Hello again fellow Steemers!
If you don't know me or haven't read one of my posts. I wrote a post that ended up in the top 10 Steemit trending posts yesterday. The post was about my plan to leave Wordpress for Steemit.
To follow up on my promise, here's a popular article I wrote about life and work on my Wordpress blog (at the end I'll show you how Steem is helping me achieve my goals):
I'm going to let you in on a little secret. This secret allowed me to retire early at the age of 29. But I'm going to warn you, if you clicked on this post expecting to learn a unique financial strategy that enabled me to save enough, over a short period of time, to never have to work again, you're in for a big disappointment.
Although saving was crucial to retiring, it wasn't the most important thing. In reality, I only had about a year's worth of expenses saved up prior to quitting my job, hardly enough to retreat to a tropical island and sip Mai Tais for the rest of my life.
Okay enough stalling. Here's the real secret to how I managed to retire early. Are you ready? Here it is:
I simply changed my definition of the word "retirement".
That's it.
I just changed my mindset. I changed what the word "retirement" meant to me and just like that, I was retired.
I changed what I believed was society's definition of retirement:
When you sacrifice 40 or 50 years of your life doing something you don't like, so you have enough money to do what you want...when you're old.
To my own personal definition of retirement:
When you stop doing what you think you're "supposed to do" and start doing what's uniquely right for you...today.
Once I adopted that frame of mind, I was free to do anything. I stopped looking to others to figure out what to do, instead I looked within, and the answers were obvious.
For all of you thinking to yourself, "This advice is unrealistic new age hippie bullshit!" I challenge you to really think about what I actually did:
I decided this wasn't for me, I saved for a year, I turned in my two weeks, and I walked out the door. Simple right? So if what I did was so simple, why do so few people do it?
Real financial hardship notwithstanding (I'm privileged as fuck btw), I think the real reason is that people are terrified of walking away from what's comfortable and familiar, and to instead, embrace the unknown.
If you feel that way, I'd tell you the idea of wasting your one life trying to live up to other people's expectations is a lot more terrifying.
Also you're not going to know what's right for you immediately. The purpose of the journey is to help you figure that out.
I came up with this definition after I was asked when I going back to corporate for the millionth time. My answer always was, "I don't plan to go back, I love my life right now, why would I go back?"
I realized I was already doing what I loved, which was traveling, writing, spending time with the people I love, and picking up gigs in the sharing economy. Why would I want to stop? It was at that point, I realized I was "retired."
You see, I'm not talking about retirement in the financial sense. Notice nowhere in my definition did I mention "money" or "not working."
I'm talking about something bigger than work and money. I'm talking about retirement as a state of mind. I'm challenging the fundamental premise behind the concept of "retirement" all together.
The premise that says you can't do what you really want until you've put in time doing what you're "supposed to do"...like everyone else.
The premise that has you waiting for the "perfect time" to do something bold. When that perfect time doesn't exist outside of today.
The premise that has you putting off making the most of your life today, knowing you can get hit by a bus tomorrow.
The premise that keeps you from living according to your unique truths, in exchange for the comfort that comes with conformity.
Don't get me wrong. The last thing I'm telling you to do is to quit your job to travel and freelance like I did. That was unique to my situation and it's probably not right for you. Especially if you have a family to feed, student loans up to your eyeballs, or actually like your job. And don't look to me or anyone else to tell you what's right for you, only you know that.
However, what I am telling you to do is to stop waiting to "retire" from situations that are not healthy for you and your loved ones. Whether it's retiring from toxic relationships, destructive habits, an unhealthy lifestyle, or an inauthentic life.
My hope is that once you retire from whatever it is that's making you miserable, you'll never have to retire again. For in the process of "retiring," you'll make space to create a life you love, a life that's uniquely true to you, a life you'd never want to quit.
Thank god I did. If I didn't, I'd probably still be sitting in my cubicle writing some mindless report, instead of writing what you just read.
