I wear two hats. I write these blog posts for aspiring entrepreneurs and I write content for another website offering education and encouragement for aspiring expats; people wanting but hesitating to move to an alluring foreign country.

The two groups overlap.  The members of each group want to make a major change but often hesitate.  The reason for their fears may be expressed differently but, in the end, it is fear: fear of being different, fear of not following the rules, fear of being different.

What I tell my readers about quitting their jobs is based on the same principles as the decision to pack up and move away to a foreign country.  Clarify what you want, make a careful, well researched plan, execute that plan.

The first step, seeing what is possible, often conflict with the messages repeated over and over from the internet, social media, television, radio and what we learn from others.

To break free from the cultural messages all around, you will need to think hard, ask powerful questions and trust in your own conclusions.

Time Equals Money

Take for instance the widely held idea that time equals money.  This idea can keep you in a job you hate. This idea can stop you from taking time to explore the world. This idea can distract you from taking time for what really matters to you.

When you examine this idea, you may find a 2016 study that found that 63 percent of respondents valued money over time. That is how widely accepted this false idea is in our society.

You will also find the smaller percentage of people who valued time over money report greater well-being than the larger group.

When one begins to believe time is the same thing as money, it becomes hard to prioritize leisure time.  When productivity is the measure of a day well “spent”, you will find it hard to take risk with your time by quitting your job or traveling.

Time is not the same as money.  Time can not be saved, hoarded, shared or invested for interest.  Time is finite.  Time is all you have. You may want to invest it in making your days meaningful to you.

Of course, you need money but only enough to support your fabulous life.  Don’t be confused.

Photo by Shamim Nakhaei on Unsplash