The Voluntary Life

Job Free by Jake Desyllas (Full Audiobook Unabridged)

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Job Free: Four Ways to Quit the Rat Race and Achieve Financial Freedom on Your Terms Full Audiobook (Unabbridged) by Jake Desyllas Forget searching fo...

Becoming An Entrepreneur by Jake Desyllas (Full Audiobook Unabridged)

11 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Becoming an Entrepreneur: How to Find Freedom and Fulfillment as a Business Owner  Full Audiobook (Unabridged) by Jake Desyllas Successful entreprene...

Bonus Episode 17: Communication And Mindfulness

30 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A listener conversation about communication and mindfulness. Originally released in 2018 as a bonus episode for supporting listeners.

Bonus Episode 16: Tax Strategies And My Experience As An Entrepreneur

23 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion with a listener about tax strategies and financial freedom. The previous episodes of TVL referenced are episodes 209 and 210 with Joshua...

Bonus Episode 13: Making A Big Change In Life

09 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion with listeners about making a big change in life. Originally released in 2017 as a bonus episode for supporting listeners.

Bonus Episode 11: Being An Individual Vs Finding Community

24 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A conversation with listeners about the challenge of being an individual versus finding community. Originally released in 2017 as a bonus episode for...

Bonus Episode 9: What I Learned Growing Up In A Communist Squat

17 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jake Desyllas interviewed on the Freecast podcast about his childhood and intellectual development. Originally released in 2017 as a bonus episode fo...

Bonus Episode 5: Ending Friendships

03 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A listener conversation originally released in 2017 as a bonus episode for supporting listeners.  

Bonus Episode 4: Should I Go Into Business With This Person?

27 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A listener conversation. Originally released in 2017 as a bonus episode for supporting listeners.  

Bonus Episode 3: More On Cash In Investing

20 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A continuation of the discussion about cash in investing that I started on TVL Episode 297. Here are a couple of books for further reading: Fail Saf...

Bonus Episode 2: How To Do A Daily Review

13 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A bonus episode about how to do a daily task review. If you implement this practice, you can start the day like a rocket launching. Originally releas...

Bonus Episode 1: How To Sort Your Life Out Part 2

06 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is part 2 of How To Sort Your Life Out. You can find Part 1 in episode 295 of The Voluntary Life. Originally released in June 2017 as a...

404 Endings And Beginnings

16 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A special episode about the end of The Voluntary Life podcast.

403 Travel, Minimalism, And Parenting: World Wanderers Interview

11 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

An update about how my approach to travel and minimalism has changed since becoming a parent. From an interview on the World Wanderers Podcast. Show ...

Bonus Episode 98: Ideas For Those Who Want To Start A Business But Don't Have An Idea

11 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 98 is about how to start a business if you don't have a concept in mind. You can get access to this and other bonus episodes by becomi...

402 Finding Your Own Path To A Job-Free Life

28 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A chapter from the audiobook of Job Free by Jake Desyllas. Show Notes: Support TVL on Patreon and get bonus episodes and other rewards Job Free by ...

Bonus Episode 97: The Permanent Portfolio And Investment Accounts

28 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus episode 97 is a discussion taken from a recent livestream about some things to consider regarding investment accounts if you are implementing a...

401 Negotiate For Mutual Profit Audiobook Part 2

21 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Part 2 of the audiobook of Negotiate For Mutual Profit by Jake Desyllas. Part 1, which covered constructive communication, can be found in TVL Episod...

Bonus Episode 96: Parent Effectiveness

21 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 96 is a discussion about Thomas Gordon's book Parent Effectiveness Training. You can get access to this and other bonus episodes by bec...

400 What The Voluntary Life Is About

13 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

An overview of the topics covered in The Voluntary Life, why I focus on these topics, and what you can get from them. Show Notes: Support TVL on Pat...

Bonus Episode 95: Thoughts On The UK Economy For Investors

13 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 95 is a discussion about the current state of the UK economy from the perspective of investors. You can get access to this and other bon...

399 What I Learned Losing a Million Dollars

06 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of the lessons that can be taken from Jim Paul's book, What I Learned Losing a Million Dollars. Show Notes: What I Learned Losing a Mi...

Bonus Episode 94: A Listener Question About Extinction Rebellion and Climate Change

06 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 94 is a discussion from a recent livestream question about Extinction Rebellion and climate change. You can get access to this and othe...

Bonus Episode 93: Quiet Wealth

04 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 93 is taken from a recent livestream discussion about the book  The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley. You can get access to th...