Update 7/15: I wrote this post 11 days ago on Wordpress, got 1,000+ views, and made $0 dollars. So instead of continuing to do what I felt added the most value to the world (sharing my thoughts), I had to go back to driving for Uber & Lyft to make enough to pay the rent.
Upon discovering Steemit and posting 3 articles. I've made over $2,000 dollars. Steemit is validation to everything I wrote in this post. Validation that if you follow your intuition, trust that by creating value for others, you'll be taken care of. My advice for all you new Steemers out there is don't ask how you can make the most money, instead, ask how you can create the most value, if you do that, the money will follow...
Ah, well by that definition, I retired at 22. :P
Namaste~!
I agree. I think Steemit is going to help a lot of people "retire" early.
I disagree. In my ideal world, no one would need to retire, because they'll all be doing what they love :)
Hmm I just looking at my situation ugh
Keep dreaming!
In my ideal world greed would be a foreign concept.
If you truly love your job, there is no reason to retire. I don't want to sit at home all day when I'm 75. I'd rather do something productive and make a living doing it.
The key is to eat right and exercise now, so that you have the physical and mental capacity to do your job when you are older.
The key is to follow your passion in every moment and watch your dreams blossom into gardens for your harvest XD
This is what makes your article meaningless to 99% of people.
Ok. Working at my 9-5 job is making me miserable. How do I "retire" from that? Because last I checked money is kind of important. And I don't want to find another 9-5 job because that's not what I want to do at all.
I get what you're saying, you're defining retirement as happiness. The definition of retirement is when you stop working at a time when you're financially independent for the remainder of your life. It would make me happy to just travel the world and spend time with my friends and family all day and NOT work..... but I can't do that without a shit ton of money. I can't be financially independent without working or getting lucky... or in your case, being "privileged as fuck"
So how exactly does one retire when they are not financially independent? "Figure something out" that generates cash?
Hey @dafar, I appreciate your candid feedback.
Regarding, the privilege comment. I included that to show that I am conscious that my privilege is allowing me to do what I'm doing; that I'm not being ignorant (at best) or disingenuous (at worst).
I addressed how people that aren't privileged as I, can "retire."
I don't think we can continue this discussion while using two different definitions of retirement. Regarding the practical realities of improving your financial situation (as I mentioned, it does matter, just not as much as you think). You can spend less and find ways to generate more income. For example, writing genuine authentic articles about your struggles on Steemit or finding gigs in the sharing economy (I drove for Uber & Lyft). Hopefully, the 2 cents I gave you just by acknowledging and upvoting is a start.
Hey thanks, I appreciate your response too. And I hope I didn't sound harsh. I'm actually fairly privileged too and make good money though my job.... but to really free yourself from financial burdens and enjoy life as a free spirit, I feel like you need a LOT of money these days
I'm not sure what your life situation is (i.e. family and kids). But I'd counter by asking you what do you really NEED in life? Then ask you how much money do you need to acquire those things.
Personally, the only things I NEED are water, food, shelter, and to be around my loved ones, and these things aren't expensive :)
Oh yeah, internet access is a need as well, good luck it's abundant and not prohibitively expensive. haha
there are two ways to get everything you desire. become absolutely filthy stinking rich, or desire less.
A wise man should have money in his head, not his heart. -Satoshi Nakamoto
TestYourKnowledge
I agree. I think it's really important to enjoy your work, because it doesn't feel like a job.
I'm lucky that I've been working in a field where I love what I do, and I'm glad you've found yours!
Now if you ask me what the definition of "inspiration " is, I'll point you to this article. I want more control of how I live and not just being here to support others' lifestyles. I just joined this site 2 days ago and just wrote my first article ever last night.
My passion is gardening and my blog is starting with the development of my first vegetable garden in many years.
Thank you so much for this post. It made me think.
Thank you for the kind words @breakfastchief . I'm confident if you continue to nurture your passion and share it with others, you will be liberated. My upvote of your comment is the beginning of that.
