Chasing Financial Freedom Led Me to Self-Harm
And why solopreneurship has improved my mental health
There are many motivating reasons to become a digital nomad; a strong desire to explore the world, free of the restrictions of a traditional 9–5 corporate job and financial freedom. Yet, unsurprisingly, many remote workers are concerned that their unconventional working arrangements may impact their earnings negatively.
As a result, “financial freedom” and related notions like having multiple income streams and passive income are very prevalent.
However, the word “freedom” can be confusing, especially when the debate over the subject fails to distinguish between “lifestyle freedom,” which refers to the freedom to work wherever and whenever you want, and “financial freedom,” which refers to the freedom from worries about not having enough money to sustain life.
In the worst-case scenario, conflating the two freedoms can lead to a great deal of unnecessary stress.
This was something I had to learn the hard way.
Here’s how conflating lifestyle and financial freedom made me utterly miserable in my corporate positions and entrepreneurial endeavours — and how you can avoid the same mistakes.
