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Tag: podcsat

Finances

Using Money to Optimize Happiness… Really?

by Tracey Hulick
Posted on August 2, 2019

I am 42 days away from becoming debt-free (pause for celebration 🙂 ), and I…

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Today I went out for a mindfulness walk. Ever done one of those? No podcast playing in my ear. No phone calls or texts. No mentally planning for the next thing I had to do. Instead I strolled around the west side of Bend, Oregon smelling the towering pine trees, paying attention to the feeling of the bottom of my feet, and noticing the aftertaste of an altoid. Any time my mind would wander I would gently bring it back to the present. In four short months this beautiful town will be my new home for my next chapter. Today’s mindfulness walk helped me to feel calm, connected, and very happy about my decision. #bendbound #bendoregon #nextchapter #intentionalliving #mindfulness #pnw

For most of my life I’ve been running fit, but ask me to do a push up and I’d laugh in your face! In the hibernation season since my 100k I took one week totally off, then I started quietly tackling strength work. And today I finally saw the fruits of my labor! 💪🏼 Spence was doing some new (to me) moves in the gym today, and I felt brave. Why not try it? He may be a full time triathlete but hey, I’m feeling strong these days! 🏊🏼‍♂️🚴🏼‍♂️🏃🏻‍♂️ And bam! I actually was able to do this! Thanks Spence for the photographic evidence - this is great motivation for me to keep strength work in my weekly fitness lineup! #risefitnessbend #cni #growth #yesyoucan #healthiswealth

My 100k 🏃🏻‍♀️in September may have been a wonderful (and yes, painful) experience, but when I crossed that finish line I was ready to take a break from running. 🥱 Sure, I’ve done a couple runs a week since then, often not longer than 30 minutes. And that felt great. 🧘🏻‍♀️ Then this morning it happened. I wanted to run longer. Get uncomfortable. Explore a new trail and maybe even see some wildlife! 🦌 As I ran through Waterton Canyon for nearly 9 (uncomfortable) miles, I couldn’t help but smile through the discomfort! I felt like me. Happily covered in dirt and sweat, saying hello to strangers, and pausing to talk to big horned sheep! 🐏 That’s the great thing about distance running. It’s always there when you want it, like an old friend that you don’t talk to for a few months, and when you’re back together it’s like no time has passed... other than the reminder that you’re back at ground zero of running fitness. And that’s fine. You can’t be annoyed about grinding along when there’s baby sheep on the side of the trail! #watertoncanyon #trailrunning #hellobabysheep #ultrarunning #everydaydirt #comingoutofhibernation #orangemuddirtunit #tailwindambassador

My mornings are sacred to me, especially when I’m on a work trip. ✈️ I’ve been focused on establishing an effective morning routine since the beginning of October, and I think I damn near have it perfected. (I don’t think it’s coincidental that I started working on the a.m. routine right after I became alcohol free - sleeping better and waking up feeling fresher definitely helps!!) ☀️ Balancing my day job with growing @kidney_donor_athletes takes a lot of intention and discipline. I don’t always want to do all the things, I’m not always motivated, but I always do SOMETHING to move things forward. Here’s what today’s routine looked like: ✅ 10 minute guided meditation using the @calm app ✅ Spanish practice using @duolingo ✅15 minute morning yoga routine. (Have you checked out Yoga With Adriene on YouTube?? I’m a BIG fan) ✅ Responding to any new KDA messages from overnight (5 in total) ✅ Coffee ✅ Journaling in my homemade #starttodayjournal (I am on a budget after all - financial independence doesn’t come without sacrifices!) ✅Reading in @gabbybernstein ‘s Judgment Detox ✅ Journaling exercise from the book ✅Looking at my checking account and logging any expenses in my @everydollar app. (And there were none. See above mention of financial independence 😊😊) It may look like a lot, but it only took about 90 minutes. And now my cup is full (both literally ☕️ and figuratively), I invested time both in myself and my business, and I can go into work at the office with a clear head and focus. #morningcoffee #habit #financialindependence #fi #alcoholfree #slaytheday #babystep3 #debtfreelife #nonprofitstartup #colorado501c3 #coloradoentrepreneur #judgmentdetox #budget #discipline

