It’s time to say yes to most things.
Why wobble on decisions? Why wait to do something later, in the future? Why over-calculate the cost, time, value, and importance-wasting time?? Why not say Yes, NOW?
Yeses
I’ve had the opportunity to go on multiple trips with my FIRE $lackers friends/family. Kathy and I joined almost 50 Rock Retirement Club members (and most of my $lackers gang) on a wonderful Alaskan cruise. I also had the opportunity to go to Bali and hang out with 50 FI friends.
I’ve purchased a few things from cars to guitars to a storage shed to make our lives better and more enjoyable. I’ve watched Kathy sit in first class enjoying the comfort (while I enjoyed sitting in the back and keeping some funds to pay for better expenses on the trip).
We’ve enabled the freedom to do almost anything we want for this MoJo decade. It turns out that we aren’t quite able to complete spending the target/allowable amount most months. Yet, the knowing that we can is amazing. Deferring spending was pretty great.
I’ve given more and more of my Playcheck to people/causes that I believe are worthy. These are things that are worthy enough for the allocation of my money to something other than me and my personal playcheck spending requirements (Health, Fitness, FIRE lifestyle, Tech). As you can see from my deliberate planning goals, I plan, organize, and think through almost EVERYTHING. Hence, the need to just go for it once in a while—say Yes.
Intent
I’ve frequently heard the wise ones around me say “It’s either hell yes or no.” I get it. That forces you to prioritize the amazing stuff that you really want to do. But it’s also possible that being greedy or overly cautious with allocating our time causes us to miss something that may be delightful (that’s definitely not a Kevin word).
So, do we attempt to live by the powerful Hell Yes or No, or do we embrace the ability (in FIRE) to just say “Yes” more often and jump into the adventures/activities that life will allow us?
Outcomes
True, some of the activities may turn out to be duds or worse, but many may turn out to be wonderful and possibly set up future activities or even better; friendships. I see over and over how relationships are one of the five core values for a better life. Maybe saying “yes” will enhance the relationship variable. It may even enhance the active lifestyle variable.
Bali was a “yes” that I said without any consideration for expense, time, or life phase. I had friends heading over in Sept so the January before I jumped right in, 9 months early, no regrets. It’s true there was some concern over the 24 hours of travel each way, but it is what it is. I was way too cheap to spend the extra $6000 for business class lie-flat seats (even though I should have) and instead purchased what seemed to be a good alternative in Premium Economy, the same as we used for France in 2014. This year’s FI Freedom Retreat in Bali event sold out in 2 ½ hours!
Reflection
Is this trip a good way to use my QTR? I can’t think of negatives, nor can I count all the positives.
Are there other intentional decisions I should be making to better my life, absolutely. It’s an ongoing process of improvement, or attempted bettering.
So, is “hell yes” the goal, or is being intentional with your time and energy? Hell Yes.
*** Nothing in this article is to be construed as financial advice. I am not a financial planner, nor do I pretend to be. You should always consult your own professional when seeking advice. This post is not a piece of literary mastery, just a random thought I had.