My Financial Story – Chapter 8 – Dream Jobs Left

This is the eighth and last chapter in my financial story series.

In the previous chapter I showed you how I became rich moneywise. Here I’ll show you why I’d like to become rich timewise.

July 2020 Update: the series is not over! You can read about the dark side of my Hooli experience on chapter 9a :)

Disclaimer: This chapter will be different from the others. This post is not about my past or present, but about my ideal future(s). If you only care about facts, you can skip this one.

So, I’ve been extremely lucky so far: I was born with some skills and a lot of curiosity. I’ve escaped the poor neighborhood where I was born and I got a master degree. I’ve done whatever job I dreamed about and I’ve been traveling the world. I’m finally in the top 0.07% of the world by income!

Am I in the top 0.07% by happiness?

I don’t think so. I can’t complain about my life today, but I’m sure I can improve it by a lot.

I’m not talking minor, incremental improvements. I want to take a giant leap, a paradigm switch.

How my life is today: I wake up, go to work, come back home usually between 6 and 7pm, when 70+% of the day is gone, and then – in the few hours left – eat, cleanthehouse, read, write, play, makelove, kiss, hug, visitfriends, dochores, doerrands, study, dreamaboutplayingtheateragain, gotogrocerystore, attachitemstomyendlesstodolist, followmypassions…

How about Weekends?

• Saturdays: wake up usually a little bit later – unless we have a trip planned in that case the whole weekend acts as short adrenaline boost to make my Sunday evening suck even more – do chores, maybe take a walk, try to relax but still feel the work-related stress, go biking or swimming, meet friends, have dinner together.
• Sundays: wake up later, finally feel temporary relaxed, take it easy, meet other friends, spend time with Miss RIP, start complaining that the weekend is over at around 5pm, watch a movie together or play boardgames with friends, pretending you don’t have to go to work tomorrow.

It’s not that bad, is it? Well, it can be improved.

It’s like having a giant stone in your house that takes 50% (70% in weekdays, 10% in weekends) of your living space.

You can adapt and live in the remaining space, but you’re lying to yourself if you say it’s as good as it can get.

So, let’s imagine we can remove the giant stone, that we could go for that long uninterrupted picnic. Let’s pretend that you can design your own future and money are not an issue. This is one of the main questions one has to ask themself to find their passions. What would you do? I don’t know yet what I will end up doing – you don’t know how you’d adapt to such a change – but what I do know is that I have tons of passions and dreams I would like to devote more time to.

They are not mutually exclusive with the classical notion of “work“. Following these dreams may actually end up in another career step or somewhere else, where money are not at the centre.

Here’s my unsorted list of next dreams:

I dream about launching a startup, creating the next big thing.

I like coding, I made a career out of it! I still enjoy telling a machine what to do and watch it doing what I told. I like software engineering, i.e. the process of transforming ideas to computer programs/apps. I like the creativity behind software design and algorithmic solutions. I like to dream that my idea will revolutionize the world and help so many people out there. I like to try to be in charge of the entire thing and to switch from “coding in my basement” to “being invited to a TED conference because my idea is worth spreading”.

I dream about contributing to space exploration.

I’m a big fan of human space exploration and astronomy in general. Well, physics in general. Actually science in general. What about philosophy (if science can be considered part of it) in general? I’ve spent more than a year studying and watching videos about Big History (the history of everything). If you’re interested as I am, I recommend you to start with the Microsoft sponsored Big History Project (take a look at this TED talk by Professor David Christian, plus few more links). I love that these days space exploration is a popular topic with not only Nasa planning to take a trip to Mars, but private companies like SpaceX.

I dream about teaching Big History.

Yes, BH is a topic I love. It’s everything essentially. I would love to see BH taught at every school. If you’ll let your mind explore the infinitely big and the infinitely small, you’d see this small green and blue ball we all live in for what it is: our shared home. Fights, racism, even borders will be insignificant. BH is my religion (joking, FSM, ramen!) and I would like to see it widely spread.

I dream about getting lost in science.

A generalization of the previous point. Science. I would like to study (and eventually teach) pure and applied science. I love Chemistry, Physics (and their intersection, physical chemistry), Math, Biology. I’d spend a lifetime on Khan academy, Coursera, Edx and on actual books. Why? For no specific reason, just because I’m curious and I’m a learner. Knowledge is both my leisure and my luxury.

I dream about revolutionizing the educational system.

I don’t really believe in politics or revolutions to change the world. I believe education is the key to improve the society. I believe current education system is bugged. I got interested in Montessori educational system. I still think there’s room for an educational revolution here. I like the vision of Sir Ken Robinson (link, link, link) and I’m here to announce I’ll found the “why school“, where kids are encouraged to ask questions and go looking for answers!

I dream about becoming a professional writer.

