Writing

More than Just Dreaming: Actually DO-ing. (And a short video: hello!)

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

Dreams are things that we either unabashedly work towards — or we keep them close to our hearts, unwilling to chase them because they might not come true.

God, I’m terrified of publishing this.

I have a big confession to make.

I love the show Survivor. I would go on the show in a heartbeat.  This year, in my year-list of goals and aspirations, one of the things on my list was an insatiable desire to be on the show Survivor. Yup, the television show.

Survivor? Being on a show that blends teamwork, psychology, athletic feats, exploration, camping, and a little bit of television? Color that AWESOME.

To be fair: I don’t think I stand much of a shot of actually getting ON the show. But I wanted to apply, nonetheless.

Is it pragmatic? Is it realistic? Is it possible?

I’m not really sure.

Pragmatism and realism should be thrown out the window when you begin dreaming of anything you want to do.  If we were to ask, “does it make sense?” The answer would be: Probably not. But I caught myself – more than once – sitting on the couch and watching the team battles, realizing full well that I was sitting on the couch stupidly doing NOTHING about this inkling of a dream that I had.  And so, this past winter, I made a vow to myself that I would apply and at least TRY to be on the show. Reserving all judgment, I would spend a few days putting together an application.

A great mentor of mine says, “If you don’t apply, the answer is already No.”

That is,  if you don’t put yourself in the running, you’ve already taken yourself out of consideration. This is really important to note: If you apply 10 times and you get 10 rejections, this is NOT the same thing as never applying in the first place. After each attempt, you learn, you grow, you get better. Also, the chances are that you’ll get 9 rejections and then ultimately get a positive response. Work for it.

So I put together a video, much to the help of some great friends and a whirlwind day on a motorcycle in San Francisco. And here it is, a testament to my zany quest to check off my goals and make things happen.

So put together a video application to be on Survivor.

This is part of a larger dream of mine to become a public speaker and teach people – audiences – about motivation, inspiration, and the psychology behind behavior and business decisions. To teach and speak about the intersection of business, design, and building great projects (big or small) is a huge dream of mine.  Yes, I’ll admit it: I sometimes like public speaking. Sure, it makes me nervous. Yes, I’m more introverted than extroverted and it completely exhausts me. Heck, it gives me stomach quivers and my palms get sweaty and I have sharp pangs of self-doubt. My voice gets shaky and I’ve bombed terribly before.

But I keep getting up. Something about it draws me back. I really like explaining things to people and I like doing difficult things and getting better at them.

So I put together an hold-nothing-back video for the sake of applying for the show.

The video is something a bit more arrogant than I like to be, but, well, I want to be on Survivor.

And as for the outcome of the video? Well, I probably won’t be on Survivor, after all. In fact, the season I applied for (Survivor: Redemption Island) is already in the midst of airing, and guess what – I’m not on the show.  My guess is that they don’t need another blond-ish gal from California.  But each time I get up, each time I practice, each time I rehearse: I get a little bit better. And better. And hopefully one day, I’ll be able to speak confidently in front of more people, in front of crowds, and teach whatever accumulated knowledge I have to people who are keen on learning. It might not be on Survivor. It might be somewhere else.

But for now, it’s me, the internet, and my short (and not very good) video audition for the show Survivor.

For many of you I’ve never met, consider this a hello across the internet.

I am still terrified to publish this.

Enjoy.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3Jh8k4qjBM

 

 

What holds you back?

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

Question: What holds people back from accomplishing their dreams? From fulfilling their potential?


A guest post of mine was featured on Ongoing Conversation recently. OngoingConvo, created and curated by David Damron, features a new question every week and 2-4 writers reacting to the question and generating discussion via the comments.  To see the entire conversation, I encourage you to hop over to the site and read everyone’s responses.

What holds you back? | By Sarah

Here’s the thing: we all do it. We blame obstacles, time, friends, work, … anything but ourselves. There Wasn’t Enough Time, we say, and shrug.  Oh Well, There’s Always Tomorrow – another great excuse.

