Look, I'll be honest with you right from the start – I'm writing this post as much for myself as for you.

Even after moving to the Middle East, earning a decent salary as an engineer, and making progress towards financial independence, I still struggle with being present and enjoying life while chasing that FIRE number.

Ye know what I mean?

That magical number that's supposed to set you free?

Full disclosure here – I actually catch myself:

Checking my investment accounts multiple times a day
Constantly running calculations about how much more I need to save
Feeling anxious when I'm not being "productive" enough in my journey towards freedom

Talk about irony, right?

Here I am, writing about choosing progress over perfection, while still battling my own perfectionist demons.

I have written in other posts how I have been battling my own demons – especially toxic shame.

But here's the thing…

Maybe that's exactly why this post needs to be written. Because I'm right here in the trenches with you, figuring this out as I go.

I'm not some guru who's got it all sorted out, preaching from the mountaintop.

I'm just an engineer who's learned some hard lessons about how perfectionism can actually hold us back from the very freedom we're chasing.

And trust me, I've paid the price for perfectionism more times than I'd like to admit.

Just last year, I lost money in the Terra Luna incident because I was waiting for the "perfect" entry point in crypto, only to panic sell when things went south. Classic perfectionist move, right?

The Reality Check: My Ongoing Battle with Perfectionism

Let me paint you a picture of what this looks like in my daily life…

1. Constant Number Crunching

I've got spreadsheets upon spreadsheets tracking every aspect of my financial journey. And while some organization is good, I often find myself tweaking formulas for hours instead of actually taking action.

2. The "Not Enough" Trap

Even though I'm earning more than I ever did in the UK or Canada, there's this constant nagging feeling that I'm not saving enough, not investing enough, not progressing enough towards that FIRE number.

3. Decision Paralysis

Sometimes I spend so much time researching the "perfect" investment strategy that opportunities pass me by. It's like being stuck in quicksand – the more you obsess about making the perfect move, the deeper you sink.

When I learnt about the idea of the economic singularity and the potential timeline of 2030 to make as much money as I can, I really leaned into the idea of progress over perfection – I HAD to start taking action otherwise I would be royally screwed.

Understanding the Freedom Spectrum: It's Not All or Nothing

Here's something that took me way too long to figure out…

Financial independence isn't binary. You're not either "free" or "not free."

It's more like a spectrum, with different levels of freedom appearing along the way.

The Traditional View vs. Reality

Most of us (myself included) start out thinking about financial independence like this:

Save aggressively
Invest wisely
Wait until you hit your FIRE number
THEN start enjoying freedom

But here's the kicker…

That's exactly the kind of perfectionist thinking that keeps us stuck!

The Reality of Financial Progress

Let me share something I've noticed in my own journey as an expat engineer…

The Early Wins

When I first moved to the Middle East and started saving more than ever before, I experienced my first taste of freedom. Just having an emergency fund:

Reduced my anxiety about unexpected expenses
Gave me confidence to make bolder career moves
Let me sleep better at night

The Middle Ground

As my savings grew, I discovered more pockets of freedom:

Being able to say no to overtime without panic
Taking a vacation without going into debt
Having the confidence to negotiate better work conditions

The Compound Effect

And ye know what?

These small freedoms started compounding, just like investment returns.

The Freedom Curve: An Engineer's Perspective

Being an engineer, I love looking at things analytically. Here's what I've observed about the relationship between financial progress and freedom gains:

The Biggest Gains Come Early:

Going from 0 to 3 months of expenses saved = HUGE freedom boost
Going from 3 months to 6 months = Another significant jump
Going from 20x expenses to 25x = Much smaller impact on daily life

It's like an exponential curve that flattens out over time.

Living in the Present While Building Future Freedom

Remember earlier when I mentioned that having a newborn completely changed my perspective?

Well, let me tell you how that actually played out…

The Wake-Up Call

There I was (again), hunched over my laptop at midnight, tweaking my FIRE spreadsheet for the hundredth time.

And then it hit me.

I was spending so much time optimizing a future that might never come, I wasn't even living in the present.

Like, what was I actually doing?

Obsessing over reaching that "perfect" FIRE number
Constantly recalculating my investment returns
Planning for a freedom that was always "someday"
Missing out on life happening RIGHT NOW

Here's the kicker…

Who even knows if I'll reach that perfect number?

