The Paradox of Alter Ego and Financial Independence

The Paradox of Alter Ego and Financial Independence

In the past few years, I’ve seen a lot of discussion in business circles about the benefits of adopting an “alter ego” to enhance performance.

The idea is that when we adopt an alternate persona, we distance our true selves from the task at hand and can therefore navigate high-pressure and challenging situations more effectively.

The conversation has even popped up in the financial independence community as people map F.I. (financial independence) into their identity and work towards a goal that many think is impossible.

They launch blogs, YouTube channels, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, selectively disclosing scattered details about their lives.

Often fragmented, defaulting back to the same language others have used before. They hide, sometimes visible, and others invisible.

The concept is not new.

In 2008, Beyoncé created her alter ego, “Sasha Fierce,” to boost her confidence on stage. A few years later, Adele did the same.

In 2016, researchers coined the term “the Batman Effect” to describe how adopting an alter ego (such as a superhero like Batman) helped young children complete tasks, even when given the option to do other, more exciting things.

Batman Effect
Image Source: SchoolPRPro via Pixabay

In 2019, performance coach Todd Herman wrote The Alter Ego Effect, which explores how elite athletes, entrepreneurs, executives, and historical figures have all used alter egos to unleash their “heroic self.”

Evidence shows that distancing yourself emotionally and psychologically from your authentic self can improve your performance on something stressful, unappealing, or difficult.

But as I look at the world around me, especially as I spend time online as a content creator, entrepreneur, and observer, I can’t help but wonder: what alter egos are we adopting in our lives that we may not even realize?

When do alter egos empower us and when do they erase us?

The temptation to pretend to be someone we’re not lurks in basically every corner of our personal and professional lives.

The media loves to point to social media as a villain, and there is plenty of evidence about how social media negatively affects our mental health and self-esteem.

Readers of my blog know that I use social media sparingly for this reason. To me, the benefits are rarely worth the tradeoffs necessary to achieve them.

Even colleagues and friends of mine who have been successful using social media have confessed to me how constantly being online and performing for an audience they barely know negatively impacts their mental health.

Even if you’re not on social media, you likely adopt alter egos in some areas of your life.

We’ve long been told to “fake it till you make it” in our careers or to keep our emotions in check at work because if we don’t, people will assume we’re weak or incompetent.

While Covid-19 relaxed a lot of the formality around what is considered professional and appropriate, we still hold ourselves to different standards of appearance, behavior, and speech at work than we do any other time of day.

We adopt these alter egos because we think we need them to succeed. When in reality, we’re just making ourselves sicker.

Studies show that faking positive emotions at work leads us to feel emotionally depleted and energetically drained, and people who behave inauthentically at work—consciously or not–are less effective, less engaged, and generally less pleasant and competent than those who show up as their true selves.

In other words, wearing a mask or pretending to be something you’re not doesn’t just make you less successful in the long term; it also makes you miserable.

When we set aside artifice and embrace vulnerability, we connect more with ourselves and others.

Humans derive meaning from connection. Connection makes us more fulfilled and more successful. Authenticity breeds connection and connection breeds loyalty.

When I first started Fresh Life Advice, one of the main things that differentiated me from other money bloggers was that I held nothing back.

I was open and vulnerable with my audience about who I am, what I’ve learned, and what mistakes I’ve made. In fact, I was open about my faults and my doubts and my fears and my desires. And finally, I was open about what I believed and didn’t believe.

This was–and still is–rare in the business and personal finance world, where many creators are often focused on showing off how much they know, selling a product, or courting brand partnerships.

But, because it made me different, this vulnerability helped me grow Fresh Life Advice way bigger than any venture I had started before. And I did it without pretending to be someone I’m not.

I’d take this idea a step further to argue that we must not only disassociate with our alter egos (the inauthentic versions of ourselves we present to the world), but also our egos.

Our egos represent the people we believe ourselves to be–the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what defines our identity.

In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear argues that “your identity emerges out of your habits” and “every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” In other words, who we are is defined by what we do.

I disagree.

Your actions do not define who you are because you are more than your choices. Your identity can easily become a mask, a crutch, or a label you get stuck in.