398 A Review of The Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mother

28 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What are the assumptions used in "tiger" parenting, and what is the goal? This episode is a review of The Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mother by Amy Chu...

Bonus Episode 92: Two Innovative Approaches To Education

28 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 92 is about two innovative approaches to education suggested by patrons on recent livestreams. The approaches are the Montessori metho...

397 How Do You Know If You Can Live From Your Investments?

16 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How do you know whether you have enough money to live from your investments? What if you stop working and then find out that you don't have enough? T...

Bonus Episode 91: Bonds and Stocks in the Permanent Portfolio

16 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On a recent livestream I was asked some interesting questions about the permanent portfolio: Is it too risky to hold so much in bonds in a PP, given...

396 A Review Of Ray Dalio's Principles

09 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ray Dalio is a well-known billionaire investor and hedge fund manager. This episode is a review of his book Principles: Life And Work. Show Notes: P...

Bonus Episode 90: Investing For Income

09 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 90 is a discussion about investing for income— including dividend investing— and a comparison with the permanent portfolio approach...

395 Job Free: The Psychological Challenges

30 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A chapter from the audiobook Job Free by Jake Desyllas. Show Notes: Support TVL on Patreon and get bonus episodes and other rewards Support TVL on ...

Bonus Episode 89: Leverage In Investing

30 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 89 provides a follow-up discussion about the Infinite Banking Concept (discussed in Bonus Episode 74) and goes on to talk about the ide...

394 How Much Risk Should You Take When Investing?

23 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How much risk should you take when investing? Is the Permanent Portfolio approach too risk-averse? Here's a great discussion from a recent livestream...

Bonus Episode 88: Implementing A Permanent Portfolio

23 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 88 is a discussion about some detailed aspects of implementing a permanent portfolio, including questions such as what kind of bonds ar...

393 My Experience Visiting An Objectivist Meetup

16 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What is it like to visit a meetup about the philosophy of objectivism? Here is my experience! This is a bonus episode for patrons originally recorded...

Bonus Episode 87: Lots Of Productivity Apps

16 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus episode 87 is a discussion from a recent livestream about lots of productivity apps and techniques. Apps discussed include Focus Pomodoro Time...

392 Four More Life-Changing Ideas

09 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is about another four ideas that I think are life-changing. The ideas are: quiet wealth, parent effectiveness, digital minimalism, and a...

Bonus Episodes 85 & 86: Unschooling Parts 1 & 2

09 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

 Bonus Episodes 85 & 86 are Parts 1 & 2 of a discussion from a recent Life-Changing Ideas Livestream about the concept of Unschooling. We talked abo...

391 Startups As A Path To A Job-Free Life

30 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A chapter from the audiobook of Job Free by Jake Desyllas. Show Notes: Support TVL on Patreon and get bonus episodes and other rewards Support TVL ...

Bonus Episode 84: Alternatives To The Permanent Portfolio

30 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 84 is a discussion about alternative portfolio strategies for investing. You can get access to this and other bonus episodes by becomi...

390 Productivity Outside Work

22 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Should you use productivity systems like Getting Things Done (GTD) for your work or apply it to your whole life? Here's a discussion with a listener....

Bonus Episode 83: My Productivity System

22 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 83 comes from a recent life-changing ideas livestream I did about Getting Things Done. In this part of the discussion I talk about my o...

Bonus Episode 82: The Case Against Intellectual Property

22 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 82 is discussion from a recent livestream in which I was asked about whether I still think IP laws are bad for business. You can get a...

389 The Challenges Of Living With Purpose

13 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Highlights from two livestream conversations with listeners about the challenges of living with purpose. Show Notes: Support TVL on Patreon and get ...

Bonus Episode 81: Intentional Communities

13 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 81 is a livestream discussion about the pros and cons of intentional communities. You can get access to this and other bonus episodes ...

388 Make Yourself Redundant

02 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A chapter from Becoming An Entrepreneur by Jake Desyllas. Show Notes: Support TVL on Patreon and get bonus episodes and other rewards Support TVL o...

Bonus Episode 80: Am I Still A Minimalist? (Plus Some Personal News!)

02 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 80 is a discussion from a recent Q&A livestream about whether I'm still a minimalist. It includes a personal update from me. You can ge...

387 Answering Listener Questions About The Permanent Portfolio

24 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion with supporting listeners about the permanent portfolio investment strategy. How would assets like real estate would be tackled by the p...