You Know, I Had An Idea … But …  *SHRUG*.

We’re all talk. 99% of people will talk about what they want to do and never do anything. 1%  people actually get outside and do something, rather than talk about it.

What are these obstacles? Where do they come from? Why don’t people do what they say they want to do?

Doing things, simply doing things, is the point of your life. Be something. Do something. Say Something. Try something.  I am often reminded of those old 50’s and 60’s songs my dad used to play on his record player: “dooo bee doo bee doo”

In some ways, that’s the way that your life should read:

DO | BE | DO | BE

What are you doing? Who are you being? Right now, you’re reading. And then what? Another tab on the browser? More procrastinating via twitter and facebook?  Filling up your time with things that don’t matter, and then making excuses at the end of the day?

The thing is, you are what you do. What you are doing, RIGHT NOW. The best indicator of future action is past action. What have you done over the last week? The last year? If you’re here because you’re afraid to dream or create, I have failed as a writer. If nothing else, please ignore this post and go do something. Go be something.

There are two things that significantly hinder your ability to achieve your dreams:

First, not knowing what you want (too little knowledge).

And Second, being afraid of the outcome (too much fear) .

*** *** ***

Let’s start with not knowing what you want.

Do you know what your goals are? Sure, you might say. But I’m really asking. Today. Right now. What are your goals, your wishes and your dreams? What do YOU really want?

It’s okay at first, if you don’t know exactly what you want.  But at some point, you’re going to want to figure it out.

Not knowing what you want makes it really hard to get there, because you don’t know what “there” is. Sometimes, we don’t think too carefully about what we want – and so we don’t have a way to accomplish our goals or our dreams because we haven’t spent enough time thinking them through.

Say it out loud. Say what you want.  This year, I want to run a marathon. I also want to do my first long-distance solo swim.  But that might not be what you want. That’s okay.

Take 20 seconds and write down 20 things that you want. What are they? No judgment. They are YOURS. They are what YOU want.  Some examples? Taking professional photographs – or redesigning a website.  Starting a new book. Learning a new language. Getting a raise at work. Changing your job. Packing your lunch for work every night.

Next, pick one of those things. Just one. Not two, not three. Just one. Focus on it. Visualize what you want. Think it through. Imagine it, carefully and closely.

Ask yourself,”so what?” Why do you want this? Really dig into why you want this.

Knowing what you want is a huge step in accomplishing your goals.

*** *** ***

A second thing that holds people back is fear.

There are a few types of fear that influence how we act, what we do, and who we are.  We fear what others think (judgment by the world) and we hold within ourselves self-judgment – our own self-doubts.  We fear failing. We fear not being able to make it – not being able to live up to what we want.  (For a great read on fear and resistance by Stephen Pressfield, check out the latest issue of fear.less)

Really, our minds get in the way a whole lot. We fear what others think; what we THINK others think, and what we’ll think about ourselves.  If we don’t make it, despite giving it our best effort, we are afraid that we’ll reveal that we aren’t good enough.  Not trying gives us an excuse, an out.  We can say, “well, I haven’t tried that yet so it’s still possible.”


We have assumptions, beliefs and ideas – mostly fabricated in our minds – about outcomes, about judgments, about the reaction of the world.

Often our own most limiting factors are our own beliefs.

*** *** ***

It seems so simple when it’s written here on the page: we don’t get what we want because either we don’t know what we want, or we’re afraid of what will happen if we actually try to achieve what we want. Find out what you want. Then stop worrying about it – just do it.

There’s Someone I Want You To Meet. (LAC Book Review and a Free Book Giveaway!)

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

I want to set up a match.

You know, a little blind date. The one where your friends find someone for you that they KNOW is perfect for you.

Yes, you.

I want you to meet Jenny.

ABOUT YOU.

YOU: are insanely talented, fresh out of college or somewhere a few years into a job (or maybe you’re transitioning to a new career), and you are deftly maneuvering your way through inordinate learning curves and figuring out what life entails post-school.

