It depends on how well you do it, I suppose. I found a lot of value in the program's structure. For example, writing about a limited number of memories helped me prioritize experiences that held the most valuable information. I personally don't think me sitting down and going from "alright, I'm going to sit down and reflect about my life and goals" would have been as fruitful. But that's just me. And I'm certainly not saying you'd do that.ThisDinosaur wrote: ↑Fri Jan 26, 2018 7:11 pm
@RFS
Do you think there's any benefit of buying the self authoring program over just spending some time reflecting/writing about your life and goals? I've read about the underlying research, and I'm interested, but not enough to spend $15 and a hundred hours on a self help program. Also, im skeptical of how much it would help someone who's already purusing FIRE with a savings rate >70%. Maybe I'll reconsider after I'm FI and wandering aimlessly for meaning.
It doesn't take 100s of hours. Each program (3) usually takes 4-5 hours. For whatever it's worth, it didn't strike me as a highly commercialized and cheesy self-help product. More of a "even if you don't think it will be, this is going to be dark and seriously painful at times. But it's important."
If you're going all-in on FIRE with a 70% savings rate and a bad-ass web of goals mentality, maybe you don't need the help. Although that sounds like it could be a one-dimensional mindset in relation to the self authoring program's benefits. I was pursuing FI before I worked on it, but just pursuing FI had not resulted in me examining and analyzing traumatic and formative past events, diving into my deepest virtues and faults as a person, then visualizing a holistic future that builds off that knowledge.