There is a war taking place right now. The objective is your life and freedom. It is fought by your personal soldiers of fortune. Lead your army to victory or surrender and suffer your fate.
Every one of us is the general of a revolutionary army, a guerilla force that is fighting for independence. This army does not fight with guns and bullets, but with savings and investments. It does not fight conventionally, but with hit and run tactics. Every soldier in your army is a dollar (or whatever currency you use).
Those that do not see or think the same way will call you crazy and say it can’t be done. You can’t win independence against such an all-powerful force that is the world. So stop fighting. Go ahead and treat yourself, buy everything you even want maybe just a little bit. Charge it on your credit cards and pay it off never!
They say they are going to work until they are dead! Retirement is a myth, nobody can save money – so why fight it?
But you know that not only can you retire successfully, you can retire in your 30’s if you intelligently use your army to win your war for independence.
AN INDEPENDENT PERSONALITY
Ever since I was a little kid I was fiercely independent and wanted to make my own decisions. If there is a job to do in my life I want to do it myself. I will research how to accomplish it, whether it is changing the alternator in my car, fixing the A/C for my house, or just about anything else in my life. Rarely do I call in outside help, or mercenaries, to do the work for me.
I want to be free from my job.Whenever I am there I am not doing what I want to be doing. I am not free yet, so I perform what needs to be done. Dutifully I follow the orders from my boss and churn out the products I am required to. But the top-down structure just drains me of my creativity, energy, and ideas. So I don’t do anything I am not required to do.
To win your independence you need to be an independent person. You need to be anti-establishment. To win independence early in life you need to be counter-culture and it appears the most successful at it have an I and a J in your briggs-meyers personality type, as introverted and judging personalities are experts at being consistent and controlling their impulses. But I believe that anyone can do it, you just have to want it. Don’t be discouraged.
YOU NEED TO DEFINE YOUR NEEDS
Propaganda (commercialism) is rampant in this war. A favorite tactic of the enemy is known to try and trick you into committing your soldiers by not highlighting the total price, but by the monthly payment. They want you to commit your army into this war of attrition (interest rates). They want to bog you down as they slowly pick off your men and let the others die to diseases (depreciating assets).
If it isn’t monthly payments, then they are trying to have you send men off to die for objectives (stuff) that you don’t need. The propaganda never ends, it is everywhere you look in the world. YOUR independence doesn’t require it – fancy gourmet food or dinners/lunches out, new cars, new clothes, gadgets, cable tv, the latest phone on expensive plans, etc. ALL of it is unnecessary. ALL of it is sending your soldiers to their deaths, lessening your chances of victory. Do you want stuff or do you want freedom?
As the general, you need to realize what your real needs are and obtain them as efficiently as possible.
STRATEGIC AND DECISIVE PATH TO VICTORY
Every time you don’t throw your soldiers away for something that you don’t need, you are advancing towards victory. Every time you perfect your plan just a little bit more, you are advancing towards victory. Small victories will add up, and eventually, you will fight the last one and become the leader of a free republic. A free state of you.
This war is dirty, and you are bound to lose a few battles, DO NOT become discouraged and surrender! Retreat and regroup, save as many of your soldiers as you can. They will live to train another generation. The ones you save will be back at the barracks (investment) training and recruiting new soldiers. General, you need to grow your army, and it is rare that you can do it alone sir. Your army is there to help! By investing properly, your soldiers will multiply. Eventually, they will grow faster than you can add to them. If you continue to be victorious in your war for independence, there will be a day that you no longer have to fight.
Your army can sustain you forever. You will be free.
IF YOU WANT IT BAD ENOUGH
You can win your revolution. Lead on, General.
2 comments
Mrs. Picky Pincher
January 27, 2017 at 10:14 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I’m with you on this. The 9-to-5 structure is draining and I’m always caught in bureaucratic red tape instead of doing work I actually enjoy.
It’s funny because I’m in a weird spot right now. I earn quite a lot of money at my job right now, but I don’t like it. I’m looking for other lower-paying jobs where I know I’ll be happy, but the catch is that it delays our FIRE date.
Which to choose? I’m still not sure, honestly.
Mrs. Picky Pincher recently posted…How A $7 Planner Saves Me Thousands Every Year
MrDD
January 28, 2017 at 7:26 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Well Mrs. Picky Pincher, you are the first comment on my site here!
This is a really tricky dilemma. It is one that you have to weigh how many years difference from FIRE is staying at the well paying job verse the lower but more enjoyable one. Once you have an amount of time that it will cost, you can make a pro/con list.
As for me, I have a cliff vested benefit coming up in almost exactly two years. This benefit is huge (basically an immediate auto-FIRE with my low family expenses) and I would be a fool to pass it up. So I am stuck in the golden handcuffs until then – but know I will be gone the month after!