There is a new way to think about retirement. A way to blend both working, living, and retiring over the course of your life. The traditional model is very linear. You go to school, then you work, then you enjoy the fruits of your labor (retire). We’ve already talked about how that isn’t really working.

Retailers are masters at minimizing friction to encourage you to make purchases. When it comes to managing your finances, you can use this concept in reverse. You want to make it harder to spend money or make decisions that run counter to your goals. Or at least create enough friction that you pause and think before making the purchase.

Financial abundance is both the reality and mindset that you have enough.

Enough to take the risk.

Enough to weather the storm.

Enough to step out of your comfort zone.

A question I commonly hear from professionals that have achieved financial stability is, “What Now?”. After working for a handful of years and getting the major pieces of your financial life in order:

• Balanced cash flow

• Emergency fund

• Saving in 401k and/or IRA

• Saving in HSA

What do you do now?

Who doesn’t want to be a millionaire? Not only do you get the status from all those commas in your bank account, $1,000,000 invested in the stock market or real estate can typically produce around $50,000 in passive income. For someone without debt (or kids) that’s enough money to buy back at least some of the time you spend at your job right now.

Financial Freedom. It’s a term that gets thrown around a lot, but do you know what it means? Everyone’s definition may vary slightly, but at its core, it means you are not constrained by money. You have put yourself in a position where you can make choices based on your values, not your bank accounts. There are three primary skills you need to master to achieve financial freedom: Cash Flow, Planning, and Investing.