When we over-identify with a particular aspect of ourselves–a habit, a belief system, a job, an affiliation–we risk becoming trapped by it. I see this in others all the time. People invest so much into trying to become someone they don’t want to be. Or that they’re not.

We may also forget that we are, above all else, all human and lose the ability to connect with others beyond the most superficial version of ourselves.

This is the paradox of ego.

I see the paradox of ego a lot within the FIRE movement. Financial freedom is supposed to be just that–freedom. By achieving a certain level of wealth, you liberate yourself from the financial considerations that most people have to weigh when deciding what to do with their lives.

Financial freedom is supposed to enable life freedom. And, yet, nine times out of ten, whenever I talk to someone who says they have reached financial independence, all they want to talk about is their investments or how they reached FI.

Freedom
Image Source: Jill Wellington via Pixabay

They’ve become so used to spending their precious time and energy focused on their money that they’ve lost sight of why they started this pursuit in the first place.

They have become so focused on the goal of financial independence that they aren’t taking advantage of the freedom they’ve already accumulated.

To achieve financial freedom, you have to adopt some pretty specific and sometimes strict habits. But these habits should never be more than a means to an end. They are not you.

You are a human being, not a habit.

I encourage you to pay attention to the identities you’ve adopted and see if you can separate yourself from them.

Ask yourself how your goals and actions allow you to be who you are without defining who you are.

This is the space of freedom.

 

Disclosure: Fresh Life Advice is an opinion-based website. I am not a financial advisor, and the opinions on this site should not be considered financial advice.

Personal Capital: The Ultimate Tool to track your Net Worth, Budget and more.

What are your thoughts on alter ego and financial independence? Let me know in the comments below.

Early Retirement

Retiring Early

Welcome to the 6th FLA Guest Blog Post! Today, we explore how to retire early. Thank you to Rachel from Annuity.org for sharing this helpful article.

Rachel Christian is a professional journalist who has covered business, local government and education since 2014. She is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance with FinCert, a division of the Institute for Financial Literacy.

Rachel is also a member of the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education and a past member of the American Finance Association. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern Indiana. Her leadership role at her college newspaper led to a professional career writing public service-style pieces about taxation proposals and government audits to inform everyday citizens.

Rachel strives to communicate important, complex topics including finance and investments to help readers understand and apply valuable knowledge to their lives. Rachel also contributed to Evansville Business, which covered major financial developments and economic opportunities in Indiana’s third largest city.

Early Retirement

Retiring early is a dream for many, and it is possible to make it a reality. With careful planning, dedication, and a bit of luck, you can retire early and enjoy the rest of your life. Here are some tips to help you retire early and live the life you have always wanted.

The first step to retiring early is to create a budget and stick to it. This will help you determine how much money you need to save each month in order to reach your retirement goals. It is important to consider all of your expenses, including taxes, insurance, and other costs. Once you have a budget in place, you can begin to save money each month.

The second step to retiring early is to invest wisely. Investing your money in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds can help you grow your retirement savings. You should also consider investing in real estate, which can provide steady income and tax benefits. With careful planning and research, you can make wise investments that will help you reach your retirement goals.

Finally, you should make sure to take advantage of any retirement savings plans offered by your employer. Many employers offer 401(k) plans, which allow you to save money for retirement on a tax-deferred basis. You should also look into other retirement savings plans, such as IRAs and Roth IRAs.

Retiring early is a great way to enjoy the rest of your life. With careful planning and dedication, you can make it a reality. With a budget in place, wise investments, and the right retirement savings plans, you can retire early and live the life you have always wanted.

How to Retire Early

Retiring early is an exciting prospect for many people, and it is certainly possible to do so with the right planning and dedication. To retire early, start by creating a budget and tracking your spending. Make sure to put away money into a retirement account each month, and consider investing in stocks and bonds to increase your savings. Additionally, try to reduce your debt as much as possible, as this will make it easier to save for retirement. Finally, consider working a side job or freelancing to increase your income and save more money. With the right strategy, you can retire early and enjoy the freedom and flexibility that comes with it.

Investing and Saving for Early Retirement

It is a wonderful idea to invest and save for early retirement. Doing so can help ensure financial security and provide peace of mind. Investing and saving for retirement early can help to maximize the potential of your money, allowing you to have a comfortable retirement.

