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[est. rdg. time: 3 min]
Growing up I was told the story of an army captain that valued, above all, the liberty and freedom of his people. If battle was to be waged, he would be ready. Every part of his land had been fortified, from trenches, to walls, to perfectly armored soldiers keeping constant lookout. His cities were impenetrable. His enemies feared him, and he could not be defeated.
Why was this captain victorious? He never stopped investing in the security of his cities and his people.
Well, what does this have to do with personal finance? A whole lot actually! You and I get to build our own places of financial security. Everyday we are faced with decisions that will strengthen or weaken our financial defenses.
Financial Independence Starts With a Strong Foundation
The foundation of your personal finances is HUGE – it will influence your daily decisions. A weak foundation will cause all sorts of long term financial problems! You probably didn’t learn about personal finance in school. Like most people, you learned about finance from your environment – family, friends, and life experience. Learning about personal financial principles from your environment is like the “high school you” taking lessons from your buddies on how the female brain works – they have no idea! (I still don’t. Haha 😉)
You Control Whether or Not You Improve Your Financial Defenses Each Day
The choices that you’ve made to this point in life have led you to where you are now. Sure, you may not control the financial situation you were born into, or what the people around you teach or don’t teach in the way of personal finance. But you control your mind. You control what you read, what you learn, what goes into your memory, into your subconscious. And you control your output. Are you satisfied with your output? Are you satisfied with where you are at in your life right now? Because it is your applied knowledge that will strengthen or weaken your financial defenses.
Why We Started FinanciallyOptimized.com
I have built a financially strong defense. I built that defense from the foundation I gained through years of study, application, trial and error, and ultimate success. Now I aim to give back – My goal is to inspire others to have the proper financial foundation and defense so that your time and resources can be freed to solve bigger world challenges. Follow this site for more articles, case studies, tips and resources to help you build a strong financial foundation and defense. As you do, you’ll be well on your way to financial freedom.
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For Additional Study…
For further exploration and learning…
Ask yourself the following questions about the above article:
- If you are facing a similar question of whether to quit your job to start a business, what is the worst case scenario for you either way?
- Are you okay with the above worst case scenario happening?
- What if it was a massive success? And which is more likely?
- What principles impacted you the most in the article above?
- What ways do you feel weak in your preparation financially for this step you plan to take?
- What actions come to mind for you to improve your financial defenses before taking this step?
- How will it feel different once you have improved your financial defenses in the ways you’ve listed above?
Click Here to Download PDF printable study guide to apply what you learn where these questions and more are available for additional study and exploration.
We have written case studies to provide examples of the principles taught in this article.
- Bulletproof Your Emergency Fund – including a template for building your own bulletproof emergency savings/reserve account [coming soon]
- How to Reduce Your Living Expenses – The House Hack Case Study [coming soon]
- How to Pay Off Your House 5 times Faster – The Live in Flip Case Study [coming soon]
Additional Resources on the Subject
- Personal Financial Foundations Course – Your First Step to Becoming Financially Independent. It’s the secret sauce to give you the proper foundation for financial success. [coming soon]
- Personal Finances – Free Self Reliance Course (by the ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
Our Favorite Books on the Subject
- Cashflow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki
- Emyth Revisted by Michael Gerber
- Lean Startup by Eric Reis
- Millionaire Fastlane by MJ Demarco
Check out our Free Financial Calculators Page for helpful calculators to guide your financial planning and decision making.
When Should I Quit My Job to Start a Business? (case study)
est. rdg. time: 9 min 55 sec The Backstory In the spring of 2010, my fiancé and I were about to get married. We were (and still are) a great fit intellectually, professionally, and personally. She had an accounting degree plus a great job working for an internet...
About the Author
Chris Watkins
Financially Independent at age 34 on 1 income, married with 4 kids, and a goal to empower thousands to become financially free.
About the Site
The Financially Optimized Goal
To empower you to become financially free so that your time and talents can be all in on solving bigger challenges than just surviving.
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