I have decided that this year I want to work toward financial independence. While that might not seem significant to some, it simply hasn’t been a goal in the forefront of my mind in the past few years. Sure, everyone wants some level of financial independence, but if I am not consciously working toward it, how likely am I to reach my goal? My wife and I recently sat down and over a few different sessions we planned out our major goals and projects for our business this next year, as well as made a ten-year plan for where we want to see our business, and ultimately our lives, grow toward.
For some it can be difficult to envision what life will be like in ten years, so I decided to start with a sort of blue-sky of what I would like life to look like in general. I decided that ten years is a reasonable amount of time to accomplish almost any goal, so simply put my desired future at the ten-year mark. What we then did was work from there, deciding what changes we would need to make this coming year to work toward that goal, and then project from there, in general terms, what milestones we would need to reach by the end of next year and again at the 3-year and 5-year marks.
One of the major areas of weakness for me is investing. Toward that end, my wife and I recently sat down with a friend who works in the financial industry. He has been suggesting for a while that we ought to start investing financially in our future through the various investment markets–something I have been loath to do until now for a combination of market concerns, student loan and other debts to pay off, and just a lack of understanding of the value of what investments can do for me. Sure, I get the general concept, but it has always felt so intangible as to be nearly irrelevant to my current life.
Well, we finally sat down with him and I learned a few things–all of which bode well for our future. First, my concerns about holding off on investing until I “have it all together” is probably a bad idea, as I can open up an account with as little as $50. Second, I realized that the biggest hurdle for me is actually starting the process, not the saving itself. Thus, we are moving ahead with setting up some accounts (If you find a similar need in your own life, connect with Daniel here to discuss how he can help you the same as he has helped us).
Next, I am working toward actively expanding our brand. Sometime later this year we will expand from books and blogs on spirituality to include health-related blogs and products. I am excited at the new opportunities this will provide to reach people and transform lives, including our own. We plan to start with essential oils and Q-links, a product designed to help balance the body, but hope to move to other beneficial products in the future. I have also come up with some health-related book ideas that we will work on in the future as well. All of this will take effort, but that’s the key part of our 10-year plan–we have a vision of where we are headed, and are now taking active steps to get there.
While this may not seem like an extremely “spiritual” blog post, I believe that financial freedom is very spiritual. God is interested in freedom–after all, Jesus set us free just so we could be free (Galatians 5:1). I believe that this year will open up new opportunities, not just for us, but for you too if you are willing to step out and take some risks. I have talked with so many people this past year who are looking for new ways to make money, get out of debt, and many of them who want to try their hand at writing. This is just one of the many myriads of ways that God can use to bless you. I encourage you to take some time and list out your own ten-year plan.
Start by writing down all your dreams–there is no dream too big or too small. Write them all down! After you do that, organize them in a general order of when you want to accomplish them. Once you do that, start looking at the practical steps you need to take in the natural to get moving forward, look at the resources you need, and start praying over your plans. Pray in the resources and connections you need. Pray for wisdom and insight to accomplish your goals, and then get started! It is never too early nor too late to realize your dreams. For me, when I was 14 I had decided that I wanted to publish a book by the time I was 40–and I have put out 4 by the time I turned 33! I have decided that in the next ten years I want to be a millionaire–and not because I love money, but because I value financial independence and what it allows me to accomplish in my life. Your goals and dreams can be accomplished–sometimes you just need a plan, and that plan will only come together if you put it together! As the new year approaches and the old year fades, I encourage you to take some time to put a plan in place. Don’t just write resolutions–form strategies, join groups doing the same, and execute!
If you are looking to join with like-minded people who are forging ahead in their own life, there are many social media groups out there to help. Some of the ones I recommend on Facebook are:
For authors and writers, join The Time is Write and Just Write
For business owners, consider Dream Ventures
There are thousands of groups out there–you just need to find the ones that are right for you. Get connected and get moving, and have a blessed 2017!
Additionally, if you are looking to get started with a website and need web hosting, consider using my affiliate link to Siteground.
It sounds like you have a good plan going Michael. I look forward to seeing everything grow and develop, and I’ll be praying for your success.
