Sustain, Live, Thrive.
You do not need to make 7 figures to be “Rich”
Not even remotely close.
To be Free is to be Rich
It is important to understand the nuances of individual circumstances but, contrary to what seems to be advertised by a lot of "Million Dollar Solopreneurs" and 10Xers, you can live an amazing life of fulfillment and substance with a reasonable cash flow.
I like to look at financial situations in three categories as opposed to salary/tax brackets and they are:
Sustain
Live
Thrive
Let’s get into a bit more detail of each and then you can start to examine your own life and ask yourself what it would look like to be in each of these categories.
Sustain
Think of sustain as your baseline. You are not struggling, your needs are met and things are comfortable. This is what “sustain” looks like for me:
Pay for medical needs (medications, tests, etc)
Maintain 1 home and 2 reliable vehicles.
Good Healthy Food
Meet all financial commitments without debt.
A vacation away each year.
Support my adult children when help is needed.
Live
Live is the next level. You now have more than you need to simply sustain yourself, you can move on to really living it. This is what “live” looks like for me:
Support 2 homes (main and cottage)
Travel a few times a year without budgeting
Maintain and refresh 2 vehicles 5 years on average.
Maintain toys (Sea Doos, ATV, RV)
Time to do things I want to do when I want.
Thrive
To thrive is to be in a magical place of freedom. The sky is the limit! This is what “Thrive” looks like for me:
Live 3-4 months each year in a different country and travel freely.
Invest in professional opportunities that I am interested in.
Help my family or causes I care about to thrive.
Pay cash for vehicles or toys that we want, when we want them.
Have the time to enjoy all the above.
The interesting thing about these categories is that you will likely have seasons in all of them. These categories and their individual design could change depending on if you own your home or are in the process of paying it down, if your car breaks down or if you have a child going to post-secondary, or if you are an empty nester.
I challenge you to write down what a sustain, live and thrive lifestyle looks like for you (hint: it is different for everyone) and figure out what cash and cash equivalents you need to be in each one. You might find that what you need is very attainable with the amount of effort that actually leaves you time to live or thrive.
This is the beauty of being able to design your Digital Independent Life with intention.
Be mindful of what you are chasing - the whole point of attracting money is to sustain, live or thrive - you can't cuddle with cash.
Learn more about this model by getting a copy of my book "Rewired, Not Retired: Embracing Life as a Digital Independent" here.
