The term financial freedom should not be reserved for those who own their own businesses. Even if you work for someone else, financial freedom is a worthy goal, and one you should work toward every day.

Of course, the phrase "financial freedom" may mean different things to different people. For some, financial freedom may mean the freedom to spend a month backpacking through Tibet, exploring the sights and sounds of a forgotten world. For others, financial freedom may mean traveling first class through Europe, enjoying the best hotels and restaurants from Paris to Milan.

Whatever your goals, there are several ways to achieve the holy grail of financial freedom. The traditional way, especially if you work for someone else, is to save as much as you can and accumulate wealth over time. The other time tested road to financial freedom is owning your own business.

Of course, a doctor in private practice is for all intents and purposes a business owner. Running a medical practice is certainly as difficult and time consuming as running any other type of business, and doctors are probably more familiar than they want to be with such non-medical subjects as billing and insurance.

It can be difficult to see the goal of financial freedom, especially when you are struggling to get your new practice off the ground. However, it is important to not lose sight of the ultimate goal. Financial freedom can be achieved through the judicious use of investments and even real estate. Such investments are excellent sources of passive income. Passive income simply means the income is generated with little or no effort on your part. This is extremely important, because no doubt you already have plenty to do.