It is important to research different investment options and to be mindful of the risks associated with investing. Additionally, it is important to save regularly and to consider the potential tax implications of your retirement savings. Overall, investing and saving for early retirement is a wise decision that can help to secure your financial future.

Depending on your priorities, your portfolio will contain various asset types that strike the appropriate balance to help you achieve your goals. The 60/40 investing strategy, for instance, may be used in your portfolio. This strategy invests 60 percent of the investor’s assets in stocks and 40 percent in lower-risk bonds.

However, you may want to think about reallocating your assets if economic conditions have a negative impact on the rate of return of this mix, as they seem likely to over the next ten years. Purchasing an annuity to act as a low-risk asset buffer may be successful and has the added benefits of tax deferral, lifetime income, and a death benefit for your heirs.

Image Source: Pixabay via Pexels

Social Security and Early Retirement

I am in favor of Social Security and Early Retirement. It is a great way to ensure that people can enjoy their later years in life without having to worry about financial insecurity. Social Security provides a much needed safety net for those who have worked hard throughout their lives and need a little extra help in retirement. Early retirement can also be beneficial for those who are able to take advantage of it, as it allows them to enjoy their retirement years earlier than they would have otherwise.

Obstacles to Early Retirement

It is admirable that you are considering early retirement. It is a great goal to set and can be a rewarding experience. However, there are some obstacles to consider before taking the plunge. These can include having enough money saved to live comfortably, having a plan for health insurance, and having a plan for how to spend your time.

Additionally, it is important to consider the impact that early retirement may have on your Social Security benefits. All of these factors should be carefully weighed before making the decision to retire early.

Health Care Costs

Is important to analyze the increasing attention being given to health care costs. In recent years, the cost of health care has been on the rise, making it difficult for many people to access the care they need. This is why it is so important to focus on reducing health care costs.

By implementing cost-saving measures, such as reducing administrative costs, increasing the use of generic medications, and improving access to preventive care, we can make health care more affordable and accessible for everyone.

Health Care Options for Early Retirees

It is a great decision for early retirees to explore their health care options. There are a variety of plans available to suit different needs and budgets. These plans can provide coverage for essential medical services and help to protect individuals from unexpected medical costs.

It is important to research the different options available and compare them to find the best plan for an individual’s specific needs. It’s highly recommended for early retirees to take the time to explore their health care options and make an informed decision that best suits their needs.

Some options are:

  • Employer-sponsored retiree health plans
  • Public exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA or ‘Obamacare’)
  • Private insurance exchanges
  • A spouse’s health plan

IRAs, 401(k)s and Early Retirement

401(k)s and Early Retirement, are all excellent options for individuals to consider when planning for their financial future. IRAs, or Individual Retirement Accounts, are a great way for individuals to save for retirement in a tax-advantaged manner. 401(k)s are employer-sponsored retirement plans that allow individuals to save pre-tax dollars for retirement.

Early Retirement is a great option for those who are able to retire before the traditional retirement age. All of these options can help individuals to plan for a secure financial future.

Why Guest Post With Us?

Guest posting allows you to gain access to our readers and serves as a way to promote your content. We do not charge for guest posting like many other blogs. We believe in the power of unique, valuable content and will not charge to promote it!

Disclosure: Fresh Life Advice is an opinion-based website. I am not a financial advisor, and the opinions on this site should not be considered financial advice.

Personal Capital: The Ultimate Tool to track your Net Worth, Budget and more.

What are your thoughts on retiring early? Let me know in the comments below.

How To Grow Your Side Hustle Into A Full-Time Business

How To Grow Your Side Hustle Into A Full-Time Business

Welcome to the 5th FLA Guest Blog Post! Today, we explore how to grow your side hustle into a full-time business. Thank you to Kathryn from Cash for Kat for sharing this helpful article.

Kathryn Rucker is a business consultant and personal finance blogger who is passionate about helping individuals and businesses scale by improving their online presence. Kat started traveling the world in 2019 and currently runs her blog and business out of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Cash for Kat will show you how to make cash, save cash, and invest cash. Join her on her journey to financial independence. Every month, she shares her latest articles on a range of money topics, such as: starting a business, budget travel, my investments, creating side-hustles, and more!

