Your Year End Review

Today is a good day to look in the rear view mirror and review the highs and lows of the last twelve months.  If you're not planning on making any changes or adjustments, you can pretty much expect the same results in the new year ahead.  Pay careful attention to the past goals you set and your success rate.  Search for patterns in the failed attempts.  Don't beat yourself up over the losses.  Consider them as the necessary learning experiences necessary to change things up in the next twelve months.

I'm playing games with my goals to help me remain engaged over the next 36 months which happens to be the amount of time I calculated to retire our mortgage early.  The first reward level happens at the end of January.  In order to make the budget work and create available money for mortgage reduction, my wife and I pledged to make our first month wine and chocolate free.  These are our two favorite splurges.  The reward is adding these items to our shopping list should we reach our target for the two added principal payments in January.  Should we come up short, the penalty involves another month of no wine and no chocolate.  The combination of rewards and penalties is like a carrot and stick approach to keep us on track.

I'm cheering for you to give yourself an honest review of these last twelve months and to use that feedback to make improvements next year.  Feel free to join me tomorrow and I'll share more about the games I'm playing to help me stay focused on my commitment to my goals.  These tips can help you in any area of your life.  Have a great day.

It's All About Serenity

I played my last tennis match of the year yesterday and it pretty much mirrored how I spent the last twelve months of my life.  My doubles partner and I were facing two of the toughest fighters on our team and they took command early by clobbering us 6-0 in the first set.  It was reminiscent of my two months home recovering from a serious auto accident on February 5.  We didn't let our slow start hurt us and we set up a plan to counter our opponents nearly flawless play.  Chip and charge became our mantra and we came back to take the next two sets 6-4, 6-3.  Although the match was only a practice match, it gave me the confidence I need going into our final men's 40+ league match on Saturday.  A win will give us first place for the season, the opportunity to play for a state title, and move on to the regional playoffs in the summer.

There are some pretty good lessons to be learned during times of trial.  I thought about all the people on my prayer list when I looked in the bathroom mirror during a break after the second set.  Some are facing much larger battles with cancer as their opponent.  Another teammate succumbed to stage IV pancreatic cancer this year and is no longer with us.  That's why I wear a pink bandana on the courts.  It's to remind me to keep fighting and keep praying in all circumstances.  Serenity.  It's a secret weapon that can keep you going when your bones are broken and your neck is in a brace.  It's the prayer you have when everything else appears out of your control.

A new year is about to begin.  For me, it's the beginning of a three year quest to finally take down the debt monster who has been nagging me for most of my adult life.  The strategy is a variation of the "chip and charge" we used to turn things around yesterday on the tennis courts.  I'm going with "chip, charge and pay right away" which means we're chipping away at any unnecessary expenses we really can live without while paying our credit card immediately after any purchases clear pending.  We're dedicating a preset amount out of every paycheck to contribute to additional principal payments over the next thirty-six months.  There will be times when obstacles appear.  That's part of the process.  I know one thing for sure – I'm keeping Serenity as my doubles partner during this match and we're going to  chip, charge and pay right away until this match is over.  This is not a resolution.  This is a way of life.  Make Serenity your partner and take her with you everywhere you go.  Have a great day.

Debt Reduction Tool Box

Ask any professional what it takes to achieve success and he or she will tell you it's all about having the right tools for the job.  The same is true with debt reduction.  Here are a few tools I'm using to reach financial independence:

• Tape measure.  Use this to measure the size of every debt in your household.  Write the measurements down from smallest to largest and use this as a checklist to prioritize which debt to pay off first.
• Hammer.  Use this daily.  Pound the smallest debt first until it's "nailed" and then move on, one nail at a time.
• Leveler.  Use this tool to make sure your money going out each month never exceeds the money coming in. The bubble will move in the right direction as long as you keep paying down on your principal and avoid increasing your debt.
• Floor plan.  You want to review your floor plan for your dream house daily to help you see an accurate picture of what you're building.  Anyone can build a house of cards but you're creating something special.  Every vehicle in your garage will be free of expensive auto loans.  You will live in a smart home meaning you're mortgage free.

