I have talked in the past about how I try to tackle the philosophy of financial independence. Part of the reason is that there are so many other amazing voices that manage the mechanical side. The other part is my profound belief that the grand majority of Americans can either cleave a path to financial independence or at least substantially improve their economic situation. Yet, the majority don’t. …
I was sitting across from a new acquaintance at the CampFI Midwest and he was telling me about his next budding venture. He had a brilliant business plan. An idea which no one had capitalized on before. He was in the middle of gathering investors and beginning the long process of due diligence. I probed further. I am always wary of what I call the financial independence …
I don’t want to be unclear here. I don’t want to mince my words. But I’m mad about an interaction I had on Facebook. I was commenting on the Physician Side Gigs group page when someone riffed on one of my statements. They mentioned that my opinions could be a slippery slope towards a future where doctors no longer see patients. The insinuation was that we as physicians owe it …
I believe we have power. That deep inside each of us resides a unique purpose and identity that are unstoppable. That embracing this power leads to lifelong contentedness. Finding this well of vitality is complicated. Certainly it starts by telling ourselves the right stories about our lives. By becoming the protagonist of our own unique narrative, we dive deeper into ourselves. In the past I have even gone as …
I have talked in the past about coping with financial freedom. Once we reach the mountaintop, we undergo a number of emotional changes. It is, however, a mistake to believe that the transformation only begins once we have attained our goal. In my humble opinion, there are five stages of financial independence. These stages begin with conception and meager bank accounts, and end with financial freedom and hopefully …
Because of my father
When you lose a parent during childhood, it effects just about everything you become. Decisions about life naturally stem from enduring this trauma. Some try to form families early and replace that which they feel has been lost. Others spurn close connections and create a wall so firm that no one else can encroach. An attempt to protect against pain. Because of my father I …
There are so many things that I could tell you to be. Be brave. Because change and opportunity are scary and fear is a natural precursor to achievement. Be kind. Because there are fewer things in life that will bring such natural and unadulterated joy. Be humble. Because the first sign that you are plodding off in the wrong direction is the undying certainty you feel in the rightness of …
There are gifts given and gifts taken away. And Jacob’s abilities could be described as nothing less than a gift. He was a violin virtuoso. Or at least, that was the word the university professor of violin pedagogy fumbled with over and over again as she ushered the eight-year-old Jacob out of her office and cornered his parents. He was immediately enrolled in an advanced curriculum, taken out of …
I have a few hundred thousand dollars in 529 plans. We have been growing them for years. Although not everyone’s cup of tea, this lump of money invested in this manner suggests that not only am I prepared to drop a boatload on college education, but also feel that it is cash well spent. Although this type of thinking was self-evident a decade ago, there is a growing chorus of …
I usually simplify things here on the blog. Sometimes it is easier to glaze over a part of the story instead of pulling out all the details. Others, the point is clearer when not bogged down by tangentially related details. What’s lost in nuance, however, often adds shades of complexity to the picture. Occasionally another viewpoint is suppressed on purpose. I have frequently referred to the fact that I Read more…
Although I would never describe the business of primary care medicine as cutting edge, there are a number of innovations that have come and gone during my short tenure running a medical practice. The business of medicine is fascinating and leaves much room for personalization and creativity. I have been lucky to operate at the forefront of practice management and learned quickly how to leverage two bleeding edge philosophies to multiply profits. …
We have all heard of the one more year phenomena. Financially independent people, such as myself, hit the wall of fear. Although we have enough, we persist in our W-2 day job for no reason. There are many explanations for our persistence. Yet none of them adequately account for why it is so hard to shake our indentured servitude once it becomes unnecessary. While I personally …
My daughter had her first track meet this weekend. We showed up to a field house at the local high school and watched as dozens of kids and hundreds of parents took their places. The competitions spanned from high jump to mile run. Fifty-yard dash to shot put. Watching these fourth and fifth graders compete was pure joy. We marveled at the speed and agility as the winners sprinted towards …
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I’ve written previously that financial independence is plan B. Plan A, of course, is life. Your work and time are precious, and life is too short to be wading through a morass of unhappiness only to get to some endpoint or goal. While I definitely believe in front-loading the sacrifice, the cost should not have to be misery. Physicians, in particular, tend to look at their …
As many of you know, I am a big fan of side hustles. I see them as a financial independence superpower that not only leads to increased revenue and diversification, but also joy and passion. I am not, however, unaware of the fact that many feel they are a waste of time. The case against side hustles is real. There are many reasons why an individual may decide …
I have neck pain. It’s been going on for years. Usually, I get sore stiff muscles once a week and a headache. This is the consequence of having a big bobblehead on a pencil thin, weak neck. In the throes of pain, I have thought many a time about doing the right thing, and going to see a physical therapist. But then I get a heating pad, take a Tylenol, …
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I am not a doctor of finance. I’m a medical doctor. So when I enter an elderly patient’s home, I’m not expecting to do a wallet biopsy. Whether they can pay me or not is of little consequence. I do think, however, about whether they will be able to afford the care I prescribe. Will they have enough to pay for that extra caregiver? Is there cash to keep a roof over …
It is easy to look at someone’s net worth and ooh and ahh. The response from my monthly income reports is fairly telling. People see the numbers and wonder how I accumulated so much. They peruse the Rockstar Finance’s Net Worth Tracker and daydream. To capture these dreams, there are countless blog posts about how to become a millionaire. If you just follow these three simple steps! The headlines are alluring and the answers are …
I used to have a patient who was an undertaker. We had many conversations about philosophy and practicality, and it didn’t take long to realize the profound insights one must learn when engaged in such a unique business. As I was often fond of saying, when the undertaker speaks, you should really listen. This belief that our experiences can lead to new and different perspectives has pushed me to analyze not …
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Signing the divorce papers was probably Charlie’s lowest point. His wife sitting by his side, occasionally she would swat at the air at some invisible fly buzzing around the room. There was no fly. Just the acrid smell of the nursing home, a horrifying mix of sweat, shit, and desperation. He tried to focus his aged eyes on the legal papers as the tears swirled past his nose and losing traction, fell …
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