Your side hustle is more than just an extra income stream. It’s a business that can help you reach financial freedom so that you can live a happy life!

The problem is, if you’re not ready to take the plunge, your side hustle might not grow as big and as fast as you would hope. Unfortunately, that’s what happened to me when I first started my side hustles.

Eventually, I was able to grow my side hustle into a full-time business… And I want to help you do the same. From psychological tips to practical methods you can implement, this article has it all.

Without further ado, here is everything I learned about how to grow your side hustle into a full-time business!

An Overview of How to Grow Your Side Hustle into a Full-time Business

Of course, there are many things that can help you grow your business. If you ask 100 people what worked best for them, I’m sure you’d get 100 different answers!

That being said, you will also find some similarities in those responses. There are some aspects of business that just make sense, and you will hear them coming up time and time again.

Here are 5 key areas you can focus on to grow your side hustle:

1. Find Your Motivation

It is not a secret that running a business is hard. The only thing harder than running a business is starting one in the first place! To help keep you going during the hard times, you will need to examine your motives.

Common sources of external motivation:

  • Family
  • Money
  • Work Flexibility

While these are excellent sources of inspiration, they are still what we would consider external motivators. You might be wondering, what other kinds of motivation are there?

The answer is this: intrinsic motivation. And it is even more powerful than external motivation! Intrinsic motivation is doing an activity for inherent satisfaction.

So not only should you identify what aspects of the business motivate you the most, but you should also try to minimize the activities you dislike.

Image Source: Gerd Altmann via Pexels

Common sources of intrinsic motivation:

  • The joy of learning a new skill
  • The feeling of accomplishment when you exceed your own expectations
  • The satisfaction of helping accomplish something

For intrinsic motivation, you will notice that what brings you joy is the feeling you get from doing the action itself. The focus is more on your own satisfaction and growth, rather than receiving external recognition (an award/money/etc.).

2. Implement the 80-20 Rule

The 80-20 rule is based on a simple premise: 80% of your results come from only 20% of your actions. 

To put it a different way… we waste a lot of time on other tasks when it is really only a few of our actions that truly move the needle. 

So how can you use the 80-20 rule to maximize your productivity? Identify the 20% that is driving the needle for you! Then do more of that and less of anything else.

For side hustles, you will often find that the 20% is related to gaining more business. In fact, this is true for most start-ups in general. The reason is that before you can have a perfect product or service… you need feedback! And the best way to get relevant feedback is from people who have used your product or service. 

While it seems counterintuitive, I would actually focus more on doing outreach and perfecting your “concept” of what you are selling. This is actually one of the key differences between entrepreneurship and freelancing. When you focus on selling, you will eventually have more business than you can fulfill yourself and will need to build a team.

3. Sign Up for Freelancing Platforms

Though it is possible to make money online without experience, you will still need a way to pay your bills. To help you make ends meet, you will likely need to spend some time doing one-off projects.

Beginner-friendly freelancing platforms are fantastic for helping you go from a side hustle to a full-time business. Some people you meet on freelancing platforms might become long-term clients for you! At the very least, it will help you build a portfolio and gain plenty of references.

You will also gain experience managing the expectations of your clients. This can be important because there are many moving parts in a business. Using a freelancing platform helps you focus less on obtaining new clients and more on fulfilling projects in an organized way.

4. Standardize Your Offerings

As you work on various projects, you will notice that there are certain vital things that people want time and time again. This is great because you can create a standardized offering that takes much guesswork about what kind of project you will be working on. 

You will also gain valuable business skills that are related to more specific aspects of your niche. This will help show your clients that you are an expert in this field, and they will trust your recommendations more.

An example of how standardizing your offerings helps you grow your side hustle into a full-time business:

When I first started side hustling, I would do freelance blog post writing. Over time I got better at this, and now I choose to sell blog content packages to my clients.

This is great because people usually pay me to write ten or more instead of writing one blog post. Another plus is that most people who want blog posts written will also need them promoted on social media. So I started to bundle this into my offerings too!

By paying attention to what people kept asking for, I created organized packages that would appeal to more than one client. This also made it easier for me to create a system to fulfill their orders faster.

