What do we need to be happy?
In theory. Nothing. Just learn to appreciate things as they are.
What can contribute to happiness?
When we ask Marshall Goldsmith, he answers:
- Health
- Relationships
- Finding our “enough”
Photo by Carl Tronders on Unsplash
What’s “enough”?
That’s what we need to stop having to work for money.
We often think that it’s …
- Too complicated to calculate
- That we’ll do it later (which is like saying never)
Maybe it’s a subject that scares us.
Because if we find our “enough,” will we continue doing what we’re doing?
Not knowing it unconsciously lets our brain create thoughts like:
- “Anyway, I have to do it.”
- “I have to keep delivering results or I’ll lose everything.”
Let’s take 30 minutes to discover it. It doesn’t matter what we do with it afterward.
1/ I want to continue doing what I’m doing:
I love my job.
Knowing my “enough” allows me to experience my work more serenely. To worry less about common fears:
- What if the team, the site, the department were to disappear?
- What if things don’t work out with my new boss?
To defend my convictions
I say what I think. A strategy that can accelerate your career
I know why I do it.
My job, which I’ve chosen, is a means of intentionally developing myself.
2/ I want to change sectors
New industry, new markets, new country…
I’m less afraid of taking risks.
3/ I want to reinvent myself completely.
I need a sabbatical to find myself and do all the things I’ve been putting off.
In his book “Die with Zero“, the author reminds us that we can do anything, but not at any age.
I want to launch my dream…
Open an indian tea tasting house, create my own business…
Knowing our “enough” motivates us, frees us and opens up new possibilities.
How to calculate it in 30 minutes or less.
Often, we build super-complex spreadsheets to try to find it. And we don’t always succeed.
The reality is that we’re trying to have certainties where there are none.
If you use the financial markets as a vehicle to accelerate reaching your “enough,” no matter what you do, you’ll have unknowns in your equation, such as:
- How long will you live?
- What will the markets return in the future?
- How will inflation evolve?
So yes, if it makes you feel better, you can try to minimize all these uncertainties with more data, but you’ll have plenty of time to do that later.
What if happiness was simpler than we thought? Let’s find our “enough” and live more serenely.
To begin, I suggest you take a sheet of paper, a pencil and a calculator (not even necessary) and follow the first 2 steps.
1/ What are my annual expenses?
- Take your checking account and look at what you’ve spent over the last 3 months and make a projection for the year.
2/ Multiply these expenses by 25
- Suppose you spend 80,000 (your currency) per year. Your “enough” is 80,000 * 25 = 2,000,000
3/Invest this amount in passive management via ETFs.
- The goal is to make your money work for you at a rate of (at least) 4% per year to cover your annual expenses.
This way of calculating is a base inspired by the Trinity study. To learn more, I recommend going to the website thepoorswiss.com and typing Trinity in the search engine. Baptiste is very technically sharp on all phases of financial independence.
Of course, this is just a first draft; you can refine it, introduce more variables, but you’ve just built your first big picture.
And that’s enough to give you an idea.
There are as many people as there are forms of “enough”.
For some “enough”, it’s a 2-year spending reserve to allow themselves a 6-month break.
For others, it’s more than 25 times their annual expenses to feel secure.
Your “enough” might scare you, motivate you, or liberate you.
In any case, getting to know it is worth the effort.
It’s just the beginning…
Now that I know it, what can I do to get closer?
- What options should I choose?
- How do I want to adapt my lifestyle?
- What skills do I need to learn to achieve it?
Enjoy the moment
Our “enough” is just another piece of information that gives us clarity.
Be careful not to become fixated on it.
“I’ll be happy when I reach my enough” is an error in judgment.
Our goal is to be happy now while pursuing dreams that motivate us.
The result is less important than the road to it.
It’s along the way that we learn and develop.
Conclusion
Don’t secretly think that it’s impossible, that you have to.
Free yourself from this mental burden by facing reality.
Discover your “enough” and gain serenity.
See you soon.
Dror
PS: Whenever you’re ready, here are 2 more ways I can help you accelerate your important projects through coaching:
- You ‘re ambitious: you’ve already achieved a lot. And you intend to continue. But this time, you want to do it while enjoying the important things in your life. Curious? Click here.
- You lead a team: you know that a small improvement in your leadership can have a huge impact on the team’s results and, consequently, on your career. I was trained and certified by the world’s first executive coach, Marshall Goldsmith. I accompany you in your project and guarantee the result. You only pay me if you succeed. Would you like to find out more? Let’s connect for a free call and see if we can work together.
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