Make sure you have all the tools you need to accomplish debt reduction.  The longer you wait to get started, the more expensive the job will be.  Debt reduction is serious business.  Teach your children to use these tools so they can be their own carpenter when they are on their own.  Have a great day.

Visualization Technique for Debt Reduction

Imagine your life free of monthly debt obligations.  No more credit card payments.  No more auto loans.  Your mortgage is paid in full.  Can you see it?  The details matter.  Close your eyes and see a vivid picture of how your life appears.  Do you like what you see?  This is your reward for making the daily sacrifices necessary to get to your dream life.  Every time you see an obstacle, close your eyes and go back to that picture of your future self living a life of financial independence.

Most people never really take the opportunity to visualize the kind of life I'm writing about today.  They've been taught that monthly car payments are a way of life.  As soon as they make their final payment, they turn around and buy another car on credit.  The same thing happens with credit cards.  The buy now pay later approach is so addicting. By taking the time to visualize a life without any debt, you're giving your brain an opportunity to get creative about how to accomplish this.  The necessary adjustments don't seem as painful when you know why you're making them.

I'm in the final days of my preparations for a mountain top experience.  I've been on this mountain before.  Unfortunately, I hit an icy patch and slid all the down the mountain and ended up in the valley of death at a negative altitude.  Now it's time to leave base camp and go for the summit.  The journey will take 36 months.  My wife is climbing with me.  We will plant the financial independence flag at the peak when make our last mortgage payment.  I've already seen the view in my mind and I'm ready.  How about you?  Are you ready to close your eyes and imagine what your life can be like when you achieve financial independence?  Have a great day.

Take the First Step Today

It's all about the small steps.  Don't worry about the other 999 miles ahead.  Concentrate on one thing – your first step.  I predict a traffic jam on January 1.  That's when everyone else gets out of bed, dreams big about how they're going to conquer all those resolutions, and crowds the roads for the next two to three weeks.  Yep.  21 steps and they're done.  Why not beat the crowds and take your first step today?  I already know I won't see the benefits of my debt reduction plans until I complete the last step in my 1,000 day journey.  My wife is my accountability partner and she promises to stay on the road with me.  I believe every step matters.  Every day matters.  There are no short cuts.

Take your first step today.  Resolve to get through the traffic jam on January 1.  Stay on the road even if you feel like you're the only one on the journey.  Don't give up.  You can do this.  Have a great day.

Debt Relief Ahead

You were not created to be a slave to debt.  Remember who you are – a child of God.  If your debt burdens are weighing you down, you are not alone.  Maybe you feel like you were walking on thin ice and suddenly you plunged into the frigid waters.  The ones who drown are the ones who panic.  Check this guy out doing a demo of how you escape a fall through the ice, then I'll show you how this relates to debt relief...

It really doesn't matter how you fell in to the debt trap.  What matters is your ability to escape.  Just breathe.  Look around at your surroundings and clear your head.  Decide you want to live.  Every step you take will help you get out of trouble.  Recognize there's one thing you must freeze – your spending.  Spending money you don't have is like walking on thin ice.  Every dollar you borrow makes the risk greater.  Every dollar you pay down against your debt is like a paddle kick on your escape route.

I'm dedicating the next three years of my life to the paddle kick.  My mortgage company is really going to miss me.  I've been under water so many times I think I may have ice in my veins.  It's time to thaw out.  Stay with me if you're serious about debt relief.  We can do this together.  Debt relief is ahead.  Have a great day.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas.  May the Spirit of Christmas bring you comfort and joy as we celebrate the birth of our Messiah, Jesus Christ.  This is the day the Lord has made.  It's the day the world waited for in ancient times.  It's the day  Heaven smiled upon a family far from home with no place to stay but a manger.

Our daughter suggested we listen to a group she likes for some amazing Christmas music.  Check out the YouTube video below by Pentatonix.  It's a great way to get in the Christmas spirit.  Have a great day.

Old Testament Meets New Testament

Here's a Bible trivia question for you...  

Who was the last Old Testament prophet?

Here are some clues.  

