Podcast details

ChooseFI

ChooseFI

How would your life change if you reached Financial Independence and got to the point where working is optional? What actions can you take today to make that not just possible but probable. Jonathan & Brad explore the tactics that the FI community uses to reclaim decades of their lives. They discuss reducing expenses, crushing debt, tax optimization, building passive income streams through online businesses and real estate and how to travel the world for free. Every episode is packed with actionable tips and no topic is too big or small as long as it speeds up the process of reaching...

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Books Mentioned in This Podcast

Dopamine Nation

Dopamine Nation

by Dr. Anna Lembke

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Sure, I mean I think that "Dopamine Nation" by Anna Lembke would be a great resource to look into.

Episode: Buy What You Love Without Going Broke | Frugal Friends | Ep 527

Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits

by James Clear

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I know James Clear talks about that significantly in Atomic Habits. It’s about making it easy. The more barriers you can cut, whether you have a home gym—no matter how simple or complex it is—it’s right there and easy.

Episode: How Kyle and Jamie Got Back to Basics and Found Balance on the Path to FI

The Artist's Way

The Artist's Way

by Julia Cameron

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You also mentioned 'The Artist's Way' as a helpful book for you.

Episode: 512 | Getting Personal with Personal Finance | Ginger & Anne

The Comfort Crisis

The Comfort Crisis

by Michael Easter

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And there's a brilliant book by a man named Michael Easter called The Comfort Crisis, and he actually talks about a Japanese concept called the misogi.

Episode: 511 | Take the Next Step | Ginger Roundup

The Tipping Point

The Tipping Point

by Malcolm Gladwell

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I think back to Malcolm Gladwell's 'The Tipping Point' and how he discussed a certain type of clothing, though I'm struggling to recall the exact item.

Episode: 508 | 5% SWR, Revealed Preferences, and the 3 Stories | Frank Vasquez

Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits

by James Clear

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For books, one of the first ones I read this year was 'Atomic Habits,' which is high on my list, and I'm also nearly finished with the ChooseFI book, which is equally impressive, obviously.

Episode: Visualizing Your Domino Effect | Devon

The Comfort Crisis

The Comfort Crisis

by Michael Easter

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And if folks are sort of intrigued by this, Michael Easter wrote a book that came out probably a year ago—a New York Times bestseller—called The Comfort Crisis.

Episode: The 6 Pillars of Health | Dr. Bobby Dubois

The 4-Hour Body

The 4-Hour Body

by Timothy Ferriss

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It turns out I was right with everybody else, but one thing was I had read the 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris, and I actually had read the 4-Hour Body first because I was obsessed with fitness. I thought okay, if he's gamifying this, how else is he gamifying things?

Episode: The Lazy Landlord | James Lowery

Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits

by James Clear

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Yeah, I definitely want to get into it more; I keep thinking of the Atomic Habits thing, where it seems daunting or the time commitment is such that it just hasn't been part of my system right now.

Episode: The Ultimate Random Show | Ginger

The 4-Hour Work Week

The 4-Hour Work Week

by Timothy Ferriss

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It kind of buried the lead on, 'Hey guys, this is more of a Tim Ferriss for our workweek kind of story.'

Episode: 482 | Update: Are Remote Tech Careers Still Relevant in 2024? | Bradley Rice

Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits

by James Clear

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This is Ashley from Oklahoma, and I wanted to start with my favorite book. I am reading Atomic Habits by James Clear for the third time, and I absolutely love this book!

Episode: 477 | The Hot Seat: Community Edition

Why We Sleep

Why We Sleep

by Matthew Walker

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Did you read the Sleep Book, or have you guys talked about that on the podcast—the, 'Why We Sleep?' Oh, by Matthew Walker?

Episode: 477 | The Hot Seat: Community Edition

The Psychology of Money

The Psychology of Money

by Morgan Housel

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I recommend books like "The Simple Path to Wealth," "Psychology of Money," "Die With Zero," and many more.

Episode: 463 | Superpower of Frugality | Frugal Friends

Essentialism

Essentialism

by Greg McKeown

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I love Essentialism by Greg McKeown. It's like a yearly read for me, right?

Episode: 449 | Rubber Ducks and Systems for Land Investing

Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits

by James Clear

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If you take another example, James Clear wrote 'Atomic Habits' in 2021; he sold the most copies of any book on Amazon for the entire year, beating out Good Night Moon and Michelle Obama—whoever, right?

Episode: 455 | Creating Your Entrepreneurial Flywheel | Nathan Barry

Four Thousand Weeks

Four Thousand Weeks

by Oliver Burkeman

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It reminds me that I read the book 4,000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman, which is so good! It’s fantastic.

