5 Steps To Stop Limiting Your Freedom

And the tale of the Easter Island jail

Image by author.

Almost 2,200 miles from the mainland of Chile lies one of the most isolated and mysterious places in the world — the island of Rapa Nui, or Easter Island. Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Easter Island is a challenge to get to. The local airport only operates with two other airports, and during most of the year there are only two flights per week. As of the date of this writing, all flights to the island have been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The other option is to reach the island by sea, either on a cruise that costs thousands of dollars, or on a private boat, which can be quite dangerous because of extreme sailing conditions and lack of a proper port on Rapa Nui.

This remote island is inhabited by over 7,500 people who share their land with hundreds of giant Moai. These stone statues have mystified people for generations and are the main attraction that draws visitors from all over the world.

But Easter Island has a lesser known landmark which fascinates me even more — the local jail. Most of the criminals that were sentenced to serve their time on Rapa Nui are free to roam the island during the day, only to return to the jailhouse at night. They pose little harm to society, as it is virtually impossible to escape the island during the years of their punishment. The other prisoners spend their time working on crafts during set working hours, with an option to relax by a firepit and gaze at the stars after work. The Easter Island jail has been dubbed “the Hotel” for its leniency.

After first hearing the tale of the Easter Island jail, I could not fully understand how the local criminals were different from the law-abiding residents of the island (obviously, besides their criminal record). Both groups seem to have a similar lifestyle, and neither can leave the island without putting in significant effort.

This made me think of the limitations that we place on ourselves, without ever questioning the things that we take for granted. We love to boast our freedom, but seldom think what “freedom” constitutes. Freedom comes in all shades. Someone who is not incarcerated, but must show up at a specific location from 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. for the next 30 years is called “free.”

Our daily routines, work schedules, and lifestyles literally build a prison around us, however big or small that physical area may be. Who ever said that the weekend is only reserved for Saturday and Sunday? Why does lunch break have to be between 12pm-1pm at the nearest salad bar? Why does a gap year have to be after college, and why is it only a year? Why must we spend so much effort to figure out where we would like to settle down for the rest of our lives?

Think about it…can you leave your island of existence whenever you choose? Say, pick up and follow greater opportunities tomorrow?

Of course, for most people the accepted rules of life create a sense of stability and order, which do no harm. But for those who can never get used to the fact that the day is only made of 24 hours and who wish to set their own, unique rules, I have made a list of 5 important steps to achieve a greater level of flexibility and freedom.

The 5 Steps at a glance:

1. Get your passport
2. Choose remote work
3. Make your money work for you
4. Let go of material attachments
5. Don’t buy a home (what is rentvesting?)

1. Get your passport

I cannot stress this one enough. In order to not be confined to one country, all documents must be in order, the most important being your passport. The Internet has made the world smaller, but at the same time necessitating travel in order to grasp the best opportunities that have become available and stay competitive.

Let’s pretend that you are a freelance photographer looking to advance your career. You get a once-in-a-lifetime invitation to work at an influential person’s wedding next week, where you will be exposed to wealthy clients and could make valuable connections for work. However, the wedding is in Tokyo, and your passport has been expired since 2017, so you have to decline this opportunity.

Here is a homework assignment for everyone:

1. If you have never applied for a passport before, or if yours is expired, apply for a U.S. passport at the nearest post office. Expect to pay $145, which is a small fee for an invaluable document.
2. If you already have your passport, make sure that it does not expire for at least 6 months. Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least 6 months to enter. It is a good rule of thumb to always have 6 months validity left on your travel document, regardless of whether you have any travel plans. Being turned away at the airport is never a pleasant experience. If your passport has less than 6 months left, renew your passport.
3. Extra Credit. Congratulations, you are in the minority of Americans with a valid, unexpired passport! Now it is time to think about a dual (or triple) citizenship. Having multiple citizenships greatly increases the amount of countries you can travel to without a visa, and it increases business and work opportunities. The easiest way to get another citizenship is through relatives who are citizens of that country. At times, it is simpler to get a citizenship through a parent than to get a tourist visa. Consult with your tax advisor (or the Internet) to decide on the best strategy for your dual citizenship.

