Riddle Me This

What's something we take for granted when we have it, then desperately crave it when we don't?

It's relatively affordable to keep, but very expensive to get back.

Though we know it's important, we'll trade it away for things that feel even more important.

Do you have a guess?

Our health. We have an interesting relationship with health in our culture. On one hand, we're obsessed with fad diets, drinking plenty of water, and getting exercise. These are multi-billion-dollar industries, after all. On the other hand, we simultaneously sabotage ourselves when it comes to actually being healthy. We're so busy with the rigors of life, parenting, activities, and trying to make money that we're high on stress, lacking in sleep, and strained every which way. We make a few good decisions, then make a bunch of bad ones. Then, make a few more good ones, followed by a bunch more bad ones.

For the record, I'm not talking down to you. I'm one of the worst offenders. Coincidentally (or not!), my health has been terrible lately. Frequent migraines, a lack of sleep, and a sickness that's come and gone for several weeks now. I'm not living my best life.....far from it. It would be easy for me to blame a bug my kids brought home from school, or simply bad luck, but there's no doubt my decisions have played an influential negative role. I take my health for granted when I have it, but I'm desperate to get it back when it leaves. That's where I'm at right now.

At the same time, many people in my life are dealing with significant health issues. Scary times. Life-altering situations. I feel for them so much. Like me, they may have taken health for granted when they had it.......but now want nothing more than to get it back.

It's humbling. It's scary. It's a wake-up call. Regardless of what endeavors we pursue in life (and many are amazing), we ought not lose sight of our health. There's no amount of money, status, or accomplishment that's worth losing our health over. If we have all the money in the world but can't live a respectable quality of life due to our health, what do we really have?

It's a sobering reminder. Many people have learned this lesson the hard way.....sometimes too late. Maybe we don't have to. Maybe we can use this as a reminder to reset our priorities and values to focus on the right measuring stick.

We should invest in our health. The word "invest" probably has many meanings here. We can literally invest money into a healthier lifestyle. But we need to invest our time, energy, and discipline into being intentional with our health. The best news is those things are free! Talk about a positive return on investment! This will be one of my top focuses in the weeks and months to come. I said it, and now I need to live it.

Stay healthy, friends!

Tangibility Bias

If you had $100, would you use it to:

1. Buy that object you've been wanting.

2. Give it to someone who is struggling.

3. Pay down a debt.

4. Save it for an upcoming expense.

5. Go out for a fun meal.

Let's up the ante. If you had $25,000, would you use it to:

1. Deposit it into your kid's college fund.

2. Give it away to a charitable organization.

3. Buy a vehicle.

4. Use it as a downpayment for a house.

5. Contribute to your retirement account.

In the first example, most people would buy the object or the meal. In the second example, most people would use it to buy a car or a house. It's not because these are right or wrong decisions. It's because of something subconscious. I've watched people make these decisions for years. Time and time again, I can guess what most people will do.

It's called tangibility bias. It's subconsciously prioritizing things we can see, touch, and feel. Houses, vehicles, and possessions all fit this category. People are allured to the idea of buying something they can physically see. Some of these things can be good things, but it often comes at the expense of other less tangible things. Things such as retirement investing, college funds, generosity, and future needs.

• It's why a person doesn't bat an eye at their $800 car payment, but "can't afford" to invest $200 into retirement. Never fret, though, as the car "is very reliable and will hold its value well." 

• It's why a person will go from spending 30% of their income on renting a house to buying a house where they are now spending 60% of their income on their house payment. All in the name of "not throwing away money on rent." 

• It's why a person will run to the nearest Apple store to drop $1,000+ on the newest iPhone, but perpetually has less than $100 in their emergency fund. 

All three of these are real stories. There's a lot going on in each, but tangibility bias is in full force. When spending money on items we can touch, see, and feel, we'll jump through all sorts of mental, emotional, psychological, and financial hoops. 

Speaking of financial hoops, this is one of the reasons why Americans are saddled with record-high credit card, auto, and mortgage debt. At the same time, we are more under-prepared for our kids' college and our retirement than ever before. 

This is the risk of tangibility bias. We can't touch, see, or feel these other items. However, in due time, we'll touch, see, and feel the pain and turmoil we set up for ourselves. Setting our children up to be crippled with student loans. Backing ourselves into a corner where we're forced to work full-time into our 70s or 80s just to pay the bills. Putting ourselves in a position where we are cash-strapped because of our car and house payments. 

Be aware of tangibility bias. As G.I. Joe once told me, knowing is half the battle!

The Meaningless Meaning

Do you have any silly little habits, traditions, or activities in your life that don't have much meaning, yet provide a lot of meaning? Here's an example. Last night was the draft for our 12th annual fantasy NBA basketball league. Our 12-person league is comprised of friends, colleagues, and friends and colleagues of friends and colleagues. Some of these people have been my friends for decades, while others I've never actually met in person. This silly little league is a mainstay in my life each year from late October through mid-April.

