Daddy, I have SOOOO much work to do

Said my three year old daughter.

She must have heard that at home. Shame on me.

What we say around our children matters.

It becomes part of how they think, and how they make decisions. And it’s not just what we say – it’s the messages they hear all around them. My niece, who is 6 years old and skinny as a rail was talking about how fat she is just the other week. SIX YEARS OLD. And she did not hear this at home. We must be vigilant, but we can’t be everywhere with them.

So we need to watch what we say around our kids, because that’s where we have the most control. You are probably working just a little more than the average bear, trying to get to early retirement. You have side hustles; you work from home in the evenings; you are reading and implementing strategies. You are busy, or perhaps more appropriately, focused.

I am probably busier than I need to be, not as focussed as I could be, and not as efficient as I’d like to be with my hustles:

• 40 hour/week main job (data analysis)
• Data analysis on the side for clients
• Tutoring
• Grading for the College Board (a week every June)
• Real estate investing (starting out)
• This blog

And those are just the things that make me money, or at least things that I hope that will generate money at some point in time (not holding my breath on the blog, but I enjoy the writing process – it helps me refocus my energies on what matters).

So while we are aiming for financial independence and retiring early, keep in mind that we need to enjoy the journey.

For me that means going hiking with the family. Going camping. Swimming in the community pool. Spending time with family and friends. Reading books – and I’m not talking books that further your goals. Inviting your buddies over for a beer on your back porch to just shoot the shit. Carving out time to meditate. Your mileage may vary, but you get my point.

And most importantly, even if you are busy, don’t normalize that for your kids.

Don’t make busy a status symbol.

We’re trying to get out of the rat race so that we can do what we want, on our own time. Just don’t forget we need to do those important things before we reach that goal.