Funding the Adventurous Life
Are those who become financially independent “lucky?” Are successful business owners, elite athletes, or artistic masterminds “talented?”
Perhaps. But it’s hardly the entire story. Where and how does good fortune end and real “luck” begin?
Continue reading “Wow! You Are So Lucky to Retire Early!”
Hey you guys, it’s 2020, a new year! One of my favorite (past) pastimes is to begin each year with a plan for using all of my vacation. Studies, however, reveal that Americans are rarely capitalizing on the full gift of paid time to not work, and it’s costing us all big-time. The rippling effects go far beyond our own well-being and can affect society at large.
How much are we truly leaving on the table?
Continue reading “The Astonishing Cost of Unused Vacation”
Alright, alright, I get it: not a product review! Gross! Folks, I’m with you. Any website I see that reviews almost anything, I close the page. So when I was offered an advance copy of the brand new book from the creators of the Choose FI podcast and author Chris Mamula (Can I Retire Yet website), I was…well…a little hesitant.
Continue reading “Choose FI Book Review: A Blueprint Indeed”
I’m very pleased to bring you an interview with one of my favorite climbers, Paige Claassen. Paige is an absolute crusher in the world of sport climbing, having climbed a number of notable nails-hard 5.14+ test-piece routes (Necessary Evil, VRG; Just Do It, Smith Rock), capped with her recent send of Algorithm (5.14c/d) in the Fins, Idaho.
But as usual, this isn’t really a climbing website and we’re not really here to talk about Paige’s climbing (don’t worry, we will a bit).
Continue reading “Paige Claassen: Making a Difference”
When it comes to jobs and careers, parents the world over tell their children more-or-less the same message: you can do anything you want in life. Follow your dreams, and the rest will work out in the end. Of course, those same parents leave early each morning to go to a job that — as statistics show — they probably don’t love.
Years later we find reality to be something a little bit different than a dream. Work is still work, we might have a boss with an ever-so-slightly different vision, and MY GOD why is that woman using the blender right now?!!
So, should we chase our dreams? Are we being misled by pages of digital content and feel-good aphorisms created by outliers? Let’s first begin with a true story.
Continue reading “Chasing Your Dreams is Probably a Bad Idea”
Do you ever pass on requesting vacation because you fear your work ethic will be called into question?
Do you avoid international travel because everything seems so different?
Are you convinced that crime is getting worse, so you should take more drastic measures to protect yourself and your family? Crime has in fact fallen sharply.
Above are just a few examples of how fear dictates our actions and inactions on a daily basis. Frankly, every week I fear that you, dear reader, won’t like what I write here. Boy, I sure hope you do. But are we letting our lives pass us by because we fear the unknown?
Continue reading “Fear: Here’s How It’s Holding You Back”
Ok folks, we’re back with Part 2 of the interview with Dave MacLeod. If you haven’t already checked out Part 1, please do so here.
Continue reading “Dave MacLeod: Life Outside the Box, Part 2”
A well-known phrase in East Asia goes something like this: “it’s better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox.” In my brief and cursory research for this post, I noticed several variations, including my personal favorite: “it’s better to be the head of an ass than the tail of a horse.” Either way, the phrase celebrates the entrepreneur, recognizing those who go out on their own.
The idea is profound, especially in modern times, where greater power in the employment market is being centralized with fewer and fewer individuals. Sure, a corporate job might feel safe, but in this post, we examine the human toll on being “the tail.”
Continue reading “The Entrepreneur: The Head of the Chicken”