Most people aren’t free.
They think they are but they’re really not — myself included. In fact, most of us are willing slaves to the choices we make. However, there are ways that we can have more freedom than most. Ways to live a lifestyle that’s light, nimble, and agile.
I’ll explain.
You see, freedom is my thing. It’s my drug of choice and the driving factor behind many of my decisions.
Freedom is why I enjoy minimalism and freedom is why I like to work for myself.
Most entrepreneurs go into business to make money and yes — money is the objective but, money is simply a tool to buy freedom.
The more things we own the less freedom we have. Stuff requires maintenance. Houses need to be cleaned, lawns need to be mowed, and clutter needs to be organized.
We make choices every day that take away small parts of our freedom. Wasting money we spent hours of our lives working for. Signing up for new social media apps that will soon bombard us with notifications and meaningless dopamine hits or, letting others intrude on our inner peace and happiness.
Whenever we answer an email or a telephone call we’re making the choice to give up a small portion of our lives. Whenever we say yes to something we wish we could say no to we’re choosing less freedom.
Every day we make choices regarding freedom. Seemingly small and non-consequential choices that infringe upon our right to choose how we wish to spend our time.
So how do we optimize for freedom? — Keep reading.
How to Optimize Your Life for Freedom
- Money — In most cases, we spend hours of our lives earning money. The more money we spend the more we have to work and so on. The idea is to live frugally so we can spend less time working and more time living.
- Working — When we live below our means it’s easier to work fewer hours and or work on the projects that light us up. Suddenly a part-time job or a side hustle can easily become our main income source. Entrepreneurship [done right] grants freedom.
- Own fewer possessions — Minimalism is my thing but I recommend owning fewer things whether you consider yourself a minimalist or not. Things take up space, require mental bandwidth, and continuous maintenance. Consider less stuff, a smaller home to take care of, etc. I can’t remember who said this — maybe it was me — but, the stuff we own ends up owning us. The only way to take control is by paring down to the essentials.
- Say no — I wrote about this in The Life-Changing Power Of Saying No and it’s worth repeating. The word ‘no’ should be our default answer to requests from friends, family, and co-workers. Always carefully consider a ‘yes’ keeping in mind that time is the most finite resource we have.
- Control your time — For the most part, we are in complete control of our time yet we waste so much of it. Think productivity and efficiency. Don’t waste too much time on social media and other pointless activities unless that’s how you prefer to use your freedom. Take an honest assessment of how you’re spending your time. To gain freedom, edit your calendar and streamline any tasks that feel like a chore.
- Nimble living — I love the term ‘nimble living’ because it applies to almost every facet of life but in this case, I’m talking about flexibility. Keep your schedule flexible and allow for nimble living. Don’t schedule too much in one day. Make sure you have time for an impromptu walk, nap, or lunch date. Keep a travel bag packed in case a weekend trip arises. Leave plenty of slack in your schedule. Design a life that’s light and agile.
The Subjectivity of Freedom
Before I get a flood of angry emails I just want to say — I get it — my idea of freedom may not be for you.
My version of freedom and your version of freedom probably look very different — each their own. The idea is to figure out what your ideal version looks like. If you feel trapped, stuck, or low-grade unhappy it may be time to edit your lifestyle and optimize for freedom.
I did this myself a few years ago and it’s an ongoing project. One that takes time and one that likely will never be complete.
The important thing is to keep freedom at the forefront of your attention if that’s what you’re seeking. When making decisions, ask yourself…
- Am I giving up a portion of my freedom for this?
I hope this post has been helpful and thanks for reading.
For thoughts and comments @ me on Twitter.