This winter has been a season of hibernation for me so far. I enjoy my time at home, working out alone, reading, quietly working on @kidney_donor_athletes and cooking plant based meals. 🌱 Maybe it’s because I have traveled so much over the last 20 months that I finally hit a wall and wanted to plant my feet in one place for a while. ✈️ But this weekend was different. I had a get together with a bunch to other badass kidney donors Friday night which was great. It was my 100th day without drinking, and of course I had the urge to celebrate by having a margarita. 🙃 I guess that part of my brain isn’t fully re-wired yet! I had lots of laughs and meaningful conversations with my kidney pals, and only spent $15 (with tip) for jackfruit tacos. (Note to self - you don’t like jackfruit. Please stop ordering it.) 🌮 Then over the weekend I spent time in Fort Collins with my cousin and his girlfriend. It was lovely! We cooked food, worked on a puzzle, laughed at my dog tearing around their back yard, and did two hikes! Total cost : $20.18 in groceries. Some of my homebody-ness is rooted in my focus on saving. I’ve got a big move across the country in a few short months and I want my emergency fund to be fully loaded by that point! This weekend was a great reminder that I can get out and do fun, memorable things with people and not blow through loads of cash. Being alcohol free and eating plant based helps a lot in that department! Total weekend spending: $35.18 #frugal2020 #frugalbychoice #alcoholfree #fortcollins #arthursrock #intentionalspending #optimizehappiness #colorado #onekidneyclubofcolorado #1kidneyclub #kidneydonorathlete #hibernationmode #hibernationseason #babystep3 #daveramseybabysteps #financialfreedom #coloradohike #oynb

New blog post! **Let’s Talk 2020** 💫 “I love this time of year. 🤩 The short days and cold temps feel like nature’s permission for me to read more, sleep more, and allow more time for reflection. 🧘🏻‍♀️ It was 2016 when I was first exposed to the idea that success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure. (Thanks @tonyrobbins !) 🤯 It prompted me to look at my 2016 goals list and see what was truly fulfilling on that list. 🤔 Of the 17 goals (yes, I said 17), 4 were. 😕 Ever since then I put a lot more thought into goal setting. And honestly, I don’t even call them goals anymore. I call them intentions. That feels more like steady progress forward in a meaningful direction, rather than some kind of pass/fail achievement. ⭐️ After some lovely contemplating in the dark of winter, here are the intentions that are most meaningful for me in this upcoming year. 📆 1 – Aggressive saving while spending in a way that optimizes happiness. 🤑 2 – Relationship investment. 👫🏻 3 – Find opportunities to lift other women up and support them. ... Now, I can’t fix the world’s problems, but I can sure as hell be part of the solution. That is why I want to be more conscious of how I treat and talk about other women. That is why I want to take more time to send a message of encouragement to a woman I see trying to make positive changes in her life. That is why I want every woman in my life to know with absolute certainty that once she leaves the room, no one will be talking shit about her. 🙌🏼 Life can be hard enough without cattiness and negativity from people that are struggling with the same insecurities.” 🤍 To read the full post, and to see how I think I can save $ while spending in a way that optimizes happiness, click the link in my bio! #2020intentions #fi #fire #mustachian #intentionalliving #blogger #bettertogether #financialindependence #optimizehappiness #choosefi #playingwithfire #frugalbychoice #frugal2020 #lifteachotherup

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Recent Posts

Let’s Talk 2020. January 3, 2020
My First Debt-Free New Year’s of my Adult Life! December 31, 2019
What it Feels Like to be 3 Days Away From Becoming Debt-Free. September 10, 2019
Using Money to Optimize Happiness… Really? August 2, 2019
My Botched Budget. New Debt Payoff Date = September 15, 2019 August 1, 2019

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