“Chasing Pavements” is a song by the British singer Adele, inspired by a personal incident with her boyfriend. After discovering he had cheated on her and reacting by punching him in a bar, she found herself walking alone and reflecting, thinking, “What is it you’re chasing? You’re chasing an empty pavement.”

An entry in the Urban Dictionary describes “chasing pavements” as pursuing a fruitless activity – trying to achieve something that is doomed to fail, often driven by blind hope.

I sometimes get that impression from others when I share my goal of achieving financial independence. It’s not that they doubt my ability to reach it; they just don’t understand why I am pursuing it. They think I’m chasing something that doesn’t exist.

Personal Identity

When you ask people who they are, they often respond with what they are: a doctor, a Scandinavian, a soon-to-be-husband. This reflects that we see ourselves as a collection of different roles and attributes, more than just a name.

But can we truly know who we are? The question of personal identity has been a topic in Western philosophy for ages, and the answer is, it’s complicated. Philosophy wrestles with questions of how we persist as the same person over time. Are we the same because we inhabit the same body, or because we perceive ourselves to have the same mind? Proving we are the same person, or even proving we are a ‘person’ at all, is a complex challenge.

In a sociological sense, personal identity is the concept of yourself that develops over your life. It includes aspects you can control, like your job and relationships, and those you can’t, like your gender and ethnicity. Your identity also comprises your values, fears, hopes, and beliefs. Sometimes, you might strongly identify with a trait or feature, even if it’s not true. For example, if you believe you are like Einstein, it forms part of your identity and can influence your actions, even if it’s not factual.

Knowing Ourselves and Our Limitations

Understanding ourselves and forming our identity involves a lot of exploration and discovery, including acknowledging our limitations.

As children, we’re often told we are perfect, unique, and special, with the potential to be anything we want. This positive message encourages us to have dreams and to explore, much like Columbus had dreams.

As we grow older, new aspirational identities might include being a famous YouTuber, a supermodel, or someone who saves the world while looking good.

In today’s consumerist world, the message seems to be that you can be anyone you want and should continuously evolve and develop. However, this push can sometimes distract us from truly understanding who we are. If our identity is tied to what we can become or what we own, aren’t we just chasing pavements?

There are goals in our lives we will never achieve. We are not all equal in abilities. We have different levels of intelligence, strength, sensitivity, physical beauty, and health. Yet, we are all unique with our own qualities and limitations, and that’s perfectly acceptable. However, this message is often overshadowed.

My Limitations

Over the years, I’ve discovered many of my own limitations. There were goals I could not achieve because I wasn’t clever enough or lacked the talent (like my childhood dream of becoming a famous football player). At school, I wasn’t charming or striking enough to attract the most beautiful girls, and at work, some colleagues advanced much faster than I did.

But now I realize that understanding my limitations is actually a strength. I know my strengths and weaknesses, and I know when to steer clear of potential obstacles. When I step into the unknown, I have a solid understanding of myself to rely on. While I may never completely know myself, the knowledge I possess cannot be taken away.

Financial Independence and Personal Identity

You might wonder how this ties into my pursuit of financial independence. For me, financial independence is about more than what I am or what I own. Some people might think I’m materialistic or seeking a jet-set lifestyle free from responsibilities, but that’s far from the truth.

I accept that I won’t get everything I want. You won’t find me on a speedboat in the Mediterranean flaunting a new Rolex. I’m not aiming to be excessively wealthy. For me, financial independence means having just enough to quit my full-time job and having the freedom to continue my journey of self-discovery.

What About You?

What are your thoughts? Do you relate to what I’ve written, or do you see it differently?

A Bit About Myself

My name is Marc, and I document my journey to financial independence on my blog, Early Retirement Planning. I’m 50 years old, which makes me a late starter in retirement planning, but I believe it’s realistic to retire before I turn 60. Where I live, the current retirement age is 68, but I don’t plan to wait until then.