged about delaying another year for financial independence when one already reaches that stage.

  88. Moorea9,

    Thanks for sharing. Congrats on retiring so early in life. 51 is impressive and admirable. And I hope you have a wonderful time in Kyoto! 🙂

    Aging is just a natural part of life, right? What you could do at 31 will likely be just plain more difficult at 51. And then it’ll be even more difficult at 61 and then 71. And, of course, as you age, you’re closer to death. That’s not meant to be depressing, but rather motivational. All those early years that people tend to throw away should be treasured and cherished.

    The good news is that all of this works together. If you’re able to retire early or become financially independent quite early in life, you’ll likely find yourself in a better position to be able to take care of your health and avoid stress… which in turn means you’ll probably age better than many of your peers who are stuck in the office until they’re 65. So not only will you have more time during your peak years, but your peak years may in fact last longer. It’s wonderful. 🙂

    Rest those legs!

    Cheers.

  89. B,

    Thanks so much. Yeah, it’s really one of my favorites as well. The draft has been sitting there for a while now. I finally had time to really tackle this and say all that I wanted to say. 🙂

    This definitely fits in with avoiding OMYS and taking control of your time right away. Not only is a year at some point in the future not guaranteed, but they’re just plain worth less. And not only from the perspective of your overall capabilities naturally starting to decline over time as nature takes over, but also from the perspective that you likely have less overall time left. Actuaries tables will tell you that. Why put off tomorrow what can be done today? Why put off what you may never get a chance to do? And why put off what you may not be able to do in the future?

    Like I was mentioning in another comment, achieving early financial independence not only allows you to likely maximize your free time right at your peak, but it also allows you opportunities to better take care of yourself and avoid stress… and that bodes well for optimizing the other chart. 🙂

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Best regards.

  90. Right !!
    At times I hate myself for being late to the party.I started investing at 24-25.I wish I should have started at 13-14 , worst case 18….25 is too late !

  91. Hi I quit a very well paying job at 46 and walked 1,500km on foot to Santiago de Compostella in Spain from France. Since then two years unemployed, two years contractor and recently have become a full time employee in my early 50’s. Some of my friends said it’s a miracle. I decided to work until 60 because I thought as long as I keep fit, I can enjoy my financially independent retirement life even at that age.
    I would like to challenge myself on PCT even in my early 60’s in the future.

    In conclusion although I agree with DM’s concept of value of time, at the same time we need to become a friend with aging oneself.

  92. Yep, your utility of doing what you like is definitely higher than the utility of time spent doing what you don’t like. Hope you can keep doing what you like best, earn money in the process and thrive.

    As the career center at my school said, your career is a journey not a destination. If you substitute career for FI Journey, you get the point 😉 The goal is to enjoy the journey as much as possible. As Charlie Munger says, the goal is to prolong the pleasure of getting rich slowly for as long as possible 😉

  93. DS,

    That’s good stuff there. I definitely agree with becoming a friend with aging, which is in part why financial independence is so valuable. Leaving a high-stress job in your 30s or 40s sets you up for a lifetime of better possibilities and probably better health as well. I know my quality of life is way different today than it was even a year ago. Compound that out for a few decades and I can only imagine the possibilities.

    However, it’s important to keep in mind that while one might be fit well into their later years, those later years still aren’t guaranteed in the first place. And then, once you get there, your odds of living become lower and lower the further you go. Just like with investing, I like playing with the odds on my side. 🙂

    Cheers!

  94. DGI,

    Thanks so much. I certainly hope I can keep doing it for a while as well. But I also know that once a person opens their mind to possibilities and opportunities, there’s almost no stopping them. 🙂

    Definitely agree. The journey to and through financial independence is just a subset of the overall journey of life. The key is to enjoy it as much as possible and as often as possible, which is why someone should be pursuing FI in the first place. I know that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing, and so far the results have been tremendous. Even better, every day offers incrementally more reward and opportunity. It’s fantastic.

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Best regards.

  95. harsh,

    Hey, I think you arrived to the party pretty early there. 🙂

    Starting by 25 is pretty fantastic. That’s obviously well ahead of the curve and puts you on track for financial independence pretty early in life, assuming you can save a healthy chunk of your income and invest it intelligently. You’re definitely not late.