5. Reflect and Improve

Every business goes through an ugly duckling phase. It is essential to focus on progress and not perfection when you are first starting your business. You do not want to face analysis paralysis that stops you from taking action.

With this in mind, create everything with the knowledge you will have to improve it at some point. Even things I thought I had done very well at the beginning of my business ultimately needed to be redone by year two.

This is because your brand identity might change, your products might change, or you get a better idea of your ideal client’s wants. In general, the business will most likely evolve from what you initially thought it was. You will also have more budget to hire professionals to help you with your logo, website, or social content.

Chances are you will not change everything in your business overnight. That is why it is important to reflect regularly and improve your various business processes.

How to Reflect and Improve to Grow Your Side Hustle into a Full-Time Business

I like to set a Focus for the month that change based on business needs. Of course, you will still have other tasks to focus on and accomplish aside from your focus task. That being said, setting the intention to knock out one big project can help prevent it from lingering in the background all year.

For example, for one month, I might focus on trying to knock out most of the social media content for the year and automating it. In another month, I plan on updating as much of the website as possible.

Keep laser-focused on the main projects that will actually help you move the needle when it comes to growth!

Final Thoughts

If you have side hustles and side projects running in the background, it can be quite easy to lose focus on what you’re actually trying to achieve. It becomes hard to tell where you want to go.

So, when you’re trying to decide whether to quit your job or stay and scale your business, I want to help you to see the bigger picture by following the tips above.

Why Guest Post With Us?

Guest posting allows you to gain access to our readers and serves as a way to promote your content. We do not charge for guest posting like many other blogs. We believe in the power of unique, valuable content and will not charge to promote it!

Disclosure: Fresh Life Advice is an opinion-based website. I am not a financial advisor, and the opinions on this site should not be considered financial advice.

Personal Capital: The Ultimate Tool to track your Net Worth, Budget and more.

What are your thoughts on solar panels and solar energy? Let me know in the comments below.

How Solar Panels Can Help the Environment and Your Wallet

How Solar Panels Can Help The Environment And Your Wallet

The world is slowly but surely transitioning to solar energy. Will you embrace and adapt with the change?

Welcome to the 4th FLA Guest Blog Post! Today, we explore how solar panels can help the environment and your wallet. Thank you to Chelsea from Business POP for sharing this helpful article.

Chelsea is an experienced Marketing and Advertising professional with a demonstrated history of working in the media industry. Chelsea is especially skilled in Digital Media advertising, Events, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Microsoft Suite, Data Analytics, Adobe products, and Marketing Strategy.

The digital age has unquestionably arrived. Incorporating new technologies into business procedures will be critical for owners who want to grow their businesses.

Business POP will show you how to grow your business through innovation. It is aimed at small and medium-sized business owners and will offer advice on what digital enhancements to consider and how such changes can help them grow.

There has been a lot of talk about how we can help the planet and reduce the risks of climate change, and it can be a daunting topic to think about. Luckily, there are many ways that every person can do their part to reduce energy dependence and create a cleaner environment. Installing solar panels is one of those solutions. By using this alternative form of energy, you can help the planet while saving money. The process is easy and straightforward. Here, the Fresh Life Advice blog highlights the many benefits of solar, discusses if it’s the right option for you, and offers some simple tips on getting started.

Help the Environment

When it comes to doing our part to help the environment, going solar in your home or workplace can make a big impact. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, solar panels produce clean energy that does not produce harmful air pollution or greenhouse gasses. This is especially important for large factories that use hundreds of panels instead of standard electricity, but on an individual residence, it can also make a positive impact.

Solar panels also reduce the wasteful resources necessary to create the electricity that powers our homes. Solar panels are a type of renewable energy source that can help reduce the use of fossil fuels and water. Massive amounts of fossil fuels and thousands of gallons of water are required to generate regular electricity. Meanwhile, solar panels rely on sunlight to generate electricity, and they can be used to power homes, businesses, and even automobiles.

In addition to being renewable, solar energy is also very efficient. Solar panels can produce up to 50 times more electricity than traditional fossil fuel-powered generators. And because they don’t rely on water to operate, solar panels can help reduce the strain on our water resources. In many parts of the world, solar panels are already playing a vital role in reducing the use of fossil fuels and water. As more people turn to solar energy, we can expect these benefits to increase.

