I haven’t achieved financial freedom yet, what should I do to get there FAST?

Hi Medium fam,

One of the questions I received recently is “I haven’t achieved financial freedom yet, what should I do to get there FAST?”

Can I have a quick vote here who are facing the same problem and dedicated to solving it?

In this article, I will share:

1) The common challenges on the path to achieving financial freedom

2) Analysis the traditional advice

3) Share what I’ve personally experienced as the ultimate solution

By way of introduction, I’ve made my first $1m in 7 years, but then after a mistake in investment, I lost everything and nearly bankrupted, then I made the $1m back within 2.5 years, this time way happier, way more peaceful and feels way more effortless.

Not achieving financial freedom yet and searching for catalyst is not an uncommon complaint:

• “I’m not sure where my money goes at the end of every month. I feel like I’m just spending without a plan.”
• “I feel like I’m living paycheck to paycheck and can’t save anything for the future.”
• “I have so much debt, and it feels like I’m never going to get out of it. I’m constantly paying off credit cards and student loans.”
• “Why is it so hard to obtain financial freedom? I’m nowhere near FIRE but I’m doing pretty good for myself managing my finances and holding down my relatively well-paid job. I can say I have reached middle-income levels but retiring early with millions seems like a pipe dream to me. This seems like such a long and daunting road and I have reached a point where I am questioning whether I really am doing it right, which brings me to this question: why do people struggle so much with financial freedom? Is it really that elusive of a goal or is it more of an economic manipulation that keeps people that way? Do people really have a correct perspective of money or are they too caught up in the rat race fighting over scraps when in reality there is bigger fish to fry?”
• Also the powers that be / society doesn’t want you to be financially free. They want you to just chase more “things” and live paycheck to paycheck even if you are wealthy.
• I don’t recall anyone legit ever saying getting rich was fast or easy. If they do say that they are scammers 100% of the time.
• The bigger issue I’ve see with people around me is it’s easy to keep talking upward the number you think you need with what ifs or to feel more sure you have enough. With money, for many people, it never seems like enough.

So you have the same problem? Do share with me at IG @Conniethegrowthbabe / IG @simplifiedbusinesscoach

Traditional Solution and Advice

• “You won’t get ahead if you don’t have a plan for your money. Instead, you’ll find yourself wondering where your money went at the end of every month! That’s not financial independence — that’s a recipe for financial disaster. Budgeting is the first step to building wealth on purpose. Start budgeting with confidence and take control of your money today by downloading EveryDollar — it’s the world’s best budgeting app!”
• “Take the time to examine your spending and understand where your money goes. Cut unnecessary costs, like unused gym memberships or streaming services. Having this knowledge about your expenses lets you plan how to spend your earnings. Divide your spending into must-haves, savings for the future, and fun money. Find ways to cut back and live within your means. Over time, your savings will grow.”
• “If you have debt like credit cards, student loans, or car loans, it’s time to kick it to the curb. Why? Because as long as you’re sending hundreds of your hard-earned dollars in debt payments to banks and lenders every month, you’ll never truly experience financial freedom. Your income is your most powerful wealth-building tool. And you won’t reach your money goals if all you’ve got to work with are bits and pieces left over after you pay credit card bills and student loan payments.”
• “The concept of retirement and financial freedom is very new to humanity. Through 99.99% of human history you worked until the day you died. Only the wealthiest of royalty had the luxury to not work.”
• “To achieve financial freedom means that you will have all of your needs met for you for the rest of your life without you doing any of the work anymore: farmers growing your food, workers maintaining your home and roads, sewers making your clothes, engineers building your electronics, doctors and nurses treating your illnesses, etc. In order to achieve that means that you need to have created enough value (monetary value at least) in your working years to sustain your life for a total 70–80+ years. “
• Entitled but not the norm : “Today, everyone feels entitled to financial independence because the idea has spread through social media. FI is the exception, not the norm. It should be hard.”
• “I’ve always said that FIRE is a privilege and ontop of that it is a culmination of what capitalism is trying to achieve for the individual. Allow other’s people labor to pay for your lifestyle.”
• Need patience and long time : My first 7 years of work, my 401k was 42k. Then 2008 came. Member hitting 200k around 2015. Now over 7 figures in 401k. Roth ira and taxable brokerage opened about 5 years ago, didn’t have the money to fund them anyway until then. No one seems to be able to have patience today. Stay the course
• Need to work super hard and trade off relationship and health : I’m in the process of trying to boost my income which is hard as hell. I will be working long hours away from family. I will never have kids and am working on reducing money spent as much as I can in hopes of even hoping for FIRE.
• Need to spend less and work hard to earn more : FIRE is an ambitious goal that we are working towards and isn’t easy because it forces you to spend less, invest smartly, and try to earn more.

When you hear these advice before, had it occurred to you that they’re BS?

That most people who’ve reached financial freedom don’t follow these advice?

And if these advice is true, is it worth it to trade off family, health, relationships, and even your life for the pursuit of it?

It’s time that we start to question what is commonly accepted and what we were told.

Btw I just did an episode about questioning what is commonly accepted in the “Diamond Cutter Intensive” — it’s a convenient guide for Complete Beginners who want to learn about the Diamond Sutra wisdom (free preview available here).

In my personal experience, the key factor why I was able to made the $1m back within 2.5 years (while previously it took me 7 hard-working, painful years) is the Diamond Sutra

— I learnt and applied the wisdom within to create not just material wealth, but also spiritual wealth at the same time (so it felt much easier and happier the second time round).

In gist, there is no financial problem at all!

In case you want to know more, and understand how it can be applied in your life to overcome financial challenges, I’m doing a full online seminar to share it, will see you there!

Oh and going forward, I’ll be doing a series of online seminars to apply the wisdom learnt from the Diamond Sutra in specific business and life scenarios (from my own experience or my student’s), e.g.

- How to stop ineffective hard work and how to find out what to do instead?

- I’ve tried many things, why i follow the proven strategy but it doesn’t work for me? How to Finally achieve business success?

- I’m facing tough choices — quit or not, divorce or not, breakup or not, change or not, invest or not etc. How to make wise choice and decision?

- I’m living a boring life, repeating routine like a zombie, nothing bad but i feel dead inside, how can i find purpose and life meaning?

- I want to 2x income within 1 year without working harder, what can I do? (I don’t want sales on affiliate or courses — had enough of those!)

- I feel jealous of others success (promotion, marriage, business success), how to manage the emotion?

- When donating, what to think to maximise merits?

- I keep wanting to price my products lower, how to claim my worth?

And more, if you’re interested in these areas, or would like to learn more about how to apply ancient wisdom to solve modern problems, you can register to get notification of the seminar series here.

To your success,

Connie