    Keep it up!

    Cheers.

  96. Jason,
    Very interesting read, although too late for me, I’ve already spent my time on the treadmill. Like most, my life followed your curves. I hope someone in their 20’s is reading this and taking notes.
    Keep up the great writing.
    Jim

  97. Great article! I never really considered the “diminished capabilities” aspect of growing older until I turned 50. I always figured I would retire at 62, and I am working hard to ensure financial security at that age. However, when I turned 50, I saw a marked difference in my energy level, sight and overall sense of adventure. I can tell you that as you get older, you become more of a homebody and go to bed earlier to ensure you get enough rest. In November, I will turn 53, and I am already putting plans in place to retire before 62. My only regret is that I wish I had started the FI journey much earlier. Younger readers should take notice of your message. Thanks for the article!

  98. I just spent 3 very very long years working with people i didn’t want to work with under a manager that i didn’t want to work with. The worst part is I actually enjoy what i do, just not with the way that particular team/group was structured and run. I essentially had to go pretty far up the food chain and put everything on the table and ask/demand a transfer because i had to make a change.

    Yes, i was probably being too cautious and should have just found a new job. But it was very difficult to throw away what used to be a good thing. And i wasn’t sure if i changed or other things have changed. And i’ve had down times in my career but nothing like this. And the justification usually came back to the money is good and a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

    It was a slow degenerative process that literally effected my physical and mental health until i realized something HAD to change. I’m now 4 weeks into this new team and i can’t tell you how much better i feel. The worst part is its literally doing the exact same thing i was before just with a different set of people and management that worked with you instead of against you.

    I had no idea how important truly enjoying what you do is. Consider that a painful life lesson learned and to NEVER let it get that bad again.

  99. Hi Jason

    What a fantastic post. I’ve followed your blog for a while and have been hugely impressed by your story but this post really stands out because it’ll undoubtedly strike a chord with everyone who reads it. I’m at an almost identical age to you and whilst our financial situations are certainly different I certainly know what you mean by a sense of being settled and how that perhaps takes an edge off your desire to explore and try new things.

    That said, it’s still there and it’s certainly true that life is SO busy that I rarely have time to even think about trips away let alone actually go on them. You are right though, whether it’s based on financial independence or not, now is a key time to have experiences, journeys, adventures and not to wait until retirement before we start thinking about them.

    Thank you for sharing this post.

    Simon

  100. Jim,

    Thank so much for dropping by.

    You know, I’d probably be in the same position if not for the internet, information, and community. We’re really fortunate in today’s day and age to be able to share and express ourselves so much. Just knowing that it’s actually possible to retire early or become financially independent quite early (even without a killer income) is already winning half the battle. And that’s a message of hope you probably weren’t offered.

    Can’t do anything about the past, but I’m doing all I can to change the future. 🙂

    Appreciate the support!

    Best wishes.

  101. Ed,

    You’re definitely not alone there. The average retirement age is 62, last I read. And I guess people assume they’ll be just as physically and mentally well off at that age to actually enjoy all of their free time. That’s a big gamble, and one I’d rather not have to take.

    I notice differences even now at 33 compared to, say, 23. I can only imagine how different it’ll all be at 53 or 63.

    But it’s not all meant to be depressing. It’s meant to be motivational. And I’m so glad to read that you’ve got plans going there to retire before 62. Every year earlier is one more year you can maximize, optimize, and enjoy as much as possible. 🙂

    Best of luck moving forward. Keep at it!!

    Cheers.

  102. Zol,

    Your experience reminds me a lot of this one dealership I worked at for a little while. It’s amazing how work can either hold you down or lift you up. And it’s also amazing how much doing something you don’t like can affect you – physically and emotionally.

    Really glad you’ve made some positive changes and you’re a lot happier for it. There’s just no sense in being miserable.

    I think just like doing something you enjoy can be a major positive change in your overall quality of life, being financially free can make an even bigger difference. Having that freedom locked in means you’ll likely never have to do something you don’t like or work around people you don’t like for the rest of your life. How awesome is that?

    Best regards.

  103. Simon,

    Thank you. Appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed it.

