5 years ago almost exactly I got laid off and officially became a full-time blogger. I remember it like it was yesterday because things like that completely change your life.
It also completely changes your mindset, so I thought it would be fun to share some of the ways the old me thought about life/money/business vs. the current me :) You know, cuz I’m so much wiser now…
(PS: Yes, that’s me up top. And yes, some things never change, much to the dismay of my wife.)
2010 me: I’m self-employed, bitches! Never going back to The Man!!
2015 me: I’m self-employed, that’s pretty cool. Sure, I’d work a 9-5 again if it made me happier.
2010 me: You’re only working 70 hours a week? Shiiiit… I work 90.
2015 me: You’re only working 20 hours a week? Niiiice… that’s where it’s at.
2010 me: I’m gonna take over the world and build a massive empire online! (*evil laugh*)
2015 me: I’m gonna focus on a couple sites and appreciate what I have! (*thanks God*)
2010 me: I love being my own boss, I can do anything!
2015 me: I love being my own boss, I can do anything! (As long as I make my readers happy and my clients happy and my advertisers happy and my partners happy and my wife happy and my kids happy)
2010 me: I can’t wait to sleep in and get online first thing in the morning
2015 me: I can’t wait to wake up early and enjoy the peace first thing in the morning
2010 me: I want to be a millionaire so bad!!! Money Money MONEY!!!
2015 me: I want financial freedom so bad! Freedom Freedom FREEDOM!!!
2010 me: I want to beat the market!
2015 me: I want to match the market
2010 me: Man, these cats are a lot of work to take care of
2015 me: Man, these kids are a lot of work to take care of
2010 me: Home ownership is where it’s at!
2015 me: Renting is where it’s at!
2010 me: Beer, frozen meals, ice cream
2015 me: Fruit, home-cooked meals, a beer
2010 me: iPhone, lottery tickets, cable
2015 me:
2010 me: How much stuff can I own?
2015 me: How little stuff can I own?
2010 me: Mansions are cool
2015 me: Tiny homes are cool
2010 me: What would happen to my blogs if I die?
2015 me: What would happen to my family if I die?
2010 me: Blessed to have found a career and community I love
2015 me: Blessed to have found a career and community I love :)
HERE’S TO FIVE MORE AWESOME YEARS WITH YOU GUYS!!! Thank you for your support!
(2020 me: That was fun!)
*******
UPDATE: For those of you who asked if that pic was Photoshopped – nope! I went about my business like this for 24 hours just to see if I could do it… and I succeeded :)
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Isn’t it funny how perspectives change in 5 short years? I can definitely relate to the kids vs. cats thought process ;) And, tiny houses…they are cool. And affordable! I always say you know you’re an adult when you look at a big, beautiful house in amazement, and wonder what it costs to heat and cool that thing. Ha! Here’s to the next 5 years! Keep rocking the blog!
Cheers!
Mrs. Mad Money Monster
Ha, I never had a pet, but I can confirm that kids take a lot of time :)
Amazing what times does for your perspective. Good stuff. I hope you shaved the rest off, that’s a strange look even for you, unless you’re playing a villain in a Batman movie. :)
I’ve since shaved it, yes, but I did go 24 hours straight to see if i could do it :) Was pretty fun! (And I didn’t even cheat and stay inside the whole day, haha… I ran a ton of errands in the public!)
Nice. I’m sure you got some interesting looks! More than normal for J$ and his Frankencaddy!
5 years is a really long time! Congrats on living the dream. Awesome family, financially secure, and intentional living. Can’t get much better than that!
Very fun! Sounds like it’s been a great 5 years and you’ve learned a lot. I’m curious: how long did it take you to stop working 90 hours a week? I’m assuming that was a necessary phase while getting things off the ground?
It took me having kids to stop :) I realized I had become a workaholic and didn’t want to live my life that way anymore. So I slowly transitioned into a healthier schedule which I’m still trying to be better at now – 3 years later. The trick is becoming MUCH more productive w/ your time since you have a lot less of it!
Oh, and to answer your question – yes, it did take me a while to get my projects to where they are now, but looking back I could have done a lot of things differently to get to the same spot – if not bigger – had I paid attention to the way I was working. I had my hands in like 10 projects at any given point in time whereas now I’m in a few max. Focusing is key for sure :)
Bahaha! That was awesome. I feel like I could write the same thing about my life too. I think it’d go something like this:
1987: Wow, it’s really bright out here.
1995: Brussel sprouts really do suck. Tomatoes are still the bomb, though.
2001: I want to be a professional dogsled racer!
2005: I want to run the Iditarod! I’m moving to Alaska!
2007: This dogsledding thing ain’t working out like I hoped.
2009: I want to be a wildlife biologist!
2011: Wow, getting a job is tough…I’ll go to grad school!
