wisdom of a small black dog

5 years away - and 5 years from now I will be debt free. How? Because I am going to work my ass off to get there. I have never had a great relationship with money - nothing terrible - but it always seems to be a few years up, and a few years down. 

So it’s called life. I am not claiming to be that different than anyone else.

A few years ago I was debt free except for my student loan and it felt great. Yup, a student loan still at my age - right? It is my nemesis....that student loan.

I have had a few years of great experiences, and what I call “upgrades,” the downside is that I am now going to have a few years of being content with what I have and downsizing - my debt.

I have my trip back to heaven - Tanzania - in February but other than that I am living life on the DL to get myself back on track. 

I had heard of something called “snowballing debt payment” so I looked up the concept and set myself up with a pre-made snowball spreadsheet to keep me honest.

Today I had to choose between working on a project I have wanted to work on for awhile now and reporting to a manager who is awful (think been to HR awful, demoralizing, low EQ, arrogant, etc.) or not taking the project and staying with a manager who respects me, and collaborates with me.

I don’t understand people that post things like this on Facebook, 

“My feelings right now are hurt by others actions, and I hate being hurt, as I'm sure does everyone. I have to find a way to not let myself get hurt, I just don't know how to do that yet.

Years ago this would be something privately shared with a therapist, a spouse, or a close friend. Now it gets shared with 324 friends on Facebook. I don’t even really know this person (yet I am one of the 324 friends).

This is just one example that I happened to come across today. When I read things like this, all I hear is, “PLEASE VALIDATE ME, tell me I am great, I am OK, I am right to feel this way.”

Don’t get me wrong I too am someone who aims to please and who seeks affirmation (more than I should I know), I am someone who uses Facebook  - as social entertainment, and a way to see photos from friends and family. I laugh at silly animal videos, post photos of my dog and ramble about cool places I visit. I guess I just find it weird to use it as a place to complain or seek validation - out there so publicly. I have a love hate relationship with social media like that. Doesn’t everyone realize that Facebook is an alternate or at least a very separate parallel universe.

I get really bothered by people who put time on Facebook before “in real life”. This happened to me on a vacation recently too - and it really bummed me out. The person I was traveling with (in my opinion) simply cannot put it down.  I actually have several photos of her on FB while I was sitting right near her.

I have always hated the question, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” I never really have an answer. Usually I default to saying something like, “in a place better than I am today, depending on what comes my way.”

Passive. 

Lately as I get pretty darn close to 5-years away from 50 years old I have been giving that question some more in-depth thought. I can hardly believe that I am even writing a sentence that has 50-years old in it but for some reason it excites me as much as I think, “Oh my god.”

I have always played it safe and responsible job wise. It has served me well, but I have ever been doing something I love. When I came back from Africa my perspective had changed.

So here we go at the 10,000 foot level - gotta start somewhere.....

1. Pay off everything in the next 5-6 years (this is THE KEY step!)

2. Work with JW part-time on the stuff we talked about last Friday (still keeping it on the DL for now). Become indispensable to her (also a KEY step)

3.When I hit the “sweet spot” (56 years old) at my current job (years of service (19) + age  (56) => 75) retire from there with the health insurance benefit.

3a) Alternatively I could drop down to 3 days a week at my current job and start doing 3 days a week in a new venture. This would delay my retirement age though.