Blog

A look into what’s stood out from 3 years of early retirement life.

Written by Adam on December 30, 2021. 23 comments.

Travel, goals, Hardcover and eveything else I’ve been up to lately.

Written by Adam on July 4, 2021. 17 comments.

I’ve been reading about happiness lately and one thing stood out: there’s a reason why we feel tired.

Written by Adam on April 25, 2021. 12 comments.

Your FIRE number is often calculated by multiplying your expenses by 25. That’s the amount of after-tax money you nee...

Written by Adam on April 18, 2021. 17 comments.

It’s rough to get started, but once you know the best practices and questions to ask you’ll be on track to invest con...

Written by Adam on April 11, 2021. 9 comments.

This year is shaping up to be so much better than 2020. Here’s a rundown of what I’ve been up to, what I’m working on...

Written by Adam on April 4, 2021. 11 comments.

Are you one of the millions of Americans who are currently rethinking their finances? If you want to reset and reeval...

Written by Adam on March 28, 2021. 8 comments.

Rather than relying on others to create tools to track your finances – create your own! Here’s a look at what I track...

Written by Adam on March 21, 2021. 32 comments.

Investing for retirement means having a diversified portfolio in many different sectors of the stock market. This req...

Written by Adam on March 14, 2021.

Whether you call is journaling, mindfulness or just scheduling, spending a few minutes to create a plan for your week...

Written by Adam on March 7, 2021. 11 comments.

In 2020 I set a new theme for each month. Each day I’d reflect on that theme and let it influence what I spend and me...

Written by Adam on February 28, 2021. 9 comments.

There are hundreds of online groups dedicated to FIRE. Find the right one for you – whether that’s a local groups, a ...

Written by Adam on February 24, 2021. 5 comments.

Whether physical, symbolic or digital, a garden helps you focus on one thing: growth.

Written by Adam on February 21, 2021. 6 comments.

The themes for this year included COVID-19, the presidential election, working on Minafi and experimenting with other...

Written by Adam on December 31, 2020. 4 comments.

Rather than setting lofty goals in new areas of my life, I’m focusing on setting goals that are the “next step” in di...

Written by Adam on December 27, 2020. 6 comments.

After two years of early retirement I’m still figuring things out. Here are a few ways this year has been… unique.

Written by Adam on December 16, 2020. 31 comments.

To round out 2020 I’m switching from a productivity focused to enjoyment focused theme.

Written by Adam on December 1, 2020. 5 comments.

An interactive guide to figuring out which accounts you should use, and how much to invest in each, for retirement.

Written by Adam on September 21, 2020. 9 comments.

Some people claim they’d be bored if they retired. Others have enough activities to be content for a lifetime. What h...

Written by Adam on September 7, 2020. 10 comments.

For this month my theme is empty. Empty my mind of current ideas and projects in order to make room for new things to...

Written by Adam on August 9, 2020. 2 comments.

During this crazy year it can be difficult to keep hope alive. By creating a local bucket list you can inspire hope a...

Written by Adam on July 27, 2020. 9 comments.

In the same way you can optimize your money you can optimize your mindset for life.

Written by Adam on July 20, 2020. 6 comments.

Change can happen in two ways: by accident or by action. A vision for the future helps to organize action and inspire...

Written by Adam on July 5, 2020. 2 comments.

Accessing a 401(k), IRA or Roth IRA early can lead to a 10% early withdrawal penalty. With a little planning you can ...

Written by Adam on June 29, 2020. 11 comments.

For this month my theme is explore. Explore new ideas, new places, and take on new development challenges.

Written by Adam on June 2, 2020. 8 comments.

For this month I’m focusing on doing hard things I don’t naturally want to do. I’ll break through blockers and build ...

Written by Adam on May 1, 2020. 12 comments.

The FIRE movement isn’t based on a consistently rising market. For most it’s based on long-term trends, personal flex...

Written by Adam on April 13, 2020. 24 comments.

The theme for this month is to focus on creating – programming, writing, cooking, making, designing and learning.

Written by Adam on April 1, 2020. 9 comments.

At home and looking for something to do? Try one of these 21 journaling activities to help fill the time and learn a ...

Written by Adam on March 23, 2020. 8 comments.

Trying to stay calm or happy in the face of major news events is struggle. Here’s a look at how I handle new anxiety ...

Written by Adam on March 16, 2020. 5 comments.

My theme for this month is to concentrate on creating sustained, enjoyable routines with well-earned relaxation and r...

Written by Adam on March 1, 2020. 6 comments.

The FIRE Matrix is a way of mapping your progress to Financial Independence taking into account your savings rate and...

Written by Adam on February 17, 2020. 13 comments.

My theme for this month is to concentrate on finishing things. Taking projects to completion or making the decision t...

Written by Adam on February 1, 2020. 5 comments.

In 2019 I read a total of 130 – most of them listened to while running, hiking and walking my dog. Here’s a look at s...

Written by Adam on January 20, 2020. 9 comments.

My monthly theme for this month is to focus. This includes doing one thing at a time, avoiding time-wasting activitie...

Written by Adam on January 1, 2020. 4 comments.

This was an amazing year! In my first year since leaving my job, I focused on working on creative projects, exploring...

Written by Adam on December 31, 2019. 11 comments.

A look at what’s worked, what hasn’t and what I’d do differently from my first year retired.

Written by Adam on December 14, 2019. 27 comments.

With the rise of free trades on more and more online brokerages comes a new batch of investors learning the ropes. Th...

Written by Adam on October 29, 2019. 4 comments.

For the last three months, my main focuses have been getting outside to enjoy Utah, running a half-marathon, taking a...

Written by Adam on October 21, 2019. 10 comments.

Methods that focus on clearing out your possessions as fast as possible are efficient, but emotionally taxing. I take...

Written by Adam on October 7, 2019. 12 comments.

I reserve 5% of my portfolio for speculative investing. This small slice has made for the biggest ride and the wildes...

Written by Adam on September 30, 2019. 12 comments.

I didn’t learn about the FIRE movement until I was 30 years old. If I had learned about it sooner, I might have made ...

Written by Adam on September 23, 2019. 7 comments.

In September of 2019, I spoke at FinCon 2019 in Washington, D.C. I met up with a bunch of people, had fun talking abo...

Written by Adam on September 7, 2019. 46 comments.

One of my 4 pillars of investing is understanding diversification and the role it plays in asset allocation. This pos...

Written by Adam on September 2, 2019. 2 comments.

If you were cooped up inside, what would fill your time? Is it the same things that you would lean on as a kid?

Written by Adam on August 19, 2019. 9 comments.

What are the 118 topics that everyone learning about FIRE should know about? These are the subjects that stand out as...

Written by Adam on July 29, 2019. 29 comments.

Investing in a 401(k) account can be scary. There’s a lot to learn and countless decisions that have to be made just ...

Written by Adam on July 22, 2019. 12 comments.

Fernweh is a German word that roughly translates into “farsickness” or wanterlust. It’s a longing for unseen places a...

Written by Adam on July 15, 2019. 6 comments.

For June, I saw my investments shoot up another $68,000, hiked a few more difficult trails around Utah, ran a half ma...

Written by Adam on July 8, 2019. 13 comments.

If you were to split up your financial life into phases, what would they be? Here are the four phases that have made ...

Written by Adam on June 24, 2019. 7 comments.