Perhaps you feel as though your potential has barely been tapped, that there’s something unsettling about your current situation. Maybe your job isn’t quite the right fit. Maybe you tap your feet at the end of the day, itching for more to do, Maybe you’re not satisfied yet with the status quo and you want more. You know you want to figure out your life and your game plan, but you’re just not sure how.

You are somewhat stressed from time to time, wondering how to figure it all out. Perhaps you’re sometimes in need of a hug (I won’t tell anyone).

As with most people, parts of your life are amazing, but you need some help figuring out the other stuff. (Hello, Budget – what are you?). When your friends talk about 401K’s and BMW’s, you think, Holy Shit, I have debt – will I ever make it? Or perhaps you’re just unsure about making new friends and you’ve moved to a new city and you’re not sure what’s next.

What is next?

Have you figured out your own road map?

MEET JENNY.

About Jenny: Jenny’s story is pretty well-known (it’s really hard for famous people to actually go on blind dates, after all), but if you haven’t met her yet, start here.  If we describe her in words, let’s put a few big ones up there: Googler. Entrepreneur. Author. Friend. Personal-Development Guru. Cupcake Fanatic. Yoga Teacher. Vegas Heartthrob. (What? Who said that?). Yes, that’s right. She’s a Googler and Author who also takes Vegas by storm, her book and highlighter tucked away somewhere in her wonder-woman outfit and killer heels.

Jenny is a rockstar of our generation, and the author of a well-known blog, Life After College.  And now, she’s the author of a book by the same name: Life After College: The Complete Guide to Getting What You Want. (Available on Amazon – launching March 29).  To read the story of the book development and Jenny’s documentation of writing, pitching, editing, and publishing a book, check our the book website, LAC Book.) And check out the book trailer if you care to.

WHY I THINK YOU’D BE A GOOD FIT.

Okay, but let’s focus on this date I want to set you up on.

When life hands you the hard stuff, what do you do?

Jenny Blake makes cupcakes. Actually, she’ll do more than give you a cupcake. She’ll give you a worksheet, cheer you on by the sidelines, dig deep for the good stuff, and then hand you a cupcake at the end with oodles of frosting that’s inevitably decorated as one-of-a-kind, just for you.

THIS BOOK IS YOUR PORTABLE LIFE COACH. This isn’t a book or a manual – it’s a friend in your pocket. Jenny’s heart and soul – and intricately connected network around the world – is layered in bite-sized information that’s enriching, captivating, and more importantly, eminently approachable. Jenny pulls you into her book by virtually sitting down at a cafe with you, chatting with you and making you feel right at home within the first few pages. The book weaves her stories and anecdotes with powerful (but beguilingly simple) templates, tips, tricks and tools for you to use to start changing your life – right now.

YOU DON’T NEED TO GO TO COLLEGE TO READ HER BOOK.  she could just title her blog “Life and everything in between,” and you’d probably find something you liked. A hundred somethings. Life After College is basically just Life. Anyone looking for guidance, coaching, or advice in creating the next big steps in life should check out this book.

THE LIFE PATH. For people in college and earlier, the life checklist is actually fairly straightforward. Go to school. Attend classes and do assignments. Make friends, maybe join some clubs.  At 16, you get your license. As a senior in high school, you apply to colleges or get a job. As college winds down, you collect your accolades, craft your resume, and crank your way through some interviews. And try to land a job.

And then what? For many – if not almost everyone – the life checklist sort of fades after we finally “get a job.”  We’ve made our lists up until this point, and then the list gets fuzzy.  For some people, they know they want to “move up” the career ladder, but they’re not sure how to do it – or, after they’ve worked for a while, why they want to do it at all.  Other people want to get married, have kids, — but this too, is something seemingly unattainable and dramatically harder in practice than in theory.

