Originally posted here on December 3rd, 2005:
Thinking about goals and the future some more, I have this picture in my head of our dream future in 5-10 years:
– I work at a job I enjoy for only 20 hours a week
– My wife also works at a job she enjoys for only 20 hours a week
– We both share responsibility for taking care of our kids with minimal, if any, need for daycare.
– Our combined incomes still make it possible for us to reach our financial goals. However, we’re not really interested in being filthy rich.We are gonna make this happen. Check back with me on 12/3/2015
Done.
We both really wanted this, even though we are more tired now than when we were both working full-time. (Even though we sleep at 9pm now instead of 1am.) Although I write about money daily (at times it may seem like an obsession)… it certainly didn’t feel like 8 years had gone by since I made this goal.
I recently bought a new print that will be in my daughter’s room eventually, but for now hangs in my home office. It says Don’t Forget To Be Awesome. I think we all have own personal definition of “awesome” – whether it’s starting your own business to being active in your community to simply being a good parent (even though that is anything but simple). Now, we are still far from reaching our “awesome”. But I think the phrasing is perfect; it’s so easy to forget to pursue our unique dreams in today’s hectic, noisy world.
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Congratulations! The point of all this is to be able to do what you really want in life. This is a huge personal success. You inspire me to keep saving.
Nice accomplishments! So what are going to be the new goals?
Hi Jonathan,
Good reminder. In this world it’s important to remember to be balanced in all things. Balance your investments and balance your life and always remember that you are a valuable and important part of the fabric of life. Like a beautiful tapestry, every thread is not just important, it’s vital. Be awesome, love this.
Have a wonderful day.
Awesome, Jonathan! 🙂
Being more tired now probably has to do with two things: having a child, and reaching one of your goals.
Having children catches up with you, and your priorities change (at least they did for me). I used to stay up until 1 am as well, and part of the drive to stay up so late was building my dream. When I built my website into a business, I was able to quit my day job and work for myself full time (also around the time my wife and I had our first child). Working for myself full time allowed e to scale back the total number of hours I was working and focus those hours on my business, not my corporate day job. It took me some time to go back to sleeping at an early hour, but now 9 pm is about right for me – and up at 5 am for some quiet time before my children wake up!
It was a huge adjustment, but one that has been immensely rewarding.
A huge congrats to your achievements!
It has been a joy to watch you achieve your goals.
Great job Jonathan. I’ve been reading your blog for the last 6 years or so. I can’t thank you enough for being my inspiration. I’m following similar path to yours in terms of paying off house mortgage. I’d love to work part-time like you, but I may have to work 10 more years before I can take that path. Great job posting regularly with tips and suggestion on making our financial lives better.
Congrats! Been following you for more than 6 years. Great to see you achieve your goals, inspire others and build a respectable/human blog!
that’s so cool!
Thank you everyone. In 2005, this blog was less than a year old and we were renting a small house while I was again a part-time student. It has been a crazy ride.
Jonathan: Huge congrats to you and your wife! What a major accomplishment and milestone. And, it seems like you’ve been having a lot of fun and creative expression along the way.
Thanks for being an inspiration and one of the online financial people I trust most when it’s time to take things up a notch. I was just referencing your site 2 nights ago, when I finally wanted to begin learning about investment allocation and specific funds to look into.
Here’s to dreams realized and unimaginable awesomeness in your future!
Congrats. Someday, please consider sharing (in general terms) what you & your wife do for a living which allowed you in 8 years to go part time! Might steer some younger folk into better career choices as its too late for this CPA!
Any reference for “Don’t Forget To Be Awesome” ? Seems like I’ve heard it in a movie before involving time travel a la “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.”
Congratulations again!
Fantastic, Jonathan!
I’m with InACents. I want to know what the new set of goals for 2025 is!
I was not aware that you were a Nerdfighter. If you aren’t, just so you are aware your poster is inspired by the brothers Green. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VlogBrothers
WOW!!! Congrats does not seem like a strong enough word! Totally awesome!!!!! Your blog i s one of my favorites……you are helping so many people. I have paid off the mortgage and have zero debt….but I still work the 40 hour “job”……but i choose to work because I love it!! I am working in a field that I am passionate about….and to me…that is what life is about. Finding your passion and living it!
@Joshua – My sister is a CPA. It’s a lot tougher life than most people think it is! I’m not allowed to talk to her until 4/16.
@John B – I’ve read about the Nerdfighters claim to the Don’t Forget To Be Awesome slogan, but I don’t know much past that and have never seen any of their videos. The first time I saw this was on a poster via a Groupon/LivingSocial. Either way, I like it. 🙂
Truly awesome and congrats on your accomplishment Jonathan! I hope to be there someday myself.
Don’t set a new goal Jonathan! You sound happy where you are, I think that’s the art of living well.
How were you able to get a job working part-time that pays decently well?
Wow! I remember reading your original post. The time goes by sooo quickly anyway, we must use it wisely as we strive toward our goals. Thanks for all you’ve shared over the years. It really has been a help to me and I am now able to stay at home with our three children while our rental properties bring in income. Also “more tired now than when working full time” really resonated with me as well.
Very inspiring.
I’ve been following your blog off and on for years, but now I’ll have to go back and comb through your posts and see how you pulled this as I want to do this myself.
Congrats Jonathan & Family – very awesome!
Perhaps it’s time to add a child’s college savings goal to the metrics on this site?