It’s that time of year again or for many just past. Performance review time I have a secret to share for anyone still stuck in the grind: Performance reviews don’t matter. Shocking, I know. I looked at performance reviews exactly like the vast majority of managers do. What I’m about…

I was sick this week. Fortunately, when I am sick, I can stay home. I have enough Stormtroopers who do the day-to-day work that it doesn’t matter if I take time off. When you’re an important cog in making the machine work, sometimes it can be worse to take time…

In my first article, (Vader’s First Law of eMotion: The Law of Emotional Inertia), I talked about Inertia—how a retiree at rest (on the couch, in a routine, or in a mood) tends to stay at rest. I suffer from this first law. I would be the opposite of what you…

This is Part 2 of the Vader’s Laws of eMotion series. In my first article, (Vader’s First Law of eMotion for Retirement), I talked about Inertia—how a retiree at rest (on the couch, in a routine, or in a mood) tends to stay at rest. But once we realize we are…

If you a new or recent reader this blog is half stand alone posts and half a continuous story on my OMY to retire. It is best to start on the first post here – Let there be Light (saber). Onwards I’ve always been a creature of habit. I call it…

After hitting “publish” on my last post, I realized I’d done something dangerous. I’d hit a nerve. My own. I admitted, in black and white, that I am currently at work strictly for the paycheque. It has been bugging me ever since. It’s as if I’ve inadvertently accepted a position…

These last few weeks I have been more reflective than normal. It’s not only related to what Padme is going through in her career, or my own “will he or won’t he” retirement thoughts, but more on life in general. I have just passed my anniversary of being laid off…

I have admitted to floating toward the dark side at times—and by that, I mean small “d” depression. I can see the dark side of things when maybe it’s not so bad. Some of the reason is due to my career experiences, but there is a part of it due…

This is part 2 in my Career series.   This series is an honest look back at three decades: the mistakes made, the math that didn’t add up, and the pivotal inflection points that shaped the road to where I am today.  Part 1 can be found here The Greatest Teacher,…

We don’t track our spending. That means we don’t budget. I hate paperwork; it’s just another item to procrastinate on, right up there with the laundry. So, I haven’t made a budget. I tell myself I will do it. Some day. Soon… In the world of the FIRE crowd (Financial…