• His dad was a priest in the Jewish temple
• He never minced words
• He wasn't allowed to drink wine or hard liquor
• He ate grasshoppers and wild honey
• The first time the two crossed paths, Jesus and the prophet were both still in the wombs
• He lost his head by the king's order

Got the answer?

John the Baptist was the last prophet of the Old Testament.  His job was to prepare the way for Jesus.  If John were still with us today, he would be out there somewhere in the desert shouting, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, make straight the way for the Lord."  His prophecy goes beyond Christmas when we celebrate our Savior's birth.  It's also about the day when Jesus returns.  You can read all about it in the New Testament.  Have a great day.

Good Tidings of Great Joy Ahead

The real Christmas story happened far away from all the retail stores and the crowds of last minute holiday shoppers.  An angel appeared to a small group of scared shepherds and told them, "fear not, for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." – Luke 2:10

Online shopping may have reduced anxieties for some.  Others find stress relief from avoiding the malls this time of year.  What about those who are dealing with the loss of a loved one?  What about the sick who are fighting cancer and other diseases?  Where's their joy?  Maybe we all need to listen to that angel.  The message is as true today as it was 2,000 years ago.  What is there to fear when Jesus is with us?  Remember this... the good tidings of great joy shall be for ALL people.  This includes you and me.  We're on the list.  Great joy is ahead.  Have a great day.

Set Yourself Up for Success

Are you a sprinter or a marathoner?  The key is to get to the finish line every time you set a new goal.  Many will be lining up on January 1 with a list of new goals and resolutions.  I believe worthwhile goals need the stamina of a marathoner to be achieved.  That one week sprint during the first week may look great but it can be really demoralizing if you give up early and walk away.

I'm working on three main areas of my life – debt reduction, healthy eating and exercise.  Sprinting doesn't help in the long run.  I like to give myself checklists to help me stay on course.  Grocery lists keep me from deviating on my food program.  I make sure there are set days on my calendar for exercise.  There is a budget in place to prevent me from overspending while I chip away at my mortgage with monthly additional payments over required minimums.  The month of December has been a "practice month" to help me get some muscle tone for a good start in the new year.  As far as debt reduction goes, this is a 1,000 day marathon.  Sprinting won't work.  I'm setting myself up for success by visualizing an ultra marathon and I'm not leaving the course until the last step.  Are you with me?  Use the last nine days of the year to prepare for your next adventure.  Have a great day.

Our Days are on the Upswing

Today may be the shortest day of the year as we celebrate the Winter Solstice, however, I consider it a momentum builder. The next calendar flip is just ten days away.  Those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere are now on the upswing gaining just over two minutes of sunshine each day for the next six months.

If you're uncertain about how momentum can change your life, just follow the sun.  Two minutes of extra light per day may not seem like much but six months from today many of us will see the sun for an extra six hours a day.  Those living in northern Alaska will have over 80 days of uninterrupted sunlight.

I would like to add one more ingredient to your recipe for success in the new year.  Consistency.  When you mix consistency with momentum you get something the world around you will envoy – results.  For example, if you make one small change today at breakfast, lunch or dinner and lose two ounces and repeat for the next ten days, you will lose over one pound.  Keep releasing two ounces a day for the entire year and you will be 45 pounds lighter by the next Winter Solstice.  How's that for an upswing?  Have a great day.

Your Creditors Don't Want You to Play the Long Game

Every choice you make can be broken down into two categories – the short game and the long game.  Most people choose the short game because it involves little or no pain today even though they agree the long game is the smarter choice.  When it comes to managing your money, the short game is much more fun because you get to spend money you really don't have and eat out compliments of those credit cards you're carrying.  Who wants to play the long game these days?  Your creditors would like you to stop reading now.  I'm going to share why I'm playing the long game and I'm cheering for you to join me so you can change while you still have time.  The longer you put this off, the more addicting the short game becomes.

