Becoming financially free and retiring at 40 is a dream of millions of people all around the world. And why not? By retiring at 40, you will have ample amount of time for yourself, your family, and your life goals. You will have enough freedom to explore different countries, meet new people, experience different cultures, and enjoy things you’re deeply passionate about. This totally seems like a dream for many of us.

But, what if I say this dream is achievable? What if told you there is a magic wand that can make your wishes come true? What if there’s actually a way out of the 9-to-5 grind and retire early? Yes, it is possible. But, to reach that stage of financial freedom, you have to understand how this process works and how it will ultimately lead you down the right path.

What does it mean to be financially free?

Being financially free means you have sufficient financial resources to maintain your current lifestyle without having to depend on a regular job or any other type of work.

In fact, it’s not about earning more money or enjoying elite status, but rather, being able to spend more time on things that fuel your soul and help you live life on your own terms.

Achieving financial freedom is the key to retire early.

Here’s a 6-step process to achieve financial freedom and retire at 40

1) First Know Yourself

It will become nearly impossible for you to be financially free if you really don’t know yourself and your aspirations. Knowing your values, motivation, inspiration, or passion is must for you to attract limitless abundance and success in your life. It’s not an overnight thing. It is a life-long process.

Many celebrities who are successful today, like Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie, Will Smith, and more, they were all once unaware of what they’re capable of, but they explored themselves, their strengths and eventually succeeded in making a long-lasting impression in everyone’s life.

Not only celebrities, but business tycoons like Ratan Tata, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, Jeff Bezos, and many more have also worked on themselves first before plunging into the business world. So, knowing what empowers us, what challenges us, and what fuels our soul is crucial for attracting financial wealth, freedom, and happiness in our lives.

2) Invest For The Future

If you’re in your 20s, then you should understand that taking rash or impulsive decisions won’t take you any far, but your patience and resilience will. So, instead of using your time on meaningless pursuits, focus on learning the art of investing. Read as many books as possible to gain financial knowledge, talk to people who know the secret to financial wealth, and apply the same into your life. On the other hand, If you’re in your 30s then you better understand that half of your life is already passed, and massive investing in the only way to get closer to your goal as fast as possible.

Reaching to that financial freedom where most of the famous celebrities, politicians, businessman are right now, is not an easy task, as it takes decades to reach to that level. But, if you have a fire within you, and someone inside you knows that you can reach the stars, then everything is possible.

That’s a long shot. Indeed. But, while working towards achieving your goal, having an investors mindset is a plus.

Where can you invest?

1) Low-Risk Investments: If you’re not fond of taking risks in your life, then this investment is best for you. You can invest in Fixed Deposits, PPF, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, Recurring Deposits, Post Office Term Deposit and more.

2) Medium-Risk Investments: This investment includes a small amount of risk but offers a higher return than low-risk investments. It includes, Government Bonds, Corporate Bonds, Debt Funds and more.

3) High-Risk Investments: This investment option has a higher risk in comparison to lower and medium-level investments. Only those people can invest in this option who are willing to take higher level of risk. Because, the higher risk investment is market-linked and comes with a lot of volatility and uncertainty. This investment includes Mutual Funds, Stocks and Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIP’s).

By consistently investing money in investment options, you will open the door to your financial success and help you generate regular income payments (interest or dividends).

3) Invest In Yourself

In order to reach a greater level of success, you have to invest in yourself “every day.” If I say every day, then yes, “every day,”  because real magic doesn’t happen overnight; it takes lifelong commitment and consistency to make it happen.

For example, if you want to become a life coach, then you must have the skills and mindset like a life coach. You can take the example of Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, Les Brown, Nick Vujicic, Brian Tracy, and more. Ask yourself: Can you think or act like them? Can you feel the vibe of changing billions of people’s lives? Are you that capable? Can you do it throughout your life?

First, try to analyze how your inner self works, what inspires you, and then take consistent action to turn your aspirations into reality. Read books, go to seminars, attend workshops, leave home, challenge yourself to live on your own, and do everything to upgrade yourself so you can reach where your soul and dream align.

