Triangle of Freedom: What Is It and How Do You Make it Happen for You

The Triangle of Freedom.

It’s the backbone of what we teach and what we believe here at Location Indie.

It’s at the heart of what we do.

So what exactly is the Triangle of Freedom?

And how can you achieve this?

Let’s dive in.

You can achieve the Triangle of Freedom. It just take commitment!

The 3 sides of the Triangle of Freedom

I’m pretty sure this isn’t rocket science, but it’s called the Triangle of Freedom because there are 3 sides — 3 pillars — to this philosophy.

So no rectangles or octagons.

We like to keep it simple.

Each side of the triangle is important.

But you may find that one side — or one aspect of the triangle of freedom — is more important to you than the others.

Or maybe that one side is more significant to you at a certain time in your life.

So let’s talk about these 3 pillars.

Maybe you want to travel. So location freedom may be most important to you.

Location Freedom

The first side to the Triangle of Freedom is Location Freedom.

You know, that whole “I can work from anywhere” thing.

Maybe you want to travel and work from a café in Budapest or a beach bar in Puerto Vallarta.

This draws so many of us to this lifestyle — that dream of traveling to far-off places and opening up our laptops and working — and then getting paid for that work.

And we here at Location Indie were talking about remote work and location freedom long before the pandemic happened and everyone started working remotely.

We like to think we are a couple of steps ahead of the rest of the world.

Location freedom is important for those of us who have itchy feet — who love to travel.

When Trav first started Location Indie with Jason Moore, this was the side of the triangle of freedom that was most important to him.

He wanted to travel when he wanted and work from anywhere in the world, without having to ask permission from anyone.

Of course, location freedom doesn’t have to mean working from a far-flung or exotic destination.

Maybe you just want to be able to NOT go into an office and be able to work from your home or your favorite cafe.

Location freedom means different things to different people—from traveling to distant lands to exploring destinations in your home country to working from your couch instead of an office cubicle.

It’s all about WHERE you work.

And that the decision of where you work is yours to make — not someone else’s.

Maybe you want to work from a cafe in Budapest…

Or maybe you want to work from your couch.

Time Freedom

The next side of the triangle is Time Freedom.

Time freedom to us here at Location Indie means no 9 to 5 or 8 to 6 or whatever those ‘normal’ working hours are.

This pillar is all about working WHEN you want.

Are you an early bird, waking up at 5 a.m. and ready to take on the world by 6 a.m.—after that first cup of coffee or that morning workout?

Or perhaps you’re one of those night owls who gets inspiration at 9 p.m. and you stay up well past midnight working on a project?

You can do that. It’s all about your individual character.

Me?

I love Time Freedom because it enables me to get outside for a walk or run when I want — and when the weather allows.

I take morning runs in the heat of summer and midday walks in the cold of winter.

And I tailor my work schedule around my outdoor workouts.

Time Freedom means if you want to stop working at 3 p.m. so you can go pick up your kids at school, you can.

Time Freedom means if you want to start your day at 1 p.m. so you can peruse a museum in Paris in the morning, you can.

This side of the Triangle of Freedom, like Location Freedom, will mean different things to different people.

The main takeaway is that you don’t have to work traditional hours.

Maybe you want to have more time to spend with your family…

Or maybe you want more time to explore the world!

Financial Freedom

The final side of the triangle is Financial Freedom.

This side may also be the trickiest one to figure out.

Notice I didn’t say it was difficult to achieve.

But when it comes to Financial Freedom, only you know what that means.

What is that number that allows you to create the life you want?

How much would you have to make to have your version of ‘financial freedom’?

I feel like the financial side of the triangle keeps many people from beginning the pursuit of the Location Indie lifestyle.

We are afraid of not making enough money to replace that 9-5 job. It’s too high a risk.

So here are 2 things I want to point out that are key to this side of the triangle.

One is the question I asked above—what is your number?

That amount you need to earn so you feel comfortable?

Perhaps it’s replacing your income from your 9-5.

Maybe it’s a little less or a bit more.

Know that number.

This may mean you have to take a good, long look at your financial situation, which can be uncomfortable for many of us.

However, it’s important to know how much you want to earn—at least that minimum amount so you can live the life you want.

The second point I want to make is when you pursue that Triangle of Freedom, you can make as little or as much as you want.

Here’s something that not everyone considers: When you work for a company or organization, your pay is based on your position.

And that position most likely has a pay range assigned to it.

So you are stuck making that amount of money.

But when you work for yourself—whether as an entrepreneur or a freelancer—there is no set range.

You can earn as much or as little as you want and need.

There are no limits. You have the potential to increase your earnings far beyond their current amount.

And this is one of the best features of the Triangle of Freedom—that limitless potential on how much earn so you can get to Financial Freedom.

This is an incredibly overlooked piece of the puzzle.

You’ll have to do some math to figure out your ‘number’. But it’s very important to know this so you can set yourself up for success!

And when you reach that financial freedom, you’ll be doing cartwheels!

Putting them all together

When you put all the sides together—location, time and financial—you get this awesome lifestyle.

Are they equal?

Maybe.

This really depends on you and your personal priorities.

You may find you value one pillar more than the others.

In fact, you’ll probably find that one side of the triangle is more important to you at a certain time in your life.

For instance, when Trav first started down his entrepreneurial journey, Location Freedom meant the most to him.

When he became a father, Time Freedom became the significant part of the triangle, as he wanted to be there for his kids.

We all go through phases or seasons throughout life (we’ll talk about this in an upcoming post).

And often we find that one or 2 of the pillars become more meaningful at different times of our lives, so we’ll pursue them in order of importance.

This is to be expected.

And it’s ok.

Triangle of Freedom — Time, Location and Financial.

How do you achieve the Triangle of Freedom?

So how do you achieve this seemingly lofty goal?

There is no magic formula or easy way, and you likely won’t achieve all three simultaneously. You’ll build one on top of another.

It takes hard work.

It takes dedication.

And it takes time.

If you are in a 9-5, the easiest way is to start something on the side — a side hustle.

Your side hustle may then grow into something that can earn you enough money to quit your 9-5.

This won’t happen overnight. It might not even happen in a year.

You’ll have to set aside what we call non-negotiable time to work on that side hustle.

You’ll need to consistently show up and put the work in, and sometimes you’ll give it your all.

Getting to this dream life takes time, consistency, dedication and, yes, a certain amount of sacrifice.

But if you want it badly enough, you’ll make it happen.

And trust me, it will all be worth it.

Do you want some ideas and inspiration for starting a side hustle? Click HERE to download our FREE Side Hustle Success Guide.