In pursuit of financial independence and personal fulfillment
I stepped away from my job last April hungry for a change. I was burned out at work, felt less than present at home, and wanted to build a stronger connection in my community.
I said I would be taking a mini-retirement of up to one year. I wasn’t sure how much of that time I would need to work through the things I wanted to dissect and experience the things I wanted to take on.
Today, I can happily say that after nine months, I have clarity of purpose and direction. Continue reading
My wife’s car has been declared a total loss over a relatively minor crash.
Our car insurance will assuredly go up — maybe a lot.
I’m not bringing in a steady income right now, so this is not a good time to buy another car.
The crash happened the day before we boarded a flight to Florida for Christmas, meaning everything was done over the phone during vacation.
We were in limbo for three weeks while the repair shop and insurance went through their process.
All told, this will probably cost us at least $5,000.
And yet, I am gratefully annoyed at the situation. Continue reading
Who do you picture in your mind when you think of “people in debt”?
Is it someone struggling to pay the bills, not sure where next month’s housing payment is going to come from or how to put gas in the car because the credit card is topped off?
Do you think of people with lots of expensive clothes, pricey cars, and lavish furnishings throughout their picturesque home, knowing full well they’re leveraged up to their kids’ eyeballs when she’s riding on daddy’s shoulders?
Or maybe you think of a new college graduate just finding out what all those years of schooling are really going to cost over the next decade as they begin to make their way in the world.
But how often do you think of someone who has their financial house in order, plenty of money to cover expenses, and a good balance between enjoying life now and delaying gratification for the future? Because maybe you should. Continue reading
I’ve spent thousands of dollars I hadn’t planned to spend this calendar year.
I’ve broken out the credit card for several mastermind groups, purchased nutritional supplements, gotten extra massages, booked more travel, and begrudgingly bought shoes faster than I would like.
Why? Well, I’m starting to better recognize when not paying for something actually costs more than the sticker price. Continue reading
Last week, I did something I never thought I’d do: I climbed a 14,000-foot Colorado mountain with six friends.
It was challenging, rewarding, exhausting, exhilarating, and symbolic on so many levels. It really was an experience of a lifetime.
We all have mountains to climb.
Some of them are difficult, some are terrifying, some are intimidating. You may be staring up at the mountain of debt, addiction, despair, relationship trouble, career stagnation — whatever it is in your life that you see before you that looks to big to take on. I promise you it’s not.
What I learned on Mount Quandary applies to all of them, and I want to share those lessons with you.
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