The Compass to Being Financially Free

I mentioned on my Instagram post that in order to take this mid-career break and possibly venture on my own (more on that to come), I needed to achieve 3 steps or goals: be debt free, have a healthy retirement savings, and one year worth of expenses saved up.

I have already met these goals. Actually, every year, for the past 5 or 6 years, I have set a yearly financial net worth goal. I am glad to say that for the year of 2017, I have met my financial goal already. Anything else I save up is bonus. I will explain more about each of those financial steps in length, because if what I did resonates with you and can help other people do the same, then I have already done something good.

But my way will not be for everyone. I don't have a magic recipe where something will happen overnight. Hell, I don't even believe in anything that comes easy. This is a lifestyle for me.

In order to get to the position I am in today, I have followed 3 compass guides, that have helped me navigate through adulthood and life in general. I say guide, because they are not immutable. And just as I am getting to now who I am everyday, so will my compass in life.

These premises have helped me in my romantic life, in my professional life, in my family life, and very much so, in my financial life.

They may sound easy and straightforward, but it took me a lot of heartache, adventures, and some not so smart choices to hone them. They each came at different stages, in one form or another, and they built off of one another.

I will expand on each, because they are what helped me be debt free, have a healthy savings account, and have 1 year worth of expenses saved up.

So, here they go:

1. No one owes me anything
2.  I always have a choice
3. I deny victimhood in my life

Sounds simple, right? They were not so simple to me at the time, but embracing each one of them has helped me get where I am.