I was a good student in school. I was 7 th in my graduating class in high school and had a 3.77 GPA. When I returned to college in my late forties, I graduated with a 3.96. My sister, the RN/health blogger, also got good grades, although I cannot say what her class rank was. Now, I don’t say this to brag on either behalf but only to lay the groundwork to illustrate a point. I remember having a discussion with said sister about our grades, and our motivations for our obsession over that elusive letter “A” were different. She got good grades so she could play volleyball (another subject for another blogpost). I got good grades because I WANTED them. There are different types of motivation. In the story of our high school transcript histories, my sister’s motivation is known as extrinsic, meaning it comes from an external reward. Mine would be classified as intrinsic, coming from within. Too many of us think we need to wait for motivation to hit us before we do something, and that is t...

H ave you ever had an experience where as you observed someone’s behavior you said to yourself, “Man, if I ever have the chance to do what So-and-so is doing, I’m doing it TOTALLY different than he is!” I’m sure we have all thought that at one time or another. In fact, I had a similar   thought while reading Step 6: Adopt a New Lifestyle of Healthy Eating in Kingsford’s book “Brain-powered Weight Loss." (If you’ve just joined us this week and are curious why I’m talking about a weight loss book in a financial blog, go back to the beginning of 2021 and read “ Start with the End in Mind .”) Kingsford mentions making small changes, adopting only her first two healthy eating principles to start and then adding one at a time to get yourself comfortable with your new relationship with food. She says, “In…studies, people who successfully achieved weight loss did not try to change everything at once. They mastered one new skill, then layered on another, then another.” Well, that might w...

I remember the first time I got brave enough to go on a roller coaster. I was 12, and I was at a theme park with some friends. I was nervous. As the line snaked through artificial rocks and trees that were characteristic of the theme of the ride, there were numerous exits half-hearted thrill-seekers could take advantage of if their apprehension got the better of them. Before I got brave enough to make the entire journey, I would take advantage of one of those exits. More often than not, someone else would follow me out. Eventually my friends talked me into actually getting on the ride. Yes, I had a great time, and I’m glad I did it. What does this experience have to do with finances, you ask? Hear me out. Sometimes it’s alright to go with the crowd, but sometimes, even when it’s hard or uncomfortable, you have to be willing to be the one to say, “No, I’m not doing that because it’s not in my best interest.” It’s possible that no one will go with you, but someone just might. On your...

The teacher that taught my driver’s education course my sophomore year of high school was an odd duck, may he rest in peace. He kept us busy. You probably won’t believe this, but during his class a student could expect to have a film being shown on a screen on one wall, an overhead projector (there I go again, dating myself) casting to a second wall, and him at a third wall writing on the blackboard (not whiteboard, this was the 80s) while lecturing. I’m surprised he didn’t have all four walls going, but, hey, the door and windows have to go somewhere. It’s a good thing learning how to drive is a hands-on experience, because only someone on a significant amount of caffeine could take in everything that was going on in that classroom setting. Talking about that experience would probably give many of my classmates anxiety. When your brain is doing too many things at once, it can just shut down. Perhaps that isn’t really what goes on physically, but can’t you identify with that emotiona...