AFTER COLLEGE IS HARD. If you’re a twenty-something and you’re struggling through your first or second job, floundering in figuring out what you want to do, and generally having a lot of trouble making it through what was supposed to be ‘the best years of your life.’ – don’t worry.  You’re not alone.

Once we extricate ourselves from the cushy educational systems that provide for us, once we flee the nest and leave our parent’s homes, there isn’t really a good rulebook or toolkit that tells you how to get things done and where to go next. After college, there’s just an uncharted path, and not much in the way of support or guidance. Many people stumble along the way, overwhelmed by the enormity of all there is to figure out: from money (how much do I make? where does it go? how do I save? what should I spend it on?) to friends (wait, we don’t all live together anymore!) to the “big picture” of your life (what are my goals? what are my values? who do I want to be?) .

So, insert Jenny. Life After College – both the blog and the book – give you organized, practical tips and tricks for navigating your way through Life after college, and figuring out the steps you need to take to master money, happiness, friends, career, among many other ideas.

AND THE BEST THING? YOU CAN WRITE IN THE BOOK. It’s been many years (for me) since I graduated college, but I found myself writing all over the book as soon as I got it, filling out the notes and ideas I had for my life and realizing how much this organization system can apply to anyone, at anytime. Jenny’s next move should be making a set of books that records these processes over time – so that I can do these exercises every few years and map my progress over time! The book is easy to use because it is so wonderfully organized – and you can start from anywhere, reading whatever chapter calls out to you.

SO GO ON A FIRST DATE. (And the Giveaway!)

And by first date, I mean, read her book. Take the book out to lunch (What did you think I meant?) To make it easier, I’m giving a free copy of the book away to a lucky reader, to be randomly selected on April 3, 2011.

Here’s how you enter: Leave a comment before April 2, 2011, with the answer to one of the following questions:

What was the hardest moment for you after college?

If you could do ONE BIG THING in the next 2 years to change your life, what would you do and why would you do it?

 

 

 

Simple wisdom: The five things you need to do to be a good entrepreneur

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

I recently got some really simple (but great!) advice on how to be an entrepreneur.

There are only 5 things you need to do every day to make sure you’ll make it.

Sleep

Eat well

Exercise

Be social

Get the work done.

It turns out it’s really hard to get #5 without the first 4.

What The Middle Looks Like (and Happy Saint Patty’s!)

Posted on by Sarah K Peck


I’ve been running pretty thin lately – it’s an exciting Spring, with several new projects under foot. I’m really excited to finally take some time to share some great news with you.  At the same time, it’s been a challenge to make it all happen – and I’m at work, late nights galore, trying to figure out a way to get it all done and maintain the “Sarah sanity” that I so desperately crave.

Happiness and a quick celebration!

For those of you who don’t know, I’ll talk briefly about some exciting news:

1. New Job! I started a new position on March 1st. I’ll be coordinating the communications strategy + marketing at the international landscape architecture firm that I work at.  (Whew! That’s a mouthful.) So what do I do? I write, design, and build. I combine business + strategy insights to deliver powerful messages about the meaning and need for landscape architecture and spatial design throughout the world. In the broadest sense, I tell stories about the world we live in – and I love it.

Many of you know that here on this blog, I write about about strategies for work success, staying sane, creating the type of work you want to do, entrepreneurship, and life. I’m very happy to be able to transition to a new position where writing, storytelling, web design, and board layout design are the focus of my job. (As for sanity and balance, sometimes I feel like a terrible example of that – but more on that, below).

Wahoo! Time to do some handstands! :)

2. Also: A REALLY exciting project! One of the projects I’m working on – that I started in early 2010  – is the building of a new website for a hot topic in the architecture world, landscape urbanism. The website is taking shape, and there has been an overwhelmingly positive response to the work we’ve done so far.  (If you want to check out the website, take a look at this page). This is my HUGE project that’s finally becoming real.