I love to write. I can’t judge if I’m good at it, but I love doing it. I’ve always kept a journal, I’ve written stories, I’ve written trip reports and software design docs. I wrote a live RPG story, a couple of Dungeons&Dragons settings and few poems (that I’m not very proud of). I love to think of myself writing essays or copywriting or I don’t know, the only thing I know is that I’m getting passionate about it. I have tons of role models here, essentially all the blogs I follow (Leo Babauta, MrMoneyMustache, FinancialSamurai,…), but one above others for his writing passions: James Altucher. One of his posts made me dream very high. This blog is an attempt to get better at it!

I dream about reading for the entire life.

I have a problem: I really love to read. The problem is: I buy more books than I can afford reading, given the limited amount of time I can devote to it (train rides, travels and maybe half an hour every night just before falling asleep). I love sci-fi and I’m lucky enough that there’s never been such an incredible production of very high quality sci-fi books! The Martian, Ready Player One, The Expanse series, The Silo trilogy, The Fourth Realm trilogy… I love reading popular science books, like Penrose’s, Einstein’s, Hawking’s, Susskind’s,… or self help books like Dyer’s, Goleman’s,… No, there’s no end to the list.

I dream about traveling slowly around the world.

Who doesn’t? I guess it’s the first answer that comes to mind when asked “what would you do if you win a lottery?”. Well, I never liked to be a tourist: I’m a traveler. I don’t care about visiting place X I care about going from here to place X, in the slowest way possible. By bike, by foot. Maybe hitchhiking a little, or local trains. But feeling the distance needs to be the main dish. Slowly and cheap. Maybe sleeping under the stars, or in a tent or couchsurfing. I need to feel like I’m doing something frugal, sustainable, social and fun. I’d do that forever. I’ve had some amazing experiences with bike trips (south of France, Donauradweg) and hike trips (Basilicata coast to coast, Italia coast to coast and I’m planning to walk the Appian Way for a week in October 2016). I need to do more of that. Role Models here are Rolf Potts, Paolo Rumiz and obviously David Henry Thoreau.

I dream about volunteering in poor regions of Africa.

I see myself building that school or library or hospital. Or better: teaching math to kids and have their mothers pay me with small gifts, food and smiles. Or help them learn coding and be creative. That would be a life worth living on its own. I’ve met few people who did that, none regrets it. I can do more than simply support charities like Roomtoread, like I’ve been doing in last few years.

I dream about becoming a farmer.

Yes! I love nature, I love self sustainability, I love frugality (even extreme) and I love healthy food. Why not become a social farmer, a farmer 2.0? I’d live in an ecovillage or cohousing (I’ve written about it few days ago), I’d ask for help on wwoof and helpx, I’d sell my products via sustainiverse or via local ethical purchasing groups. I’d open the farm to kids, it may even become a teaching Farm. I’d have wine and artisanal beer tasting evenings in my cellar, while playing boardgames. I could become an ecological activist and fight to preserve the environment (but not saving the planet). If I close my eyes I’m already there!

I dream about exploiting sharing economy.

While living in my ecovillage/cohousing, if becoming a farmer is too much for my tired and old limbs, why not host tourists with airbnb? Why not cook for them with home restaurant services like Gnammo or Bonappetour (hint: a killer app is needed here, too much fragmentation). I like cooking pizza and pasta and like every average Italian I’m reasonably good at it. Come and taste RIPcousine!

I dream about owning a boardgame café.

I love boardgames. I’ve spent an incredible amount of time playing. I’ve been at conferences like Essen Spiele, Lucca Comics&Games, Modena Play,… I’ve attended play marathons like Gobcon Lagna for 4 years in a row. I love Agricola, Caverna, Terra Mystica, Dominion and so on. I’d love to own an activity where people can come and play games, relax, make new friendships. I’d sleep there if needed.

I dream about designing a boardgame.

Why not? I love numbers, statistics, balancing… I’d love to design a boardgame. I actually designed a Card game. It was fun. It was never meant to be published, it was for friends. It’s named “Il Gatto e la Volpe” and no, you won’t find anything on the internet. Design a boardgame is a challenge I need to face, sooner or later!

I dream about playing the whole time.

Did I say I love boardgames? Yes, I do! Did I mention I also love videogames? I’d like to dream about a future where I will play guilt-free for hours, even days in a row! Boardgames with friends, videogames, mostly alone. I love Strategy games, both real time (RTS) and turn based (TBS). I also love RPG and Massive whatever. I’d both play and help develop open source games like Battle for Wesnoth, my preferred open source game.

I dream about becoming a professional theater actor.

Yes, I’ve been doing that in the past and I was completely drained by it. Playing, acting is… the true essence of life. I can’t describe with my own words what it means to study something written hundreds of years ago, try to shape the character you’re playing, become one thing with them, interacting with friends on stage, entertain an audience and make them both laugh and cry. I remember it was the night after 2 fully booked weeks of both matinées (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and evening shows (La Folle de Chaillot). When both shows were over, I felt like dying. What am I going to do next? I can’t live without acting! I want to go back then. I also want to write a monologue and play it in front of my friends. I’d love to explore the improvisational theatre too.

