I actually enjoyed a fruitful year. I lost 24 pounds. I (mostly) gave up alcohol. I made progress in my fight against depression and anxiety. And, most importantly, I resumed the habit of writing regularly.<\/p>\n
This year, I want to build on this momentum. I want to continue these habits while incorporating a few new ones, such as tracking my time<\/a>, keeping a personal journal<\/a>, and \u2014 once I reach my target weight \u2014 exercising regularly once more.<\/p>\n There’s one thing that often holds me back when I decide to make changes. It holds others back too. It’s the overwhelming feeling that there’s just so much<\/em> to do \u2014 and that I’ve handicapped myself through poor choices in the past. I remember the physical feats I was capable of when doing Crossfit a decade ago, for instance, and I feel a sense of helplessness. I’m nowhere near as fit I was ten years ago. There’s no way I can do that stuff today.<\/p>\n But I have to remind myself: It’s not a competition. I ought not compare myself to others<\/a> \u2014 or to my past self. My sole goal should be a better person tomorrow than I am today.<\/p>\n To do this, I must accept who I am, where<\/em> I am. It sure would be nice if I were to start a fitness program in better shape than I currently am, but that’s only a dream. If I want to change, I have to accept reality. I need to start where I am.<\/p>\n And if you<\/em> want to change \u2014 if you want to master your money, your health, your relationships, your career \u2014 you too must start where you are.<\/p>\n But here’s the thing: In order to get where I am, I had to start where I was. In order for other Get Rich Slowly readers to get where they are today, they had to start where they were.<\/p>\n When I say “start where you are”, I mean that you should accept that who you are and what you have today is, essentially, your starting hand. Don’t beat yourself up for past mistakes. Don’t blame others for getting you into this situation. These are the cards you’ve been dealt (even if you’ve dealt them to yourself), and it’s now up to you to play them as best you can.<\/p>\n How do you do this?<\/p>\n I’d also add that when you’re making changes, you shouldn’t expect to get things right immediately. There’s a lot of trial and error. You’ll make mistakes. You’ll try certain methods that don’t quite work, then switch to others. That’s okay. Don’t get trapped by the need to make a perfect choice when starting out. It’s enough to make a good<\/em> choice in the beginning. There’ll be time for perfection later.<\/p>\n There’s a lot more to getting out of debt, managing your money, and saving for retirement, obviously. That’s what the rest of Get Rich Slowly is all about! But these are the essential steps to getting started. You don’t start where your friends or co-workers started. You don’t start where you wish you were. You start where you are.<\/p>\n To some, this advice will sound stupid. To me, it’s a revelation. So simple! So obvious! So smart<\/em>!<\/p>\n I’ve read similar advice before, of course. Tim Ferriss, for instance, has talked about the importance of playing to your strengths rather than working on your weaknesses. When you do more of what you’re good at, you naturally do less of what you’re bad at. You don’t have to deliberately avoid your trouble spots because the good crowds out the bad.<\/p>\n Take me, for example.<\/p>\n I like to write. I think I’m good at it. I also like to play videogames. Writing is productive but gaming is not. Some game play is fine; too much is a vice. Rather than try to play fewer games, which seems like deprivation, Ferriss would say that I should instead try to write more, which seems like abundance. If I spend more time writing, as a side effect I will have less time to play games. By honing a strength, I’ll be avoiding a weakness.<\/p>\n Or, as Weiner-Davis puts it, I’ll be doing more of what works and less of what doesn’t.<\/p>\n Doing more of what works and less of what doesn’t is an essential part of starting where you are. It’s tacit acceptance that, like everyone, you’re imperfect. You’re good at some things but suck at others.<\/p>\n<\/span>How to Start Where You Are<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"Start](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/images\/2017\/ashequote-sky.png\" "\\"Start")
Clearly, this is easier said than done. It’s one thing for me to sit at my desk and type out pithy advice; it’s another to actually deal with the situation day-to-day in real life.<\/p>\n\n
<\/span>Do More of What Works<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"Change](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/change_your_life.jpg\" "\\"Change")
<\/a>I’m currently reading Change Your Life and Everyone In It<\/em><\/a>, a 1996 self-help book by Michelle Weiner-Davis. My therapist recommended it as a possible antidote to my depression and anxiety. The author offers a simple path to building a better life: Do more of what works and less of what doesn’t.<\/strong><\/p>\n