It's not something we do because of the money. We each pitch in $50 and pay out the top half of the league, but that's just meant to keep people accountable. There's no good reason to participate in this league outside of enjoying basketball and camaraderie with the other league members. That's one of the beautiful things about it. It's a simple and innocent activity in a world that feels anything but simple and innocent.

There's an irony in these types of activities in our lives. There's no meaning to it, yet it produces meaning. These types of opportunities are all around us, but they are easy to miss. In the rigors of life, we often overlook them or avoid them because they seem somewhat pointless. After all, there's no tangible value to them. But we need to look deeper. It's not really about a make-believe sports league where we can live out our wannabe GM life. Instead, it's about community, investing in relationships, sharing experiences with others, and enjoying a sport we've grown up playing and watching. That, in my book, is meaningful.

I think about my friend who collects Star Wars memorabilia. I think about my friends who play in a bowling league. I think about my colleagues who are ritualistic about their weekly trivia night. I think about my client who rebuilds antique guns. I could give dozens more examples of people who get meaning from seemingly meaningless things. These things are unique, quirky, simple, innocent, and oh so meaningful.

What about you? Do you have any meaningless things in your life that actually provide meaning? I'd love to hear your versions of this!

As an aside, the image below is me showing off the amazing team I built in last night's draft. Now you know who to cheer for!

Don’t Wait Alone

Yesterday, our church celebrated its 25th birthday. The service was a series of stories, testimonials, and interviews with people who have been part of our church over the years. Awesome day! Through it all, the concept of family and community kept coming up. This felt fitting, as the people in our church are family to us. We've experienced so much life in the 12 years of being part of our church, which flooded my mind as I sat there.

One particular memory stood out. It's a story that I don't often share. I had an inkling to write about it, but I was unsure. Then, something happened. Or rather, someone happened. My friend Suzanne was on stage sharing about her journey. She ended her story with three powerful words: "Don't wait alone."

---

Sarah and I started trying to have a child when we were right around 30. We had been married for a few years at that point. Those first few years of marriage were spent traveling, paying off debt, enjoying being together, and learning how to be husband and wife. Then, the day came when we knew it was time to have a child. It's a pretty simple process, or so my fifth-grade science class taught me. Our reality was anything but simple.

After about nine unsuccessful months, we started getting worried. That began a brutal series of medical consultations, tests, procedures, and suffering. We were in our early 30s, facing a fork in the road. The fork wasn't medical...it was community. We were surrounded by countless people who loved us dearly, yet we were suffering in silence. This was our fork. We could either a) continue to bear this weight alone (while people would likely talk behind our back), or b) allow others to carry some of this weight and be there to support us. We chose the latter. We chose transparency.

What came from that experience was absolutely life-changing. We were in the midst of the most painful season of our lives, yet experiencing the beauty of true community. We suffered, but we weren't alone. Every step of the way, people were there to pick us up when we couldn't.

One of the most powerful moments of my life was sitting through service on Father's Day, just two days after losing a child that would have made me a dad. It was arguably the worst day of my life. I could have stayed home and hid, but I needed my church family.

Family cuts both ways. On the one hand, they are there to mourn with you, but on the other hand, they are there to celebrate with you, too. Just four months later, we became parents to two beautiful baby boys. Our church family was right beside us, celebrating like it was their own. I couldn't believe how happy everyone was. It was almost like these children were theirs......and in a way, they were. It's a true love I hope my kids someday recognize.

"Don't wait alone." You got that so right, Suzanne.

Today is the 7-year anniversary of bringing those two little 4-week-olds home. It’s typically called “gotcha day” in the adoption world, but we just call it the day we became a family. We will celebrate by sharing pictures, videos, and stories with the boys. Oh yeah, and maybe some treats. Below is the first photo taken after bringing the kids home on that crisp October 23rd morning.

The Sunday Scaries

Happy Sunday! Depending on what time of day you're reading this, your mood could be vastly different. Studies show that 4PM on Sunday is the most depressing hour of the week. The fun weekend is almost complete, and now our brain is shifting its attention to tomorrow. And considering 70% of Americans dislike or hate their job, the mere thought of Monday makes most people cringe. Some refer to it as the Sunday Scaries.

Whether we know about the 4PM on Sunday statistic or not, we know about the Sunday Scaries. It's all around us. We either feel it, know someone close to us who feels it, or see it manifest in our culture. The concept that Monday sucks is ubiquitous in our society. It leaks out through our cultural pores. Movies, music, TV, social media. Dread and Mondays go together like peanut butter and jelly. I often think about the song, Migraine, by Twenty One Pilots. Check out this verse:

Thank God it's Friday, 'cause Fridays will always

be better than Sundays, 'cause Sundays are my suicide days.

I don't know why they always seem so dismal.

Thunderstorms, clouds, snow, and a slight drizzle.

The Sunday Scaries stick with us, too. I was talking to a friend last night when she made a specific reference to her Sunday Scaries. Hers are not caused by what she will do on Monday, but rather what she used to do on Mondays decades ago. That's right. She used to dread Mondays so much that it's tainted the mere idea of Mondays decades later. That's how engrained the Sunday Scaries can be.....almost like it gets into our blood.

