Many of us are slaving away our youth in return for the early retirement; hoping that we can put our feet up before we see the first sign of a grey hair. But what if you could have it all now? What if you had a powerful flow of income coming in month after month regardless of what you do with your time?
Your Activity
A Reality Check?
If you’ve tried the above exercise, it may come as a surprise that this concept is much harder to visualise than you might think.
We are often restricted in that society preaches the importance of realistic goals. Dreaming of being an astronaut when I was eight was a harmless feat but sharing the same notion with my colleagues today could evoke a very different response. Why? Ambition scares people. Peers may feel jealous or threatened by your ambitious ideas and with this it doesn’t take us too long to convince ourselves that we’re not worthy of living such a magnificent dream.
But maybe, just maybe we should start to visualize these ‘unrealistic’ dreams; put pen to paper and work out what it would actually cost us to live them out. What would you need to do to work remotely from a coffee shop on the Tenerife coast? What would it take for you to quit your job so that you could spend more time with your kids? How much would you need to build your own home or take your family on the holiday of their dreams?
I Challenge You to Design Your Dream Life
Sometimes we are so good at thinking outside the box that all we can see in the road ahead is a slightly modified version of what we have now. So here’s my challenge, take it or leave it. You’re going to design your perfect lifestyle that you’d love to lead in 24 month’s time. And then… we’re going to add a little math.
Step One – Dare to Dream
Write down each of your material wants, the places you’d like to go and the activities you’d take in the life you would love to lead. Be detailed, be extensive, be specific, be generous to yourself, but don’t you dare be realistic! Which model of Ferrari? How many weeks in Peru? You’re the architect here, put some measurements on your blueprint.
Step Two – Calculate
Take the above list and price it up – don’t be lazy, it’s your life! For anything that can be bought on finance, give a monthly cost. For anything that needs to be bought outright; list the full price. Here are some examples:
Full Price Items
- The down-payment on your dream house
- The total cost to take the entire family to the Caribbean for two weeks
Note: The total of these items will create your Target Capital
Monthly Items
- The mortgage repayments on your dream house
- The finance on the car of your dreams
- Estimated living expenses
Note: The total of these items will create your Target Monthly Income
Step Three – Compare
Take a breath, this won’t hurt a bit.
Let’s say by some ‘miracle’ we’ll be living our dream lifestyle in 24 months. Divide your Target Capital by 24 to get a Monthly Savings Goal.
If you plan on working for yourself, creating passive income or doing a lot of travelling in this dream life, I’d like you to deduct your working salary from your total monthly income. This will create your Sustainable Monthly Income. If you’re planning to continue working a salaried job in your blueprint lifestyle; no need to deduct!
Finally work out the following:
Target Monthly Income + Monthly Savings Goal – Sustainable Monthly Income = The Gap
This figure you’re left with is the gap. The gap between you and your dream life. Now it’s up to you to close this gap; will your current income strategy take you close to this figure in the near future? If not, maybe it’s time to think outside the box and take things back to the drawing board. Don’t just wait for that 5% pay rise in twelve month’s time. Search for ways to create passive income; invent and invest!
If any of you have ever read the ‘4 Hour Work Week‘ you’ll understand why I’ve written this post. What would you do if time and money were no object?