Congratulations on your success! I have a family to feed and take care of, as you hinted at, so for me, running away is not an option. But your article gave me a lot to think about. I do like what I do at work, so that helps, but I think there is a lifestyle out there waiting for me that would be even more true to who I am.
I encourage everyone to live free...do want you want when you want to do it. That will make you happy.
Thanks @ kevinpham20.
I agree with you. I left my corporate gig in June of 2015 to discover what it is I'm supposed to be doing. I appreciate you writing about your journey.
The style of "retiring" we all want.
Hi Kevin, I like the way you think! You make a good point about retiring from the bad stuff :) it's writers like you that give me inspiration. I hope to be at your level someday!
I've only been on Steemit for a couple of days/upvoted a couple of posts and my SP increased by $3.30. This will be a good way to help "retire from working for someone else" to do something I like.
So much truf. "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life"
Inspirational!!
Agreed, at the end of the day its better and healthier to be happy in whatever form that takes on for each of us...
Very inspirational thanks.
This is what is so great about crypto-currencies! Democratize the power and take it away from greedy corporations cough Facebook. Bitcoin showed us we don't have to use the banks and SteemIt shows us we don't have to use Lamebook.
and it also shows us how much money our attention to one another is worth--because we are paid and paying others. add to it that people who have high steem power are also very much "locked" in the system for long periods of time means they are highly likely to want to "tip" people and bring value to the ecosystem as much as possible...
giving value to one another makes a community powerful...because people work Synergistically. systems like fb only want one thing: to control your value. steemit, over time and through individual networks, will reflect value.
I'm in baby. This is like heaven to me. Thank you to all of you because you are giving power back to the people...we can finally extricate our loved ones from places like fb where they are easily censored and their value is stolen.
So nice. This is worth sharing. :-) I want everybody to read this article. Very well written. Kudos!
hello
Good information
Glad you are able to follow your heart and with steemit, hopefully navigating won't be a challenge, more power to u!
Great post! I did pretty much the exact same thing. It's strange how people don't realize the potential our western incomes have abroad. And the opportunities abound for us nomads.
Keep up the posts!
I Love this article! I am about to put in my two weeks to pursue my art and I couldn't be happier! We all should retire NOW
why you retired at 29
@kevinpham20 changing the world one post at a time ! :) I love that you had such insight to 'retire'. It is funny how we can get so stuck in routine that we forget to take in each moment and live our best lives. If you could, check out my latest post; 5 moves that will get you into yoga. I would love feedback! Cheers!
Thanks for the comment @missjessica . Yes, it is easy to get lost in the routine, because it's predictable, thus it's comfortable. What I come to realize that life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
Your post actually is already helping me! I've been stuck at my computer watching the cryptocurrency markets and posting on Steemit. I haven't had the chance to hit the gym, so I'm going to try out your exercises at home! Hopefully, it gives me extra energy and focus so I can write more!
Namaste!
Very inspiring. First steemit post I used for an example on facebook.
Here was my comments
Absolutely beautiful and so true. I know I probably terrify my family giving up a six figure income, but what I have gained is worth so much more than money. I have gained TIME and that is something we all are given a short amount of. Using MY TIME the way I think it should be spent is more valuable than any amount of paper some bank wants to tell me it is worth.
For all my blogger friends (Facebookers could be included), take a look at this new way of being compensated for your TIME. I will state this is real value you earn and I know because I have tested every part of the system. Will it be as fancy as facebook no, will it be as popular as wordpress no.......but you currently will not find a better chance to be rewarded for your thoughts.
I too have been blogging on another platform. Your 1,000 views and zero dollars on wordpress is something I can relate too. I had the exact thing happen recently. I feel I am blessed to have stumbled upon steem when I did, if nothing else, I am certainly not putting any money into other platforms when we have everything we need right here! To your continued success!
