To be in the now

I spend a lot of the time thinking about the past, I spend a lot of time thinking about the future, but what about the present? Is the present not important too? Is it not the most important tense?

I have been reading blogs, mostly financial independence and early retirement, for a few years now and thinking about it now, a huge amount of the posts focus on what has passed and what will be. When will I be FI? How close am I to my goals? What could I have done in the past that would have made today better? This post is me following on from the thoughts in one of my previous posts, to give the past and future the time of day but to realise that we are not guaranteed any moment in time past this one. I want to learn from past failures and successes, but I don’t want to obsess over things I no longer have any control over. I want to look forward to the future and have goals and plans, but I don’t want to feel like the present is getting in the way of the future.

Am I living or am I waiting for those dividend payments?

One goal of mine is to achieve financial independence by increasing my passive income to the point were it equals my average expenses. I have decided that investing in the stock market is the right choice for me, concentrating mainly on yield and dividend growth. I started investing properly in 2014 and received my first dividend payment in January 2015. I remember my excitement at the time, not because it was a large amount, around £25 if I recall, but because it represented the beginning of something that could change my life. I wanted to spend my time how I wished, I wanted my time to be mine and not anyone else’s. That £25 represented something big for me and it always will be.

I saved 75% of my income and that is just the start

The last two years have truly been a transformational time for me, not just financially but in all aspects of my life. My financial plans have continued to evolve over this time; what I am willing to sacrifice to reach Financial independence? What I want to do with the time that money grants me? and how important FI is for me to do what I want in life?

Regardless of this evolution of ideas I know that living and being frugal and saving and investing the money left over each month is a worthwhile experiment, one that has sparked other experiments in minimalism, self growth, love and most recently my fascination with permaculture and low-cost accommodation.

I seek self independence

Independence, a guiding force throughout my life, one that has brought about many positives but also negatives as I learn to understand it. It is a constantly evolving concept for me and I am sure it will continue to be so. My posts are a documentation of its evolution, a picture of my thoughts taken in that moment in time.

I could say that I have it all sorted out but I don’t and I prefer it that way. Seeing myself grow as a person, to overcome challenges, to identify my strengths and my weaknesses, I am very much content with being human,

Bike touring, an experiment in Minimalism

So in previous posts I mentioned that I have been slowly travelling around the UK on my bike. It is an experiment in minimalism, low cost living and freedom, one that I have found immensely useful and fulfilling.

Being Frugal

I like to think that being frugal is about getting the most out of life in the most efficient manner.

It is about finding those simple things that bring me joy, wonder and excitement.

Living intentionally, with purpose, ignoring all the crap.

Understanding what makes me tick.

Being self confident.