Dramatically changing your life seemed so easy when I was in my 20s… It simply involved packing up the small amount of stuff I owned and loading it into the back of my car to move across the country. No bed or furniture? Oh well, I would sort it all out when I got there.
Needless to say, dramatically changing your life can seem a lot more difficult as you get older (and as you accumulate more stuff). Most of us have more responsibilities and plenty of financial commitments. This doesn’t mean that change is impossible. It means that change takes some creativity, a concerted effort, and a little planning. It may not be immediate anymore, but it can be just as sweet. Maybe made sweeter with anticipation?
No problem can stand the assault of sustained thinking. – Voltaire
Success doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process. I was excited to share Jenn’s story because she’s made a big change in spite of her commitments. She has a mortgage on a great little house (that she calls her casita) and a payment on her truck, and she’s not getting paid for her time in the Philippines. She’s doing important work that will likely change the path of her career significantly, and she’s able to do it because of her careful planning and saving.
For more information on overnight success, check out 279 Days to Overnight by Chris Guillebeau. It’s a great reminder that you “don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to.”
I’ll be wishing Jenn safe travels today! I plant to share an update from time to time as her internet connection permits, and hopefully, I’ll share photos and stories first hand when I meet up with her somewhere in Southeast Asia in September.
New Project
Change is underway in my world too. In addition to substantial changes in my role at work, I’ve been working on a new project called Choosing Law School to help college students who are contemplating going to law school understand the reality of the decision they’re making. Advanced education is sold as a critical part of the American dream – whether it’s college or graduate school. It’s considered a true vehicle for upward mobility. Apple pie, baseball, and home ownership. As we’ve seen with home ownership, there’s more to the story. One size does not fit all, and not at any cost.
What isn’t typically included in this story is the substantial debt incurred in attaining these degrees, and uncertainty of being able to recoup the cost in increased salary. With respect to law school, the results are not ensured. The legal industry is contracting, which is creating a gap in the number of new legal jobs available and the number of new J.D.s graduating each year. In this tough economy, my goal is simply to ensure that students enter law school with their eyes wide open and armed an real understanding of the costs.
If Choosing Law School interests you, check it out, and please spread the word to any students or lawyers you know! I would greatly appreciate it.
Enough of my soap box… How are you planning for overnight success? I’d love to hear about it.