Bonus Episodes 78 and 79: Principled Negotiation Parts 1 and 2

24 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus episodes 78 and 79 form a two part series on Principled Negotiation, taken from a recent livestream with supporting listeners.  You can get ac...

386 Do You Have To Choose Between Financial Independence And Kids?

15 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A listener asks if he has to choose between financial independence and having children. Here's a response, including some fascinating data about the ...

Bonus Episode 77: More Alternatives To Evernote And Related Productivity Apps

15 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 77 is a discussion from a recent livestream about alternatives to Evernote and related productivity apps. The apps mentioned are: App...

385 Lifestyle Businesses

05 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A chapter from the audiobook of Job Free by Jake Desyllas Show Notes: Job Free by Jake Desyllas Audiobook, eBook, Paperback Support TVL on Patreon...

Bonus Episode 76: Children And Community

05 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 76 is a discussion from a recent livestream about what children need in terms of education and community. You can get access to this a...

384 Why Self Improvement Disrupts Your Relationship

26 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Many self-improvement lifestyle changes have a side effect. Whether your are adopting extreme saving, perpetual travel, peaceful parenting, or other ...

Bonus Episode 75: Health Insurance And Perpetual Travel

26 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 75 is a discussion with a listener about different options for health insurance as a perpetual traveller. You can get access to this an...

383 The Appeal of Stoicism

17 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Two conversations with supporting listeners about the appeal of the philosophy of Stoicism.  Show Notes: Support TVL on Patreon and get bonus epis...

382 The Best Funding there Is

07 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A chapter from Becoming An Entrepreneur by Jake Desyllas. Show Notes: Support TVL on Patreon and get bonus episodes and other rewards Support TVL o...

Bonus Episode 74: The Infinite Banking Concept

07 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 74 is a discussion with a listener on a recent livestream about the Infinite Banking Concept. You can get access to this and other bon...

381 Four Ideas That Changed My Life

30 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is about four life-changing ideas. I explain why these ideas can have such a positive impact and where you can read about them. Over the...

Bonus Episode 73: Going Into Business With A Friend

30 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus episode 73 is about the difficult question of whether to go into business with a friend. You can get access to this and other bonus episodes b...

380 Breaking The Rules Of GTD

23 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is about how and why I break the rules of the approach to productivity called Getting Things Done (GTD). Show Notes: Support TVL on Pat...

Bonus Episode 72: Is Everyone Religious?

23 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In his book Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari suggests that everyone (including atheists) is religious in some ways. A patron raised this topic on a recent ...

379 The Variable Portfolio

13 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The variable portfolio helps overcome some of the challenges and limitations of passive investing. Show Notes: Fail-Safe Investing by Harry Browne S...

378 How To Live From Investments

06 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A key aspect of financial independence is knowing how to live from investments. This episode is a chapter from Jake Desyllas' audiobook Job Free. It...

377 The Best Journalling Techniques For Productivity

29 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Here are the three best journalling techniques that I know to improve productivity: The list of tasks completed today The core dump  The incredibly...

Bonus Episode 70: Thinking Rationally About The Environment

29 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus episode 70 for patrons and backers is about rational approaches to environmental problems. It is a discussion with listeners from a recent lives...

376 Planning Vs Doing In Productivity

22 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

To be productive you need to know your goal, and you must know the best action that you can take to move towards that goal at any given moment. This...

Bonus Episode 69: The Problems With Evernote And What To Do As A User

22 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Evernote is one of the core apps in my productivity system. I find it extremely useful, but there are also a lot of frustrating problems with the app...

375 It's OK Not To Share

15 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is a critique of the popular idea of forcing children to share and a discussion of a great alternative approach. Show Notes: It's OK N...

Bonus Episode 68: Giving Children The Freedom To Explore Beliefs

15 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The latest bonus episode for supporting listeners is a discussion from a livestream with patrons about the topic of giving kids the freedom to explor...

374 Introduction to Unjobbing

08 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

An introduction to the concept of Unjobbing, from the audiobook of Job Free by Jake Desyllas. Show Notes: Support TVL on Patreon and get bonus epis...

373 A Secular Look At The Bible Part 2

01 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This episode discusses a thought-provoking alternative theory about who Jesus was and whether he existed as a historical person. Show Notes: Episod...

372 Leaving A Career And Redesigning Your Life

21 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Ostrolenk interviews Dr Jake Desyllas on The Michael Ostronlenk Show. The interview covers leaving a career behind, redesigning your life, mi...

Bonus Episode 67: Writing Projects And Life After Achieving FI

21 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This bonus episode comes from a recent livestream with Patrons. A listener asked me what I'm writing about at the moment- you can hear all about it i...