It's awesome to see an open and honest blog that makes you question your thoughts. Your view on retirement has gotten me to think about what I want to do with my own life. Great post! This is exactly what steemit should be all about. Instead of meaningless selfies on some other social media sites (which if you're into that's great) there's things that will enhance and expand your views on what you believe on this site. You can learn things every day here and add your own comments and posts to help someone else ponder things too. I really love this site.
Your article is very, very inspirational to me. It's been my dream to leave my day job for 22 years to travel the world and write full time. I'm closer than ever thanks to Steemit. Congratulations to you for having the guts to live your truth.
Retirement as a state of mind is what I tell my retired parents. Interestingly, though, the routine and discipline that comes with working in a fixed environment has real benefits and I think leads to more productivity.
I agree steemit will help alot of people for years to come.
I'm happy that you succeed in doing what you like. As Confucius said "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."
I hope for everyone to get there.
Well. I certainly hope it lets me retire early and gets the family and me out of the States!
first picture is cool I like it
Thank you for an inspiration article. Sometimes all you need is a shift in perspective. You shifted your perspective on what retirement means and you made you life more inline with your values. Bravo!
каждый сам решает работать ли ему от звонка до звонка до пенсии или найти любимое дело и зарабатывать на жизнь с удовольствием.
I totally agree and applaud you for your accomplishments. I'm going to try to emulate you!!!!
like you said.. you are just "priviliged as fuck" and steemit was just coincidence. it has nothing to do with your mindset. When people don't have something to fall back on they end in deep poverty. thats the real truth
Have you read Tim Ferriss' 'The 4 Hour Work Week'? Very similar sentiments to what's written here.
Awesome post, btw.
Such a nice write up ! You deserve my upvote for motivating so many people . Personally I live my life just like you do . I was 17 when I left my home town Vienna. Retirement is such a silly word but I recently was thrilled when I heard that Indonesia finally gives me a so called " pension visa " for Bali . I live here since 1999 and it was total madness applying and reapplying for all those years . it was hard to leave the country but now I got an official title " Pensionist " and yeah they let me come and go as I wish . Life goes on ! Travel a few month in Europe and then back to the tropics ! ITs awesome to be free ! maybe the moon next !
Wow...That concept completely changed my world view :)
I love how you took an idealization full of negativity and morphed it into something positive.
It looks like with this stream of income you can continue doing what you love without any financial worries.
steemit me ayuda economicamente!!
accurate and sharp thoughts of the situation with Steem
thank you!!!!
Why are you retired at 29 years old? How so? )
Nice to see you here
I read a bunch of the comments, and for me it is now only the wife and I, but we also have 14 dogs, 6 of our own and 8 foster dogs. It's like having 14 two-year-old kids in the house.
Anyway, I too cannot retire from my current profession. However, when I joined the US Air Force at 18 and through my first tour of 4 years, I learned to walk away, or "retire" from, things that do NOT benefit or interest me.
When conflict arises somewhere in my life, if I quickly analyze the situation, and I do without whatever the conflict is over, I just walk away, or "retire" from the situation. It is not worth getting aggravated over something you can't potentially fix.
It really boils down to choosing the battles you want to fight, and not participating in the ones that don't matter to YOU or your loved ones.
I love the post!!! I did my first 6 figures income in advertising and marketing last year. I am very interested in the Steemit!!! Fascinating how people in 21st century have more than less unlimited opportunities to make money from home. I just signed up to Steemit and to be perfectly honest not having idea how to submit my first blog. Everyone were newbie here. Can I find any video tutorial about setting up the blog and post the content etc, how to insert the pictures, videos? To be extremely honest I created my first blog but I cant post it. Any idea why?
I would like to say thank you so much for reading my comment, if someone have an answer for the question I would very much appreciate the feedback. Thank you once again.
I catch myself today again on reading your blog second time. Is great for so many reason and the most important you give so much inspiration and courage to the readers that they inhale the superb vibes :)