After work closes – and the new job has started up at high speed! – I’m up late to work on this project: I’m writing, emailing the team, interviewing new writers, talking to contributors, and poring over the web design with a red pen and making changes to the layout and back end before the launch in 2 months (holy shit! so soon!) – but I’m so excited that this project I’ve dreamed about for (now 2 years!) is finally on it’s way to fruition. It will launch in phases this summer.

I am unbelievably thankful and happy to have such great opportunities in front of me so quickly.

Each project is a hundred different, layered lessons in project management, communication, coordination, execution, design layout, user interface, editing, and ultimately, shipping great ideas and products.

The work effort as of late, however, has been immense. I say this not to complain – I can hardly complain about being busy! – but as a means to talk about how difficult it can be to persevere during the really hard moments.

It’s not always easy.

In fact, it’s hardly ever easy. These past few weeks have been exceptionally rough, as I test my limits and mental capacities, my organization skills, my ability to press on, my systems of time management.

I’ll be honest, it gets really hard.

Notes on Loneliness and Sometimes Wanting to Cry

There are nights, like this week, that I get home from work very late, and I open up one of the three (do I admit this?) computers I have at home (multi-browser and computer testing for macs and pcs, they are all OLD!). I’m up late, writing, and I close a browser, pace the house, try to sleep, and then I come back to the little office closet in our apartment and I start writing again, this time polishing up something else new, trying to figure out how I’m going to execute all of the tasks over the next few months.

My brain is a series of multi-layered Excel sheets.

I dream in G-Queues.

My email inbox overflows with hundreds of ‘urgent’ tasks that seem to each yell at me to work more, to work better, to work faster.

I wake up in the middle of the night, teeth grinding, trying to figure out how to get it all done.

Tonight, I sit behind the computer, terrified that I won’t make my next deadline, exhausted from the effort, again skipping an event I’d love to attend and missing my friends.

In the dark moments, in the despair, I sit, unshowered, my back hurting, and I want to cry. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it. I also don’t know if what I imagine will work. I can’t tell yet if any of these projects will be successful.

And I’m really, really tired.

There’s no guarantee that it will all work out. I can try it all and work my hardest and these projects could be ephemeral efforts, lasting less than a few seconds in any memory.

And that’s okay.

At least I hope that it’s okay. That’s what I tell myself.

In these moments, in these wander-through-the-city-I-can’t-sleep-moments, I do wish there was someone could tell me that it’s all gonna be okay. When I was younger, my mom would run her fingers through my hair and she was the one who would tell me would all be okay.

And now we’re twenty, thirty-something, and our parents aren’t there to tell us what’s exactly what’s right and wrong and when to work harder and when to chalk it up to a learning experience.

You just press on, do your best, and figure it out as you go.

Because that’s what it looks like.

Making things happen takes energy, toil, and it tests your patience and endurance. Even if you fail a hundred times before you get there, you will get there.  I’m in The Middle somewhere, and I don’t know what the end looks like.

But I know what The Middle looks like.

It’s not the fuzzy good feeling of the beginning, when you’re still high on the adrenaline of starting. And it’s not the calm of the finish, when you’re done and you’ve done the best you can do and you’re proud of your efforts.  The Middle is the struggle, when most people give up, when the test between the do-ers and the quitters really takes shape. The Middle is the part, in marathon training, when you have to get up and run again even though your whole body is exhausted and you want to just sleep or stop.

The Middle is the space where your demons come in and question why you’re even doing it, anyways. And sometimes it’s lonely nights, late nights, cereal dinner in hand, falling asleep on my bed so late in the night that the San Francisco skyline has turned pink from the fog’s misty glow. Sometimes it’s a presentation due in 6 hours and only you to figure it out.

Sometimes, my Friday nights are filled simply with books. I sit in my reading chair and I study one of the 12 books my new boss has put on my desk, on advertising, management, business, positioning, branding. I’m scrambling to figure out what I’m doing while implementing new processes and the pace of change is sometimes maddening. It’s like an MBA in the making – and I love it – but learning and doing all at once feels something like balancing two intense full time jobs.

