Mixing friendship and finances can be tricky. In this post, Jaime (from Keep Thrifty) and I explore our thoughts on the impacts money can have on our relationships.
Hello, and welcome to Shift Upwards!
We are taught not to question the ridiculous levels of consumption and waste as a way of life in our culture. When Annelise and I downsized our lives a year ago, we saw first-hand just how wasteful we can be…and that’s after years of making less-ridiculous decisions about what to bring into our lives.
I attended a retirement seminar at my last job. Not only was I the youngest person in the room, I got some funny looks. But you know what’s actually weird? Being old and deciding to finally figure out how your retirement plan works. With time being a critical ingredient of any successful savings plan, it should be the case that younger people attend seminars like this in droves.
I’m obsessed with money, because I’m good at it and because it’s tangible. I can easily quantify it, and measure my accomplishments. Because of this, it’s become a vice that I turn to when I want to distract myself from the things I find difficult. Having an increased awareness of this behavior helps me redirect my energy to what matters most.
There is a widespread narrative around passion and courage when it comes to finding fulfilling work. We are told to find our passions, and courageously pursue them. We are then told that if we are stuck, we simply aren’t looking hard enough. Or maybe we aren’t summoning enough courage to take a leap.
This leads to an unsettled state of anxiety around our careers; we are always looking for the thing that will fulfill us. Or we are busy wondering why we don’t have the courage to go after it.
Cal Newport disagrees with the messaging around passion and courage. Yes, passion is important – but it’s a side effect of good work, rather than a precursor to it. Courage, too, is important – but it shouldn’t be deployed prior to building a strong foundation from which to take a leap.
These are the overarching viewpoints within So Good They Can’t Ignore You, which I read and loved. Inside is a detailed summary of the powerful lessons and ideas in the book.