Here's the good news. We CAN reverse this curse. If 70% of Americans dislike or hate their job, that means 30% like or love their job. And if they do, so can you! I hope you get to a point in life where Monday is your favorite day of the week. A life where weekends are fun, but Mondays are full of promise, meaning, and impact. That reality does exist. I promise you that.

However, there's a catch. There's always a catch. In order to attain it, we typically must stop pursuing more. More money, more stuff, and more status. It doesn't mean we'll be poor or have little; rather, it means we're chasing after something different....something better. Work that matters.

I have a memory seared into my brain. I was having a beer with a friend one Sunday afternoon. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and we were enjoying a cold drink on a patio. All the while, he looked miserable. His eyes looked tired, borderline lifeless. He was suffering from the Sunday Scaries. I asked him point blank if all his stuff and bank accounts were worth it. He half-heartedly nodded his head yes, but he looked unsure. Fast forward many years, and he still has that same look in his eyes.

Sunday Scaries are a choice. I choose a life without them. How about you?

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

A few days ago, I wrote about how most of us believe our investments are doing well, but that may not always be true. I used the example of a family who may unknowingly end up with $1.7M LESS. We don't know what we don't know.

In the last few days, I received dozens of messages from people asking what's actually good. Most of them perceive their investments as "doing good," but doubt started to creep in after reading that post. To figure it out, they dug into their investments in one of two ways: 1) look at what the trailing annual returns were for the last 5, 10, 15, or 20 years (which you can often find on your statements.....especially if you've been investing for a while), or 2) look at each fund in their portfolio to see what that specific fund has done over those periods (and use the proportions to run some averages). 

Results were all across the board. Examples include 6% per year, 7% per year, and even 8% per year (and everywhere in between). There was even a 9%ish number in there! Most people felt these numbers were solid. But the question attached to each inquiry was what to compare it to. Was it actually good? Were these numbers up to par? Were they unknowingly underperforming?

Here are a few numbers to consider. The following is the performance of a popular total stock market index fund containing approximately 3,800 U.S. companies of all shapes and sizes, wrapped up in one inexpensive and accessible investment. We can view this as the barometer for the entirety of the U.S. stock market. These numbers represent an average annual return over the designated period:

• Last 5 years: 10.2% per year

• Last 10 years: 10.7% per year

• Last 15 years: 12.7% per year

Through the lens of these numbers, the results submitted to me by readers look really sad. As a reminder, in the illustration I ran the other day, a 2% difference resulted in a $1.7M worse result for the family in the example. Based on our reader's numbers, we're talking about 3%, 4%, 5%, and even 6% difference between what they are getting and what the market is getting. This can be the make or break between having enough down the road....or not. This discrepancy gets magnified the younger the investor is. 

Ouch! Here's the good news. What's in front of us is more important than what's behind us. Let's say we're 40 years old and have been investing for 15 years. Sure, it would have been nice to have better returns for the first 15 years. However, you still have 40+ years ahead of you......with a higher base to start with. 

Let me end with this. Yes, it feels scary. Nobody wants to take risks. In the 153-year history of the U.S. stock market, there's never been a 15-year period where the market lost money Ever. The worst was +1.15% per year from 1929-1943. While past performance never dictates future results, that doesn't feel overly risky.

This post is a lot more about money than meaning, but it’s important we handle our finances with confidence. When we do, we worry a lot less and can focus on what’s really important….the meaning!

*This post does not constitute formal financial advice. It is meant to provide general insight without the full context of each person's financial situation. 

The Many (Noble) Roles of Businesses

Businesses get a bad rap. For whatever sick and twisted reasons, businesses get pigeonholed as soulless entities whose sole role is to take advantage of people while extracting as much money from them as humanly possible. This is absolute nonsense, of course. Businesses don't thrive by taking advantage of people. They thrive by adding value to people's lives, which earns them the right to add more value to more people's lives. The more people they serve, the more financial success they can achieve. 

While it's true that one objective for most businesses is to make a profit, that's just one of many roles. If you were to interview most business owners, many roles and objectives would be mentioned:

• Provide valuable jobs for their employees.

• Add value to their customers' lives. 

• Engage in fulfilling work.

• Make an impact on this world.

• Give back to the local community. 

• Build something they can be proud of. 

• The list goes on and on.....

I was reminded of this last night while attending a trunk or treat event a few blocks from my house. As we were surrounded by hundreds (or thousands?) of people, I got a bit sentimental while taking it in. This event was planned, executed, and made possible by the countless businesses who raised their hand and stepped forward. 

Each "trunk" was funded, set up, staffed, and represented by a business. They could have easily slapped their business name on a sign and plopped a big tub of candy on a table for kids to grab. Few did that. Instead, most businesses picked a theme, decorated like crazy, and got creative with their treats. One of my friends went full-out Ghostbusters (uniforms included!). Another friend did a shark attack schtick. Then a handful of other friends went all-out Ninja Turtles. Not only did they pass out candy, but they arranged for the pizza shop across the street to deliver five pizzas every 30 minutes so they could hand out slices to all the kids and parents. Ninja Turtles handing out pizza at a trunk or treat!!!! It was brilliant, and it made people smile. 