The Middle is hard.  There’s no way out but through.

I have the blessing of having been through this before, something inside me that knows that The Middle is the hard part and is able to trust in the process.  My experience tells me that I won’t be in this hustle forever. The cyclical nature of production will yield a few moments of respite, hopefully soon, hopefully sometime midsummer, post launch.

And for my own sanity’s sake, I have to carve out moments of escape, rest, and a break – in order to do my best work.

But tonight, it’s the grind. Because that’s what The Middle looks like.

So, reader, have a beer for me tonight. And enjoy your wonderful St. Patty’s day. I’m somewhere in The Middle, working.

If you don’t commit, it won’t happen.

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

Commitment is key.

Commitment is everything.

Commitment means “I say yes,” and “I’ll do this,” and, more importantly, it says “I know what I want.”

When you commit to something, you say yes. You make priorities. And by making priorities, you also say no.

You say no to things that don’t help you reach your goal.

You say yes to the things that matter.

You make a plan of action.

You hold yourself accountable.

Say yes to your committment. Make a decision. A multitude of days can pass while you contemplate your decision.

Say yes to listening to yourself.

Say yes to being present in the moment.

Commit to something. (And go do it.)

One Year From Today.

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

March 10, 2010.

One year from today. Not a year from now, in the future.  A year before today. March 10th – last year. What were you doing?

More importantly, what were you planning on doing? Take stock in your actions. Have you made changes? Have you made progress? Are you on your way towards your goals?

If you haven’t made progress, then the things you’re doing each day aren’t adding up.

So you’re going to need to make your day look a little bit different.

What does change look like? What does it look like to reach your goals?

If you’re not there yet, then something different needs to happen.

*** *** ***

A year ago, today, I didn’t have a blog. I had a different job. I hadn’t run a half marathon or done a triathlon. I’d never swum across the Bay before, and in fact, had only started open water swimming in 2008. I joined the SF Tri Club and I started track workouts with great people – one of whom became my new roommate in San Francisco.  In May this last year I moved back to San Francisco. I traveled to four new cities. I signed up for a new class (which I’m nervous about admitting on here just yet) and I’ve learned a lot about myself and other people. I’ve met dozens of fabulous people and I’m thrilled about the potential for change.

Change.

Things change, whether we like it or not. Are you making changes that you want to see happen?

If you had told me last year what today would have looked like, I would have laughed. Me, write a blog? Get out.  Run a half marathon? In my dreams. Move – again – and risk being called out for my wanderlust? Yup, guess it happened.

But I also see the flaws of the last year: I’ve barely made the dents I want to in the student loan debt that I have. I bought a car that I’m not sure that I want. I applied to dozens of fellowships and grants – and even a teaching program – and heard back negatively for most of them. I had doubts and fears about my abilities and my progress and what I’ll ultimately end up doing and being. And, I wrote less than I wanted to – a lot less. I went through paralysis, writer’s block, and insecurities.

But nothing really stayed the same.

The constant is change.

*** *** ***

What about you? What is the most significant thing that you’ve done or changed over the past year?

What does 1 year from today look like, for you?

What do you want to do differently?

What will be different, one year from today?

And how are you going to get there?

Savor things + go slowly

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

I am the worst offender of this.

I’m so rushed doing one thing, thinking about the next thing, that I forget what it’s like to just BE in the moment.

I have scheduled time to tightly and packed my life so fully, that sometimes I try to swim faster just to get out of the pool faster so I can move on to the next step.

Swim faster? Seriously?

While taking the bus, during a few car-free days last month, I had the chance to observe. To sit, to wait, and to not move while waiting for the bus.

No more foot-tapping. No more impatiently waiting. No reading 3 books at a time.

Sometimes, life is worth savoring. Long, slow, wonderful exploratory runs with no music. Decadent dates in the sunny park without somewhere to be or something to do on the near horizon.

Enjoy the time.

Today, for a brief moment, relax.

Savor things and Go Slowly.

