The Key Ingredient to Living Your Dream Lifestyle

Everyone has a dream lifestyle. Living it, however, is another matter.

There is one thing you must have if you want to live yours: freedom. Freedom here is the ability to live on your own terms. Without it, you can’t live your dream lifestyle because you must follow someone else’s terms.

There are three components of freedom:

  • Financial independence: having the money to sustain the lifestyle you want.
  • Time independence: having control of how you spend your time.
  • Location independence: having control of where your location is.

The more you have of these three components, the more freedom you have, and the more you can live your dream lifestyle.

Of course, it’s not easy to have them. In fact, it could take years of effort. But it’s definitely achievable.

Here are two main ways to get freedom:

1. Increase your bargaining power at work.

This is what you should do if you work at someone else’s organization. The organization is not yours, so you must follow its rules. That may make it difficult for you to get the last two components of freedom: time and location independence.

The solution? Increase your bargaining power. You can do that by increasing your value to the organization. The more your organization needs you, the more it will be willing to negotiate.

2. Have your own business.

Another way to get freedom is to have your own business. Be careful though: not all kinds of business qualify. Many businesses only transfer the control from your boss to your clients. If in the past your boss controlled your every move, now it’s your clients who do so. Doesn’t sound good, does it?

So, make sure that you build the right kind of business. In my case, I built a lifestyle business, but I’m sure there are other ways.

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There is a similarity between the two methods above: they are not easy. The fact is, getting freedom requires a fight. But it’s something worth fighting for.

Any thoughts? Comments here.

Photo by Ian Sane

14 Comments

  1. You are so right about getting freedom. It is not easy but if it was everyone would get it but because it takes time and energy only those who are willing to persevere will get it.

  2. Just do what you love. Follow your goals, enjoy your process. Enjoyment increase your power.

  3. Donald, you’re right – it’s not easy but the first step is having the dream in the first place. Sadly, too many people lack the imagination and belief to dream that their world can be different.

  4. Thank you Donald I look forward to start building my business in 2015 part time while employed into full time.

  5. Donald, I have been reading your Life Optimizer for a few years now and I’m happy I did. Thank you for sharing. I always wanted to have my own company and nine years ago I started my own little buisness and it has been a great time with ups and downs. I always say “You have to love what your doing and the money will come automaticly” and for my self I can say thats right. I gained a lot of personal freedom been my own boss.

  6. Great post Donald, totally agree. I’d like to add, that for me, it always has to be about loving what I’m doing. I gave up on fighting procrastination a while ago, and used it to direct me away from the things I hated, and towards things that lit me up inside.

    I personally love the idea of a lifestyle business, or a ‘freedom business’ as I like to call it. Having dreams and aspirations seems to have become dirty words these days. We are educated and directed to take our rightful places in society, with scant regard for having happy, satisfying, and fulfilling lives. Makes yer kind of sick ?

    It definitely takes time and effort to build a business from scratch, but not as long as people think, providing you are doing the right things consistently.

    What drives me? Passion, excitement, wanting to live life to the full, with incredible connections and experiences.

    But most of all, when I am on my deathbed, I want that tear that runs down my face to be one of joy and a life well lived, not one of regret for what could have been.

    Keep up the good work.

  7. We must move beyond our fears with a confidence and belief in ourself, that things will work out. We get back what we put out, so our self talk must constantly contain thoughts and words like I can and I will. And so it comes to be.

  8. Hi Donald i most confess that am very happy to be part of this great forum, its been long that am searching for write ups that will encourage me move to my nest level an with this encouraging updates i know and believe i will get there. thanks

  9. Thank you so much for this wonderful article

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