Key lesson of 2021: SURPRISES ARE AROUND ALL CORNERS.
But, be not afraid: you have power to decide how you want to react to surprises.
There are three options:
1 / MANAGE WELL: make the most of what you’ve got
2 / LEVEL UP: improve on what you’re getting
3 / GIVE UP: stop pushing, let em have it, and go a different route
For example, I definitely didn’t anticipate buying a house the year houses went up in price 20%.
But, because I already was saving regularly I was able to adjust my monthly allocations [less to saving, more to mortgage] and I decided to tap a savings account I hadn’t initially planned on using. My buying partner was also able to bring more money to the table – so we still ended up with a house I can afford and work with, which hit all the boxes even if it’s not my dream house. It’s called “getting a starter home” and now I know why.
That was a “make the most of what you’ve got” move.
I also didn’t anticipate being so tired of working by the end of 2021. Nor did I anticipate that hiring in most professional fields would blow up.
I put the wheels in place to reassess how I work, among the many job offers I was/am getting, and in the context of knowing I enjoy coaching and teaching with Ride Free as long as it’s limited.
I met with an advisor who helped me identify my currently-most-important principle to design my work choices around: nonwork time. I decided that I didn’t want to learn a new company right now, negotiated going to part time at the job I had, and have been connecting with organizations I will consult for occasionally.
That was a “improve on what you’re getting” move.
When I gave up 40% of my stuff to move x country, that was a letting go. Of stuff of course, but also of the life of struggle that had accumulated in all the stuff.
And To be fair, I had to be ready to step back and prepared to “lose” bigger, in order to be able to go other routes and make the best next choices: when I went in to negotiate stepping down to part time, when I assessed houses to buy, when I pulled out of a contract to buy one house, when I said no to jobs.
In money as in life – the challenge is to figure out what you want, then figure out how to get it, and THEN create conditions where you can change when and as needed. 2021 was all change and change again.
Being willing to change is a “go a different route” move.
Now, what I want to do is prep you, whether you’re managing, leveling up, or doing a stop-n-let go.
Manage – working w what you got is honorable! Keep it easy and optimize.
Level up – change what is for the better. Charge more, get a new job that pays better in your field, and don’t take shit!
Let go – change where we don’t have a gap filled yet is so scary. Of course cracks are where the light gets in and all that jazz but…