2008 was something of a successful year for me. I got my Masters degree in early May, I was hired by a top biotech company within two weeks, and purchased my first home less than one week later.
The day that I moved in to my first home ranks as the happiest day of my life. This was heightened by my surroundings the previous two months; living in the ghettos of Syracuse (they exist) and worried that all of my possessions would be stolen from me (or worse). I remember laying in bed that night, staring at the ceiling with a giant smile on my face.
People can debate as much as they want whether it's worth it to buy instead of rent, especially in this economic climate. But that moment alone was something that I will carry with me until the day that I die.
Personally, 2008 was also a fantastic year for me. I lost 40 pounds and finally shed all the weight I gained during some ill-fated college years where I didn't take proper care of myself (drinking didn't help). I met a girl, who I think is a catch, and currently have a very fulfilling personal life.
So how do I plan to top 2008 in the coming year? A few ways...
1) This blog
Silly, but true. As I mentioned in my debut post yesterday, writing is very important to me. I need an outlet and I need to know whether or not I can ever be a good enough writer to release material that people will want to consume in their free time. It's quite possible that the answer is no; but too many times people go many, many years telling themselves that they can do something while making any excuse imaginable to postpone it. I want to know. Writing, unlike many pursuits, is nothing something confined to the young. I have time on my side. But like any avenue in life, practice makes perfect.
I expect this blog to help focus my creative output and allow me to be comfortable writing long stretches of narrative. Making a cohesive story or post is not always easy and working through that is going to be key if I ever decide to write something of substance.
2) Achieving financial freedom
Those of you who may be reading this who knew me in college most likely know a very different person then the person currently typing. In college and graduate school - I freely admit that I was reckless with my spending; more likely to spend on something that I wanted instead of something that made the most sense. It was not uncommon for me to overdraw my bank account and from 2004-2008 I was able to establish $11,500 worth of credit card debt. I believe a strong case can be made for me shooting myself in the foot.
Everything changed, for me, the day that I bought my house. I knew that I had to buckle down and keep serious track of my finances. I started keeping a budget for the first time in September. I'm trying to achieve a level of responsibility that seemed out of reach just 12 short months ago. There are many things which my new home could use; but I'm choosing to forego them for the time being to achieve my number one objective: pay off all of my credit card debt by January 2010.
I began this task in October and to date I have already paid off nearly $1500 worth of debt. My cards are no longer in my wallet and have not been used in months. This is the first, and most important, step to achieving financial freedom. I have to admit - I will cheat in this goal. I will receive approximately $10,000 on my income tax return this year due to the first time home-owner tax credit and much of this money will be put towards my credit card. But it's smart to take advantage of the situations we are given and that is what I aim to do.
Here are some tips I use to get my finances under control and they are tips that I believe everyone else can use as well.
- Track all my finances with mint.com: Mint.com is a fantastic website that allows you to keep track of all your financial accounts in one place. This can include bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and even your mortgage. Not only can you keep track of how you are spending your money each month, but you can set a budget and determine if you are exceeding your budget for that particular expenditure. For those of us with iPhones - you can even download the mint.com iPhone application to have this information in your pocket at all times.
- Become more aware of how to properly manage personal finances: The main way that I currently do this is to read some wonderful personal finance blogs on a daily basis. My two favorites are iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog and getrichslowly.org. Each blog offers excellent financial advice and many practical ways to save money in your day-to-day life. The best part: they are not frugality blogs. If I ever find myself reading how to squeeze extra toothpaste out of a tube to save $0.30 a month, then I kindly request someone to come and shoot me in the face. Although I haven't gotten to it yet; I also plan to spend some time to read some of the many wonderful books written on the subject.
I think that by following these steps I will be very firm financial ground when the balls drops for 2010.
3) Getting in shape
From January to August of last year - I did about as well as one could hope towards this particular goal. I lost over 60 pounds and was teetering on being under 200 pounds for the first time since high school. Unfortunately, the second half of the year saw me gain back twenty of the pounds that I lost. There were a few reasons. The old standby - new girlfriend. That always contributes to a few pounds; for just about everyone. I was also busy starting my new job and it's more difficult to find time for the gym in the real world in comparison to graduate school.
Despite the setback, I'm still in great shape (figuratively). I did not regress back a size and I am still wearing size L shirts (get the X out!) and can still wear designer jeans. Unfortunately, designer jeans aren't for fat people; so if I ever have a problem fitting in to them then I know that society considers me fat.
My second tangible goal for 2009 is to get in to the best shape of my life. And for once, my motivation is intrinsic. I am not trying to get in shape to impress other people or to land a beautiful girlfriend. I already have one of those. And she's great. This is for me. I am still finding it difficult to go to the gym but the easy lapses in to unhealthy food have already been cut from my regiment. And they will remain cut out for the duration of this year.
My goal - simply stated is to weigh 185 pounds or less. Based on my height, my ideal bodyweight is somewhere around 155 pounds, which is a joke. Obviously an ideal body has no muscle on it.
This year is going to be one of the best years of my life; it's just a feeling that I have. I'm due after my years of graduate school each successively being the worst year of my life; each worse than the last. I think that if I remain true to the goals that I have laid out for myself then the sky is the limit. Hopefully everyone else can do whatever it takes to have a fantastic year themselves.
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