    This – the time value of time – is a concept that’s been on my mind for a while now, but I just now had a chance to really hash my thoughts out and put something special together. I think this post is one of those really evergreen pieces that’ll stand the test of time. In addition, I think it definitely affects people. And those are my favorite articles to write.

    I agree with you. Now is the time to not only start thinking about what kind of life you want to live, but also the time to actually go live it. This was the thought process that went through my mind last year before quitting my job. I realized that I truly wanted to be free of that job. If it wasn’t then, when would it be? Why not make a dream reality? What’s holding us back from being who we really want to be? Often, the answer is money… which is why financial independence is so valuable. It allows you to solve that equation pretty easily. 🙂

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Best regards.

  104. DS,

    Great stuff! 🙂

    I definitely agree with you in regards to aging well. And if you eat right, exercise, and avoid stress (something early FI can help with), you probably will do just that. However, genetics and luck will have something to say about that as well.

    Some people are past the point at which this article can provide a lot of value. And all you can really do at that point is be cognizant of your aging process, do as well as you can with what you’ve got, and seek freedom as soon as possible. Although, I think the health concerns/perspectives are really becoming noise at this stage as we can all cite anecdotes. The major point of the article is that a year today is worth more than a year in the future. There’s really no debate about that. A year at 40 is worth more than a year at, say, 65 simply because your odds of dying increase as you age. An actuary table will tell you that. So it’s really just a matter of trying to grab that freedom as soon as possible. An average US male’s life expectancy is 76 as of 2013. So financial independence at 40 (assuming you’re a US male for the sake of illustration) gives you approximately 36 years of freedom, with probably most of it in pretty good health. FI at 65 gives you only 11 years of freedom, with perhaps a good portion of it (relative percentages) in declining/poor health. So the choice is easy at that point.

    But, as you state, you’ve made choices that have consequences attached (as all choices do, and we all make mistakes) and so all you can do is move forward, do the best you can, and take advantage of any opportunities that come your way. Sounds like you’re doing just that. 🙂

    Cheers!

  105. Hi Jason,
    I think it is correct that years later on are different than when you are young. Everyone is changing when he gets older. If you are in your “best years”, most people have to work in business a lot and can do only things for a short time what they want. If you can stop that with FI, you are in a wonderful position. But most people can´t do that, even they are not trying that and are dreaming to win the lottery.

    On the other side I see it as a personality responsibilty to live as good as you can with your means if you are not FI. This was always very important to me in live and most of the time I had work which fits to me. OK, I have to work 5 days per week. But I do something I enjoy. Its to be positive in live and to care a little bit about yourself. On the other hand I know the earlier I get FI, the better for me. I like to journey to FI as well very much because it is motivating to get every year more passive income. What I can see is, even if you get only a part of your monthlly costs in passive income you can see that you have more options. On some point a broken washing machine or whatever is not that horrible and this is freedom as well.

    One main point for me is to compound enough money every month to reach that target as quickly as I can. If everything is getting normal I will achieve this in four years. But I know I have to do still a lot for this and I need a job which is paid well. So I will work hard the next four years for it. On the other side I could get much more lazy or work halfdays (I could do that now), but I will reach FI some years later. I´m not sure if I want that. But what I see is: The nearer you are getting to the goal, the more impatient I get and I have to motivate myself much more than in the beginning.

  106. Jason, your two parabolas capture a good part of my philosophy of life, simply and cleverly. (And as an engineer, I appreciate parabolas!) I’ve never understood western culture’s work/retirement paradigm: spend the best years of your life slaving to make someone else wealthy (or wealthier), finally accumulate enough money to stop working just as your joints and brain cells begin giving out. My aim has always been to generate more ‘free’ time for myself when I’m physically and mentally best able to take advantage of it. When I can’t hike without pain, maybe I’ll start looking for a job. 🙂

  107. Jason,
    this is an insightful article. It made me think on my current plan and situation. It comes down to finding out what I want more: an hour with my kids now, or an hour with my kids when I reach FI. The problem is that FI is some 14 years away from now. By then, the kids are probably too independent.
    Next to that, I also want to give them a lot of experiences in life: travel, new cultures, insights. Some of those are cheap, others are costly. What would be the impact if I started to travel with them on my FI day? but in return I get some great years now.

