Desire

Deep down, I think everyone has the desire to make more money. Money can’t buy you happiness; it can’t buy you health, but it sure as hell can make life a lot more convenient.

The Past

Ever since I’ve become a personal finance junkie, I’ve tried to follow the advice of wiser people before me. I’ve:

• Created a monthly budget
• Mercilessly eliminated unnecessary costs
• Fully funded my 401K
• Created and fully funded a Roth IRA
• Streamlined and automated all of my bank accounts and credit cards
• Negotiated with service providers for better rates and deals on most of my bills
• Continuously updated my skills and knowledge about industry practices, within my field.

All of this has led to some pretty good success, and I am completely able to live within my means. I’m steadily moving up in my company with increasing responsibilities and pay. My savings continue to grow at a respectable pace, and I feel comfortable knowing that I’ll achieve at least a moderate level of financial security following this model.

The Present

But after sampling 2.5 years of the corporate world, I’ve come to the realization that I don’t exactly relish the idea of being chained to a desk for the next 30 years of my life.

Worse yet, I’ve come to the realization that 30+ years is pretty much how long it’ll take to achieve financial freedom if I continue to follow life in the corporate model.

A person’s twenties are arguably some of the best years of a person’s life. These years are spent without significant worry or responsibility. Yet it’s also a personal finance oxymoron because a person’s twenties are also the very best years to be working. The beauty of compound interest tells me that the earlier I start working and saving, the more time I allow my money to work for me. So logically speaking, if I wanted to follow the surest path to financial success, I should just put in crazy hours for the next 10 years, accumulate tons of wealth, and then just let it sit and compound for the next 20 years.

So I’ve been doing a bit of soul searching, contemplating that surely there has to be a way to find the perfect balance between time and wealth – a method that can afford me the flexibility in lifestyle to enjoy the most carefree years of my life – time to travel the world, time to spend with friends – without being broke and having to constantly worry about money.

The Future

I’ve always been pretty envious of people that seem to have found this perfect balance. A few years ago, I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and that’s when I learned that this lifestyle was completely within the grasp or normal people – through something called a “passive income model.” By definition, “passive income” is income from trade or business activities in which you do not materially participate.

Back then my interpretation of passive income was investing in real estate, and this was a bit intimidating because I thought that I didn’t have the money or knowledge to get into real estate. But then I read The 4-Hour Workweek, and became really inspired in the adaptability of passive income models. Who knew that any business could be transformed into an automated passive income business?

So now I’ve decided to try my own hand at entrepreneurship! I’m planning on using this blog to record my own personal journey of successes and failures – to teach myself and others who might be interested in starting up their own passive income ventures.

Just to let you know. I have zero experience running or starting a business. I don’t have any special technical skills or knowledge. In fact, prior to starting this blog, I’ve never even had any experience making a website. I’m as n00b as you can possible get. But I assure you, what I lack in knowledge, I compensate for in zeal and enthusiasm! So get yourself ready because there are going to be some bomb-tastic posts in the coming future.

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