I believe the long game is more of an attitude.  It's the way you categorize every decision you make from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed.  It comes down to pay now or pay later.  Short gamers pay a high price when those credit card charges include interest rates that are making banks rich.  Long gamers defer, defer, defer until they have cash in the bank to make a purchase.  Every short gamer I know chooses the 30 year mortgage so they can have more disposable dollars now.  They don't understand how much extra this costs them.  The longer the terms, the more banks put in their pocket due to their increased risk.  That's why short gamers end up with less at retirement.

Maybe you're asking yourself, "where's the fun in the long game?"  My answer is another question... "where's the fun when you have no money and you have to keep working while your long gamer friends are all out on the golf course every day enjoying their retirement years?"  Get busy on your long game now.  Have a great day.

How to Find Your Path

Your clues are all around you.  Look around.  What do you see?  Who are the people you're drawn to?  Ignoring what you're naturally drawn to is like canceling a date with destiny before she has a chance to reveal to you this picture of what's on your trail ahead.  This trail leads you to that place where all your dreams come true.

I'm coming up on the one year anniversary of the day when I lost control of my vehicle and slid into an oncoming vehicle on a bad weather day.  The accident made speaking and breathing almost impossible.  I thought maybe this was the end of my trail.  Our daughter was outside the vehicle picking up her belongings that flew out of the car while it spun backwards into a ditch on the side of the road.  I was completely helpless.  My left lung was making gurgling noises.  The driver's door was pushed into my ribs and I couldn't move.  She was exactly one week shy of approaching a new height on her trail and I knew if anything happened to me she might cancel her date with destiny.  I mustered enough strength to make a request.  "Promise me you'll go to training," I said while she stared back nervously.  Then I flashed her my Vulcan hand gesture symbolizing live and prosper and told her, "climb higher."  She didn't have time to answer.  The ambulance arrived and I was gone in a flash.

Much to my surprise, I was released from the hospital 24 hours after the accident and returned home.  Our daughter kissed me good-bye before the week was over and honored my request to climb higher.  What a thrill it was to see her earn her wings two months later.

My request today is that you seek out the clues all around you that will help you find your own trail and then pursue your dreams with everything you have.  Never give up.  Never stop climbing.  Your dream life awaits.  Have a great day.

He's Coming

Besides the gifts, the music and all the parties, there are two things to consider this Christmas season.  Believers know Christmas is about celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus.  Yet, even the believers sometimes overlook the second part of the Christmas season that has to do with the time when Jesus returns.  This is the best time of year to think about our Savior coming back again for all of us.  

The next time you read your Bible, pretend you're on a treasure hunt.  Dig deep and search for stories about Jesus coming into the world.  When you find the baby Jesus, keep digging for the deeper meaning.  It's all there – the beginning and the end, all in the same stories.  When the adult Jesus returns again, this will complete what started with his birth 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem.  The first time he appeared to a select few.  Next time the whole world will see him.  Are you ready?  Have a great day.

Why I'm Banned from the Golf Course

Look no further than the photo for the real reason why I'm banned from the golf course.  As you can see, I'm rather conflicted.  The only person I know who creates more havoc than me on the golf course is that hockey player from Happy Gilmore who took up golf to save his grandma's house from repossession.  I suppose we have a lot in common – we're both happy and we both hate creditors.  We also like to play games.  It's no wonder my followers choose anonymity.

My exit from this golf course wasn't pretty.  I guess they didn't understand my sense of humor and sent security after us.  Umbro had a run-in with one of them upstairs in the lodge where he was hiding.  I snapped the photo below on our way out the door.  Time to run.  It's family day today.  Have a great day.

Bogey, Birdie, Eagle, Par and Mulligan

If you're serious about debt reduction, it's important to know the rules of the game and key definitions.  Par is the predetermined number of strokes an experienced golfer is expected to use to complete a hole.  A bogey is one shot over par.  One shot under par is called a birdie.  Two shots under par is an eagle.  A mulligan is used when you hit the ball the way I do and it disappears in the dense overgrowth.  Mulligans aren't always allowed on the golf course.  The first time I read the sign displayed over the receptionist's desk that read, NO MULLIGANS ALLOWED, I walked out and decided to play tennis.  Tennis courts have high fences which are helpful.   I'm better suited for tennis because I don't have to spend all day in the dense overgrowth searching for my lost balls.