That's what business means to me. Turning a profit is the act serving those who we wish to serve, then re-earning the right to do it again next month. There's nothing evil in that. In fact, it's a noble endeavor. The world is a better place when it's full of businesses that add value to people's lives. 

My life is better when that local restaurant is there to serve my family a tasty meal.

My life is better when that real estate agent is there to help me buy or sell a property.

My life is better when my chiropractor is there to snap my body back into place.

My life is better when the grocery store up the street from my house sells fresh food.

My life is better when that coffee shop is willing to make me a drink.

Businesses have many roles, and they are all valuable. 

A Novel Concept

Yesterday, I met with someone who I completely disagree with on a specific topic. Oh yeah, and he disagrees with me. We actually met to talk about this very topic. There was no hate, no animosity, and no tension. Just a productive conversation. Novel concept, I know.

We each shared why we believe what we do and why we disagree with the other person's perspective. It was engaging, educational, and perhaps even fun. I learned a lot from his insights, and he said the same about mine. When we closed the conversation, I don't think either of us had changed our minds. However, we both walked away with a better understanding of the other person's perspective and some things to ponder.

While I don't know if I'll ever fully agree with his viewpoint, I definitely view it differently now that I have additional context and perspective. This will help me grow, think clearer, and become more well-rounded. That's a huge win in my book. Further, I'm grateful this person trusted me enough to be willing to go there with the conversation. I greatly respect him for that.

I'm staying intentionally vague with the exact topic of our conversation because this idea applies to most areas of life. I think we've lost the ability to live with those we disagree with. Our polarized culture says we need to toss them aside and steer clear. After all, they aren't like us. They are the bad guys. They must be ignored. They must be stopped. I'm not a fan of this mentality.....even though it can be an easy go-to.

Instead of treating them like enemies, we should embrace them as friends. Despite our differences, most of us have far more in common than we have conflicting. There's a richness to life when we can learn from and engage with people we don't see eye to eye. I'm grateful for these relationships in my life. I hope you have some in yours as well!

Sometimes, "Pretty Good" Sucks

I recently had a conversation that I repeat multiple times per week. I was meeting with a friend, and the topic of investing came up. They mentioned they use a financial planner who does a "pretty good job." This comment always sets off my red flag and warning sirens. What is the definition of a pretty good job? How do we know our investments are performing well? Because they are going up? Because they are being watched? Because they are spread across a few dozen funds that sound like some sort of twisted alphabet soup? Because they are being managed by someone we know and trust? 

I asked them what company they use for their investments. In my head, all I could think was, "please don't say xyz, please don't say xyz, please don't say xyz." "We work with xyz." Nooooooo! That's the moment I knew they were in a tough spot. For what it's worth, xyz is a very prominent, highly respected, broadly welcomed financial advising company. Before I go on, please let me clarify that nothing this company does is inherently immoral, illegal, or ill-intentioned. Rather, they do things the old way. By "the old way," I mean the way things used to be done before they didn't need to be done that way anymore. In today's world, we have access to the very best funds in the world, at the tip of our fingers (er, screen), at little to no cost. 

Knowing what company they are working with, I know the general lay of the land. They are most likely paying around 1.25% for management fees and have a portfolio that will, over a long period of time, perform at least 0.75% worse than the overall stock market. Therefore, this person is likely invested in a portfolio that will perpetually perform 2% less than the overall stock market. If the stock market performs at a long-term 9% (just below its historical average), this person may receive 7%. This doesn't seem like a meaningful difference, but let's look at the math:

Here are the assumptions:

• Current age: 42

• Ending age: 65

• Current balance: $500,000

• Annual contributions: $25,000

• These are very simple, rough numbers for illustrative purposes.

At age 65, their current strategy would result in a balance of approximately $3,700,000. See, that's pretty good! That's a lot of money! Their person did a great job! 

But wait, what about the other way? If this person were to simply invest in the overall market (readily accessible to each of us at practically no cost), they would have approximately $5,400,000 instead. That's a $1,700,000 difference!!! I don't know the definition of "pretty good," but in my book, ending up $1,700,000 worse off fails my smell test. 

This isn't my friend's fault. After all, nobody teaches us this stuff! Here's the beautiful part, though. All it takes is one simple tweak. It seems too good to be true, but it's not. 

Turning the Tables

In yesterday's post, I mentioned how my friends considered their $700 Taylor Swift concert tickets a bargain. On the surface, this seems absurd. However, their perspective makes sense through the lens of value vs. cost. I've been receiving a lot of feedback from this post. Some people think $700 for concert tickets is ridiculous, but the sentiment landed with many. 

It's the paradox with spending. Some of the best values in our lives are things other people just scratch their heads at. I love this tension. I love how unique we are wired. 

Today, I want to hear yours. What purchases in your life seem like a bargain to you, while many others simply scratch their head (and possibly talk about you behind your back)? I'll go first. Here are a few of the things that can sometimes cause tension in the minds of others:

• Monthly massages (oh so good)

• Drycleaning all my dress shirts (I always love my crisp shirts)

• Killer seats when I go to a live sporting event (I don't go to many, but love going all-in when I do)

• Christian education for our kids (a lot vs. free is an interesting equation)

• Apple laptops (wow, they are expensive!)