Episode: 452 | This is Not a Dress Rehearsal | August Roundup with Katie

Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits

by James Clear

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That’s not the ideal for everyone, but I think it goes back to what James Clear said in Atomic Habits about the importance of accountability and strategies!

Episode: 443 | The Invisible Nature of Spending | Ginger Roundup

Outlive

Outlive

by Peter Attia, MD

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And yeah, I mean other things, like I mentioned that DNS doctor—so Dr. Peter Attia, who is now like world-famous and he put out a book called 'Outlive,' and he has a podcast called 'The Drive.'

Episode: 441 | The Valuist Returns | FI Roundup with Bo Loy

Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits

by James Clear

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I'm thinking about James Clear and his book Atomic Habits and how, okay, it might even be those first couple days just literally lacing up your shoes and walking out of the house for a couple of the nearest houses—literally walk 100 yards and come back—it sounds ridiculous when you hear it that you're like purposefully limiting it, but the actual importance at the beginning is building the habit that I'm the type of person that goes outside and walks every day.

Episode: 433 | Outside 365

Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits

by James Clear

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Then James Clear's 'Atomic Habits' was really key as far as just like getting into the habit of doing it every day, and I'd recommend both of those books. I'd say both of those were really good in getting me to actually have the routine I needed to make progress.

Episode: 431 | Evolution of FI | Mad Fientist

David and Goliath

David and Goliath

by Malcolm Gladwell

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I totally agree. That was from 'David and Goliath' by Malcolm Gladwell.

Episode: 425 | Turning the Tables on Brad

The Body Keeps the Score

The Body Keeps the Score

by Bessel A. Van der Kolk

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I'm glad you referenced some of those books; one such book is called 'The Body Keeps the Score.'

Episode: 424 | The Power of FI | Deanna

Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits

by James Clear

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The things that, you know, I know you guys had James Clear on the podcast—their book 'Atomic Habits' is fantastic, and he has a couple of tips: start small and build from there.

Episode: 420 | Mindful FIRE | Adam Coelho

Man's Search for Meaning

Man's Search for Meaning

by Viktor E. Frankl

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This is where I'm rereading Victor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, for like the 12th time or something silly like that. If you don't know, Man's Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl was a Holocaust survivor; he spent three years in concentration camps.

Episode: 419 | Your Bold Move for 2023 | Dominick Quartuccio

Four Thousand Weeks

Four Thousand Weeks

by Oliver Burkeman

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It was just the coolest thing ever and one of her ideas was to start a book club focused on '4,000 Weeks'.

Episode: 415 | Four Thousand Weeks | ChooseFI Book Club

Four Thousand Weeks

Four Thousand Weeks

by Oliver Burkeman

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That's interesting; it's funny because I suspect this actually ties into Berkman's book here that we're discussing, '4,000 Weeks'.

Episode: 415 | Four Thousand Weeks | ChooseFI Book Club

Four Thousand Weeks

Four Thousand Weeks

by Oliver Burkeman

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It’s a trap we fall into, and it makes me think about the book's title '4,000 Weeks'—when you roughly calculate an 80-year life, multiplied by 52 weeks a year, you get just a little more than 4,000 weeks.

Episode: 415 | Four Thousand Weeks | ChooseFI Book Club

Four Thousand Weeks

Four Thousand Weeks

by Oliver Burkeman

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Berkman had a quote early in the book that said, 'The world is bursting with wonder, and yet it’s the rare productivity guru who seems to have considered the possibility that the ultimate point of all our frenetic doing might be to experience more of that wonder.'

Episode: 415 | Four Thousand Weeks | ChooseFI Book Club

Four Thousand Weeks

Four Thousand Weeks

by Oliver Burkeman

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We do—we talk about these life hacks, and it’s funny because then the next note I have here is that Berkman hates life hacks.

Episode: 415 | Four Thousand Weeks | ChooseFI Book Club

Four Thousand Weeks

Four Thousand Weeks

by Oliver Burkeman

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I loved this book and I recommend it to everyone, so thanks for choosing it for the Choose FI Book Club. I found especially helpful Oliver Berkman’s advice to choose something to neglect on purpose.

Episode: 415 | Four Thousand Weeks | ChooseFI Book Club

Four Thousand Weeks

Four Thousand Weeks

by Oliver Burkeman

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It dawned on me while reading Berkman’s book that even though I long ago outgrew my childhood ideal that I would someday do that, I was still trying to get as close as possible.

Episode: 415 | Four Thousand Weeks | ChooseFI Book Club

Four Thousand Weeks

Four Thousand Weeks

by Oliver Burkeman

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This is Shelly from Port Townsend, Washington. I found that 4,000 Weeks was one of the most impactful books I’ve read this year.

Episode: 415 | Four Thousand Weeks | ChooseFI Book Club

Four Thousand Weeks

Four Thousand Weeks

by Oliver Burkeman

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Berkman said, 'As with money, it’s good to have plenty of time, all else being equal, but having all the time in the world isn’t much use if you’re forced to experience it all on your own.'