As mentioned, the way to really make an impact on our environment is to band together to help, and with solar panels, you are essentially creating an advertisement out of your home. Neighbors will be inclined to ask about the benefits of having panels installed and they may decide to buy them as well, so you are doing your part to spread the message and the environment will be better because of it.

Cost Savings

While some people may be satisfied by just knowing that they are making a positive impact on the world, the cost savings associated with solar panels is the cherry on the cake. Electric bills can be one of the most costly utilities, especially during the hottest and coldest months. According to Move.org, the average electricity bill is over $110. Luckily, solar panels can reduce that cost.

According to 2021 estimates, solar panels can save the average homeowner about $1,500 per year in energy costs, depending on your location, the amount of sun on your roof, and how much electricity you use daily. Keep in mind that you may still get a monthly bill from the electric company to keep you on the grid in case of an emergency, but it will likely be minimal.

The cost for a solar panel can vary, and the average home needs about 16 panels, so you can expect to pay anywhere from $105 to $1,500 per panel. Bear in mind the cost of the panel is based on the number of watts per panel.

Solar Panel House
Image Source: Vivint Solar on Unsplash

If you are interested in installing panels, you can get a great start by looking into the Energy Efficient Mortgage Loan program, which helps families lower their utility bills when they implement energy efficiency into their homes, which includes solar panels. This is a great program for brand-new homes or existing properties as the cost of these improvements is incorporated into your mortgage and it translates to great savings.

You can also use Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to make your home 100% renewably powered, solar included. RECs are certificates that represent the environmental benefits of renewable energy generation. By selling RECs, solar panel owners can receive payments for the environmental benefits their solar panels provide. In addition, some utility companies offer rebates or other incentives for solar panel owners who sell RECs. As a result, taking advantage of RECs can be a great way to reduce the cost of solar panels and encourage more people to switch to renewable energy. And, of course, it’s a great way to contribute to the earth’s well-being as it reduces your greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint.

The Process

Keep in mind that your home may need to meet certain requirements in order to qualify for solar. For instance, your roof will need to be in good condition as the panels are heavy and need solid support. You’ll also need enough space as the average size of the collection of panels on a roof measures about 400 to 600 square feet. Finally, the best roofs are covered with standard shingles. Slate roofs tend to break, so consider that as well.

If all conditions are met, then the initial installation process is a snap and should only take a few hours. After the panels are installed, a representative from the power company will come out to inspect the system and provide a unique meter. You should see solar power generated for your home within a month from there.

Maintenance

Most solar panels come with a 20- to 25-year warranty, but that doesn’t mean they’ll last that long without proper maintenance. In order to keep your panels running at peak efficiency, it’s important to have them inspected regularly by a qualified technician. While you can do some basic cleaning and troubleshooting yourself, it’s best to leave the more technical aspects of panel maintenance to the professionals.

So, how do you go about getting your solar panels inspected by the power company? The first step is to contact your local utility company and ask if they offer this service. If not, there are a number of private companies that specialize in solar panel maintenance. Once you’ve found a company you’re comfortable with, schedule an appointment for them to come out and take a look at your panels. Be sure to give them a thorough cleaning before they arrive so they can get an accurate reading of your system’s performance. With a little bit of care and attention, your solar panels will continue to provide clean, renewable energy for years to come.

With most kinks worked out and the benefits and cost of installation now clear, this is the best time to invest in solar panels. Consider the tips and perks above and you’ll be on your way to clean energy.

Why Guest Post With Us?

Guest posting allows you to gain access to our readers and serves as a way to promote your content. We do not charge for guest posting like many other blogs. We believe in the power of unique, valuable content and will not charge to promote it!

Disclosure: Fresh Life Advice is an opinion-based website. I am not a financial advisor, and the opinions on this site should not be considered financial advice.

Personal Capital: The Ultimate Tool to track your Net Worth, Budget and more.

What are your thoughts on solar panels and solar energy? Let me know in the comments below.

Happy One Year Blog Anniversary Fresh Life Advice

Happy One Year Blog Anniversary Fresh Life Advice

Happy one year blog anniversary to Fresh Life Advice! One year ago, I opened the doors of FreshLifeAdvice.com to the world.

