Feb 19 2008
Let the games begin
I never thought I’d see the day I would have my own blog. Not because I don’t like to write, but because I didn’t understand or see the use for one. Why do I want to read someone’s journal? Why do I want someone to read mine?
A few weeks ago my wife opened my eyes. She asked me about RSS and how we can use it for our websites. Let me set the stage. I’ve been programming since 1981 and I’m a bit of a computer geek. My wife…the computer has started more of our fights than anything else. After all these years she just doesn’t like computers. That she knew more about it than me was more than I could withstand.
The more I looked into it, the more I liked what I saw. I added a few feeds recommended by people I trust. I found myself reading some and purging others. The challenge was to keep the number of feeds to a manageable level.
I was hooked, now how can I get into the act? What is our niche? There are tons of blogs out there. Most don’t get read. Most don’t deserve to be read! What could I talk about that would help people and not just be another soapbox?
I started looking at our strengths and interests. One thing kept jumping out at us. There were a ton of blogs on getting out of debt (think Dave Ramsey). Lots discussed productivity and personal growth. Some great one’s are on life balance. What was missing is the next step. How do you go from $10k to $1M to $10M? How do you do this without giving up ten years of your life? How do you balance your career, entrepreneurship, and your personal life?
This is an area where we excel. Some was learned from gurus. Much of it from experience.
We started about as far down the food chain as you can go. When my wife and I go married, I was a financial train wreck. Over the next few years we paid off our debts and cleaned up our credit. We built up our emergency fund and our savings. My career grew rapidly, unfortunately in the wrong direction. To use a phrase from Stephen Covey, I had climbed the ladder of success only to find it leaning against the wrong wall! With some sole searching and hard work we were able to get on the right path and figured out life balance.
Along the way we have picked up knowledge, experience, and credentials. I’ve read much of the success literature. We both have degrees in business, and I also have my engineering degree. I was a financial counselor while in the navy where I helped sailors with budgets, savings, and how to get out of debt. I’ve done taxes professionally and on a volunteer basis for VITA. In other words, we’ve read it, seen it, and done it!
In spite of this experience, I still have so much to learn. I will spend the rest of my life learning and growing. This blog is part of the journey, and I hope to share it with you.
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