$10 for a Financial Wizard – Buy this book. (And Other Money Lessons From Ramit Sethi)

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

I get a lot of questions for people about money, finance, spending, saving, etc. I occasionally write posts on ways to save money, what it means to save for retirement, financing a car (for which I went through my own blunders) and setting up emergency savings plans. I write these from experience – and I learn through reading, studying and living life.

There’s only so much you can learn from me, however. My blog is not about money and finance. If you want to learn an incredible amount, follow these two bloggers: JD Roth of Get Rich Slowly and Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You To Be Rich. What follows is a short review of Ramit Sethi’s best-selling book by the same name.

*** *** ***

Ramit Sethi throws tomatoes. He throws them at people and he yells at you when you’re being stupid.

He also writes one of the best books on money and personal finance of all books on money and personal finance.

Why? Because he talks to you like you’re sitting across the table from him. It’s not full of jargon and crazy money-speak, and you don’t have to be intimidated by all the numbers. Being overwhelmed by information (“paralysis by analysis”) – and being afraid of starting because we think we don’t know enough about what we are doing – are two of the biggest road blocks to achieving personal financial success.

First of all, it’s not that hard.

Stop lying to yourself and instead do something small and do something simple. Throw $50 in a bank account. Read a $10 book. Set up two automatic systems that save money for you – so you don’t have to think about it again. Give yourself enough credit that you can learn something new and try something new. You’re not an idiot.

You’re only an idiot if you don’t do anything about taking control of your own life. And your own money.

Second of all, most of what you’ve been taught is wrong.

Personal finance isn’t about saving money and keeping strict budgets and never being able to have what you want. Sethi blows many idiotic money assumptions out of the water by introducing the psychology behind personal finance and studying what people actually do and why they do what they do.

Instead of reading this post and walking away at the end of it, I am going to recommend that you buy this book as soon as humanly possible and study what Ramit says from start to finish. And then do what he says. And then forget about it.

It’s not about micromanaging your money. It’s not about becoming the smartest person on the block.  It’s about tiny, actionable steps that make managing money automatic – and therefore painless – because you set up systems that work for you.

Because above all else, Ramit tells us to get started even if it’s just a small step today and a small step tomorrow. The worst sin is inaction. The most powerful thing you can do is take a small step towards being better with money.

In the book, he covers credit cars, banks, investing, conscious spending, automation, myths about finanical “expertise,” making money easy to maintain, and how to live a rich life.  Basically a financial guru in your pocket – a chapter explaining everything you need to know about money.

If you’re lazy? Just read the first three chapters.

If you’re curious, he even covers how to finance your wedding, purchasing a car the smart way, and whether or not to buy a house. All of this, in simple terms. And do what he says – or else he may beat you with raw onions for being too stupid to do something about your own money.

A great example? Here are a few quotes from the book to get you started:

“Doing nothing is the worst choice you can make, especially in your twenties.”

“Too many of us are paralyzed by the thought that we have to get every single part of our personal finances in order before truly getting started managing our money.”

His counterpoint: “Do you need to be the Iron Chef to cook a grilled-cheese sandwich? No, and once you make your first meal, it’ll be easier to cook the next most complicated thing. The single most important factor to getting rich is getting started, not being the smartest person in the room.”

I’ll admit: I’m a subscriber to the fabulous IWTYTBR blog and I am a member of the Earn1K Club (not affiliate links) because I’ve found that the more I learn, the more I want to know. I’ve emailed Ramit before with questions and ideas – and he writes back.

Ramit speaks the truth, he’s funny, and he spurs you to action.

Go be rich – whatever rich means to you. (He’ll ask you to define that, too.)

Love this book. I’d say spend the $10.

Anyway.

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others will destroy overnight.
Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.

Give the best you have and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.

Written on the wall in Mother Teresa’s home for children in Calcutta, also known as The Paradoxical Commandments.

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Inspired by the preamble in the book “Do It Anyway,” by Courtney E. Martin (2010).