Hello, Party People! My name is Eric Piccione, and I am documenting my journey to financial freedom. This is an update being one year into the journey. On this journey I share my experiences, tips, and realizations in the most raw and authentic way possible. I tried to keep this article short and sweet while also hitting all the points that have provided a ton of value to me in my personal journey.
Confidence and Persistence
The world follows confident people. If you believe in yourself and your mission, a portion of the world will follow you because you are clearly defined in your path. Once you have a definite purpose, the world will reward you. I’m not a genuinely confident person, but I’ve got to get myself in good opportunities somehow. Persistence is an area that I’ve really honed in on, and you will create opportunities by simply being persistent.
Prioritize and execute
After doing 20 different things to earn money a little over a year ago, I have since cut out 90% of the time wasters, and am prioritizing the biggest pillars that can benefit my family. As a result, we have seen a 10x jump in income. This is because we now have more mental energy on the things that actully matter versus things that feel good but don’t get us anywhere.
While I used to be a big fan of doing everything, that is fine in the beginning of your journey. Eventually, you’ll have enough data to work with and can start doubling down on what have proven to work for you. This have been the winning formula for me so far and I am looking forward to how this will play out another year from now.
The Power of Problem-Solving
One of the key lessons I’ve learned is the power of problem-solving. In my sales role, I’ve realized that the more problems I can solve, the more impact I can make, and the more I’ll be rewarded. Whether it’s in sales or with my online business, being a problem solver can lead to significant rewards.
Taking Control of Your Time
One of my biggest realizations in the journey to financial freedom is taking control of your time. It’s about prioritizing tasks and making sure that what you’re doing aligns with your long-term goals. For example, I was with a company last year where I was the top performer in a sales role. However, I was underpaid, mistreated, and was limited in my growth. While traditional thinking is to “stick it out, grind through it, you’ll be stronger because of it.” A better opportunity came around the corner that meant I could earn more for less time.
Since making the transition, I am more happy, earn more and am treated better in my role. It is something that I take to heart now. More in the sense of finding things that are a drain on your time. This doesn’t always apply to just work, this goes for lawn care, cooking, exercise, etc. I look at things now as, “what brings me more fulfillment, happiness, or long term growth?”
I then try to find ways to do more of that and ideally outsource the task that takes up my time. For example, I would rather hire a lawn crew for $200-$300/m which then frees up 2 hours of my time to run sales calls.
Budgeting and Spending Money Guilt-Free
When it comes to budgeting, we have a system in place that allows us to spend money guilt-free on the things that we want to do, which is travel. We put away a certain amount of money every month for our “adventure fund.” This fund is used for trips and travel. By setting aside money specifically for this purpose, we can enjoy our trips without any financial stress. This system mimics a hybrid of Ramit sethi and the Latte Factor by David Bach. That way every dollar has to be accounted for.
Here’s a video for more clarity:
The Importance of Taking Risks
One of the most significant realizations I’ve had on this journey is the power of putting yourself out there. The more risks you take, the more opportunities you open up for yourself. This realization has forever changed my life and the way I approach my goals.
Changing Your Environment
A little over a year ago, while on an international trip, I realized that our limits are often defined by our environment. At the time, I was living in Texas, where the weather is extremely hot. I wanted a better environment for my wife and daughter, so I decided to move to Cincinnati, Ohio. This decision has been one of the best I’ve ever made. The weather is amazing, it’s cost-effective, and it’s exactly what we wanted. I highly recommend changing your environment even temporarily to achieve new breakthroughs.
This could be a pattern interrupt. For example, If you’re struggling to solve a problem that you’ve been facing, prayer, journaling, meditation, exercise, reading, podcasts, going on a walk are all ways to get out and view your situation from a different view. Those are all methods that you can try to see your situation differently and keep moving forward.
The Power of Asking for what you want
One of the key lessons I’ve learned over the past few months on the journey to financial freedom is the power of asking. I secured a location for my vending business by simply cold calling. The opportunities are out there, not just in vending, but in general. All you have to do is ask. The more I’ve seen this play out the more I stand by this statement. I’ve seen so many success stories over the years and consistent patterns from people that just ask.
Conclusion
Find that North Star for you and whatever you can’t stop thinking about. In the beginning, you’ll need to work somewhere you may not like, use that income to slowly fund your passion. Over time, the more time you give yourself to fuel your passion, the more likely it is to become your full time lifestyle.
For me, I never want to stop posting blogs or youtube videos on this journey to financial freedom. I know with 1,000% certainty that this will become a full time endeavor. And I know it will work because I love it enough to stick with it. Historically, if you love something enough and you keep moving forward, you will win. You cannot fail if you do not quit and this is something that I will not stop doing. It’s not in my nature to stop doing something I love.
So whatever it is for you, keep doing it, and
Just.
Don’t.
Stop.
Try to find someone that you want to be like and emulate. From there add your own twist to match your character and make your own footprint. You never know what could come out of it. A lot of the opportunities that have come our way in the past year have been because we’ve just asked.
The journey to financial freedom is a process of continuous learning and adaptation. It’s about taking control of your time, making strategic decisions, and aligning your actions with your long-term goals. Stay tuned for more updates on my journey and remember, you’re awesome. Peace.
