Some people collect baseball trading cards. Other people collect antique books. I collect Social Security statements. Mine. Yes, I am that boring.  The oldest one I’ve got dates back to 2003, so I’ve got almost 20 years’ worth of Social Security (SSA) statements. But they contain my work records all the way back to the …

How Secure is Your Social Security? Read More »

The smell of fresh cut grass in August still makes me want to run and hide. I get flashbacks of red-faced football coaches, whistles blowing, screaming encouraging slogans at me like, “C’mon, son…run! Harder! Faster!” During summer camp, these thoughtful men even had trash cans placed strategically about the field so we players could pause, …

The Danger of Financial Fatigue Read More »

Chris thought he had a stomachache.  So, like most young men, he considered his options and did the only sensible thing. He ate more.  Well, that didn’t help, so he bought the jumbo bottle of Pepto-Bismol. By the time the weekend was over, he was doubled over in pain and begging his wife to drive …

Get Right About What’s Wrong Read More »

In one sense, Laura and Sally didn’t sneak up on anyone. Meteorologists helped us track both hurricanes from their births deep in the warm Atlantic waters to their tempestuous tromps through coastal cities and towns.  Laura devastated Lake Charles as she worked her way up the western side of south Louisiana. As I write this, …

Are You Ready for the Next Storm? Read More »

Where should you work? If money is tight and job opportunities are in short supply, your answer might be “anywhere that will pay me!” While that’s not a terrible answer, it is also not an answer that’s likely to satisfy you long-term. Consider three mindsets that can help you frame your thinking about your career …

The Job You Should Be Working in Is … Read More »

I know an organization that frames the less-than-desirable duties of their employees as “get tos.” The idea is to change the mindset from negative to positive. Instead of seeing a duty as something you “have to do,” you change your viewpoint so that you see it as an opportunity for service, or something you “get …

Labor Day – Work is a “Get To” Read More »