371 Negotiate For Mutual Profit Audiobook Part 1

11 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Part 1 of the audiobook of Negotiate For Mutual Profit by Jake Desyllas. Part 1 covers constructive communication. Part 2 covers the win-win negotiat...

Bonus Episode 66: Addiction to Technology and Social Media

11 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bonus Episode 66 is an enjoyable discussion with listeners about the potential downside of social media and other digital time sinks. We discussed nu...

370 Free To Learn

28 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Free To Learn by Peter Gray is one of the most influential books about alternative approaches to education. In this review, Jake highlights the most ...

Bonus Episode 65: Self Work And Happiness

28 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This bonus episode is about a very important topic. I was asked on a livestream about whether I've met people who have quit the rat race and are sti...

Bonus Episode 64: So Good They Can't Ignore You

28 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This bonus episode is about Cal Newport's book So Good They Can't Ignore You. This is a discussion with patrons from a recent livestream. We focus on...

369 Breaking Out Of Your Cultural Bubble

20 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Going to university often leads to living in a kind of the cultural bubble for the rest of your life. Being conscious of the ways in which you are li...

Bonus Episode 63: Getting More Sales For A New Business

20 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This bonus episode is about generating more leads for a new business. It's a discussion with a patron who has started an online and in-person maths t...

Bonus Episode 62: My Podcasting Process

20 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

At the recent TVL Meetup in Barcelona I was asked about how I make podcasts, so I thought you might also find it interesting to hear about how I do i...

Bonus Episodes 60 & 61: Productivity When You Have Kids

20 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A topic that I've found challenging ever since becoming a parent is how to stay productive. Bonus Episodes 60 & 61 are a two part series on productiv...

368 Learn By Selling

11 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As soon as you become an entrepreneur, you’re in the selling business. Entrepreneurship is fundamentally a process of experimental learning through...

366 Three Alternatives To School

24 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This episode explores three alternatives to school: unschooling, road-schooling and Sudbury schools. Show Notes: Support TVL on Patreon and get bonu...

365 Good Ideas Are Better Than Heroes

18 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The ideas covered in this episode play an important part in my outlook on how to have independence of thought. A discussion with a supporting listene...

364 An Update About Patreon And Thoughts On The Future Of The Internet

11 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This episode summarises what's been happening with Patreon recently and explains the effect it has had on this podcast. I share some thoughts about w...

363 Extreme Saving

03 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is a chapter from the audiobook of Job Free by Jake Desyllas. This chapter explains extreme saving- a strategy for achieving financial i...

Bonus Episode 59: Pros And Cons Of Mortgages

01 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

I've just released a bonus episode discussing the financial benefits and downsides of mortgages. For those interested in financial independence, this...

362 Are You Spiritual?

20 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

One of my listeners asked me if I was a spiritual person… How would you respond to this question? My answer is in this episode. Show Notes: Become a...

361 A Secular Look At The Bible

11 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This episode discusses a secular approach to understanding the Bible. It includes a recommendation for the best book that I've found on this topic, wh...

359 Crisis Investing

27 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

One of the challenges for private investors is how to address the risk of financial crises or a meltdown in the financial system. How seriously should...

358 Your Purpose In Life Can Change

20 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

One of the alluring goals of the productivity system Getting Things Done (GTD) is to identify your purpose in life and align everything you do with th...

357 You Provide The Purpose

12 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Your job as an entrepreneur is to be Chief Enthusiasm Inspirer for a purpose that others can rally to. This episode is a chapter from the audiobook of...

356 The Subversive Family

02 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Is the family subversive to politics and religion? That's the argument in a book called The Subversive Family by Ferdinand Mount, reviewed in this e...

355 Why I Am Passionate About Financial Independence

21 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Here are ten reasons why I am passionate about the topic of financial independence. Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus epodes and reward...

354 The True Believer

13 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is a review of Eric Hoffer's book The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements. Hoffer argued that all political and rel...

353 Something People Want

05 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What do you need in order to start a business? This episode is a chapter from the audiobook Becoming An Entrepreneur by Jake Desyllas. Show Notes: B...

352 Value Investing

27 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

I've talked a lot about my strategy for investing in previous episodes, but in this interview you will hear from an investor who takes a different app...

351 Travel, Parenting, And The Challenges Of Choosing A Different Lifestyle

20 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this Touring Families podcast interview, Jake Desyllas talks about pursuing the travel lifestyle with kids, finding principles in parenting, and th...