A key part of financial independence is the ability to make your own decisions about your money. But what decisions are these exactly? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay To answer, ask yourself these questions: What do I most want to accomplish? Experience? See? Learn? What do I need to feel fulfilled? What do I value most in my life? What do I want to protect? What can I least afford to lose? What am I most afraid of losing? What needs to happen for me to find peace of mind? The answers to these questions determine what decisions you need to make. Think of it like taking a trip. Before you go anywhere, you first need to decide on a destination. That destination will in turn determine which roads you take, what supplies you'll need, and how long it will take to get there. So, essentially, the first step towards financial independence is choosing your life destination. Choosing a destination can be a surprisingly daunting task. But it can also be a lot of fun! Take, for example, the story of John Goddard. If you've ever read the book Chicken Soup for the Soul, you may be familiar with Goddard's name (his story was included in the book). But in case you don't know who he is, prepare to be amazed. He was the first man in history to explore the entire length of the Nile. Still thirsty for more, he was also the first man to explore the length of the Congo. He climbed the Matterhorn, lived among the native tribes of Brazil, Borneo, and New Guinea (among others), and somehow found time to learn to fence, fly a jet, and play the violin. How did he manage to do all these things? things? It all started like this. One rainy afternoon, when she was 15, she sat at the kitchen table and wrote three words: "My life list." His list consisted of 127 goals: climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Fuji and Mount Vesuvius. Visit every country in the world. (He got to all but 30.) Photographs Victoria Falls in Rhodesia (where he was chased by a warthog). Dive underwater to explore the Great Barrier Reef. Visit everywhere from the Great Wall of China to the Taj Mahal, and 119 other goals in between. Goddard died in 2013 at age 88, but not before completing 111 goals on his awesome list. Remember: This is just a sampling . Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay It goes without saying that Goddard is an inspiration, but I think he is also a great example. While not all of us can “study native medicines,” like he did, or even want to, we can all sit down and decide what we really want in life. This is especially important when planning for retirement. With a little imagination and planning, retirement can be whatever you want it to be. Works Cited Bach, D. (2016). Smart Women End Up Rich: 9 Steps to Financial Security and Funding Your Dreams. Random House.Robbins, T. (2017). Unshakeable: Your Financial Freedom Manual. Simon & Schuster.Orman, S. (2009). The money book for the young, fabulous and broke. Riverhead Books.Vanderkam, L. (2014). What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast: And Two More Quick Guides to Getting More Done at Work and Home. Portfolio.Ramsey, D. (2017). The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Wellbeing. Thomas Nelson.Bach, D. (2010). Start Late, Finish Rich: A Foolproof Plan to Achieve Financial Freedom at Any Age. Broadway Books. Thakor, M., & Kedar, S. (2014). Get naked.