I dream about becoming a stand up comedian.

In acting, I’ve frequently played the Shakespearian’s fool. I think I’m good at making people laugh. And SUC is about storytelling, originality, creativity and being fun. I love StandUp Comedians like George Carlin, Bill Hicks, Louis CK, Ricky Gervais. I’d love to write a piece. Did I mention I like writing? And creativity? Hell yeah…

I dream about becoming a filmmaker.

Not only a filmmaker, I’d love to write a script, direct the scenes and play it! I’ve tons of ideas written down that are sitting on my hard disks. I love the comedy genre. I dream about becoming the next Rowan Atkinson or Jim Carrey.

I dream about becoming a personal finance advisor.

I studied a lot. My finances are in very good shape. I devoted more or less the 10k hours one need to spend on any topic to be an expert on it. I love teaching and I love helping people. I’d love to help those in financial trouble or those seeking for financial independence. I’m already trying to do it with this blog 🙂

I dream about becoming a life coach.

I spent most of my 31st year on Earth learning what was wrong with me. I went deep. I became a better person. I now now what is fear and how to beat it. What is anger and how to control it. What is anxiety and how to stop it. What is guilt and how stupid of a feeling it is. I’ve studied Emotional Intelligence and meditation techniques. Did I say I love teaching? I think so. Anyway, I don’t think I’m ready to be a life coach yet, but I’d love to get there. To help people that are struggling with their lives and can’t find their passions or get rid of unhealthy habits. My role models here are Leo Babauta, Daniel Goleman, Wayne Dyer, Derek Sivers, The Dalai Lama, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson.

I dream about exploring my spirituality.

Like I said, I invested a lot of time in my Emotional Intelligence. I’m agnostic, I don’t believe in any God but I’m fascinated by religions and their social and spiritual aspects. I like Zen Buddhism and in general Eastern religions. I consider agnostic spirituality way more attractive though. I like the idea of Truthism. I’d like to ask myself more philosophical questions and to devote time to find the answers.

I dream about exploring my creativity.

Creativity means everything to me. My definition of “depression” is “lack of creativity”. I consider myself a very creative person. I trained my creativity every day thanks to science, games, readings and movies. As James Altucher says: “Creativity is a muscle. There’s no such thing as inspiration” (here’s another amazing post of his on how to become an Idea machine). I dream about becoming a creator. Creativity can be expressed in so many ways: from cooking to blogging, from vlogging to coding, from writing down your company’s mission statement to design an artificial intelligence. Creativity requires space and time. And disconnection.

I dream about exploring my curiosity.

As you can see, I’ve got things to do. I’m pretty busy for the next dozen lives. I want to follow a lot of dreams, a lot of passions. But most important of all, I know nothing (like Jon Snow) about myself. Till 2005 I didn’t bike, then I bought a bicycle and I can’t see myself living without one. I’ve been traveling with it, I go to work everyday with it. What I want to point out here is that I don’t simply want to follow my today’s passions: I want to follow the passions I don’t know anything about them yet, because I didn’t discover them so far!

I dream about becoming an amazing parent, lover and friend.

Yes, that’s probably the most important of all my dreams, the one I’m going to regret the most at my death’s bed in case I hadn’t followed. I’ll be there for my children. I’ll be there playing with them, reading for them, teaching everything I know to them. I’ll be there to stimulate their curiosity and creativity. I’ll bring kids into nature. I’ll devote time, a lot of it, to them. Same is true for my relationship with my SO and my friends. I’ll be there. I want to live a socially intense life, but not one full of bars & pubs. I do want to live in a community that I really feel mine, that’s why I dream about creating one. I strongly believe in the human and economic benefits of the social capital.

I dream about being lazy and doing nothing the whole time.

Yes, yes, yes! I miss laziness so much! I’m being too much productive these days. I feel like I always have to do something. It’s a kind of a drug. I dream about detoxing from it. I dream about living as if everyday were Sunday.

Ok, let’s stop here for now.

It’s not just what I’d do, I’d probably change the when, where and how too.

I’d go deep for 16 hours per day for a full week if I wanted to, then I may do nothing for a month if that’s what makes me happy. I’ve been enjoying sabbatical trips, where walking was my main activity and at the same time I’ve been working 48 hours straight during a Global Game Jam back in 2011!

I could open my laptop while on a beach in Sardinia, or a white pod in Switzerland, and coding my videogame, launching my startup, writing on my blog.

Or I can try to live where the sun is, half of the year in the northern hemisphere and the other half in the southern.

Or join a 3 months session with Hacker Paradise or coworking or working while traveling. It doesn’t feel like working does it? The sky is the limit!

I know, I’m doomed to fail on some of my dreams, probably most of them. Not even trying a significant portion of them. But I need to explore as much as I can. How to do that? I need time. How do I get more time? Buying it with financial freedom.

That’s the whole point about it. That’s why I want to reach FIRE. That’s what I’m going to do after.

That’s why even though Hooli is awesome, I won’t work there forever.

In fact…