2. Choose remote work

Work does not have to be a limiting factor in life. The entire point of work is to earn money and to have a creative outlet for bettering the world. These two things do not have to be done in the confines of an office. If you wish to significantly increase your locational (and emotional) freedom, consider going fully or partially remote.

In the corporate world, tech companies are paving the way for remote work. Business owners and freelancers can also enjoy the benefits of working from virtually anywhere. If you are already in a career with strong remote work culture, embrace every aspect of it. It is up to you to trade the cubicle and free coffee for a beach office in a tropical country.

In the future, even essential workers like doctors and nurses will be able to freelance their way around the world without being tied to one hospital. For now, certain professions cannot easily switch to remote work.

But all is not lost. It is possible to transition to a fully online career if you focus on creating your own business and working for yourself. For example, a teacher working for an elementary school can give online tutoring lessons to children. She can turn her passion for cooking into an “after school” online cooking class for kids and parents. Or she could start her own online school for English-speaking homeschooled children of diplomats living all over the world. Her venture may become so successful that she won’t need to “go” to school anymore.

The possibilities are endless. Just find your niche.

3. Make your money work for you

Another important step to achieving greater personal freedom is to invest your money and make it work for you. Having forms of passive income is crucial to having greater flexibility in life. I will not be giving any financial advice, but I will list the most common ways to invest:

• The stock market. This is one of the most easily accessible forms of investing. You do not need a significant sum to start, and there are thousands of resources to get you going.
• Cryptocurrencies and NFTs. This is one of the newest forms of investing, but it is taking over the world. There are also thousands of tutorials and explainer videos on this topic.
• ETFs. Great for beginners. Index funds are not as volatile as the stock market and require little involvement. Investing in ETFs can be a part of a long-term investment strategy. It is also what Warren Buffet recommends for most investors.
• REITs. If you have some more free cash to invest, real estate investment trusts can be an option. Investing in REITs is similar to buying a share of a stock on the stock market, except your “share” is secured by real estate assets.
• Buy a rental property. This is the least passive form of investment, as you will have to oversee the property operations or hire a property manager to do that for you. But having a house that generates rental income is a great way to break into real estate investing (more on this in Step 5).

We work in order to spend our free time doing what we love. So why not put your investments at work and increase your free time-to-work ratio? You cannot be completely free when you are not in charge of your time.

4. Let go of material attachments

Every material attachment weighs you down and restricts your freedom of movement. By letting go of attachments I do not mean living a minimalist lifestyle and going Marie Kondo on your closet (which is definitely a bonus if you do!). What I mean is not being afraid to let go of your grandmother’s couch when life calls for change. The goal should be to be able to move from one location to another as easily as possible and to always have a new couch waiting for you when you arrive. You should be able to move to a new location when an important life opportunity arises without thinking about what you will do with all your stuff.

Some more homework (yay!):

Declutter your living and working space. Try to get rid of at least one useless item a week (don’t say anything, I know you have things that need to go).

When you make room in your home, you make room for change in your life.

5. Don’t buy a home (what is rentvesting?)

Unless you are Bill Gates and can afford to buy a home and a horse ranch in any location in the world, think hard before signing that 30-year mortgage. You will physically and mentally lock yourself into place. Although a mortgaged home can be sold, it is a long process involving many intermediaries. By signing a mortgage, you are committing yourself to one place for at least the first few years, since real estate prices can be volatile in the short term. When a phenomenal job opportunity arises in another state (or country), those who own or mortgage a home have a greater difficulty deciding whether to take the offer.

Remember, your primary home is not an investment.

That is not to say that you should not invest in real estate — you should! Real estate is the largest asset class in the world, and it is one of the best wealth-building investments when done right.

There is a strategy that combines the locational freedom of renting with the wealth-building potential of real estate investing…rentvesting.

In short, rentvesting is when you own a house that you rent out to generate rental income, while living in a rental property in the most suitable location for you. In this way, renvestors are investing their money into real estate, while also increasing their locational independence by choosing to rent their home. It’s a win-win situation. After all, it is much easier to live where you want and to move around as often as you want while renting.

Most of the time, we are the ones responsible for placing limitations on our lives. There is not a situation that does not have a solution or a way out (try to come up with one in the comments and I will argue with you!). We can all make our lives better by taking little steps in the right direction. I will be happy to read any other tips and suggestions to living a truly free life!