Never Say Never

There has been a slight change in my plans. I am going to Oklahoma on Monday for one month to work on some re-shoots for film. This wasn't exactly in my plans for the 100 Day Challenge, but after crunching some numbers I decided it might be in my best interest to actually make some money for a month while I continue to weigh my options for my next "career" step. It also helps that I'll be in OK with one of my very good and fun friends, who I spent the summer of 2009 with on working another film in that same state north of the Red River. 

I haven't said too much about it on here yet, but I think I am narrowing down what career direction I want to go in that does not involve film. I've been researching and doing info interviews and am excited about this possibly new direction. I don't want to go into it "publicly" yet, as I have a tendency to change my mind and plans every 5 minutes so until I have an actual, real plan, the details and subject will remain vague. I am pretty sure my inconsistencies and mind-changing ways are in the Poss genes as my dad's quote to me the other night when I told him I was taking the job in OK after swearing off film was something along the lines of "good God, you really are my daughter." Either that or they finally got the paternity tests back that confirm I am not the milk man's, though I'm still hoping I am Oprah's long lost daughter.

No matter what, I will continue the 100 day challenge, getting in my exercise and pages before or after the inevitable 12+ hour days that lie ahead for the next 30 days. There is a small fitness center at the hotel and I can always bring running shoes to walk or run outside. If I have to, I'll even do calisthenics in the production office in between phone calls and emails. I will bring many books and will have to make myself read, even if I am tired. There will be no Lunchboxes for me, a delightful local drink made of beer, orange juice and Amaretto that will inevitability lead me to dance with a toothless local until the wee hours of the morning while my books sit at the hotel, lonely and untouched.

During one of my info interviews this week with a self employed small business owner, I heard an appropriate quote. "It is not the original commitment you make, it is the re-commitment you make to it every single day." Damn, so appropriate. I committed to the 100 Day Challenge back in early January, when I didn't have another job on the horizon. I must now make a much more conscious re-commitment to it, every single day once I get to Oklahoma.  It will now be much more challenging to put myself and this challenge first while working a demanding job on another, and possibly my last, film.  I know I won't lose any friends or family if I miss a day or slack off here and there because I was at the office from 8A to 11P, but I will be sad/mad/disappointed in myself if I let that happen. This challenge is as much about the discipline to do something good for myself EVERY SINGLE DAY NO MATTER WHAT as it is about hitting the 100 minutes and 100 pages marks daily. Speaking of, there is a stationary bike and a book calling my name...

Money Monday$

How’s your sex life? Did you blush a little or spit out your coffee when you read that question? Thought so, but chances are you talk more openly with your friends about your sex life (or lack there-of) than you do about your money (or lack there-of).

Still reading? Great! Because today I'm going to talk about one of my favorite subjects.....me. I mean money, actually me and my money, or is it my money and I (I can never remember. Clearly I was day dreaming during 6th grade grammar class). 

I just finished reading two books related to personal finance.  Nudge, which is actually more of an economics book, discusses the different ways people make decisions about their health, wealth and happiness and how businesses and the government can “nudge” people to make the perceived “best” choice for their 401k, organ donation, eating habits, etc.  Instead of presenting a new employee with 47 confusing choices about their 401K, an employer might have 5 easier to understand options based on the employees predicted retirement year. To encourage participation in a 401K, an employer might have a default system in which the employee will automatically be enrolled in the most conservative 401K investing only a small percentage of their income. The employee can always decide to opt out or to invest more aggressively, if they actively choose.  This same principle can be applied to nutrition in school cafeterias. Put the salads and vegetables first in line instead of the pizza and nachos and students are more inclined to make the healthier choices. Just a couple ways we consumers are "nudged" to make the choices deemed "best" by an authority. Think twice before you pick up that salad! Is that what you REALLY want or is someone else nudging you to eat your veggies besides me?

The other book I just finished, The Millionaire Next Door, is not about how to snag a millionaire spouse unfortunately. Go watch Millionaire Matchmaker for tips about that. The Millionaire Next Door is about the unassuming and not-so-obvious millionaires - the school teachers, firefighters, and small business owner types who live within their means, save, invest and have a net worth of over one million dollars. The authors interviewed many millionaires to find out what they know and what they do that might teach the rest of us a thing or two (or million). The moral of the story is to budget, live within your means, save, invest, and plan. 

Sounds easy, right? Yeah not so much. Dave Ramsey, a personal finance guru, often states that personal money management is "20% knowledge and 80% behavior." I can tell you first hand that this is true. Over the past few years I have developed an interest (some might call it obsession) in personal finance. I am fascinated by people and their money. I cannot seem to read enough about it or have enough conversations about it with willing friends, family and even strangers. Just the mention of money in a conversation will elicit a variety of emotional responses. Some even come across in body language - brows will furrow, arms will cross, shoulders tighten, they might even slap you, or just completely shut down and stop talking. Wow, I don't think people even do that when asked about their sex life.  Which brings me back to my favorite subject.....me. Tune in next week for another edition of Money Monday$ in which I will not talk about sex, but will talk honestly about my struggling, on-going, somewhat abusive relationship with money.

Yours truly,
Po$$
(Pronounced "poe-money-money." It is also my rapper name.)