As a follow-up to my post on choosing your hard things, I decided to share what I came up with. Keep in my these are MY hard things. You could have the two lists completely swapped, and that would get no judgment from me. The entire point is to do things aligned with your values and stop caring what anyone else thinks!
My hard things:
- Save enough money and set things up to live off my investment income with minimal worry.
- Spend lots of quality time with family, especially my three daughters. (I have 3 kids?!? How the $*%# did that happen?)
- Spend some time alone reading and thinking about things I find interesting (ex. finance, cooking, off-grid living).
- Exercise regularly, mostly by running around outdoors with my daughters. If I’m lucky, this will also include hiking or playing tennis with friends. If I’m really lucky, I’ll be skiing.
The things I am willing to give up:
- A steady, prestigious job and high W-2 income.
- “Better things” like a larger house, faster car, or nicer toys/clothes.
- Watching television.
- Regular ski trips, partying at bars and clubs, and Las Vegas runs with friends.
- Facebook, Twitter, and other social media.
I’m not there yet, but it’s nice to have them written down. If I’m not spending my time working towards one of my hard things, then I’m not being productive even with the newest To-Do List app, ergonomic standing desk, and pristine e-mail inbox. I should also be careful to stop doing the things on my “Give Up” list.