By global standards, almost all of us have more than we NEED, quite a few of us are fortunate to have more than we EXPECTED, and so all of should be focused on what we really WANT. Do we want more stuff, or do we want more time?
If we don’t have a plan to reach financial independence and retire early, we are really saying that our employer values our time more than WE do. We’ve by default said that we’d rather have their money than our time.
That’s not the decision we’ve made … I’m looking forward to dozens of things spend my time on … see this post “What Are You Going To Do In Early Retirement?”
Image Credit: MrFireStation.com
MrFireStation 
One of my favorite parts about MY part of the Voyage, is that I’ve started a little side gig as a “virtual administrative assistant.” I edit, produce Power Points, set up meetings, etc. Everything a secretary used to do before that name became politically incorrect. But now I charge by the hour, and the client gets exactly what he pays for. He doesn’t pay for my insurance, my retirement, my benefits or my lunch break. (He also doesn’t usually know what time of day I’m working, or if I even have shoes on…) But I know exactly what my time is worth – at least for part of the day, and I still get to schedule the hours I save for me…which are waaayyyyy more valuable!
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That’s cool. I could probably use some virtual assistant help for some Board work I do. Maybe we can connect at some point …
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I have a wicked red pen, and some mad ex-teacher organizational skills. It’s a pretty neat deal, because I set up a Dropbox with my clients, so that we can move documents around seamlessly. Contact me any time at Encorevoyage@gmail.com!
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“If we don’t have a plan to reach financial independence and retire early, we are really saying that our employer values our time more than WE do. We’ve by default said that we’d rather have their money than our time.”
That will help me to keep focused…
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Started thinking about this in the shower the other day as I got ready for work. Kind of scared me.
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It scares me too… I like the thinking behind it. That is what FI is about: you gain control over your time again
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