2014: Here I am, world! Who is ready to hire me to do wildlife studies!?
2015: Hello?? Is this thing on?!
And so it continues… It’s good to see that other people’s perspectives shift so much over time too. :)
hahahaha..
2016: I’m studying wildlife while on a bobsled! LOOK AT ME GO! (Literally!)
Isn’t it amazing what some time and a lot more information can do for your thought processes. Sometimes I wish I could go back a decade or so with the knowledge that I have now and see how much better my life would be, but then I remember all of the crappy times and pain and learning experiences that I had to struggle through to gain that knowledge. So now I look at my nephews who are just starting to make their big life choices and wish I could just pour my information into them. Which is a large reason that I started my little blog, to attempt to spread the information that I learn by going through life so others can learn from it.
A quote that I love says, “A wise man learns from his mistakes. A super wise man learns from the mistakes of others.”
The quote I like is:
A man who at 50 looks at life like he did when we was 20 has wasted 30 years of his life!
haha…. love both of y’alls quotes :)
Hahahahha this is incredible!!!! I’m dying laughing, and I’m also the 2010 version of you lol (clearly not wise yet)! Thanks for sharing and love the pic!
2010 versions did know how to party a lot more ;)
Great post! Funny how some things change and other things don’t. Looking forward to your 2020 update.
The cats versus kids one made me chuckle. I too thought our dogs were a lot of work- until we became parents! Love the pic by the way! That’s pretty awesome :-)
Thanks! It was fun to go around town like that for a day :)
Ha ha ha! Love this! I was floating around Instagram yesterday and saw all the beard trimming pics and you did look like a hipster with the full beard going on. Sorry, have to agree with your wife on that one!
My fave is this one:
2010 me: iPhone, lottery tickets, cable
2015 me:
Yep, no iphone, no cable, no home phone. I’m ignoring my phone these days lol.
I wish more people would start doing that – they’re looking like zombies out there walking around the world w/ their heads lowered and eyes glued!
*face_palms*
Here I was thinking you forgot to fill in the 2015 section. Why I didn’t clue in on the meaning of it is beyond me.
Congrats on the anniversary! I’m only about a year in and already discovering some perspective shifts. Good luck with your next five.
Cheers to five incredible years and many, many more. I love the shift in perspective. Appreciating what I have helps me figure out where I want to go and what I want to do.
Congratulations on your growing wisdom :)
Thanks for this introspective look. Regarding the 5 year theme, that’s one question I always prepared myself for with job interviews, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” I laugh at the answer I gave when I graduated college for the company I was with & how 5 years later we were all pretty much in the same position as when we began, with a few more wrinkles under our eyes to show that we were actually employed.
Oh man, I always suck at that question cuz I’m HORRIBLE at trying to predict/wish into the future… I can barely figure out what next week will bring no less 5 years from now haha…
Thanks for sharing the perspective change :-) A lot can happen in 5 years! Hope you get some progress on selling your house soon!
Absolutely love this, J$!!! And, super cool pic. :-) 5 years. WOW. Thanks so much for the wonderfully positive and uplifting impact you have on me and so many others. We appreciate it more than you know, my friend.
Dude you are AWESOME.
Haha thanks!
2010 me: iPhone, lottery tickets, cable
2015 me:
Made me laugh out loud. Great work friend :)
Nice…just to funny what a difference of 5 years can make in ones thinking. I am sure the kids have helped a lot with the changes!
I’ve never seen a better example showing how a person’s priorities can shift. It really is crazy to think that 5 years can make such a huge difference in a person but it really does happen like that.
Way to go J$!
What do you give yourself for your five year working for self anniversary?
And aren’t we all really working for ourselves all along? :)
I shower my wife with gifts every year at this time since it just so happens I got laid off on her birthday back then – hah! Not the best present then (she was pretty freaked out) but these days we’re good ;)
Nice. You learned A LOT during those 5 years of entrepreneurship. I was an entrepreneur before going back to corporate so I can relate with many of these. One thing for sure, you can never do whatever you want one way or the other because you’ll always have clients to respond to.
Exactly…. Unless you’re financially free and don’t care about the money :)
Looking forward to the next 5 years. :) Keep kicking ass!
Damnit J$, are you maturing in your old age? :)
2010 me: Beer, frozen meals, ice cream
2015 me: Fruit, home-cooked meals, a beer
Ha, Ha. I’m with you on this one.
Great article. I do a 1-year reflection to look back, but 5 years is a lot of fun because you see some big changes. Thanks for the inspiration.
Lived this and agree totally…….. perspective is different 12 years into runing my own corp.
After years in the Accounting professions, it was time to do it on my own. The benefits are more simple than monetary… working out of my home in my comfy clothes at 6AM in the morning, beats the heck out of a schedule that I had no control over… its not about money, its about freedom of choice. and discipline is the key !
