

Success & Motivation - 2009 - jrbedard
http://blogmaverick.com/2009/06/09/success-motivation-2009/

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tdavis
_Recognize that its ok to live like a student._

Don't just recognize it's _ok_ , recognize it's pretty _damn awesome_.
Including my car (which has been paid off for at least a year), I don't have
$20,000 worth of possessions, period. And that figure is based on what I
_originally paid_ for my stuff. Most people have cars more expensive than all
my worldly possessions combined. That feels really good.

And what's more, I don't want anything else. This lifestyle is incredibly
liberating, unless of course you have a family, in which case this article
doesn't remotely apply to you anyway. Bottom line: the less you have to lose,
the more you can risk.

 _"It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."_

~~~
azanar
_And what's more, I don't want anything else. This lifestyle is incredibly
liberating, unless of course you have a family, in which case this article
doesn't remotely apply to you anyway._

It might more than you give it credit for. I realize, though, that it is
socially a faux pas to not provide that caveat. I know I've been called out
once or twice for not condemning risk taking in the context of a family.

That being said, having a family doesn't require that you start hoarding
possessions. It does mean increased expenses, and increased responsibility,
and probably not being able to live analogously to a student. But a couple I
and my wife are close friends with do not own much more in the way of
possessions, and are with two kids with a third on the way. It meant that when
one of them became unemployed, it wasn't a huge deal even with the kids, due
to the financial position that frugality created for them.

I think even people with families could take something from this article, even
if it isn't with the same gung-ho intensity someone who is bachelor might.

------
azanar
As much as I think the author means well, and is really passionate about all
of this, this article reads a bit like the speech of a motivational life
coach. The tone seems to trade some level-headed rationality for
sensationalist handwaving. Then again, maybe I'm not who he is targeting here;
some of this is just reinforcing things I already try to do.

I'm especially annoyed by this point: "In this type of economy getting a job
is tough if not often impossible." This flies in the face of the rest of his
thesis of point 2, which is to go try many different jobs until you find the
one that is right for you. I don't see how these two behaviors can coexist
unless you are becoming the waiter at your own restaurant, launderer at your
own cleaning storefront, freelance door to door vacuum cleaner sales man, and
a night janitor for each of these, all in a nine-to-twelve month period.

And then the usual nod to "this kind of economy," which has some amount of
truth as a compounding risk factor, but has become the universal justification
for refusing to change anything.

But, within the platitudes, there are some good ideas.

If you are after flexibility, then, as much as you can, live like a student.
He's not the only one to say this, but it is true. Doing that will increase
the rate you are saving money; enough of doing that, pretty much anything,
including going income-less for a while, doesn't seem _that_ irresponsible
anymore.

"If you love what you do so much that you are willing to continue to live like
a student in order to be able to stay in the job, you have found your
calling." Maybe, but don't undersell yourself, either. What you provide has
value which you should get some benefit from, regardless of how good you might
be at rationalizing.

Finally, I disagree that everyone is a poor judge of their own abilities, and
especially that everyone will overestimate. Plenty of people are, granted, but
not so many I think a blanket generalization is warranted.

------
fallentimes
_"That's OK. You don’t have to be right every time. You just have to be right
one time."_

I sent this post to my younger sister who just graduated from the University
of Michigan with a degree in Industrial Design (I got to hear Larry Page speak
at her commencement :-D), got engaged and moved to North Carolina without a
job.

I bookmarked it for myself for when I feel like complaining.

------
edw519
"It doesn't matter."

Funny. Every time I read that, I feel better. I must be stressing too much
over little things.

"You don’t have to be right everytime. You just have to be right one time."

Interesting. Kinda makes me want to try more things. The more darts I throw,
the sooner (probably) I'll hit the bullseye.

