Into a New Year

Apologies the radio silence. I have just returned to work this week after three weeks of leave, which were not especially noteworthy. I stayed home and did a lot of DIY projects, so many in fact that I’ll make a post out of those for readers who like the chalk-painting exploits. I also spent a few days helping my sister and family and keeping kids out of the way of packers etc before they moved. Then I was in a race against time to complete the last paint jobs and clean up before my other sister and her little boy came for the weekend just gone. So while much of the “holiday” actually felt somewhat relentless with the list of jobs I had in mind, and my house got overwhelming messy in the process, I am hopeful about 2018! Jobs are finished and tidying up is in progress (I didn’t really get to the house-wide cull I had in mind as I prioritised painting things etc) and I feel mostly ready and enthused for the new year, though I didn’t get as much time to sit and reflect and read as I would have liked.

I have, though, read a few change-your-way-of-living books recently that have helped me feel more intentional about how I am going about certain areas of existence. These were:

The Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape – I’ll warrant no-one reads here for reviews of finance books, but after a number of people told me this was helpful I decided to get it, and I am glad I did and only wish I’d read it sooner. It’s a very easy-to-read book (It’s actually quite engaging!) about managing your finances, in an Australian context (though I can’t see why most principles wouldn’t be transferable, just not the specifics of his recommendations). I once got a trophy for Commerce at school (one of those subjects you come top of without particularly caring), but that certainly didn’t foretell a life of doing well with money, mostly owing to lack of interest (it seriously doesn’t light my fire). We all know a man is not a financial plan – and indeed I let go of any hopes of being pursued and invited out by a suitable Christian fellow long ago, and in the damage of the past I question whether I'd want such a thing – so it is good to be sorted to manage on your own. What I liked about this book was that it was like the father/brother/husband I never had sitting down with some friendly advice and practical tips on how to do things (not that a male person is needed for financial advice, but in my case no one else ever really gave any) and has given me more confidence and control with managing money. I had to tweak his recommendations a little for my situation but I have set up some different accounts, transferred all debits/payments off my credit card and cleared that away and I am good to go (except that I never should have taken out a loan for a car, but I have done it now so nevermind). I’ve started an account that includes holidays, so next time I take leave I can go exploring.

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo – I’ve written of that one already. I didn’t get to implementing as much of it as planned these holidays, but I am going to keep at it, and I have a large pile for charity thus far.

The More of Less by Joshua Becker – This book links the above two together, being about wanting and acquiring less stuff, and giving away any excess, to allow yourself more freedom (financially and otherwise) for bigger and better things. The author is on Facebook as Becoming Minimalist if you want to take a look there (I don’t know that I’m ever going to be a fully fledged minimalist, but who doesn’t have too much stuff?). He is actually a church pastor, though he’s certainly not overt about that. It was a little bit extreme at times eg I don’t feel compelled to conduct removal experiments to see how little I can possibly live with, but I will certainly be keeping it all in mind in relation to acquisitions from here on, and I have that charity pile going.

Be the Gift by Ann Voskamp – This is a coffee table compilation (well it's a nice picture book) of extracts from her other books I gather, and I am not far in, but it’s challenging reading about basically changing your approach to life from one of receiving to giving.

So that’s my rather prosaic first post for the year, but hopefully that is not actually the shape of things to come. I hope your 2018 is full of the best things!