I'm applying the rules of golf to a debt reduction game I'm developing for those handicapped with excessive debt.  You can take as many mulligans (they're called do overs) as you want when you play the game.   First, you predetermine how many additional principal dollars you want to pay each month.  If you come up short, mark that hole as a bogey and write down the amount you're short on your scorecard.  If you contribute more than expected, give yourself an eagle or birdie and write the plus amount on your scorecard.   Play the game as often as necessary until you win by declaring financial freedom on your last hole.  Have a great day.

How I'm Keeping Score in the Debt Reduction Game

It can get really scary when there's a Mulligan writing the rules of the game.  Just ask my neighbors I grew up with.    It gets even scarier when I combine my love of marketing with book writing, puzzle solving and debt reduction.  It's all fun and games.  Solving problems is what we Mulligans have been doing for generations.  When I was growing up, I heard stories about my granddad, a Midwest family physician who put skis on his airplane so he could make house calls in the Winter.  I don't need to make house calls to help others when cyberspace is free and without boundaries.  Yes, it's all coming together now and I'm sharing the early drafts here on this blog, aka my own not-so-private sand box where I play games every morning before sunrise.

Traditional golf is played over 18 holes.  I'm adding another 18 in my debt reduction game because I believe everyone can use a mulligan when it comes to winning the financial freedom game.  The 36 hole virtual golf course is divided into three parts – the front nine, the middle 18 and the back nine.  Par is the amount each player decides to pay in additional principal payments every month.  The debt reduction game can be played over and over until the player wins financial independence.  My hope is to make par over the next 36 months and then send my mortgage banker home in December, 2021.  A little birdie told me there may be a next generation Mulligan with a pilot's license I can hire to fly my last creditor out of town on a one-way ticket.  I don't know if skis are FAA approved but I have a feeling a photo like that would go viral.  I'll see you on the course.  Have a great day.

It's Almost Time to Tee it Up

If you hear anyone yelling, "four," in early January, it's probable me.  I'm really not going anywhere near a real golf course.  It's all virtual reality stuff.  My opponent is larger than life and he's been beating me up ever since I got my first credit card and began forking over part of my pay to third party heisters.  My opponent has some dirty tricks up his sleeve, like littering my inbox with unsolicited offers to leave the golf course and charge away with 0% interest for 12 months.  This time I'm not caving.  I'm swinging away at debt reduction, one hole at a time, one month at a time, for 36 months until I'm debt free.  The prize money of $5,000 may not seem like much but the plan is to walk away with the winnings in my pocket instead of those scoundrels who owned me for most of my adult life.  This is the last time I'm playing games.  I hope this inspires others give debt reduction a try.  It's all about paying more now so you can break free and have more time for fun, like playing golf or tennis.  Stay tuned for updates.  Have a great day.

Stealing Second Base

Home runs are simple.  You swing for the fences and you're done.  Too bad life isn't as simple as hitting home runs, especially when you face formidable opponents.  Consistent base hits are what win games.  Life is a game played on the streets, like the minor leagues were few spectators are cheering you on.  It's easy to get complacent.  There you are on first base.  You feel good about how you got there.  It's comfortable but it's not where you belong.  Home plate is where the rewards are awaiting for those willing to maximize their talents and push themselves to the limit of their abilities.

If home plate seems impossible from your point of view today, forget about it.  Take your foot off first base and take one or two steps forward towards your next short term goal.  Focus all your attention on stealing second.  When you get the opportunity, run.  You can do this.  Have a great day.

Follow the Heart or the Brain?

Conflict is what lives inside the heart and brain of every writer.  Sometimes, there's this internal battle between the heart and the brain over which direction to proceed.  When the noises get too loud, others in the world around you can overhear your struggles, adding intensity to the internal debate.  My voices fight for control over who will be heard in my stories.  Muffling the voices or hiding them only prolongs the inevitable when they finally explode like a volcano and spew ashes into the hemisphere for the whole world to see.