4) Increase Your Current and Additional Sources of Income

Reaching financial freedom isn’t an easy ride. You have to watch your spending, pay debts on time, and ensure that you’re advancing in your career, not only in terms of income but also in terms of growth. If you’re working in some XYZ organization, then make sure your income is doubling or tripling every year. Meanwhile, never lose focus on generating side incomes. As these extra sources of income help a lot during tough times and help you get closer to your financial goals and dream life.

When you have more money, you can invest it, save it, and can opt a self-development course, or can reach to your goal while working side by side. It probably seems impossible, because after spending 9 to 10 hours in a job, it becomes intricate to put our energy on other things. But, that’s how the elite corporations have designed the pattern, and it’s your 100% responsibility to break free from it with relentless conviction.

There are numerous ways to generate side income. For example: blogging, tutoring, dog sitting, selling photography, virtual assistance, becoming a YouTuber, affiliate marketing, freelancing, and beyond that. So, there’s always a way to generate more income, provided that you’re loyal to your financial goals and dream life.

5) Create a Well-Defined Budget

Jim Rohn once said, poor people usually spend their money and invest what’s left. That’s their philosophy. Whereas, the rich people philosophy is completely opposite. The rich people invest their money first and spend what’s left on their entertainment. So, with this, we can understand the significance of investing first, then spending.

The same philosophy can be applied while creating a budget. You can manage your finances on a weekly and monthly basis by reducing unnecessary expenses. This will encourage you to invest more and save more, which will help you get closer to your FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) in no time.

6) Raise Your Standard

The only thing that will change your life, change your money, change your business, and change your relationships is raising your standards to a higher level. It may sound weird, stupid, and basic at first. But it’s the only truth. You must raise your standards to live a completely different life than your current one. Raising your standards will help you get closer to your financial freedom and help you retire in your 40s with enough cash in your bank account. 

At one point in our lives, we realize that our current version is demanding a greater version of ourselves. It questions our existing beliefs, asks multiple questions about who we are and what we can offer to the world and what actually makes a great leader. Then comes a day when we have to make a choice in between being a follower for the rest of our lives or to be a leader who walks in his own path. It is one of the most difficult questions that we all encounter once in our lives and in some way hold an incredible potential to shape our lives for the better.

Who are not leaders?

The word leader itself includes a word “lead”, which means leading a path or leading people in the right direction. But as of now most people, organizations, society have given a new definition to term “leader”. But is that suppose to be the definition of “what makes a true leader”? Let’s get into it in detail.

• Leader is not the one who is handling a team of bunch of people in some xyz organization.
  
  
• Leader is not the one who signs an agreement with the elite corporations to sell his soul at lowest price and gets dependent on them for fulfilling his life’s basic needs and desires.
  
  
• Leader is not the one who is a part of a never-ending hierarchy, where one desperately waits for his turn to crush other self-worth and inner voice, just to make themselves satisfied.
  
  
• Leader is not the one who despite knowing other individual is wrong, stays silent and lowers down his alter ego because he is afraid what other can do with their hierarchical power.
  
  
• Leader is not the one who lives in the caged box which is smartly designed by the elite corporations to boost their revenue for the cost of their blood and suffering.
  
  
• Leader is not the one who doesn’t act when hierarchical managers cut their pay, deliberately lower down their confidence and make them feel worthless and of no value.

“Listen you don’t need any one’s approval of who you are, no one has the right to downgrade your self-worth to undermine your self-confidence, to undervalue your existence, to overpower your intelligence, to control your own life, no one has the right.”

Who is a true leader?

True leader doesn’t exist in the outer world. It resides within us.

• A true leader is the one, who is awake in the sleeping world, where everyone is willingly following others and have sold their souls just to fit into the world of hypocrites.
  
  
• A true leader knows that the world is fooling him, big corporations, medias, govt, social channels, they all have their hidden motives—to use the time we have in our lives—to fullfill their vicious objectives.
  
