Frame of Mind = Freedom, Part II

After posting my blog earlier today, I ended up in an interesting conversation with a long-time friend from medical school. She asked me how I had achieved financial freedom as a pediatrician. If you haven’t read part I yet, go back and read it now!

That question made me pause. Because the truth is—I haven’t achieved financial freedom, at least not in the way most people define it.

When most people think of financial freedom, they imagine never having to work again, living off savings and investments for the rest of their lives. But for me, the definition looks a little different. Financial freedom means the ability to choose my path.

I can choose to work full-time as a physician and earn a certain income. I can choose to work part-time and accept less. I could switch careers entirely, take on something that pays less but carries less stress, and still live within my means. Or I could walk away from medicine altogether, take on a simple, low-paying job, and downsize my life significantly.

For me, financial freedom started with paying off my student loans and getting my house payment to a place where I knew I’d be okay—even if I suddenly didn’t have a job for a year. That gave me breathing room.

But the second (and maybe bigger) piece was changing my mindset. For a long time, I believed I had to make enough money to support a certain lifestyle. Now I realize it’s the other way around—I get to choose a lifestyle that supports my priorities.

Take my kids, for example. If I want more time with them, that doesn’t have to mean expensive vacations or pricey sports leagues. It could just mean slowing down—playing games at home, going for walks, having conversations, spending time one-on-one. If cutting back at work means cutting back on costly activities, so be it. If family is my top priority, then the activities themselves don’t matter—the connection does.

The first step for me was getting clear on what mattered most. I asked myself: what’s at the top of my list? Family? Work? Stuff? Once I realized that family came first, followed by health, and then work, the rest fell into place. Now, if something I’m doing doesn’t support those priorities, I ask how I can shift to align better.

That’s where I’ve found freedom. Not the kind of freedom that means I never have to work again, but the kind that lets me decide how I want to work—and how I want to live.

And the best part? It just so happens that I love my job. Medicine is still high on my list of priorities. But not if it comes at the expense of my health or my family.