Thanks!
Debt at retirement is heavy and unnecessary. Plan well to be free, and accomplish it. You will be happy you did this for your life. I had to retire a little earlier than I had planned. When I was where you are now, I saved and invested. It paid off when I discovered I had to retire early. That made life easier and allowed me to do what I needed to do. We do not realize in health that we may not have excellent health as we become older. I never saw it as it came. So had I been unprepared I would have been forced to continue to work. Prepare now so you can be ready, should you need to quit work earlier than you may have planned. Simplify now for a possible unexpected need then. You won’t be sorry.
Great advice!
Michael, be sure to listen to the Lord if He leads you to do something that sounds crazy. In 2003, He told me to cash in my 401k and use it for a down payment on a house. Everyone at work told me not to do it. They were worried about me not having anything for retirement.
I listened to God, and bought an affordable house with a bigger down payment. They bought overpriced houses with a low down. With God’s help, I had mine paid off in 2009. They lost theirs when the housing bubble popped. Their 401k retirements? Gone with Van Guard!
Now, they have to rent because they can’t qualify for a loan. I have a debt-free house, even though my income has been severely reduced. (But, God will provide more because He loves me!)
The wisdom of God is foolishness to the carnal way of thinking!
Makes sense–and that’s totally awesome! I am so glad you listened.
We bought our house at an inconvenient time, back in 2010, but a year before the Lord told me to start praying for a house, and to start looking six months prior. When we got into the house it was right when we were being forcibly relocated anyway–and could not have known it was going to happen. The place was bought by another company and they paid to move everyone, as well as 5 years-worth of the difference between the current rent and relative rent/mortgage where everyone was going. We got into the house with nothing down, had thousands cash back from this moving deal that we used to get items fixed up as we moved in, and five years later the housing market is literally insane around here. Our house is probably 1.5 to 2 times the “value” on paper, even though I see no reason for it other than a bubble.
If we hadn’t been looking at the right time, we wouldn’t be in this house under those circumstances, and this house has been a serious blessing to us over the years.
That’s great. Too many times we tend to shrug off what God is saying because it doesn’t make sense to the natural mind. Then we wonder why God isn’t blessing us!
Amen Michael that’s awesome especially how that came about with the extra money, praise God! Something I’ve notice in the past year or so is that my house has gone up in value as well, like at least a third of the orginal value added on to it, it makes no sense at all and I didn’t do anything on my part to fix the home up. Now lately I replaced the old fence but that had nothing to do with the value going up already. God loves to amaze us I believe!
It always pays to listen to God, that is wonderful Dirt Road Cowboy about you getting that house after listening to the Lord and having it paid off already. Praise God. I had wanted a house in 2011, the 2nd home I’ve ever had, but the first one I sold a while back, but I was really tired of renting and I prayed a lot and attended a church that was taking an offering for a building fund for a new church so I gave a double tithe and after the service I went into their prayer room where visitors could go and get someone to pray with them, so I approached a woman that helped there and I asked her if she could agree with me about getting a new home and so she prayed and asked God for a miracle, in fact that was a part of what she said that I remembered all this time! Well, in 2 months time from then I had found a house, closed on it and moved into it. And on the closing day, on the way home there was a double rainbow over the highway because God was making it known to me that He answered the desire of my heart. Glory to God!
I love this blog Michael. Before I learned about the inheritance of a son in healing and miracles. I had been working towards financial freedom. Now that i know about the resources of heaven i will pursure financial freedom with the knowledge and faith that i have developed for the supernatural.
Awesome! I believe God wants us to have it all–besides, it’s awfully hard to give to others when you don’t have it to begin with. If we truly want to impact the world, having resources to do it with makes a huge difference. God gives us the *power* to get wealth as well!
Regarding investment you should consider the bitcoin world. Iconomi have a crypto currency fond you could buy into. https://www.iconomi.net/dashboard/#/INDEX or you could just buy bitcoin. I follow “CryptoCurrency Investing” on youtube, as they often have some good tips on what to buy, and because they are good christian guys.