A Decade In Review: Reflection and a Look Ahead

The holidays mark a unique time of the year — a time of reflection. Perhaps this is the only time when we are more likely to consider where we’ve come than where we are going. As we mark the end of a decade, I feel an even stronger sense of reflection, and I’m sure you do too. 

How do you feel about this past year, or the past ten years?

Will 2020 be the beginning of the best years of our lives, or more of the same? For most of us, there’s far more of that trajectory that we can control than we might first consider.

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History is who we are and why we are the way we are.

David McCullough

Once again, consider this note our digital 2019 __________ (fill in holiday of choice) card.

A Year in Review of Clipping Chains

Back in September, I had my one-year birthday of running this project. After I finished rolling around in my own birthday cake, shit my pants and had a good tantrum, I began to consider a few noteworthy items of a “year in review” of running this sucker.

First off, I truly enjoy doing this. I don’t feel right with the world if I can’t sit down in front of my computer and bang out a bunch of words. As I’ve mentioned, I tend to get obsessive with things, so I’m not really surprised that I’m going all-in.

Of course, your willingness to read the at-times ranty BS I create provides fuel to the fire, and I’m eternally grateful (and surprised!) that you all keep showing up. Thank you so much, truly.

WordPress says these are my most popular (non-interview) posts from 2019:

• Five “Essentials” That Are Destroying Your Savings
• Personal Finance: Not Very Sexy, Huh?
• Reader Case Study: Maximize Adventure or Career?
• Van Life: The Economics and Trade-Offs
• But I Don’t Want to Be Frugal
• Digital Minimalism: Give Me Back My Brain
• I Was Really Fat Until I Fixed It
• Do You Deserve a Life You Can’t Afford?
• Chasing Your Dreams is Probably a Bad Idea
• “Financial Freedom Is Only Possible With Your Soul-Sucking, High-Income Career”
• Retirement? Don’t Worry I’ll Be Fine!
• Charles Sheldon: FIRE Before It Was Cool

The 2019 Interview Series

In the early days of this website, someone suggested that I should interview members of the climbing community. “Not a bad idea…but who in the hell will let me interview them?“

I’ve been frankly shocked at the willingness of some of my climbing heroes to willfully accept my interview requests. I’m not “connected” in the community at all, so it just goes to show the down-to-earth nature of this incredible sport. We still rope up and live amongst the legends of the sport; we all play on the same playgrounds. Neat.

I’ve had so many great conversations with folks I admire in 2019, so it’s really difficult to nail down the best of what’s already a strong list of characters.

The two-part interview with Dave MacLeod is undoubtedly not one to miss. Dave’s interview on this site continues to generate a steady stream of traffic, a testament to his stature in the global climbing community and the badassness of his content in general.

Another very intriguing post is the conversation with Steve Bechtel. Steve and Dave are right up there in terms of their highly thoughtful perspectives. When these guys talk, people listen.

But I’ve enjoyed all the interviews, from “regular folks” like Chelsea Murn, to pro stars like Jonathan Siegrist and Paige Claassen. I feel very fortunate to be able to pry a bit into their lives and thought processes.

Check out The Interview Series here for all interviews to date, including those from 2018 not mentioned here. Keep an eye out for some really interesting conversations coming soon, and feel free to send suggestions for future ideas.

A Decade in Review

Career

Hey, wanna hear about a decade in corporate America??? Didn’t think so.

I’m not going to bore you with the details of my past decade. That said, I can’t help but consider my career to this moment. I started my “real job” in 2010, as the country (and world) was starting the long and slow recovery from the Great Recession.

Almost exactly ten years later, in early 2020, that career will end. I have much more to say on that matter in the coming months, but I can assure that I’m really excited. Ok, and I’m a little scared.

There, I said it.

Climbing

Oddly enough, my career started in tandem with my climbing. I discovered climbing in the gyms of Houston, an outlet for the absolutely deplorable outdoor scene in southern Texas. I fell immediately in love with this sport, and that’s not changing anytime soon. Goodbye day job (for now), and HEELLLOOO more rock climbing!

For my climbers or those that are otherwise curious, do yourself a favor and check out Andrew Bisharat’s article, Sex, Death, and a Decade of Climbing in Review over at Evening Sends. He sums up the decade well.

The Economy, Stupid (It’s a Reference, I’m Not Mean)

Speaking of the Great Recession, this past decade is also characterized by the heroic, Gladiator-like resiliency of the global economy in response to the nearly catastrophic contraction of 2007-2009. This monster recession nearly brought down the house, but it also brought (sensible) frugality back to its rightful place. Out of the ashes of the Great Recession came the FIRE movement.

Today more and more people are tossing away their itchy suits of frivolous and wasteful spending, settling into a cotton t-shirt of value and simplicity. It looks good on you people.

While I do have my concerns of some of the behaviors seen in the FIRE movement (only when applied to the RE part– or “retire early”), it’s undoubtedly a net positive to see people wisely saving and investing for their future.

Of course, I’d be remiss to ignore that the S&P 500 has produced an annualized return of 14.8% since March 9, 2009. Folks, the best we can hope for is around 7-10% over the long-run, so this bull market has been a monster!

The compound growth in very simple investments, combined with a preference towards simple living, has turned thousands upon thousands of otherwise “normal” people into millionaires. My life is forever changed in so many ways thanks to the visionaries that paved the way.

Come on…that’s pretty cool right?

Will this cushy bull market continue or are we doomed for the next big recession? Is the FIRE movement set to crumble with an impending market collapse? This post examines all of the above.

What’s In Store For the Next Decade?

Man, so much.

For the reasons I’m hinting at above, our lives will presumably look much different from 2020 onwards than they have over the last decade.

That’s really all I can say for now. Please subscribe to our email list for the latest, if you have not already done so. I’m not slowing this puppy down anytime soon. We’re having too much fun, right?!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

I really can’t say it enough. If no one was reading I’d probably be writing this stuff anyway, but having you guys here makes it so much more engaging. Thank you, truly.

The conversations I’ve had with some of you provide a stark source of meaning missing from my corporate career. Those same conversations, in tandem with the research for various articles, also challenge me to understand exactly what we are trying to accomplish with life and money.

We’re not chasing flashy cars and big houses. But hell guys, we know that the people chasing those things aren’t happy anyway, right?

Shhh, that’s between us.

Now Get Along (To The Next Decade)

If you’ve been getting value out of these ramblings, do me a favor and pass a favorite post along on social media or directly to a friend, family member, or perhaps someone who needs to hear this message the most. I’ve provided links to some of the popular posts above. I’d really (really) appreciate it.

And I’ll finish as I did this time last year:

Hopefully your dr-uncle hasn’t ruined Christmas yet with a whiskey-fueled gun control manifesto. May your holiday season be free of unexpected high school “reunions,” and may your local TSA agents be merry, bright, and thorough…yet fair.

And finally, may we all continue to learn and grow in 2020 and beyond.

• Mr. CC, December 2019

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Thanks guys, see you next week.