Score a victory for my heart today.  Although the brain refuses to acquiesce, the story is moving forward.  I must fight through the interference from within and let the words flow.  There will be more conflict ahead.  Pardon me if those voices get too loud.  I'm following my heart even if those zig zag patterns are making my head spin.  One day at a time.  One day at a time.  Have a great day.

Lightning Strike Inspired Me Today

We all have our moments.  We feel stuck in the sand trap and no matter what we do or how hard we try, we can't get out.  Then it happens.  Lightning strikes.  A shot of energy shoots into our brain and suddenly we see the light.  There's a reason why my book updates have been sparse.  Every since I dumped most of my chapters in the trash I was lost in space.  It's how the parents felt in Home Alone when they realized they left a child behind when they flew to Europe for Christmas.  They panicked.  Well, I didn't lose a child but I certainly lost a great deal of time trying to find my way home to my stalled out book project.

I really don't know how other writers do it, but I do know one thing about my current writing project.  I'm not writing it, I'm living it.  I'm in my wheelhouse when I'm sharing personal stories.  There are times when my life seems stranger than fiction.  The good news is the storm clouds are gone and the sun is shining.  It's time to get busy.  Have a great day.

Plant a Dream Seed Today

Dreams are like seeds.  Plant them, water them and nourish them and you will be well rewarded with a bumper crop.  I'm a big believer in dreaming big.  Over time I've refined my farming techniques to increase yields.  There are times when nightmares invade my field like unwanted weeds.  Perhaps these weeds are my own negative thoughts about what's ahead.  The nightmares show up in times of doubt, uncertainty or when the dream is barely sprouting.  Stay with your dreams and do whatever it takes to protect them until harvest time.  Have a great day.

Let's Make a Deal

Monty Hall was best known for his TV game show, Let's Make a Deal.  His fans dressed up and in hilarious costumes hoping he would notice them and invite them to play.  In the real world, all of us are playing games with our mortgage companies.  The banks always win because they get guaranteed money and we lose because we're giving them our hard earned bucks for up to 30 years.  Your mortgage "game" doesn't end until you make that final payment.  The same is true with credit card financing and auto loans.  You don't have to look behind door #1, 2 or 3 to find out how bad your losses are.  I'm going to show you right now so you can decide for yourself when you want to stop clowning around with your creditors.

Remember this – the longer you play the game, the more money you lose.  For example, if you owe $100,000 on your mortgage and choose door #1, a 30 year plan with 5% interest, you pay the banks almost double  what you borrow at $93,000 in interest payments.

Door #2 is a $100,000 mortgage with the same interest rate for 15 years.  You cut your interest payments by over $50,000 when you go with door #2.

Door #3 is the same as #2 but your deal is now for ten years.  Drum roll, please.  You saved approximately $66,000 by choosing this option over door #1.  Congratulations.  By the way, the banks will usually lower your interest rate when you decide to reduce the number of years you want to play games with them.

There's a reason many people stay in the game even though they know they are getting humiliated by their banks.  They feel trapped because of what they owe in car payments and credit card payments.  The best way I know out of this mess is to get some debt discipline.  I focused on one debt at a time until it was paid off before moving on.  The debt game will be over in 3 years when the mortgage is retired.  The banks will get $5,000 of my money as opposed to the majority of Americans who foolishly opt for door #1 and $88,000 for the rights to clown around with their bank.  What door will you choose?  Have a great day.

Jesus, Take the Wheel

There's no doubt in my mind Jesus is real.  Zero.  I'm the first to admit to you and all the world I was blind and now I see.  Jesus gave me this vision.  My journey began with a prayer for wisdom sometime during my teenage years when I felt like my world was falling apart.  I thought I had things figured out and my life was pretty much on cruise control.  I was 90% all in for Jesus.  The truth is I held on to the other 10% in the area of finances because most of the stories I read about Jesus and money didn't really fit my point-of-view.  Why was Jesus always letting go of the money?  This bothered me.