Each of these items adds a ton of value to my/our life, yet at the same time, some people look at me like I'm a crazy person. I love that! Now that I've gone, it's your turn! Please reply to this e-mail (if you're an e-mail subscriber) or drop a comment on the webpage. I want to know what items you spend money on that are simultaneously a bargain for you and a head-scratcher to many others. I'm going to compile them and share them in a future post. 

Have an awesome day, and keep making people scratch their heads!

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The $700 Bargain & $50 Ripoff

Last week, I took the boys to a popular local attraction. I won't use the business's name, as the point of this post isn't to drag a local organization through the mud. I paid $50 for us to get in. We had a pretty good time, but it was honestly one of the biggest ripoffs I've experienced in quite some time. I kind of knew I was putting myself in that position, but it felt worse than I anticipated. Needless to say, I hope never to make that mistake again.

On the flip side, my friends Steve and Whitney recently paid $700 for tickets to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. When I ask them (specifically Whitney) about the experience, she lights up. That was a bucket list item for her. She could go on and on and on about that night. She even carried the joy of that event for the months BEFORE the concert. If they were being honest, that $700 was a bargain.

They paid 14x the amount I paid for my family's recent outing, which lasted about the same amount of time. My 1/14th cost was a ripoff, and their 14x cost was a bargain. Not all costs are created equal, for one big reason: value.

The cost is never just about the cost. The cost is only one measurement. The other measurement needed is value. How much value does it bring us? In the case of my family outing, it was less than $50. In the case of my friend's Taylor Swift experience, it was more than $700.

This concept applies in every aspect of our life. Here's another example. I just threw away my favorite pair of boots. I paid $75 for them and have worn them for two years. They were wonderful.....but now they are trash. I had to throw them away.....it was a sad day in my house. I'm in the process of buying a new pair that will cost $250. On the surface, that seems steep considering my last pair cost only $75. However, these new boots should last at least 10+ years (according to the company and friend testimonials). If true, the $250 price tag will seem like a bargain despite being 3x more expensive than my last pair.

I encourage you today to view everything through the lens of cost & value. If the value (to you!) is greater than the cost, it could be a bargain. If the opposite, it may be a ripoff. This type of analysis changes the way we perceive spending money. It prevents us from buying stuff we shouldn't, and encourages us to buy stuff we might otherwise shy away from.

As with all things, it's about creating a healthy relationship with how we perceive and handle the money we're blessed to manage. What an amazing responsibility and opportunity!

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Death to Girl Math, Death to Boy Math

There's a new social media trend that's both silly and worrisome. It was initially called "girl math," which highlighted some of the psychological games women play on themselves to justify financial decisions. Women quickly turned the tables and started highlighting some of the ridiculous psychological games men play on themselves. Here are a few examples:

• If you spend $100 at a store and get a $10 gift card in return, that's income.

• If something costs $5.99, we mentally round it down and consider it $5. Or if something costs $47, we round it down to $40.

• Shipping will cost $5, so we add a $10 item to get free shipping....meaning we "saved" $5.

• If something costs less than $5, it doesn't really count (because that's too small to matter).

• Tattoos are essentially free, as you'll have them the rest of your life. If you live another 50 years, a $100 tattoo costs about 1/2 cent per day.....i.e. it's free.

• If you were thinking about buying a $80 product and ultimately buy a $40 product instead, you made $40. 

These posts were pretty silly, but what made them go viral was the discovered reality that many of us play the exact same psychological games on ourselves. Over time, however, the idea of "boy math" and "girl math" has taken on a whole new life. Instead of being silly, these posts have become more demeaning and condescending. While much of this new stuff is pretty dark, I wanted to share one that nearly made me spit my coffee out in laughter. 

"Boy math is being afraid of gold diggers when you only have three pairs of socks to your name."

I digress. While the original idea of girl math and boy math are generally innocent, we should shine a light on the overarching risk here. We humans love to play psychological tricks on ourselves to justify our decisions. It's one thing to do it, but it becomes something even more significant when we start to normalize, rationalize, and encourage it. 

I see the implications of boy math and girl math every day. I watch couples play mental gymnastics with themselves to justify all sorts of self-sabotaging behavior. Here's the good news. We can kill boy math and girl math in our life. Just knowing we're subject to these psychological effects can allow us to be more self-aware and make better decisions. 

At the heart of this is our desire to remove guilt. When we can justify a decision, it allows us to scrap the guilt and replace it with satisfaction. My encouragement is to face reality on reality's terms. Call something what it is, understand the true reason for our desires, and understand the actual cost of this decision at face value. Then, we can make the best decision for us. No guilt, no second-guessing, no games. If it adds more value (to us) than it costs, it's part of the budget, and we're not going into debt, then do it!