    Something to think about…

  108. olli,

    Absolutely. Not being financially independent isn’t an excuse to not be happy. You should still do as much as you can to promote wellness in your life across all that you do. However, for some people (like myself while I was working full-time at the dealership), the full-time job is such a bummer that it spills over into other areas of your life. Again, not an excuse, but perhaps just a reality for some. But the good news is that there is indeed that spectrum of freedom, which is what you’re referencing. As that passive income builds, your opportunities and possibilities expand. Then it’s just a matter of deciding what you really enjoy and somehow figuring out how to monetize that. And, as my experience maybe shows, it doesn’t take that long to work at the bummer job before you’re free enough to do whatever else you want to do.

    “But what I see is: The nearer you are getting to the goal, the more impatient I get and I have to motivate myself much more than in the beginning.”

    I know exactly what that feels like! 🙂

    Cheers.

  109. Kurt,

    “When I can’t hike without pain, maybe I’ll start looking for a job. :-)”

    Ha! I like the plan. Work when you can’t really do anything you like anymore. Reversing that free time parabola. Nice! 🙂

    But, yes, I know what you mean. The culture we have is a shame. Especially when it’s just not really all that difficult to maximize your free time right as your capabilities are also peaking. There is so much opportunity out there in a first world country like ours in this day and age. It’s almost silly to finally own your time right as some of your capabilities are starting to decline. But I’m doing what I can to spread the word.

    Thanks for dropping by.

    Best wishes.

  110. ambertreeleaves,

    “It comes down to finding out what I want more: an hour with my kids now, or an hour with my kids when I reach FI. The problem is that FI is some 14 years away from now. By then, the kids are probably too independent.”

    That reminds me of the song “Cat’s In The Cradle”. You’ve got this guy who never has time for his kid until the kid is grown up and too busy to then spend time with the dad. And the process repeats itself. A smart take on our society.

    I suppose it all depends on what you want to give your children – more of your time or more of your money. And then how do you want them to view those choices? In addition, what would you want to see them give their children?

    All good questions. Not necessarily a right or wrong answer there. But, if I had children, the choice would be easy. 🙂

    Take care!

  111. HD,

    That’s great stuff. I agree 100% with the premise. Time is finite, yet it seems that people sometimes act as if it’s not. It’s important to be cognizant that time is your most valuable resource, and it’s dwindling. Once you’re aware of that, you’ll naturally find yourself making choices that aim to maximize what you have, which tends to bring about profound happiness and purpose. It all kind of works together. 🙂

    Thanks for sharing!

    Best regards.

  112. Right on, brotha!

    I figured this out pretty early on. I knew there was a non-zero chance I’d top out mentally and physically in my 30’s and probably have a decent 40’s but so many folks I see, by the time they are 50-60, they start slowing down.

    Why work your whole life just to turn 50 or 60 and barely be able to enjoy retirement (unless you’re lucky to have awesome genes or work really hard to stay mentally and physically fit)?

    Enter early retirement. Now I can enjoy my 30’s without the stress from work and the nearly complete lack of free time that comes from a full time job (plus raising 3 wonderful kids). I figure the worst case is I’ll be nearly destitute in my 50’s or 60’s and can either scrape by till SS starts or find a little hustle or easy job to cover the gap till SS.

    At least then I can enjoy life while I’m young, knowing that there’s a 98-99% chance that I have enough money to live forever at my current lifestyle. This sounds a little like YOLO, except for the part about saving and working hard for 10 years to establish the FI investment stash.

  113. Justin,

    Definitely. Couldn’t agree more. Why maximize time right as you’re starting to slow down? Makes no sense to me.

    “This sounds a little like YOLO, except for the part about saving and working hard for 10 years to establish the FI investment stash.”

    I’m with you. I think YOLO and early retirement/FI have a lot in common. It’s really all about making the most of your limited time alive. The only difference is that the traditional YOLO crowd seems to emphasize spending/stuff over delaying gratification, whereas this community is really all about working hard and saving up enough so that you can do almost whatever you want for the rest of your life. The main point of contention seems to be around the word “gratification”. I’d argue that freedom (insofar as attaining it very early in life) is far more gratifying than any object or experience you can possibly spend money on. Others would argue differently. But the bottom line is really just being happy and making the most of your time while you’re most physically and mentally able to.