Episode: 415 | Four Thousand Weeks | ChooseFI Book Club

Four Thousand Weeks

Four Thousand Weeks

by Oliver Burkeman

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He talked about the same section in the book where Brooklyn describes how having too much time of your own can be overwhelming.

Episode: 415 | Four Thousand Weeks | ChooseFI Book Club

Four Thousand Weeks

Four Thousand Weeks

by Oliver Burkeman

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Berkman discusses this a few ways, stating that in a world geared for hurry, the capacity to resist the urge to hurry and allow things to take the time they need is a way to make an impact on the world.

Episode: 415 | Four Thousand Weeks | ChooseFI Book Club

Four Thousand Weeks

Four Thousand Weeks

by Oliver Burkeman

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In your example, Berkman mentions Rod Stewart building model trains, which I found interesting; he said he's not great at it, but he's been doing it for decades, and it has become a craft for him.

Episode: 415 | Four Thousand Weeks | ChooseFI Book Club

Four Thousand Weeks

Four Thousand Weeks

by Oliver Burkeman

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Speaking of perspectives, let's hear from a voicemail we received from Gail, who did not appreciate this book.

Episode: 415 | Four Thousand Weeks | ChooseFI Book Club

Four Thousand Weeks

Four Thousand Weeks

by Oliver Burkeman

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He says, "I just finished reading 4,000 weeks, and to say it was transformational for me is an understatement."

Episode: 415 | Four Thousand Weeks | ChooseFI Book Club

The 4-Hour Work Week

The 4-Hour Work Week

by Timothy Ferriss

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And then I think we have to be able to set up systems so that we, Tim Ferriss the heck out of things and work our four-day work week.

Episode: 410 | Short-Term Rentals on the Path to FI | Kelly Cronin

The 4-Hour Work Week

The 4-Hour Work Week

by Timothy Ferriss

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Speaking of your wood storage racks, you mentioned Tim Ferriss and his drop shipping model in 'The 4-Hour Workweek.'

Episode: 400 | Zach & Marilyn | Households of FI Update

Man's Search for Meaning

Man's Search for Meaning

by Viktor E. Frankl

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Victor Frankl's 'Man's Search for Meaning' is a book that I read every few years, and it’s just such a deeper part of the world. When we're talking about Choose FI and personal finance, to me, it's like the crux of things: you don’t really want to retire early; part of it is about deeper meaning, happiness, and fulfillment.

Episode: 396 | The Valuist | Bo Loy

Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits

by James Clear

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The editor on our book is the same editor that James Clear has for a book called Atomic Habits.

Episode: 370 | Timeline Your Goals | Stacked with Joe Saul-Sehy

Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits

by James Clear

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And we heard James Clear talk about this on our podcast and in his book, Atomic Habits.

Episode: 366 | Day 0 Self

The 4-Hour Work Week

The 4-Hour Work Week

by Timothy Ferriss

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Brad, both of us were likely inspired heavily by Tim Ferriss's 'The 4-Hour Workweek,' and the entrepreneurial community has largely been inspired by that idea. However, most people would say that it's unrealistic for 99% of them, and that's not the essence of it.

Episode: 354 | Navigating the Possible Vs Probable of Personal Finance

Why We Sleep

Why We Sleep

by Matthew Walker

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I try without being fanatical to figure out ways to help myself along, and one of the people I've leaned on is a doctor named Matthew Walker who wrote a book called 'Why We Sleep.' I've heard him on a bunch of different podcasts.

Episode: 348 | The Rules of the Game

The Psychology of Money

The Psychology of Money

by Morgan Housel

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For me, I read that book kind of concurrently, slash overlapping, with 'The Psychology of Money' by Morgan Housel, and those are two of the best money-related books I've read in a while. Among many quotes that I wrote down, this one stuck out to me.

Episode: 344 | Risk Avoidance and Deworsification

Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits

by James Clear

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The more you practice, you know, if you go back to James Clear, you don't start by running the marathon, you start by putting on your shoes.

Episode: 337 | Ordinary Sherpa

The 4-Hour Work Week

The 4-Hour Work Week

by Timothy Ferriss

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I read about it for the first time in The 4-Hour Workweek, probably ten years ago, with Tim Ferriss, and he talked about setting up these little times off and dreamlining.

Episode: 333 | Unlocking Your First Mini-Retirement

The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine

The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine

by Michael M. Lewis

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As we were looking at what’s going on in the housing market, I thought about how it’s wonderful, the book's great, and the movie's great as well. A lot of people, when we started this episode, were talking about comparisons, and you pushed back on that.

Episode: 330 | Is there a Housing Market Bubble?