It Doesn’t Have to Make Sense

I love, love, love when people make decisions that fly in the face of our prevailing culture. Decisions that make people scratch their heads. Decisions that cause our loved ones to question our sanity. Decisions that lead others to talk behind our backs.

One of my friends recently made such a decision. As he was living out the final years of his career, he decided to make a drastic shift. He was perched at the helm of a fairly prestigious position at a notable institution, presumably set to coast out the remaining few years of his career in comfort before riding off into the sunset.

Today, he's settling into a new career at a new organization. Instead of coasting in comfort, he's diving head-first into discomfort. He could have taken an easy path toward the finish line, but he's choosing the road less traveled. This was a significantly counter-cultural decision, which was not lost on him as he contemplated his next steps.

Does he regret it? Did he make a mistake? Did it blow up in his face? I recently had the opportunity to ask him about it. He couldn't be happier! He's challenged in entirely new ways and, in a sense, starting over. This is the irony of pursuing meaning. In one hand, there is comfort, ease, and security. In the other hand, there is discomfort, challenge, risk, and stress.......oh yeah, and meaning! Meaning rarely comes with the prior, and almost always comes with the latter.

I hope I have his courage when I reach that point in my career. The world says to coast to the finish line (as quickly as possible). My friend said, "Nah, I prefer meaning." Well, he probably didn't actually say that, but in my mind, that's what he said.

I can't wait to see how the next chapter in his story is written! It doesn’t have to make sense. The best stories rarely do.

Celebrate the Wins

Like millions of Americans, this one particular couple has a ton of debt. Frankly, it feels overwhelming. It's the type of debt that feels suffocating and can paralyze you from even knowing where to begin.

However, unlike millions of Americans, this couple has a plan. More importantly, they have the conviction that their plan can and will work. One year in, and so far so good. They've already paid off a half dozen small debts and are moving on to some larger ones.

They are on a challenging journey, no doubt. Nothing about paying off a ton of debt is easy, which is why very few families actually do it. It takes discipline, patience, delayed gratification, and a whole lot of motivation.

Whenever someone tackles this sort of endeavor, I always give one particular tip. Celebrate the wins. All the wins. When you pay off a small debt, celebrate small. When you pay off a large debt, celebrate large. But always celebrate. Maybe it's dinner at a nice restaurant. Maybe it's a weekend away. Maybe it's a trip to the spa. Maybe it's ______ (you fill in the blank). But always celebrate!

It sounds counter-intuitive to spend money on wants when trying to pay off debt, but we need to zoom out and look at the big picture. If we stay 100% laser-focused and never celebrate, there's a high likelihood we'll burn out and possibly quit. This is an arduous journey, after all. Those little celebrations can be the refresher we need to keep fighting.

I think back to when Sarah and I were on our $236,000 debt payoff journey. It took us 4.5 years to achieve it. We celebrated every single win. If we hadn't, one of us would have broken down on the journey. The most noteworthy celebration was an amazing trip to Europe. Weird, I know. We were about 12 months away from completing our debt payoff journey, but we were exhausted. We were fighting so aggressively that we were practically burning ourselves out. That's when we decided to take drastic measures.

What ensued was a two-week trip to five countries, where we created lifelong memories. It set us back by about two months in our debt payoff journey, but it's just what we needed. One could argue we should have gotten out of debt first, but the counter-argument is that we might not have made it without that break. So, we celebrated!

This is yet another example of why money is NEVER about money. It's always about something bigger. If Sarah and I had stuck by the pure math and made it solely about money, we might have burned out and failed at our mission. Instead, we took this trip, made unforgettable memories, and successfully completed our $236,000 journey just over a year later. I will always love and cherish that story.

Always celebrate those wins! It may be the make-or-break in achieving your goals....and it's fun!

A Posture of Gratitude

Every morning, we take a posture into our day. While no day will be perfect, and most days will surely throw us some unsavory curveballs, our posture will play a more significant role in how our day goes than the external forces that hit us. 

I wish I could say I always get this right....I don't. Somedays I wake up on the wrong side of the bed and step into my day with a poor attitude. Even good days turn sour when I do that. However, most days, I try to approach it with a posture of service and generosity. Those days are usually pretty killer. 

Today, I have a posture of gratitude. Yesterday was the final of three speaking opportunities in the last five days. And man, it was awesome! I have been anticipating yesterday for over a year, and it felt great to finally get the opportunity. Despite all the speaking success in the last five days, it was far from perfect. Between each speaking engagement were fires, mishaps, emergencies, hurting clients, deadlines, and mistakes. Impact isn't usually pretty. It's not some clean, perfect little package with a bow on it like social media would have us believe. It can be ugly and messy. Gratitude covers a lot of that up, though.

I'm grateful for Ankeny Young Professionals for inviting me to speak. 

I'm grateful for On With Life for hosting the event and for all the amazing work they are doing. I could have just restructured my entire talk and used them as THE example of what it looks like to pursue meaning. 

I'm grateful for all the wonderful people who came out to listen to the talk. Wow, that room was packed!

I'm grateful for Daily Meaning reader (and my new friend!), Gretchen, for driving to Ankeny to attend the event and meet me. Gretchen, our time together was one of the highlights of my week! Thank you!