The markets could crash. The economy could change. Life could throw a million curveballs.

And there I was, sacrificing my present freedom for some theoretical future that wasn't guaranteed.

The Reality Check

Look, I'll be honest with you…

I was so focused on the destination, I'd completely forgotten about the journey.

And ye know what's crazy?

There's actually freedom available right now:

Freedom to enjoy a coffee without calculating its compound interest
Freedom to take a day off without feeling guilty
Freedom to appreciate small wins instead of always chasing bigger ones
Freedom to just… be

It was like I'd been sprinting on a treadmill, so focused on the distance counter that I hadn't realized I could just… step off and walk outside instead.

Talk about a wake-up call.

Would you like me to continue revising the next section to maintain this flow and perspective?

The Perfect Prison We Build

Here's what I've realized about us perfectionists:

We often create a mental prison while trying to build our perfect future.

It looks something like this:

Can't enjoy coffee with friends because "that money could be invested"
Won't take a family vacation because "it's not in the FIRE plan"
Skip important life events because "need to work overtime"
Put off starting a family because "the numbers aren't perfect yet"

ound familiar?

The Abundance Mindset: Your Secret Weapon

Let me tell you about a mental shift that's slowly (very slowly) changing my life…

The shift from scarcity thinking to abundance thinking.

And trust me, as someone who grew up with a scarcity mindset around money, this hasn't been easy.

My Scarcity Story

Growing up in the UK, I always felt like:

There was never enough money
Good opportunities were limited
Success was for "other people"
Financial security was hard to come by

This thinking followed me into my engineering career.

Even when I started earning more in the Middle East I still:

Hoarded money out of fear
Worried about losing everything
Felt guilty about spending anything
Saw every decision as "all or nothing"

The Cost of Scarcity Thinking

Here's what this mindset actually cost me:

Missed investment opportunities (looking at you, Bitcoin at $3,000)
Relationships strained by money anxiety
Constant stress and worry
Analysis paralysis in decision-making

And the biggest cost?

Peace of mind.

Making Progress Work for You Now

Right, let's get practical.

Because theory is great, but what we really need are actionable steps we can take TODAY.

(Says the guy who spent years theorizing about the perfect path to freedom… 😅)

The Progress Principle

Here's what I've learned through trial and error:

Small, consistent actions beat perfect plans every time.

Let me show you what this actually looks like in real life…

Starting With Where You Are

First, let's do a quick reality check:

Your Current Freedom Score

Ask yourself:

How much savings do you have?
What skills have you developed?
What options are available to you?
What progress have you already made?

Taking Imperfect Action

Here are some real steps I'm taking (and you can too):

1. The 80/20 Rule

Instead of aiming for 100%, I'm trying to:

Get investments "mostly" right
Make "good enough" decisions
Take action before I'm "ready"
Accept "partial" progress

Final Thoughts: Let's Move Forward Together

Right, we've covered a lot of ground here.

And if you're feeling a bit overwhelmed, that's totally normal.

(Trust me, I'm right there with you…)

Hey, even Michael Saylor thought he was failing and even started to think he was stupid with MicroStrategy before he realised the system really is just rigged against you.

The Honest Truth

Here's something I want you to know…

I wrote this post because I needed to read it.

I needed to remind myself that:

Perfect is the enemy of progress
Small steps count
Freedom grows gradually
The present moment matters

A really important lesson I learnt was that by not learning about what hard assets were and leaving my money in cash I was becoming poorer year after year.

Progress is messy but as long as you are going int he right way it doesn't matter how slowly you are going.

Your Turn

I'd love to know:

Where are you in your journey?
What small progress can you celebrate?
What imperfect action will you take today?
How do you balance present and future freedom?

Let's Keep Growing

Want to stay connected on this journey?

Join my newsletter where I share:

Real struggles and victories
Practical freedom-building steps
Lessons learned (often the hard way)
Updates on my progress

Because that's how real freedom is built.

Not perfectly.

But progressively.

One small step at a time.

Share your thoughts in the comments below or join my newsletter for weekly insights on building freedom through progress, not perfection.

Why Progress Over Perfection is Key to Achieving Personal Freedom

But here's the thing…