Looking in the rear view mirror, my life was 90% amazing and 10% challenging.  The challenging part had to do with my poor money management skills.  I caved when the last recession hit and I lost all my marbles.  It was time for Jesus to take the wheel.  No more calling for a part-time Uber driver in times of crisis.  I needed Jesus to be in charge 100% of the time.  When I finally let go of the money, it was really more about letting go of all the liabilities I accrued because my pesos were devalued all the way to zero.  Letting go felt good.   I moved over to the passenger seat and watched Jesus wipe out every liability,  one by one, until they vaporized into thin air.  There's only one obstacle to go – the mortgage.  Jesus has the wheel. His foot is on the accelerator and he's driving well over the speed limit.   I hear Jesus whispering in his calm, reassuring voice, "let go."  My seat belt is buckled and my eyes are wide open.  This is a joy ride I want to savor all the way to Heaven.  Jesus knows the way, the truth and the life and he will share it with anyone who asks.  Have a great day.

Winning Food Habits for the New Year

Are you planning your next shopping trip soon?  I recommend you give your food purchases some serious consideration before you go to the grocery store if you want to hit the ground running in the new year.  The easiest way to win is to make sure you don't have any processed foods in the house.  Your list should be heavy on fruits, veggies, nuts, beans and seeds.  Use these next three weeks to deplete all the foods that you will no longer be purchasing.  Make your produce section your favorite place to visit when you're shopping.

If you can get one new habit right next year, focus on the grocery list.  Be disciplined when you shop and don't cheat.  I'm concentrating on eating at home because that's my safe zone for my food and my budget.  One or two new habits are all you need to win at healthy eating.  Healthy eating is your foundation for optimum health.  Go for it.  Have a great day.

Show Me the Points

My ways are a bit unorthodox.  Maybe that's why they separated the Kindergarten class into two groups and I was placed in the morning session for kids who needed extra help finding their way.  My sisters are helping my mother clean out things she accumulated over a lifetime of raising six kids and it's too bad my Kindergarten report card wasn't tossed sooner.  It's still haunting me.  He could do better, my teacher wrote.  If you want her real name, ask one of the pm kids.  I remember her as Mrs. Caboose.  Before this story turns into a train wreck, let me get back on track and share a little bit about bonus points.  It's my way of doing better with our family budget.  Dave Ramsey, the financial guru people pay big bucks to follow, would not agree with me.  He's old school.  I'm a rebel.

Bonus points are rewards you earn from doing things in a manner different from the way your parents or teachers taught you.  I'm using these points to have fun while I'm retiring my mortgage early.  I earned over 1,000 in bonus points (free money) in the last 24 months by turning my credit card into a debit card.  The banks haven't heard of this one.  Simply use a credit card that pays rewards and make a payment from your checking account as soon as it clears pending in order to avoid interest.  Make sure the funds are in your checking account first before you charge.  This idea is only the tip of the iceberg.  Stay tuned for more stories about bonus points.  I'll be sharing more here during my debt reduction adventures.  Have a great day.

Here's Your Mulligan for Debt Reduction

Need a mulligan on your debt reduction plan?  Maybe your challenge is a lack of a plan to obtain financial freedom.  Or, perhaps you make plans every year to get started and then fall short because you return to your old ways.  I'm offering you a mulligan.  I'm doing this for myself and any others who are serious about financial freedom.  I have 58 years of mulligans and most of the time I've either been in the sand traps or under water.  Some may say I have no credibility to help others regarding this topic but I disagree.  My time falling down is where I learned how to get back up on my feet again.  If you care to join me, follow this blog and let's do this together.

I'm dedicating the next three years of my life to paying off my mortgage early so I can live a life free of debt.  I'll be sharing the journey here on this blog.  I already know there will be challenges ahead.  In fact, some surprises already hit me and I'm only in the parking lot next to the golf course.  I need 36 months on the course to hit my goal.  Join me if you would like to improve your game.  Have a great day.

Full House Ahead

With the exception of our youngest son's pet Chihuahua we're taking care of while he attends school out of state, our nest is empty.  It's about to be full again.  This Christmas all of our adult children are returning home.  One of our greatest joys as parents is seeing them spread their wings and soar like eagles.  I remember the looks on their faces while they waited patiently at the top of the stairs for mom and dad to see if Santa visited.  Now mom and dad are at the ones waiting for them to return home.