I'm grateful for my team, who helped make this all possible:

• Jordan, for the sharp visuals.

• Parker, for the fantastic video work.

• Rebekah, for keeping my head on straight (this is a tall order!).

• Claire, for the wonderful social media.

• Alyssa, for ensuring I kept enough margin in my calendar to prepare and be mentally healthy.

As I mentioned in my talk, we can't do it alone.....and luckily, we don't have to. I would be nothing without my team.

I'm grateful for many friends (and my wife) who showed up to see me speak. It was the first time in several years that my wife attended one of my talks. That meant a lot to me.

I'm grateful for the many failures that have shaped me into who I am today. Without those terrible, gut-wrenching experiences, I couldn't be truly grateful for what I do have. Also, those failure stories make for great content for people to laugh at!

Lastly, I'm grateful for you for reading! It means more than you know!

Gratitude. Always gratitude.

The Admission Price

Later today, I'll be giving a talk to a group of young professionals. I couldn't be more excited. Also, I couldn't be more scared. This is my paradox with public speaking. It's simultaneously my greatest joy and my greatest fear. I could eliminate the fear, but it would require me to remove the joy. Or I can have the joy and keep the fear. See the dilemma?

"Comfort is the enemy of progress, and failure is the admission price to success."

This is one of my favorite parts of the talk. These words seem to strike others as much as they do me. It's a scary reality we all must face. We can have comfort.....if we're willing to give up progress. We can remove failure.....if we simply stop trying.

I love watching people fail. Not because I'm some type of weirdo (I don't think, anyway). I love watching people fail because it means they are trying to do something difficult, something that matters. When they fail, they aren't really failing. They are learning, growing, and moving the ball forward. It doesn't feel great, but that's why it's the admission price.

If I wanted to avoid failure today, I could have stayed home. There's zero chance I could embarrass myself or fall flat on my face if I just don't go. There's also zero chance I would make an impact.

Will I fall flat on my face? Will I make an impact? Will I perhaps do both? Stay tuned. I'll be sure to give you a full report soon. But enough about me. What about you? Where do you need to walk that tightrope of comfort and progress, failure and success? I know you know. It's the thing that lives just below the surface. Every now and then, it pops its head out. But it's really, really uncomfortable, so we push it back down. We know we should go for it, but life is simpler and more comfortable if we don't.

Whatever you do, I hope you decide to pay the admission price!

It’s About More Than the Product

Though I'm firmly cemented in the dot com generation (and live fully into all of the stereotypes), there's nothing better to me than a good old-fashioned newspaper. Sitting down with a paper and a coffee is my definition of relaxation. After a two-year hiatus, I recently decided to subscribe to a print newspaper. In my opinion, the Wall Street Journal is the most well-rounded, unbiased publication on the market. Therefore, that was my paper of choice.

The first day of delivery was glorious! Unlike the last time I subscribed, it showed up right at my doorstep (instead of me having to play Where's Waldo around a 3-house radius). I had my paper. I had my coffee. I had my relaxation. I was one happy man.....for a few days.

Then, something happened. I quickly realized the paper was getting delivered at 8:30 or 9:00 AM, significantly later than desired. Not only did I not get to read it while relaxing before work, but I didn't even have the opportunity to take it with me. To make matters worse, the weekend edition gets delivered one day late. I wake up on Saturday morning to enjoy my weekend reading, only to realize there is none. I'm already at church by the time they deliver it on Sunday. Therefore, I don't even see the weekend edition until Sunday afternoon.

Ok, rant over. Sorry, didn't mean to cry a river there. Here's where I'm going with this. The Wall Street Journal is a wonderful paper. I very much enjoy the Wall Street Journal. It's worth every penny I pay for it. HOWEVER, it's about more than the product. Even if the product is amazing (like the WSJ), the other aspects of the relationship matter just as much. Despite having a significantly superior product (my opinion) at a reasonable price (also my opinion), it's simply not worth it if they don't deliver it promptly.

It makes me think about Apple. I love Apple products. While Apple makes some of the best products in the world, it's about more than the product. From the unique layout and structure their retail stores, to the streamlined user-interface experience, to the unparalleled customer service. Did I mention the packaging?!?! Have you ever unboxed an Apple product? That experience alone is amazing. Apple understands it's about more than the product. Apple understands you need a world-class product AND excellence in all the other areas around it.

I think about this idea a lot. While we're trying to be excellent, work hard, and make an impact, what are we missing? Do we deliver good work but show up late every day? Are we good to work with but terrible to work for? Do we get our work done quickly, but it's full of errors? Do we make stellar choices on our big financial decisions but squander it away on all the little ones? Do we have a glaring blind spot amidst otherwise excellent work?

Something to think about today.

Migraines For the Loss

I get crushed with a crippling migraine about 4-6 times per year. I never see them coming, but they hit me like a brick wall. I just experienced two in the last seven days, including last night. As I'm laying in bed trying to rally, it's made me reflect about an idea.

