Go from burnt out to FIREd up.
Dr. Jim Dahle, a.k.a. the White Coat Investor, is the hardest working and most entrepreneurial physician finance blogger in the space, and he’s developed an online course to spoon feed the financial GOMERs among us. As far as I’m concerned, every bit of help that weans us off the teat of Big Advisor is a welcome addition to old fashioned …
It’s been a strange week – my latest career reinvention is coming to a conclusion, and in a few months it will be the first time I’ve not worked or studied since age sixteen. A friend in a similar position had informed me at the start that the average tenure of such jobs was roughly 5 years, and he turned …
A year ago, I joined my wife for a brunch with an old friend from college. He brought along a friend, a warm acquaintance of my wife’s, and we sat an indulged good food and excellent conversation. At one point, during a natural turn in our conversation, the acquaintance asked me if I ever thought about what comes next in …
One of the major benefits of blogging is the world of curious, like-minded people it has helped me connect with over the years. I realize that curious can mean either exhibiting interest in the surrounding world or being a specimen so unusual as to elicit curiosity from others. Both definitions apply to this crowd. I began writing during the golden …
As part of a book club that attracts folks at an inflection point, I’m currently reading Jim Collins’ What To Make of a Life. I’ve not read his other books, but apparently he has quite a following in the tech / business world, and the founder of this book club is a Business School professor. The book consists of a …
This summer’s family vacation to southeast Asia was harder travel than prior trips. The heat, the humidity, and the monsoon rains that ranged from refreshing to torrential street floods were substantial. (A sample weather app reading during the trip: 97 degrees F, feels like 107). The 26 hour travel time to arrive, combined with the bureaucratic hassles of obtaining permission …
[Written in April, with apologies for the delayed publication] In a week, we head to visit the in-state university where our eldest has committed to spend the next four years of her life. My wife, who feels each kid’s pain at twice the intensity felt by the kid, fortunately also feels each kid’s success with twice the delight. Her feet …
I’ve tried to keep busy this week. Coffee with a friend I met in kindergarten. Dedicating at least an hour every day I’m off to creating art, the first protected time I’ve carved out for that in a long while. Meeting as part of a group that is fund-raising for an institution that means a lot to our family. Then, …
I spend a lot of time thinking about what comes next. Like many aspects of my personality, this is a pathology with utility. It has served me well in personal finance. My preoccupation has resulted in early financial independence (FI), which is a boon for our family. At other times, however this laser-focus on the path ahead causes me to …
I have remained close with a friend from childhood. We met in a summer university program when we were in high school. I began dating her close friend at the same time my close friend in the program began dating her. After the program ended, we began a correspondence that lasted decades – on my end, it was the single …
Compass values ensure decision-making is aligned with your authentic motives, mores and plans for growth. The book I am reading suggests that you can hone in on compass values by reviewing how you view life, work and your current narrative. I am not a natural at reading self-help books, and it takes repeated effort to set aside time to follow …