Lifestyle

Curious about the financial independence or digital nomad lifestyle? Here are real life accounts of both.

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    #363: Two Types of Intelligence, with Harvard Professor Arthur Brooks

    ByPaula Pant

    In our 20’s and 30’s, we have high levels of fluid intelligence, or raw intellectual horsepower. We can ace tests, impress people with our memory and recall, and analyze facts, documents and data.

    But in our 40’s and 50’s, we have higher levels of crystallized intelligence, which allows us to draw together novel insights from across domains.

    Fluid intelligence allows us to analyze, or break apart.

    Crystallized intelligence allows us to synthesize, or put together.

    Each type of intelligence invites us to express different skills, to pivot our role at work – or perhaps even to change careers or industries altogether.

    In today’s episode, Harvard professor Arthur Brooks discusses these two types of intelligence, and outlines how we can gracefully move from one strength to the next.

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    #357: Practical Investing and the Efficient Frontier, with Joe Saul-Sehy

    ByPaula Pant
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     Discussing advanced investing topics with me is former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy.

    You may recognize him from the Ask Paula episodes, but we discuss financial topics shared in his new book “STACKED: Your Super-Serious Guide to Modern Money Management” – co-authored with Emily Guy Birken.

    Enjoy!

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    #353: The Secret to Perfect Timing, with Daniel Pink

    ByPaula Pant
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    Daniel Pink joins us to discuss an unusual theory:

    (1) that our energy rises, falls, and then rises again;

    (2) that this pattern plays out across our days (morning energy, afternoon slump, nighttime second wind);

    (3) this also plays out across our lives, with serious implications for how we spend those “muddled middle” years of our 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.

    Enjoy!

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    #351: The Six Myths of Productivity, with Geoff Woods

    ByPaula Pant
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    Geoff Woods, Vice President of The ONE Thing and host of The ONE Thing podcast, is an expert on ruthless prioritization, habit development, and goal setting.

    The simple framework he presents allows you to focus deeply and commit to the actions you need to take if you want to take your productivity to the next level this year.

    Enjoy!

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    #276: Cut the Fluff and Become a Digital Minimalist, with Dr. Cal Newport

    ByPaula Pant
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/paulaandjaymoney/AA276.mp3" title="Cut the Fluff and Become a Digital Minimalist, with Dr. Cal Newport" artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ]

    Have you found yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media feeds over the last few months? Have you also found yourself in a state of sadness, anxiety, or aggravation afterwards?

    We live in an increasingly noisy world. A world in which many of us use social media, or the internet in general, to escape. But our escapes often leave us feeling empty and annoyed at ourselves for wasting several hours of precious time.

    Here’s one possible remedy for this tiring, relentless cycle: embrace the philosophy of digital minimalism.

                Okay, I’m in. But…what’s digital minimalism? 

    Digital minimalism is a term coined by Dr. Cal Newport, today’s guest.

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    #261: Why I Quit My Job in the Middle of a Recession — Interview from Lessons from a Quitter

    ByPaula Pant
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    We’re in an economic collapse.

    We have the highest unemployment since the Great Depression.

    There are many more people who want jobs than there are jobs available.

    Yet, you want to quit your job.

    Maybe you planned to change careers this year, maybe you wanted to take a sabbatical, or maybe you wanted to retire early.

    Regardless of your plans, you might feel as though this recession ripped them to shreds and blew them out the window.

    But…what if you could still make your plans work?

    What?! Quitting your job at the beginning of a recession is INSANE, isn’t it?

    Maybe. Maybe not.

    You’re kidding. Right? …Right?? Isn’t that equivalent to career suicide?

    Nope. It worked for me.

    Since we’re in the middle of another recession and many of you want to voluntarily leave your job at some point in the future, I’m re-airing an interview I did on Lessons From a Quitter two years ago. The host, Goli, interviewed me about quitting my job at the beginning of a recession.

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    PSA Thursday – Your Guide to Giving: How to Donate, Volunteer and Practice Spontaneous Kindness

    ByPaula Pant
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    Let’s start with the good news: the majority of U.S. households, 6 in 10, donate money to nonprofits and charities, and 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. volunteer their time and talent.

    The only way our society is going to get through the struggles and the stresses that we face is if we are good to each other. Compassion and common humanity are crucial.

    In this PSA episode we discuss strategies around giving, including how to donate money and volunteer time effectively, as well as how to embrace the opportunity to practice informal, random, spontaneous acts of kindness.

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    #251: From High School Dropout to Successful Entrepreneur, Author and World Traveler — with Chris Guillebeau

    ByErin @ Team Afford Anything
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/AA251.mp3" title="From High School Dropout to Successful Entrepreneur, Author and World Traveler -- with Chris Guillebeau" artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ]

    Do you love the idea of making money on your own — without a boss?

    Can you imagine deciding how you spend each day?

    Are you bored and looking for a challenge? Do you love the thought of adventure?

    Today’s guest, Chris Guillebeau, knows all about hustling, living an unconventional life, working towards seemingly impossible goals, and combining his interests into an epic lifestyle business that brings him freedom and joy.

  • I’m 36 and I tested positive for coronavirus. My so-called “moderate” case is brutal.

    ByPaula Pant

    You’ve probably heard people say that if you’re young, healthy and you contract Covid-19, you’re likely to only experience mild or moderate symptoms. I’m 36, a non-smoker, in shape, fit and healthy, with no chronic conditions. No asthma, no diabetes, no cancer, no high blood pressure, no history of any type of organ disease. I’m the poster child, the ideal candidate, of someone who would only experience a “mild or moderate” case.

    My experience of coronavirus was sheer brutal hell. It was the most intense prolonged physical agony I’ve ever felt.

    Here’s what coronavirus feels like.

  • The Importance of Using the Toilet Correctly (and Other Things I Learned Last Month)

    ByPaula Pant

    When I was 18, I got a full scholarship for a one-month study abroad trip to Japan.

    At the time, I didn’t have much interest in international travel. But free is free, so I spent a month in Japan during the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college.

    That trip changed everything.

    That trip ignited the travel bug.

    I came back so enthusiastic about exploring the globe that I’ve based every major decision in my adult life around the goal of traveling more.

    Every major life choice, from my initial career in journalism, to my decision to quit my newspaper job to backpack around Southeast Asia, to my pivot to becoming a location independent, self-employed freelancer …

    Every choice I’ve made has been based around whether or not this opportunity would allow me to travel. It’s the benchmark against which all my decisions are made. It set me on a meandering path that led to financial independence.

    And it all started with that trip to Japan.