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Best wishes.

  114. Wait a minute! I’m a fitness instructor with ultra high energy at 60 and not foreseeing any slowing down in my 70’s. Why I have 80 somethings in some of my hardcore classes.
    Apart from this, points well taken. Thanks,
    Sam

  115. I really appreciate this post! I’m striving towards financial freedom and a great retirement, but my experiences in the military have shown me that living a long life is a luxury. We might not make it to retirement. While financial freedom is important to me, it’s more important to me to find a balance between saving and also enjoying the things I want to do at all stages of my life. I don’t want to “save” everything for a retirement that may never come. Not to be depressing…I hope we all live long and happy lives!

  116. SS,

    I’m with you. Finding a balance is really tough, but it’s also very important. Not just from the perspective of longevity, but also from the perspective of maximizing happiness both now and later. And so balance is incredibly rewarding when you can find it.

    I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve been able to find something I really love to do, which makes it easy to save and invest. And I also realized years ago that money doesn’t really buy happiness in the traditional sense. Rather, the freedom that money can buy is where true happiness is for me. 🙂

    Best of luck finding your balance!

    Cheers.

  117. DivHut (and the millions upon millions of readers clamoring to get to my blog daily), I’m pleased to announce my comments are back up and running. Jason, I’m sorry to use your comments section as a place to make announcements related to my blog, but given the posts that came before, it seemed appropriate.

    Uhh, go Financial Freedom!!!!

  118. I think because we appropriately value our time right now, we are not as aggressively pursuing as FI as we might. For example, my husband is a student. He could easily bring in $50-$70K more annually, but the educational pursuit matters to him. I could probably start a side consulting biz for about $2K per month, but I would rather run around with my son, fix our house and watch netflix.

    I really think we could be the type of couple to hit FI before 30 and 35 if we were more serious, but we aren’t, so we are on the slow boat to FI, and we are just fine with that. We have no intention of being a Double income family at any point prior to FI (other than the first 1.5 years of our marriage), and most likely not until our late 50s would we consider both of us working full time (and then only because we would want to hit career goals not financial goals).

  119. The choice is indeed easy, but the implementation is no so straight forward. There is the wish to be FI as soon as possible as well… finding the right balance will be the challenge.
    That is why I am looking now into all option that I have to combine both: there is parental leave that we have in Belgium, there is the option to delay FI with one or two years and use that money to take some extended unpaid holidays with the kids.
    that is the good news, I already have options.

  120. Hannah,

    Seems like you’re already receiving most of the benefits of becoming financially independent quite early, since you’re maximizing all of your time while you’re still quite young. Finding a balance between now and later is difficult for a lot of people, but I suppose it also depends on your position within your own family. If your family, for instance, is able to get by with just the one (your husband’s) income, then you’re essentially “free” (even though your husband really isn’t). Of course, I imagine motherhood is its own job, and a hard one at that with rewards and drawbacks like any other. But since this is ultimately all about maximizing time to be happy by engaging in those activities you really want to, you’ve already kind of won. 🙂

    Cheers!

  121. Awesome post! I printed the Conclusion section to hang on my bulletin board. It really speaks to me.

  122. Jason – you are wise beyond your years! I equally enjoyed reading both, your article and all of the comments. This piece you wrote clearly has stirred the pot and struck a cord …. All I can add is that I fully agree with every word you wrote.

    Cheers, mate!

    Alex

  123. Alex,

    Thanks for the support. Much appreciated.

    Yeah, this post resonates and it seems to strike a chord with some people. I suppose some people look at those charts and maybe see something they don’t like. But that’s really the point of the article (and all of my stuff) – I want to engage people and make them think. If I can change just one person’s life for the better, I succeeded. 🙂

    Best wishes!

