How to Create Lifestyle Freedom for Yourself

In today’s hectic, uncertain world, you can start to feel like you’ll never have enough time or money. Even if you’re one of the 83% of Americans who feel very or somewhat personally satisfied now, you still might want more for yourself and your family down the road. 

But how can you move toward achieving lifestyle freedom? First, you need to understand the concept. Then, put systematic actions into motion to live life on your terms. 

A Life by Design, Not by Default 

Lifestyle freedom means something a little different to every person. Nevertheless, it’s always punctuated by an overarching truism: You are in control of your destiny. 

For some, lifestyle freedom involves the time freedom to do what gives them purpose. For others, it means having enough wealth to live without financial stressors or constraints—and passing funds to their kids and grandkids. No matter what your vision of lifestyle freedom looks like, you can take charge today by creating a customized game plan. 

Think of a lifestyle freedom plan as a personal version of a company’s business plan. Business plans act as roadmaps for executives and teams to follow. Your plan will serve the same purpose. Ultimately, it will become a living document that doesn’t just outline your short-term and long-term dreams but includes how you intend to reach them. 

As you would do with a business plan, you should expect to review and update your lifestyle freedom plan at least annually. That way, the plan will always reflect and absorb the natural ebbs, flows, and bumps in your personal life, such as career or family changes.  

Your lifestyle freedom plan doesn’t have to be extensive, but it should clearly outline what’s important. To begin, identify the areas you want to focus on improving. For example, this could include time management, your career, finances, personal relationships, etc. Then, jot down the steps you’ll take to make progress in each area. Be sure to set realistic timeframes so you can hold yourself accountable. If you follow your steps, you steadily should move toward your bigger objectives, and ultimately achieve lifestyle freedom. 

Small Behavioral Tweaks Can Lead to Big Results 

You can’t just rely on your lifestyle freedom plan to magically work, though. Yes, you’ve named your goals, but you may have to make some tweaks in your habits to fuel your plan.  

Remember that motivation is just an emotion and is fleeting, while your habits are what create the real change. That’s where the following auxiliary strategies come into play. They’ll give you the extra boost you need to supercharge your plan and bring your goals to fruition. 

Nurture and Invest in Your Relationships 

Having a strong network is essential since it expands your ability to tap into new tools, resources, and experts. It’s impossible to get where you want to go without a helping hand from your network now and then. However, you can’t just “collect” followers on LinkedIn or individuals’ emails and numbers. That’s not building a network. You must invest time in developing real relationships with people you meet to form trusting, authentic bonds. 

Dave Allred, a lifestyle freedom expert and real estate leader, is a huge cheerleader for investing in authentic relationships. In his eyes, relationships are akin to a type of business currency. His well-documented—and incredibly successful—journey in the competitive real estate industry reveals just how powerful investing in relationships can be. Without a doubt, creating and maintaining strong relationships with everyone he meets has been his secret ingredient to attaining financial, time, and lifestyle freedom for himself and his family. 

Investing in relationships goes beyond just professional gain; it fosters a sense of community and mutual support. When you genuinely care about the people in your network, they are more likely to support you in return. This reciprocal dynamic creates a robust support system that can help you navigate challenges and seize opportunities. In the long run, these relationships can open doors, provide insights, and create opportunities that would otherwise remain out of reach. 

Improve Your Financial Literacy 

You may feel confident with basic money skills, but is your financial literacy proficiency level as high as it could be? For most Americans, it’s not. Just 57% of people are truly familiar with basic financial concepts and how those concepts work. 

Even if you have a good working knowledge of high-yield savings accounts, stocks, retirement plans, and other vehicles, you can always learn more. The more you find out about wealth management, the more solutions you can put into action. And that gives you a lot of choices when it comes to figuring out how to get more out of your money. 

For instance, maybe you never completely wrapped your head around how to set up passive income streams. You know the general gist of passive income, but you’re unsure how you can apply it to your situation. By diving deeper into the topic, you may uncover passive income possibilities that seem right for you. Once in place, your passive income can serve as a fiscal safety net, so you never lose all sources of money. 

Go for Self-Growth 

Education and knowledge are assets that keep working forever. Even an inch of information can advance your understanding of a subject by miles. But you don’t have to earn another degree or spend years studying in a formal setting. You can avail yourself of other, less costly ways to improve your brainpower.  

Case in point: You could listen to podcasts, return to a favorite pastime, read books, watch free lectures online, and attend online and in-person webinars and conferences. You could also start asking more questions when you’re around experts.  

Each day, strive to find out something you didn’t know the day before. Within a year, you’ll have 365 more “thought gems” in your gray matter. Every one of those “gems” will help you shave off uncertainty and keep moving forward. 

You can’t expect to change your life if you aren’t changing yourself. Therefore, go ahead and future-proof yourself against inevitable change through education. Get hungry for self-growth. You’ll end up being more valuable to everyone you know, including at work. That’s a good place to be, especially if snagging a promotion is one of your lifestyle freedom plan steps. 

Bringing It All Together: Your Path to Lifestyle Freedom 

There’s an old saying that when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Make sure failure’s not an option and grab hold of the future you want by outlining a lifestyle freedom plan to guide you smoothly through our fast-paced world. 

A well-thought-out plan serves as your roadmap, helping you stay focused on your goals and navigate the inevitable challenges that arise. By setting clear objectives, identifying actionable steps, and remaining adaptable, you can steadily progress towards the freedom you desire. 

Remember, lifestyle freedom isn’t just about financial independence or career success. It’s about creating a balanced, fulfilling life that aligns with your values and passions. Invest in relationships, prioritize your well-being, and stay committed to your vision. With determination and a strategic approach, you can transform your dreams into reality and enjoy a life of true freedom. 

Take the first step today and start crafting your personalized plan. The journey to lifestyle freedom begins with a single, deliberate action—make it count. 

Investing involves risk and your investment may lose value. Past performance gives no indication of future results. These statements do not constitute and cannot replace investment advice.