Category: Musings

Why I’m An Unproductivity Advocate

by A Purple Life, posted in Blogging, Hobbies, Jobs, Musings

I am sitting on my couch with a book perched on my lap and a YNAB blanket wrapped around my legs (#swag). Every 15 minutes or so I look up and out my apartment windows to see what new wildlife I can spot.

The usual suspects include a cute green hummingbird (I’ve named him George), blue jays, black-capped chickadees, ravens and squirrels. The Space Needle and the Seattle skyline chill in the distance. I’ve been in this spot for six hours and it’s been absolutely glorious. Continue reading “Why I’m An Unproductivity Advocate” →

Jobs Suck Because They’re Never-Ending Group Projects

by A Purple Life, posted in Jobs, Musings

There are only a few two word phrases that would strike fear into my school-aged heart. As for the overall winner, it’s a hard choice between “pop quiz” and “group project.” Actually, who am I kidding, group project wins. Continue reading “Jobs Suck Because They’re Never-Ending Group Projects” →

The Benefits Of Urban Neighbors

by A Purple Life, posted in Musings, Relationships

Growing up I never had real ‘neighbors’ – people you lean on and hang out with and form a community with. There were a few children in our cul-de-sac that we played with on occasion or watched a movie with, but those times were few and far between. Continue reading “The Benefits Of Urban Neighbors” →

15 Months To Retirement: Exploring The Many Different Kinds Of Stress

by A Purple Life, posted in Countdown To Retirement, Early Retirement, Jobs, Musings

This is a continuation of my monthly series that records what’s happening in my final stretch to early retirement. If you’re interested in previous posts, they’re here.

I’ve found myself slipping on my goals recently – specifically my food goals. I’ve been going over my calories, carbs and alcohol units and I started reflecting on why. At first, this reflection was actually more of an ambush with me berating myself for straying from the beaten path (which was dumb and I wouldn’t recommend to anyone). Continue reading “15 Months To Retirement: Exploring The Many Different Kinds Of Stress” →

How To Stay Motivated On The Path To Financial Independence

by A Purple Life, posted in Early Retirement, Musings

If you’re on the road to financial Independence, you’ve encountered this unfortunate, but undeniable truth: It’s mostly a long and tedious slog. While discovering you can save enough so you don’t need to work anymore is a battle won in and of itself, the length of the ‘war’ in front of you can be daunting. For some of us, we are working towards a goal 10, 15 or even 20 years in the future. Continue reading “How To Stay Motivated On The Path To Financial Independence” →

The Benefits of Alternative Schooling

by A Purple Life, posted in Musings

As you might have noticed: I’m a stone cold weirdo. Some of this might just be my natural charm, but I suspect that my upbringing and specifically the unique variety of schools I attended had something to do with it. Continue reading “The Benefits of Alternative Schooling” →

How Blogging Helped Me Appreciate My Profession

by A Purple Life, posted in Blogging, Hobbies, Jobs, Musings

When I started working in ad agencies right out of college, I believed that their goal was to help get the word out about awesome products. How adorable. How naive. After attending my first focus group and seeing the kind of psychological information our clients wanted to incorporate into our campaigns, I learned 2 hard lessons: 1. the products aren’t always awesome and 2. the goal is to SELL, SELL, SELL (despite point #1). Continue reading “How Blogging Helped Me Appreciate My Profession” →

I Haven’t Sacrificed Anything On The Road To Financial Independence

by A Purple Life, posted in Early Retirement, Finance, Musings

I keep getting this question from people outside the FIRE community: “What have you sacrificed to try and achieve this goal?” It kept ribbing on me hours and days after I heard it and I couldn’t figure out why. Continue reading “I Haven’t Sacrificed Anything On The Road To Financial Independence” →