Of course, these doors are electronic and metaphorical.

As a teenager, I can remember using some super cool website called Myspace.com to learn about HTML coding and website building. Myspace was the first social network to reach a global audience, but we all know how the rest of that story ended…

Rest in peace to Myspace as we pour one out for Tom.

Soon, Mark Zuckerberg took over the social media sphere. With roughly 2.89 billion monthly active users as of the second quarter of 2021, Facebook is now the biggest social network worldwide. In the third quarter of 2012, the number of active Facebook users surpassed one billion, making it the first social network ever to do so.

The internet, social media, and technology, in general, are rapidly changing. I had always wanted to a piece of that pie. FLA was my chance of making a small contribution to the big world wide web.

How FreshLifeAdvice.com Was Born

After college, I wanted to fill my free time with a project that would be beneficial to the general public.

I was already writing anything and everything to escape from the daily struggle of the corporate world. Lengthy emails to friends and colleagues, forum posts about stocks, and even personal journal entries.

Why not start a blog?

FLA was born with the mission in mind to help 10 million people with their own path to financial freedom. It sounds crazy, but every life-changing invention also sounded crazy before it revolutionized its respective industry.

As of January 2021, there were 4.66 billion active internet users worldwide – 59.5 percent of the global population. Of this total, 92.6 percent (4.32 billion) accessed the internet via mobile devices. Six in every ten people around the globe now use the internet…

Sure, the internet had plenty of personal finance blogs, but they all had a similar theme. Older retired bloggers who already had a large nest egg just didn’t seem relatable to the younger crowd about to embark on an arduous start to their careers. To be fair, they did inspire me to envision a prosperous future.

The millennial generation is who I wanted to reach, because, well…I’m a part of that crowd.

The mid-20s person sits at a fork in the road. It’s the age when the world presents a choice: head down a path of continuous stress and financial woes, or set yourself up for a lifetime of money mastery.

My net worth steadily grew after the Post-2008 financial crisis. Having this credibility might help people take my advice seriously, so I purchased the domain FreshLifeAdvice.com through Bluehost for any aspiring website owners.

The goal was to put a fresh perspective on personal finance. Hence, Fresh Life Advice was born.

The Great Blogging Experiment – One Year Later

I then spent the next six months nervously designing the site. Hey, I had some good-looking shoes to fill!

Of course, the design wasn’t actually the 6-month hang-up. Truthfully, I was terrified of going live.

What if nobody likes my writing? What if nobody cares what I say? And what if the only visitors are me and my mom, again?

Publishing all your thoughts and opinions for the world to see is scary enough. Baring all on a subject as taboo as money is even scarier.

Against my better judgment, on September 01, 2020, the blog you’re reading right now went live. This was the post.

When I published that first article, I made myself a promise: I was going to make it to FLA’s 1st blog anniversary, no matter what, before I could give up.

I knew I enjoyed writing, but the internet is a big place. And I was just one voice in the chatter. Maybe after one year, I’d be able to tell if anyone cared.

Well, here we are. One year later. I’m happy to report that the site has been a raging success, and I have zero intentions to shut it down.

This blogging experiment has truly been one of the most rewarding projects I’ve ever involved myself in. Every time I receive a personal reader email, an inspiring article comment, or an enthusiastic Facebook share, I can’t help but get excited and marvel at the wonders of the internet.

So, I want to say THANK YOU! At the risk of sounding extremely cliché, you – the reader – are what makes this site what it is.

I’m just a guy typing some nonsense on a keyboard. You’re the one who keeps this site alive.

One Year of FreshLifeAdvice.com Blog Anniversary Statistics

299 Page views in the blog’s first month.

150 About how many of those page views came from me.

100 Page views the first day I thought an article went viral. I remember my heart pounding as I watched the page stats, refreshing them repeatedly.

697 The most page views in a single month.

8 Total email subscribers after the first 4 months.

52 Email subscribers today. (You are on the cool kids’ email list, right?)

25 Total articles published in the past year.

2,217 Average Words Per Post

Happy One Year Blog Anniversary Fresh Life Advice Annual Stats

Happy One Year Blog Anniversary Fresh Life Advice Annual Stats Breakdown

470,000 Total number of words in the Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged, together with its 1993 Addenda Section.