My prayer for you today is that you have peace.  I know what it's like when someone is missing from the nest or they have a broken wing.  Family time is good for the soul.  Have a great day.

Set Daily Quotas to Reach Goals

I really enjoy breaking things down into bite-size pieces I can swallow.  This is a great way to turn a fuzzy dream into something precise.  The key is to stick to daily quotas.  Give yourself a deadline for every goal you have and then count the number of days remaining until you reach your desired target.  Now you have a daily workload.  Keep your focus on what you need to accomplish on today's wordlist.  Don't worry about anything else.  Have a great day.

Mens 40 Playoff Hopes Alive After Dramatic Win

I've witnessed some amazing victories over the years.  Photo finishes.  Last second Hail Mary passes to the end zone in overtime.  Yesterday's epic win on the indoor tennis courts ranks at the top of my list.  Four out of five league matches were decided in super tie breakers.  I came up short in my doubles match after losing the first set in a tiebreaker by two points.  We fought off four match points to tie the second set at 6-6.  The second tiebreaker was decided by two points when the ball bounced our way.  Our opponents made a couple of Hail Mary plays of their own in the 10 point super tiebreaker to claim victory.   Our teams were tied 2-2 when our team captain and his partner faced off against their strongest players in the lag match.  2 and 1/2 hours later we held our breaths watching the last super tie breaker of the day.  Our side had everything to lose since we were defeated 3-2 by the same team earlier in the season.  A loss meant we were out of the race to determine a state champion.  Our opponents took an early 8-4 lead in the super tie breaker and were only two points shy of sealing their first place standing when our teammates dug in for the comeback.  Our guys won four points in a row to even the score.  My teammates seemed unfazed when their opponents reached match point at 9-8.  My teammates fought back to win the next three points in a row and claim victory in overtime.  Final team score:  3-2.  What a win.  We get to do this one more time in January when we see these players again in the final match of the regular season.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my life with you on this blog.  I don't write much about my tennis experiences because I don't want to bore those of you who don't follow the sport.  If Charles Dickens were to pen a story about my tennis life, I have a feeling he would break the chapters into three parts – Christmas past, present and future.  In my past, I see my dad on the sidelines waiting for my high school match to end so he can show off  his left-handed backhand slice on our concrete tennis courts with steel nets.  I see my cousin on the other side of the net hitting white tennis balls with surgical precision while our aunt Helen is cheering wildly.  Christmas present is summarized in the first paragraph above.  And Christmas future...let's just say Christmas future is in God's hands.  God willing, I'm hoping my body is strong enough to play in the Mens 90 national championships with another Mulligan.  Even though he may be two months and five days younger than me, we will both be age eligible for this division on January 1, 2050.  Enjoy your Christmas season and remember it's a present made possible by our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Have a great day.

808 Vision Becomes Real

It started with a dream.  One of my business partners and I shared about vacations and travel plans during a break many years ago.  I told him my favorite place to vacation is Maui which happens to have an 808 area code.  Then it hit me.  Why not set a goal to work 80 days and then take 8 days off to travel?  808 became a vision.  The dream stayed with me when I packed my bags and relocated to the Midwest with my family.  I felt like I won the lottery when a family member accepted a position at a major airlines offering travel perks for the parents.  Even though I'm still shy of the number of weeks needed at my day job to achieve 808, I found a way to use unpaid leave to fill the gap and take four weeks off next year.  Today I did it.  I arranged the fourth week of vacation for 2019 and  reserved a prepaid place in Big Sky country.   All of my vacations are possible using free standby travel, credit card rewards and hotel points accumulated from day job adventures.

Most people overlook the ingredient necessary to bring a dream to life – faith.  I'm a believer.  The one I follow moves mountains, heals broken bones and gives rest to the weary.  I believe Jesus gave me the 808 vision long ago and I held on to to that dream even though I let go of everything else.  In fact, letting go is what made the dream possible.  It's time to sign off and head to the indoor courts for a league match.  Have a great day and don't forget to dream big.