Posted on March 25, 2009 - by PanzerGrenadier

Make time for important things

Photo by FABIOLA MEDEIRO

There is no point in winning the battle but to have lost the war.

What are important things?

The lesson to be learnt from the concept of pyrrhic victory is to balance the means by which you obtain your ends. Our objective (”ends”) in financial freedom is to generate enough passive income to be able to be financially free. In this quest, the process brings with it some valuable insights that we should not lose ourselves in the pursuit of financial freedom.

Financial freedom exists in a context. We want to reach the goal of being financially free. Upon reaching that goal, are we able to truly say we are happy and fulfilled because being financially free releases us to do those things are gives us meaning, value and fulfilment?

This means that before your reach the point of financial freedom, you have to already know what are those important areas of your life that give you meaning, value and fulfilment.

I am grateful that in my life I’ve encountered three key experiences that have helped shape my context of financial freedom.

My first was [1] volunteer work. I have volunteered for a few years in a non-profit association as a board member. I have also volunteered in the kidsREAD program reading stories to children aged five to eight years-old from lower-income families. Both the experiences taught me the value and fulfilment in service but also taught me about being burnt-out and tired and the need to balance one’s own health as well.

The second has been my [2] toastmastering experience. Joining a few toastmasters clubs helped build up skills in public speaking and networking. It has been instrumental in building up my confidence in interviews for jobs and in being able to organise and articulate my ideas when needed.

The third is [3] fatherhood. Being a father to my one year-old daughter has made me become less selfish, more aware of others’ needs and at the same time also gave me a strong reason to achieve financial freedom. The closer I get to financial freedom, the more it frees up time for my daughter (and spouse) and also for myself. There is also a next generation to bequeath my assets should anything happen to me in this journey.

Insight #2 : Financial freedom requires balance
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2. 2010 – expect a year of more modest gains compared to 2009….the easy money is over so stock selection and valuations become more important
3. Reviewing Your Lens Towards Financial Freedom