  124. This was something I had established (i am 30) when i hit 24-25, but due to life circumstances (luck) I wasn’t really able to tackle until recently due to help from others. But the fact that so many Americans can’t get to the kind of income level, or simply don’t find out there choices till much later in life is a real honest to goodness tragedy. I pursued SEO/blogging early on, it’s not something I would do today as a primary means of income, it’s far far to unstable and isn’t what it used to be. I did it for over 5 years, I know a thing or two about it.

    That being said, I know for myself I will never earn enough in the time needed to live completely off dividends (partially because I prefer a fund over being a stock picker, so the interest is a bit lower). I think for myself, the goal is to find work I can do from home that is a bit more creative and fulfilling. One example is a webcomic I intend to work on with my gifted artist friend (the same one who has a fancy job at aetna, and is helping me, thank god, with my savings/investing goals, he’s also my roomie).

    One of the wonderful new ways to make income online is via crowdfunding, especially through program like patreon, that act like essentially a flexible membership service for creatives who make content on a regular basis (video, podcasts, comics, artwork, music, other content etc). Now you still have to do the work, and build an audience, email list etc etc over time, but you get the idea.

    I myself, along with contributing to my friends comic as a business and creative partner (he is the artist) will be looking into podcasting on subjects I enjoy to hopefully grow an audience that can sustain me. (nothing fancy, probably not even as much as you make blogging currently).

    This, in truth, has always been a goal of mine. It’s work I can do from home, and it means not working in retail hell for the rest of my life. I think that is a solid thing to shoot for. It’s similar to your own goals.

  125. Kevin,

    Indeed. It’s all about finding that right balance. Fortunately, it’s just not that expensive to live happily in the present, which allows one plenty of opportunities to plan/save for the future. 🙂

    Take care!

  126. Hi,

    Really, really great post. I even bookmarked it and sent it to some of my friends (and english is not even our first language so I hope they get it 🙂 . I’m fortunate enough that at 37 years old I have been able to accumulate 400K in stocks and bonds + a paid off 200K home. At this rate I think i’ll be FI in around 7 years. My greatest challenge is to live in the moment and enjoy time with my 4 year old son and girlfriend now that I am in my “peak” years. I find it hard to balance achieving financial independence + enjoying the moment and my kid’s childhood at the same time. Thanks for your article!

  127. Guillaume,

    Thanks for sharing my content. That’s the ultimate compliment. 🙂

    You’re in a tremendous position over there. There’s no other way to enjoy the moment than just to actually do it. I think it’s either in you or it’s not. I do my best to share and inspire, but reading about these things can only take it so far. It’s then up to you to actually make the most of those moments. They’ll be gone forever once passed. Keep in mind that the money is going to work for you… even if you’re not constantly watching it and adding to it. You’re a guaranteed millionaire, even if you stop saving and investing (assuming an average rate of return over the next 15 years).

    Best of luck finding that balance!

    Cheers.

  128. Fantastic post!

    I really need to read more of your writing, it is excellent.

    The only thing I might add is that (unforseen death notwithstanding) people chasing FI are likely going to be skewing their capabilities curve far more to the right hand side than most normal folk, because they are the ones that are constantly learning and improving themselves like you talk about.

    I feel the same zest for adventure waning somewhat now I am 33 as well (34 next week actually), I am also settled now but I also think it is partly getting into the FI mindset of reduction of expenses. While I am still working I don’t want to be blowing loads of £££ on expensive holidays. I know you can get nice holidays on the cheap but even with backpacking the flights are still expensive*, so I think this is a big part of travelling bug leaving me. Plus I have come to realise that I have a beautiful country right on my doorstep anyway! 🙂

    Cheers!

    *Travel hacking credit cards doesn’t really work in the UK 🙁

  129. firestarter,

    Thank you so much. That means a lot to me. I consider myself more a writer than anything else right now, so that’s a big compliment.

    Yeah, you make a great point there. Those seeking/achieving financial independence will likely see better overall capabilities for a longer period of time. And that was something I was mentioning somewhere else. When you have the time to exercise and you’re avoiding all the stress that the 9-5 grind comes with, you’ll likely have better overall health. Maximizing those capabilities along with free time all at once is just an amazing boost to your overall quality of life. I speak from experience on that one.

    Thanks for dropping by. Hope all is well on your side of the pond!

    Best wishes.

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