Comments on: Is This Moving You Towards Your Goals?

By: Kate

Kate — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 15:25:51 +0000

Actually I did read last week’s posts. I guess that I don’t keep a stringent time line of Trent’s posts in my head–who has that kind of time? I pick out what appeals to me and chew on it for a bit–sometimes internalize it, sometimes not and sometimes skip over entire posts after a quick read. That’s the beauty of blogs.

By: Courtney20

Courtney20 — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 13:59:37 +0000

@ Kate – then I guess you didn’t read last week’s series where entire lengthy posts were devoted to ‘rerouting your commute’ and ‘making a weekend plan’ so that you didn’t find yourself in a position where you had to ask yourself “Is this moving me towards my goals?” Except there was also an entire lengthy post dedicated towards asking yourself “Do I really need this?” and two others on physically limiting access to your credit cards just in case you actually do end up in a bookstore and answer “Yes I do.”

By: Kate

Kate — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 12:38:24 +0000

#11 Valleycat: ahhh…but books to me are what games are to Trent. And I can understand Trent’s process because I have been there and done that. To tell myself to avoid bookstores because I had problems with compulsive book shopping would mean that I wouldn’t see many new titles and I’d never have the opportunity to reteach myself how to make decisions about buying. I think it is that wrestling and soul searching that leads to new behavior and better decisions.
A relative of mine is a compulsive shopper and his solution is to “not go into stores that tempt him”. That hasn’t worked so well for him because he hasn’t look square in the face at what is triggering him to buy things that #1 he doesn’t really need, and #2 he cannot afford. He gets swept up in the moment and before he knows it–he has a bag with “something” that he has bought.

By: valleycat1

valleycat1 — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:01:55 +0000

#7 Kate – you’re not ‘wrong’ to go into the bookstore without planning to buy. I understood Troy’s point to be that if you are like Trent & have a problem with compulsive shopping (or just buying the occasional item that takes $ away from other financial goals), it would save you a lot of struggling with temptation – and time – just not to go into stores that tempt you. You wouldn’t have to wrestle with your conscience and search your soul while standing in front of each book you are randomly drawn to.

By: Interested Reader

Interested Reader — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 13:49:51 +0000

The trick for figuring out “Someone and me” vs “someone and I” is to drop the “someone and” to see if the sentence works.

The examples about buying games and games in general has replaced making your own laundry detergent as a go to example.

By: Gretchen

Gretchen — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 13:25:28 +0000

Didn’t we just have an entire WEEK of posts on not stopping in the game shop to look at things we could buy?

By: deRuiter

deRuiter — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:11:21 +0000

“when a friend calls me up and invites Sarah and I over to do something” Suggest purchase of book on correct English grammar for writers instead of new board game. Should be “…invites Sarah and me over…”

By: Kate

Kate — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:26:00 +0000

It is the daily decisions that make the difference and, while this article might seem to be total nonsense for those people who have already mastered the daily decision-making tree, it is a great breakdown of the steps involved for those who have not.
For #1 Troy…I go into bookstores all the time without planning to buy anything. Am I wrong to do that?

By: Kate

Kate — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 02:23:21 +0000

Trent, well done – being mindful like this is why you are able to pay off your mortgage in 2013 – that is incredible!

By: kjc

kjc — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 01:22:33 +0000

There’s a puritanical streak to TSD that at times makes everything, however trivial, seem like an ordeal.

By: Courtney20

Courtney20 — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 01:00:25 +0000

I dunno, this just feels silly and overkill to me. We have allowances in our budget so we DON’T have to ask ourselves “Is this moving us towards our goals?” every time we want a new pair of shoes or a lunch out. The goals are already being taken care of. That’s the point of a budget.

By: done that

done that — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:06:49 +0000

A “Bad Answer” can raise a red flag though. There are times I know the answer is that it doesn’t fit into my goals and somehow I know that I am going to do it anyway. These are my widget areas and I have to monitor them. For Trent it might be games, for me it might be nail polish or shoes. I’m slowly learning to wait before making a purchase or committing to an activity that can derail my long term goals. Over time I am better able to sense when the immediate return will not really give me much satisfaction. Does anyone else have that feeling of “Oh boy, this isn’t really good for me but I just know I’m gonna do it?”

By: valleycat1

valleycat1 — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 23:39:56 +0000

I agree with Troy @ #1.

Plus, you list 4 specific goals as a jumping-off point, but most of your article is written in terms of other goals.

Grammar police alert: Your friend invites “Sarah and me” not “Sarah and I.”

By: Troy

Troy — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 22:32:15 +0000

As has been mentiond several times before, why are you going into a game store if you don’t plan on buying something. Shouldn’t you make that decision before you go in.

Seems like a waste of time and temptation to me.