52,070 Total number of words written by FLA. That’s 11% of the entire English Dictionary!

82 International countries reached out the of possible total 195 countries. That’s 42% of the world!

Happy One Year Blog Anniversary Fresh Life Advice International Reach

‘Mr. Worldwide’ refers to the self-ascribed nickname of American rapper and music producer Pitbull. Soon, FLA will self-ascribe a similar nickname of ‘Mr. Personal Finance Worldwide’.

Happy One Year Blog Anniversary Fresh Life Advice Author Comments

These top 5 blogger commenters certainly deserve a shout-out. They’ve supported this site from the beginning. I enjoy reading and commenting on as many personal finance blogs as I can.

Happy One Year Blog Anniversary Fresh Life Advice Most Popular Time

The Most Popular Day is Friday, accounting for 21% of views. And the Most Popular Time is 3:00 PM, accounting for 9% of views.

There must be something about Fresh Life Advice that really gets people excited about their weekends.

99,999,999 About how many questions I get about my Side Income Reports.

It’s been quite the ride, and I still can’t quite believe how far we’ve come.

And finally, let’s hand out some year one article awards:

Article Awards

This is like the Grammys or the Oscars, but for a blog anniversary.

Most Viewed Post:

How Your DISC Personality Affects Your Spending Habits

The stats don’t lie. Every single human falls into one or more of the DISC personality traits so it was no surprise this appeal to many different audiences. It was FLA’s way of putting a fresh twist on personality tests and spending habits.

Conveniently, this post checks both boxes of fun and helpful.

Least Viewed Post:

Why Start A Blog | The Most Important 3 Reasons

Either there aren’t very many readers, or this post was a total flop.

Don’t answer! That was a rhetorical question.

Seriously, this was the first post on the site as well as one of the shortest articles to date. No surprise here.

I have no regrets writing it because it got the ball rolling for the rest of the blog. It also serves as a constant reminder of my purpose for blogging.

Most Shared Post on Social Media:

What Is Going On With GameStop Stock? | Explained

The meme stock mania was very topical, and this post was published during the midst of the hedge funds losing billions of dollars due to a short squeeze.

Most Controversial Article:

Why Don’t The Rich Invest In Index Funds?

The rich are always a topic of controversy. People like to point to inheritance, but this post explores more so how the wealthy invest their money.

Longest Post:

Weighing in at a whopping 3,394 words:

Stocks | How To Know Which To Buy And When To Invest? [Investing Strategy 101]

Shortest Post:

Fighting in the lightweight division, at only 487 words:

5 Scary Halloween Spending Facts That May Spook You

The Most Fun Post To Write:

Ideal Day of Retirement

I’m working towards F.I.R.E. just like most personal finance connoisseurs. This post lays out a rough daily plan for early retirement. See you there!

Most Profitable Side Income Reports:

December Side Income Report | 2020 – $544.01

March Side Income Report | 2021 – $443.70

August Side Income Report | 2020 – $437.97

Some Of My Random Favorite Posts:

I really enjoyed writing these ones, and I was happy with the way they turned out. But the stats say most of these weren’t read as much as the others, so here’s to giving them a second chance!

5 Foolproof Steps for Early Retirement – These are some of the most critical practices I implement in my own life to achieve F.I.R.E. as quickly as I can.

How Much Did I Spend on Amazon Shopping in 2020? – It was eye-opening to see the annual expenses I’ve spent on the e-commerce tech giant, Amazon.

Top 10 Best Money Blogs To Improve Your Personal Finance Knowledge ­– I spend a lot of time learning to provide readers with the best information possible. Credit is due to the pioneers of the personal finance blogosphere.

Happy Blog Anniversary (Blog-iversary) Everyone!

It’s been an awesome ride so far. Here’s to many more years together!

Thank you to every single person who has read FLA and supported this site! Happy Blog Anniversary Fresh Life Advice!

Disclosure: Fresh Life Advice is an opinion-based website. I am not a financial advisor, and the opinions on this site should not be considered financial advice.

Personal Capital: The Ultimate Tool to track your Net Worth, Budget and more.

Any advice for Year 2? What are your favorite things about a blog? Let me know in the comments below.