Your FI Journey is Like a Hallmark Christmas Movie

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Recently, I was talking with Doug Cunnington from the Mile Hi Fi podcast, and he dropped this absolutely wild observation on me. He said the FI journey is basically the plot of every single Hallmark Christmas movie. At first, I didn’t quite get it. Then I thought about it. Then I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Because he’s totally right.

The Hallmark Formula

If you’ve ever channel-surfed past Hallmark between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, you know the drill. Actually, even if you haven’t watched these movies, you know the formula. It’s everywhere. It’s been parodied on SNL. It’s become a cultural touchstone.

Here’s how every single one of these movies goes down:

Our protagonist (let’s call her Sarah) has a high-stress corporate job in the big city. She’s a marketing executive, or a lawyer, or runs some vague “consulting firm.” She works crazy 80-hour weeks and she’s always on her phone. Her apartment is modern but somehow cold and empty. She eats takeout at her desk and hasn’t had a real conversation with anyone in months.

Then something happens. Her uncle gets sick or her mom needs help with the family bakery. There’s a crisis at the Christmas tree farm she inherited but forgot about. Whatever the reason, Sarah has to leave her corner office and head back to her hometown of Pine Valley or Evergreen Falls or whatever.

So, she’s typically annoyed at first. She’s got that big work presentation back in the big city next week! She’s up for the big promotion or may become partner at the law firm! But then she gets there, and everything starts to shift.

There’s, like, a pie contest at the town square. Oh, or a Christmas pageant. There seems to always be a Christmas pageant. Or maybe they’re trying to save the local bookstore from being bought out by some giant faceless corporation (the irony). And somehow, Sarah gets roped into helping.

Oh, Let’s not forget. There’s a guy. Of course there’s a guy. Usually her old high school sweetheart who stayed in town and now runs the family Christmas tree farm or teaches woodworking to underprivileged kids or something equally wholesome.

By the end of the movie, Sarah now realizes what really matters. She quits her corporate job. She moves back to Pine Valley. She opens that bakery or bookstore or whatever. She’s making less money, but she’s genuinely happy for the first time in years.

Roll credits. Cue the instrumental version of “Silent Night.”

Now, Let Me Blow Your Mind

That’s the FI story. Like, beat for beat, that’s the entire financial independence journey.

Okay, here me out. Let’s think about it.

Most people pursuing FI start out in the corporate grind. We’re chasing promotions, climbing ladders, working crazy hours because we think that’s what success looks like. More money equals more happiness, right? Just one more raise. Just one more bonus. Just make it to that next level.

We’re living in expensive cities because that’s where the jobs are. We’re paying ridiculous rent or mortgages. We’re stressed out of our minds. We’re disconnected from the things that actually matter because we’re too busy trying to “make it.”

Does that sound familiar?

Then we have something happen. Maybe we discover Mr. Money Mustache or ChooseFI or JL Collins. Maybe we have some health event that kinda scares us. Maybe we just wake up one day and realize we’ve been running on a hamster wheel for years and we can’t even remember why we got on it in the first place.

We start questioning everything. Do I actually need this corporate job? Do I really want to live in this overpriced big city? What am I even working towards?

So as we begin to learn, we slowly start to make changes. We cut our expenses. We simplify our lives. We start to realize that happiness doesn’t come from the corner office or the fancy title or the luxury car that costs almost as much as some people’s houses!

We begin to prioritizing community, and focus on our relationships. We start to understand time freedom. We understand this is the ability to actually show up for the people we love and care about instead of sending them a text from another late night at the office.

Eventually, if we stick with it over time, we hit our FI number. Once we’ve reached out FI Number, we leave the corporate grind behind. Maybe we move somewhere cheaper (this is our version of going back to Pine Valley). Maybe we start a passion project that doesn’t pay as well but actually means something to us. It fills our heart and feels like you are making a difference. In your life, or the lives of others.

We’re making less money than we could be, but we’re genuinely happy for the first time in years.

Roll credits. Cue the instrumental version of… well, probably the instrumental Metallica song, Orion, because this is Heavy Metal Money after all.

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Thanks again for following along! Keep those Horns Up, my friend 🤘 🤘 And please share this newsletter with those you think would find value!