  
• He is aware of the fact that this is the only life he has and he just can’t let anyone to overpower his existence, his inner emotions—the beauty he holds within himself.
  
  
• He is the one who understands what it likes to be a human—to be free at the moment.
  
  
• He understands the power of universe, nature, animal and how they all can help the earth in becoming a better place.
  
  
• A true leader walks on his own path—is assertive in his words and always empowers others in becoming the best version of themselves.
  
  
• He understands that, a small plant takes time to become a large tree, then it starts bearing fruits and give us shade without asking anything in return.

Similarly, when a true leader is awake in the unawake world, he starts seeing the horrendous truth of life, his inner world shatters, his innocence dies—people take advantage of his genuineness, honesty and he begins to realize that the world he used to think how it should be—is no longer the one— that’s what hits him hard and that’s what makes him an unstoppable monster or a true leader.

A monster who understands life and his own existence, more than anyone could possibly imagine. He is perfect blend of genuinity and monsterism and all credit goes to humans itself.

Being resilient in the face of adversity is a rare and invaluable skill that only a few can master. It acts as a cornerstone when everything around us seems to be falling apart, leading us to question our beliefs, strengths, and even our very existence. In simple terms, it is an ability to overcome life challenges and adversities by showing sheer determination and unwillingness to give up—no matter how painful life gets.

The same concept is applicable in the corporate sector as well. Organizations are driven by employees, and when the employees are not performing at their best, corporate resilience training becomes an utmost necessity. Workplace resilience training can help workers remain calm in stressful situations and become a source of inspiration for others.

How Can it Lead to Employee Growth?

1) Helps in Reducing Stress

Business resilience training empowers employees to remain calm and patient in high-stress situations. Whether they’re managing urgent tasks or addressing a group of employees, resilience boosts their confidence and helps them achieve a healthier work-life balance. Unlike employees with lower stress resistance, high resilience employees are significantly more self-aware and possess greater control over their thoughts and emotions. Consequently, they perform at their best in the workplace, driving superior results for the organization.

2) They Embrace Learning

Resilient employees refrain from reacting loudly when faced with adversity. Instead, they stand resolute, embracing their fears while eagerly learning from life’s challenges. These individuals display a willingness to take on new projects, approaching them with an open mind and a practical perspective. They possess self-awareness regarding their strengths and weaknesses, maintaining composure even in the face of highly stressful situations. Such employees consistently rebound from workplace issues and serve as a dependable guiding force to others.

3) Higher Emotional Intelligence

Working 8 to 9 hours in a workplace is undeniably challenging. It’s not limited to the completion of daily tasks but also involves dealing with various work-related issues. To effectively manage this, having higher emotional intelligence (EQ) becomes even more crucial. Employees with higher EQ can empathetically understand their colleagues’ concerns and actively assist them in overcoming work-related challenges. Plus, they exhibit greater resilience and compassion towards others in comparison to those with lower EQ.  Hence, organizing emotional resilience training at the workplace can significantly enhance employees’ self-awareness, mindfulness, sociability, and motivation.

4) Problem-Solving and Decision-Making

Improving problem-solving and decision-making abilities is one of the best things that management can do for their employees. Organizing resilience training once a month can help them enhance their cognitive abilities, which, in turn, improves their decision-making power and helps them become a better manager or a leader.

5) Communication Skills

An employee with strong communication skills can effectively address workplace challenges, especially when compared to those lacking these skills. Communication is a critical element in achieving organizational goals, conducting meetings with co-workers and clients, and fostering resilience in employees. When employees are confident in their communication abilities, they become less fearful, allowing them to convey their messages with ease.

Conclusion

Corporate resilience training is a catalyst for personal and professional growth. It empowers employees to confront challenges head-on, emerge stronger, and inspire their colleagues. This training not only enhances individuals’ abilities to cope with stress but also equips them with the tools necessary for effective leadership and communication, driving success and progress within the organization.