Yes – without discipline (and hustle!) you’re pretty much screwed. I’d never tell some of my lazy friends to give it a shot as it’s not for everyone.
Humorous AND true. My perspective has changed so much in the past couple of years, and it probably will change again in the future. That’s why I feel so good about our goal for financial freedom – it will enable us to pursue a variety of dreams.
Love the comparison of five years. My goal is to eventually be my own boss perhaps through blogging, but for now it’s the 8-5 work schedule and the life I lead. Boo!
Ain’t no shame in that. Lots of pros to having a more steady paycheck for sure :)
Always a pleasure J-Money! I don’t comment much but I read faithfully and I appreciate what you’re doing and for allowing us to be apart of it!
Love the beard, no good genes here! Haha
Hey, thanks man! Appreciate you stopping by to let me know :)
Awesome post! I love it :)
The real question is how much of the change is due to five years of self-employment, and how much is due to 3 years of having kids?
I’d say 60/40
The kids def. helped me to work less and appreciate life more (and eat/sleep better too), but the self-employment – and just time in it self- helped me understand more the real point of money and minimalism/focus :) And in some cases the kids had an opposite effect in taking more of my money and adding to my “things!” haha…. But what are you going to do.
Love this! I don’t see myself ever going back to working for someone haha :)
Had to laugh and the cats vs kids. I have two cats and they are super needy (likely of my own doing) so I know that kids are not for me. I’ll happily be auntie to all my friends’ kids instead :)
Congrats on the anniversary!
I remember one of the first times I popped over here and saw what I thought was you flipping the middle finger to your job or whoever was watching, knew I’d like reading after that one. Cheers to your blog and meeting you in person, good times.
Thanks man – that was a fun picture to use for sure :)
Congrats on all that reflection/introspection.
I’ve learned one thing as a quasi-self employed person: I hate quarterly taxes.
Yes, that too!
Isn’t it amazing how quickly 5 years went by and how much your perspective change? Having kids in your life certainly bring a different perspective, that’s for sure. 5 years may seem to have gone by quickly but it’s also neat to see how much you’ve accomplished in 5 years.
The scary thought? When looking back in 5 years you haven’t done or changed anything. That means no growth. When we have no growth, it’s time to die.
YIKES! AGREED!
Happy five years, bud!!
It’s amazing how quickly these years have passed. But am I the only one who found the first year of parenthood pretty similar to any first year of a new dog? I swear we just brought home a humanoid puppy: ze chews on things, drools everywhere, requires regular bum wiping and really gets anxious about being fed on time.
Here’s to many more (and perhaps still an online empire ;) )
Perspective is a wonderful thing. I wish I had come to the place where you are when I was your age. I am there now but, alas, I’m in my 50s. But still feel blessed to be where I am. Better late than never and all that jazz.
Yup. You’d be amazed at the people who message me in their 60s and 70s who are just starting to pay attention to their money – it’s scary :(
5 years is a long time; it’s funny how attitudes can change :) looking forward to the next 5 years!
Congrats on 5 years my friend. Your perspective has changed but I can tell your heart hasn’t. Keep up the great work.
Love Budgets Are Sexy. Thank you for 5 great years!
Thank you for taking the time to say hello! :)
That picture of you is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulation!
2015 me: I want to match the market
Me too. :) It took a long time before I realize matching the market will let me sleep well and still get wealthy.
I remember that post 5 years ago. I was still stuck at work and it was awesome to have you as a role model. Keep at i!
Woahh really?? That’s so cool!
I bet the wife LOVED that look. Congrats on 5 years! I wish I was self-employed just so I could try to grow a crazy beard :)
Did you just announced your retirement 5 years early?
(2020 me: That was fun!)
My thoughts exactly. I’m a little concerned…
Haha… you’ll have to stick around and see ;)
Wow! 5 years already J. Money. Congrats! Has there been any time that you regretted your decision to be self-employed?
Regret? No. But I am constantly making sure not to become a workaholic. I never want to be the dad who puts work over his kids!
It’s interesting to see the differences in only 5 years. I wonder how my thought process will change.
Congratulations, J$, on your 5th SE anniversary.
This might sum it all up:
Self-Employed = Self-Enjoyed.
You’ve learned how to smell the roses!:)
Hah! I like it.
Aww, this is such a nice (and deep) post. :) Happy 5-year full-time blogging anniversary!
Fruit is awesome.
I love seeing how much you’ve changed. Happy 5 year anniversary!!
Haha, awesome pics!
I feel you on the tiny home and simplification process. Glad you’re thinking 5 more years and congrats on cresting Rockstar Finance too!
Sam
This came a great time for me dude. I’m fortunately at a point where I make money in very little time via the interwebz. Trying to decide if I should ramp up and make as much $$$ as possible or enjoy the ride. Interesting to see your perspective!
