Liberty · Fewer hours and plan B · lesson 11.2 open
Liberty with a deadline
Turning 'someday I will travel' into goals with dates and costs, and from there, into the monthly and hourly income you need.
Promise: a 12-month plan with dated goals and the number that matters: the target monthly income to achieve them.
Why it matters
A dream without a deadline becomes an excuse to work more. The 4-Hour Workweek calls this method dreamlining: giving a timeline and a cost to the life you want to live. The result often surprises: the income needed for the life you want is often lower than what you are chasing.
The four-step method
- List up to 5 goals for the next 12 months, across three categories: places (living 2 months in X), experiences (a course, a trek), and foundation (reserve, equipment).
- Assign a cost and target month to each, in reais, using the monthly exchange rate and the price source.
- Add the monthly cost of living for where you will be located (lesson 11.6).
- Calculate the target monthly income: (monthly cost of living × 12 + cost of goals) ÷ 12. Divide by the hours you want to work in the month and you have your target hourly income.
Illustrative example
| Goal | Month | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Live abroad for 2 months | Mar–Apr | R$ 9.000 in cost difference |
| One-backpack work setup | Jan | R$ 6.000 |
| 6-month reserve | by Dec | R$ 30.000 |
With a cost of living of R$ 8.000/month: (8.000 × 12 + 45.000) ÷ 12 = R$ 11.750/month. To work 30 h/week (~130 h/month): ~R$ 90/h. Illustrative figures.
Set up your goals in the Freedom planner and compare the target hourly income with your current hourly income (lesson 11.1).
Goals without a month; forgetting the reserve; using gross income; not revising the plan after each stay.
Checklist
- Does each goal have a cost, a month, and a price source?
- Do I know my target hourly income and the gap from my current one?
Sources: method of goals with deadlines and costs: The 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferriss. Example: illustrative.
Checked on 09/10/2026. Educational content; tax and legal: confirm with a professional.