The First Time I Chose Me

Do you remember the first time you went against what society, your friends, your family thought you should do or were telling you to do? Do you remember the first time you chose to do something that you wanted to do, even if it made you feel really uncomfortable? Did it make you feel just a little bit freer?

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Have You Ever Tried Meditating?

I know, I know. This is “supposed” to be a personal finance blog. But hear me out! I know there are TONS of thoughts out there about meditation. I don’t think I’ve ever met two people who feel the same way about meditation. Even I, as a neuroscientist who has read the research on meditation’s beneficial effects on the brain, was skeptical for the longest time. But after giving it a try in 2015 when I had nothing else to lose, I can honestly say it has done wonders of good in my life. If you’ve never given meditation a try (or you’ve only given it a little bit of a try and sworn it off), this post is for you.

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Flipping The Script At Work

My 1-year anniversary at a job I am actually really enjoying was this week! In honor of this milestone, and based on something I heard on a recent podcast, today I want to talk about the potential power behind flipping the script at work.

If you’re still working a W2 job like me, do you avoid telling your boss that you don’t want that coveted promotion? That you actually have no interest in climbing up the ladder? If so, you’re not alone. I’m right there with you. But if you think you have to hide these thoughts from your boss, I’m here today to suggest another way.

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How Slow FI Helps Get Me Through Tough Times

I don’t know about you, but I find the news especially hard to take these days. I have pretty good boundaries when it comes to my intake of news, but regardless, things have felt really rough lately. Upon reflection, I think that the principles of Slow FI and my journey to financial independence are the main factors getting me through.

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Spending On Bucket List Items

Large purchases have always been tough for me, especially on things I want but don’t really need. I have made leaps and bounds when it comes to spending in all different categories, but I’m here today to tackle the topic of spending on bucket list items.

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What Sparks You In Work And Life?

The 4th of July weekend is about to be upon us, and so what better topic for the blog today then to discuss what sparks you in work and in life!

If you’ve read my story, you know that not so long ago, I was on the hamster wheel of work and life, with no clear way off but also no real intention of getting off the wheel. Then, a lot of things collided for me all at once. I took a pay cut for a job that ended up providing me with more time outside of work than I’d ever had in my life, I discovered Slow financial independence (FI), and I discovered my Sparketype, to name a few.

What is a Sparketype, you might be asking? Well, I’m here today to tell you all about it!

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Bus Update: We Got A Boat!

Yes, you read that right! No, we still do not have our bus and yes, a few weeks ago we bought a boat! What gives?

Well, our motto around here is finding joy on the path to financial independence. More specifically, we are of the thinking that you don’t need to reach financial independence before you can start living your best life. So, what is bringing us joy this summer? Our new-to-us fishing boat!

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The Magic Of An Organized Email Inbox

For the past few weeks on the blog, I’ve been writing a lot about goals. First, I shared my yearly goal-setting process. Last week, I wrote about how goal setting helps me make decisions.

This week, I want to tell you a little tale about how, when I recently decided to clean out and organize my email, I unknowingly aligned my inbox with my values and goals.

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How Goal Setting Helps Me Make Decisions

Last week, I wrote about my process of setting my yearly goals. In that post, I mentioned how setting goals has helped tremendously with my decision-making process. This week, I want to dive deeper into this topic.

I recently heard a story about a friend of a friend. I was told that this person uses her values to make all her decisions. When a decision is put in front of her, she advocates that it is easy for her to say yes or no because all she has to do is ask herself if what she is being asked to do aligns with her values.

I admired this strategy, but I immediately knew I wasn’t there yet. My first, gut reaction was that’s great and all, but does she feel any guilt about her decisions? Apparently the answer is no, but the guilt that comes with decision making is where I struggle most.

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How I Set My Goals

It’s June! Things are getting warmer and greener here in Vermont. In addition to a changing season, it’s also about the time I like to do my mid-year goal review with myself. Because I’m doing my own goal check-in, I thought what better time than now to share with my readers how I actually set my yearly goals?

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