Psychological Freedom: What Brings Fulfillment?
Every two weeks, I receive a recording of a class call by Financial Mentor. This last week’s recording discussed the trade-offs between time, health, and money.
His theory is that one of these is usually in short supply.
When you’re a kid, you tend to have more time freedom and better health, but far less money.
Then you move into your adult working years, and you lose time freedom but gain more money, while still remaining relatively healthy—even if you don’t regularly work out or such.
Then you retire, and you have the money you need to pursue your dreams and live your values. You also have this wonderful time freedom, but now your health starts to decline.
The problem with most financial education, whether mainstream or FIRE-oriented, is that the focus is mostly on the money part of this equation.
It is important.
But is it what brings fulfillment?
What I have found in my post-FIRE life is that it does—to a point.
Yesterday, I finished my quarterly portfolio rebalancing review.
What sort of fulfillment did I notice?
I was very happy to have enough cash on hand to weather a market downturn for up to three years.
I was happy to see that my liquid portfolio had grown back to a previous level after the year got off to a rocky start.
I felt secure in the knowledge that I have my time freedom and can continue to afford my lifestyle.
And then I was on to the next item on my list for the day:
Taking my third long walk to reach 15,000 steps.
Ah…
That’s a health goal rather than a money goal.
What did it cost?
Well, I was wearing clothes and shoes that cost money.
The shirt was six years old.
The socks were about three years old.
The shoes were two years old.
The pants were new but inexpensive ($14.99 + Tax).
I need some version of those things anyway, so the only real incremental cost is the walking shoes.
About $135 with tax, used for roughly 200 days since I bought them…
About fifty cents a day.
Otherwise, the only cost was about 35 minutes of my time.
Did it bring fulfillment?
Yes.
To a degree.
Reaching 15,000 steps feels like an accomplishment and an act of integrity.
The sunshine, fresh air, and beauty of my surroundings are enjoyable.
I feel strong and capable, and it helps me maintain my target weight.
I don’t remember what I thought about while walking, so there were no major breakthroughs.
Just one more item completed on my daily list.
Alright…
A little bit about money.
A little bit about health.
But what about time, and how it is used to create a lifestyle aligned with my values and dreams?
This is the ultimate question of post-FIRE lifestyle design.
If you have enough money and you still have good health, then you also have the time to live your dreams and ensure your life reflects your values.
What was my day like yesterday?
I wrote about it in yesterday’s article.
But in summary, it was very mundane.
It was filled with basic householder stuff.
All good.
Nothing particularly sexy or exciting.
I stayed home all day.
I spent no money.
I took care of a list of somewhat important items.
I had two brief text exchanges with friends.
I had my weekly music coaching session.
I cooked and ate a healthy meal.
I exercised.
I wrote and posted a blog article.
I read.
I went to bed early, read some more, and got up very early today.
Let’s compare that to my Top 10 values.
I think I demonstrated some creativity by writing the article.
I exercised my freedom by choosing exactly what I did—and didn’t do—all day.
I experienced a little beauty by getting outside and walking.
The Highway to Yeah blog is meant to help people, so there was at least a small contribution.
I gained a little wisdom and learned something through reading.
I exercised integrity and truthfulness by completing my One Hit Wonders, which is itself a source of meaning in my life.
I experienced some human connection, although it was online, not IRL.
My music coaching session was the deepest connection of the day.
Was yesterday particularly fulfilling?
It was fine.
But it wasn’t remarkable.
What I really seemed to be doing was elevating my value of simplicity.
And part of simplicity is creating a harmonious lifestyle.
Let’s face it.
It’s easy to live a simple and harmonious life when you live alone in a cabin in the woods…
…and never leave the house.
Could I have had a similar day if I were still working full-time?
I think I could have.
The biggest differences would have been greater complexity and stress, less time freedom, and much more difficulty maintaining my health goals and completing everything else.
For that, I’m grateful to have had such a simple day.
So…
What was missing?
More creative expression. I barely rehearsed—just a couple of songs before I ran out of gas and time.
More human connection. I especially enjoy deep, in-person conversations.
More adventure. Unless we count wondering whether I can sustain all my One Hit Wonders as an adventure—and I suppose it is.
Almost no playfulness.
More beauty would have been nice.
Perhaps making a larger contribution than simply writing a blog article.
What do those six values have in common?
They are the stuff of dreams.