The Overarching Need of Balance

As I kicked back on my girlfriend’s comfy chair (she was running a yard sale at her parents for the day, and mine is decidedly less-comfy!) last Saturday afternoon, I took some time to reflect on my situation. On one hand I’ve made some great progress over the past year, but on the other I still have a ways to go. My elimination of debt is systematically progressing as fast as I had originally hoped. The car will be completely paid off in August, and it should last a good while (as I cross my fingers) before we’ll need a new one. I’ve managed to chip away at my student loan debt as well, in the mean time, and that will be paid off by the end of next year.

But of course there’s more expenses to deal with on the horizon as well. Saving for a house is going to be my most aggressive and largest savings project to date. I’m still working toward the prospect of being self-employed, as I like my job but do NOT like the 9-5 grind week in and week out. That will likely be years off as well. Sometimes it’s simply difficult to have patience. The farther off a goal is, the harder it is to focus on attaining it. The reason why the “debt snowball” method is so successful is because people are able to experience the sense of accomplishment from tackling a debt right away. Paying off a debt that you know will take a year (or many years in the case of a mortgage) can be difficult to maintain the momentum on. There’s a fine line to be drawn between working toward your goals and living your life to it’s fullest in the here and now.

Balance in all things in your life is important. You need to be passionate about your goals but not obsessed. You want to be successful but not successful at the expense of all else. You could be dead tomorrow, but you could also live a long and prosperous life. If you want to live a life of no regrets, you’ll have to satisfy the needs of the present and future.