After spending 30 days on the road and participating in 37 events, there was one message I shared that resonated with people all across the country. It might be surprising to most because it’s an acronym we used years ago but is finding new meaning today. That acronym is YOLO for You Only Live Once.

YOLO in the height of its pop culture usage was used to mean a carefree attitude and decision-making with no consequences. It highlighted the impulsive behavior that emphasized the moment without thought to the future.

But as we’ve matured into adulthood we’re finding new meaning for the phrase to live the life we’ve dreamed without the financial stress associated with mindless consumption.

If this is truly the only life we have to live let’s make sure it’s one where time and money was spent consciously on building and living the life you love. You can continue to exchange your time for money but time isn’t a renewable resource. Once time is spent it’s gone.

So how do you create a life that’s worthy of just one lifetime?

The answer is having a clear lifestyle goal not just financial goals. A lifestyle goal is how you live while financial goals are specific to things that revolve around money. The lifestyle goal is the big “why” and the top-level reason you’ve decided to exchange your time for work.

In other words, the lifestyle goal is what you hope to achieve and create unlike financial goals that are things specifically purchased for consumption.

It may be easier to identify financial goals such as owning a home, living debt-free, driving a luxury car or traveling the world. However without a clear lifestyle goal, you may find yourself making purchases or setting financial goals that take you further away from the life you actually want to live.

To illustrate, buying a home is a financial goal that can add to a lifestyle you plan to create however if travel experiences are the memories you hope to make then buying a home may derail you from living that lifestyle.

Many people have a hard time figuring out the lifestyle they want to live. This could be due to a number of factors not limited to financial issues.

It might be a challenge figuring out the lifestyle you want to live but I’ve found people have an easier time discussing their interests. If you aren’t able to define the lifestyle you want to live at this moment, focus on your interests and make decisions based on creating an interesting life. A life you could proudly describe as YOLO.

This article came from our friends at Phroogal and can be found on their website here.