On one hand, I can't control these stupid things. They come out of nowhere and obliterate my health, progress, and well-being. I feel like a victim of some arbitrary affliction that causes havoc in my life.

On the other hand, some clear themes are present whenever I get struck with a migraine. Traits such as lack of sleep, poor nutrition, less physical activity, and heightened stress. Oh crap, all things I control! Though I can't control these migraines, I DO control the contributing factors that seem to trigger them.

That's the tension we all face. We're all subject to "bad luck," misfortune, and unforeseen issues. It's easy to play victim and throw our hands in the air. However, if we were to be really honest with ourselves, we DO have control over so many of the little factors that may contribute to these outcomes.

Something worth pondering today. I know I am as I'm laying here trying to recover from a very bad time. Hope you have a great day!

Once You See It

Do you recognize this logo? Of course, it's the KFC logo! Most of us grew up with this logo in our lives, and its tasty fried chicken in our bellies. It's one of the most recognizable brands and logos in American culture. However, a few years ago, someone told me something that would forever change my life (ok, that's a bit of an over exaggeration). Are you ready for it? Ready for me to rock your world? Colonel Sanders's bow tie isn't a bow tie, but a little stick figure with arms and legs. Can you see it? No, the more important question is if you can unsee it. After spending my entire life knowing it's a bow tie, all I can see now is a big mellon on a tiny little stick body. Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

This same concept applies to many financial concepts in our lives. We spend our entire lives believing something is one way, until we see it differently. Then once we do, we can never go back to seeing it the old way. 

• After being vehemently against budgeting for nearly two decades, one of my clients recently stated they can't image living another month without one. 

• Another client has lived his entire life believing the stock market is risky. After learning the truth, he now views the stock market as a long-term no-brainer with practically zero risk of long-term loss.

• Many clients were raised to believe debt is just a fact of life.....until a different, healthier, and better reality is presented to them. 

• Most people perceive student loans as an inevitable and necessary evil if they send their kids to college. However, once I walk them through a different perspective and show it to them visually, it revolutionizes their prospective reality. 

I could list a few dozen more examples, but I don't want to beat a dead horse. The fun part about this once-you-see-it concept is that it doesn't require magic or much work to make it happen. Take the KFC logo, for instance. All I did was share an idea, and all you did was digest the idea. Then boom (!!!), Colonel Sanders will forever be a big ol' head on a tiny stick body. 

Just think of the possibilities, then. We're only limited by our willingness and desire to be curious. Curious people experience life change. Non-curious people find excuses. This is one of the primary reasons I write this blog each day. If I can share an interesting idea with just one curious person, the potential for change is on the table. 

As you go about your day today, ask yourself what tightly-held ideas you need to get curious about. Your curiosity may affirm the perspective you already hold. However, it may unlock an entirely new perspective. Once you see it......

Protecting Yourself From Yourself

As much as we try, we humans are experts in the art of self-sabotage. Sometimes, we're oblivious to it, while other times, we know exactly what we do. Yet, we can't help but sabotage our own well-being. 

• Hitting the snooze button instead of going to the gym.

• Showing up to work late.

• Sneaking that tasty little snack right before bed.

• Insert countless financial versions here!

As I often tell my clients, we must protect ourselves from ourselves. It's not because we're weak, but rather because we are smart. Well, maybe we are weak......which means we need to be smart!

An example of this popped up with a client this week. This particular client struggles to keep their grocery spending in check. Sound familiar? They budget a reasonable number, have clarity on how much they are spending as the month wears on, and desperately want to stay within budget. Yet, they fail. Every. Single. Month. 

In our most recent meeting, I told them they desperately need to protect themselves from themselves. I can relate to this exact issue! We love food. If left to our own devices, my family would spend every cent on food. We can't do that, though. Sticking to the plan is a non-negotiable. 

Here's the idea I put on the table for this couple. They should open a CashApp account, which is an app that acts like its own little bank account. It connects directly to your personal bank account, so you can add or subtract money anytime. It also provides you with a debit card. Once set up, this would be their grocery account. Here's why this can be a powerful tool to protect themselves from themselves:

• You must intentionally load it with whatever dollar amount you choose. Therefore, once you budget for $x for groceries, you will deposit the money with just a few clicks. 

• Once the money is living in CashApp, you can see an up-to-the-minute balance. If you swipe your debit card in the store, the balance adjusts within 10 seconds. You always have 100% clarity. 

• It doesn't allow you to overdraft. If you have $44 in your CashApp and you try to purchase $44.01 worth of merchandise, it declines you. There's no way to overspend. 

• When the money is gone, it's gone. This is a powerful lesson. No, your family won't die. Rather, it forces you to get creative and dive a bit deeper into the pantry and freezer. We've had several "interesting" months in our house. Something powerful happens when we commit to the plan. 

• Having only one transaction for groceries (the original deposit each month) eliminates the need to continually track these expenses. It's all housed in the app with a pretty little bow. 

It sounds simple....because it is. And it can change everything! Despite groceries being one of our most challenging categories, we haven't overspent in nearly a decade. There's just one reason for this: we protect ourselves from ourselves. 

What do you need to protect yourself from yourself from?