Autor/-in: James Watermann

I want the world to be a better place. Where people can speak up without fear of losing their jobs, have enough capital to start their own independent businesses, and focus on their dreams instead of working on someone else's dream. For years I have been tracking my income and expenses, planning monthly budgets, and setting up savings goals without a clear goal. I simply wanted to have some savings available for emergencies. Around 2015 I have met a traveler who told me that she has been saving money for years with a clear vision of leaving their job and travelling the world. And I thought to myself: "It would be nice to take a break like that. To feel free for a while. " And because I now have this freedom, I decided to write my book and share how I did it with others. One day, I walked out of a meeting room after yet another useless meeting, sat down at my desk, typed my resignation, and took it straight to my boss. I was done. Thanks to my savings, I have been able to quit my job and walk away without any plan. All I wanted to do was relax, stop taking orders, and wake up when I feel like it. This is a privilege, but a hard-earned one. Few weeks into my 'vacation', I started writing what I thought would be a simple blog post. When I was done, it was 25 pages long. Well, how about I make it into a short booklet. I thought it would take a few days to write and publish. However, with every iteration, I felt that more questions need to be answered to keep it informative and easy to understand. I took it slow and dedicated one day a week to it. No rush. The process of writing and publishing The Beginner's Guide to Personal Finances took almost two years.