If you’re enjoying it, I say ramp it up and just kill it because there will become a time when you’ll want to work less and/or you make less whether by your own accord or someone else’s :) I’m a big believer of going w/ the flow when things are moving nicely in a positive direction. Never know what life will bring later.
The blog post, the killer beard you had or the fact you shaved half off…..you make things touch on what was the best part of this one :) Keep on man ….keep on
2010 me: I want to be a millionaire so bad!!! Money Money MONEY!!!
2015 me: I want financial freedom so bad! Freedom Freedom FREEDOM!!!
YES! That’s the greatest epiphany there is. Such an important lesson. Aren’t you glad you’ve got that one nailed early in your professional life? Here’s to increasing levels of freedom and joy for years to come (well beyond 2020…don’t you pull the plug on us!).
Yes! All the money in the world is pointless if all you’re doing is working 24/7!
Love it!
It’s amazing how much change we are capable of in s 3-5 year span. This is why a major tenant to my philosophy of happiness is financial freedom. Even if life is perfect now chances are priorities will change. The 80 hour per week job and major salary aren’t so cool when you never see your kids and the marriage is falling apart. Freedom creates that space where happiness can thrive.
Love the beard man, I gotta get to work on mine!
It’s nice to hear something that from a guy who really try self-employment. Your lessons rock :D
I LOVE this comparison and after two years of having my own business, I feel a lot like you. The less I can work and obtain in life, the happier I know I will be. Congrats on 5 years and cheers to another 5!
” I love being my own boss, I can do anything! (As long as I make my readers happy and my clients happy and my advertisers happy and my partners happy and my wife happy and my kids happy)” This could not be more true. I love how people who are self-employed think they only have to do things that make THEM happy. Guess what? You have clients instead of bosses now! :)
Haha yup! And is something most wannabe self-employed people don’t even understand until they go off on their own. I sure as hell didn’t. And I often miss just having 1 boss too! You always have to make so many decisions when you’re on your own.
2015: a beer
lol! I love it. What a wonderful and thought provoking retrospective. I bet you can’t believe five years have gone by. Congrats on your evolution and I wish you many more. Also- love the picture!
Congratulations – amazing what has changed in 5 years yet I bet you were so certain of what you wanted back then!
Brilliant photos!
Love this. What a great reflection on how one grows in just five years of working from home.
I got laid off in 2008 during the Great Newspaper Purge and while I didn’t see it as a good thing at the time, since then I’ve enjoyed being a freelance writer/editor and all of the freedom that comes with it. Working 20 hours a week is great, and I’m much happier.
Congrats on doing so well after only 5 years!
Way to only work 20 hours!!! I’m getting closer to it as the years go by, but still pretty far away. At least until we move to a two-income household.
What a journey it’s been, thanks for sharing as always, J!
I love the fire of your 2010 self balanced with the wisdom of your 2015 self. That’s waht makes you such a successful entrepreneur.
Cheers to 5 more!
Holy crow, has it really already been 5 years? That just blew my mind. It really shouldn’t, I was laid off from my job shortly after you were let go from yours, but it really doesn’t feel like it’s been that long. Congratulations on rocking the self-employment for the last five years!
Thanks Cassie! I hope your last 5 years have been going well too? Your turn to write a post about it? :)
I love the comparisons – congratulations!!
2010 :5 years ago my grandson was 3 and facing a myriad of physical challenges
2015: the total joy of watching him run across the playground laughing and happy
lesson learned : what really matters and what it is now like to live every day gratefully!
Thanks very much for all your work. I have learned a lot and enjoyed the process.
One of the things I think is hard about internet work is that you can’t always see us loving the work and appreciating the effort…but we’re here and we are.
YES! Thank you so much for telling me so too – it def. gets lonely some times! Especially on the days only the haters come out ;)
Happy holidays!!
J$,
Congrats, man! Love the picture. Epic!
I know firsthand how challenging (but also how rewarding) it is to cut it online. We’re making our dreams come true in real-time. It’s pretty awesome.
Keep it up. Can’t wait to see the picture for the 2020 you. :)
Cheers!
I still want to be a millionaire (and I really still want to be stinking rich – minus the stress of getting there and I may be 90 before I even build a decent stash – aka, debt sucks).
But two things stood out that made me chuckle, as i have similar traits:
Lack of iPhone, lottery tickets, cable (okay, I still have the iphone)
And now wanting a tiny house. haha.
the good thing is that any of us can become millionaires if we let time work its magic (and start early!) :)
That’s great! Love that you went about your business for the day as “two-face”. It’s amazing looking back on how your thinking changes over time – even a short 5 years. Looking back on myself, 5 years of change means getting married (which is definitely a psychological change).
Good luck in the future and looking forward to more great posts in the financial independence arena!
Thank you! Appreciate you reading and dropping by :)