Adulting with Harlan L. Landes and Miranda Marquit

Once in a while, we present Adulting.tv LIVE! Stay tuned to hear about future events, and share your questions about or suggestions for our next discussions!

J.D. Roth joined Adulting.tv LIVE! to talk about the amount of control we have in our lives. Do you feel like things never go your way? Are the circumstances in your life beyond your control? If you just allow life to happen to you, you will not get what you want. Take action and choose your direction.

But there are certain things you may not be able to control, like the actions of other people. But you can control how you respond, and to an extent, how you feel.

J.D. is the founder of Money Boss.

Listen to just the audio by using the player above.

Hosted byHarlan Landes and Miranda Marquit

Produced byadulting.tv

Edited and mixed bySteven Flato

Music bybensound.com

The recent election was one of the most divisive and difficult political events in recent history. On the national level, the rhetoric took its toll on our national discourse and even on family relationships.

However, national politics aren’t all there is to civics. In fact, it can be a good idea to take things down a few notches. If you really want to make a difference, your best bet might actually be to get involved with local politics.

In this episode, we look at what it takes to get involved, and how you can do more to make a difference.

Concepts

* Why are we so obsessed with national politics?

* How voter apathy impacts the quality of leadership we have in our country.

* What are some of the barriers to voting locally?

* How to find different offices to run for in your community.

* If you don’t want to run for office, how can you get involved in local politics?

* How to find out what matters to you.

* Tips for looking around to see what impacts you at the local level.

* How to handle political disagreements without being disagreeable.

This week’s “do-nows” provide you with ideas for figuring out how to take the first step in getting involved with local politics. It can be as simple as attending a city council meeting to see what issues are being talked about in your community.

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Resources

Low voter turnout U.S.

Hosted byHarlan Landes and Miranda Marquit

Produced byadulting.tv

Edited and mixed bySteve Stewart

Music bybensound.com

If you had to come up with $500 for a car repair or a new appliance, could you get the money? What happens if you lose your job? It’s guaranteed that every adult will face some sort of emergency.

Most Americans can’t handle that, so they turn to credit cards and other debt to help when life throws them curveballs.

Don’t be one of them. Get ready for an unexpected setback by building an emergency fund designed to provide you with what you need in a pinch.

Concepts

* What is an emergency fund, and why do you need one?

* How much should be in your fund?

* Where should you keep your emergency fund?

* All-cash funds vs. keeping it elsewhere.

* How to set up a tiered fund.

* Tips for starting your emergency fund.

* Characteristics of a good emergency fund.

* Do credit cards have a place in an emergency?

Listen for our “do-nows” for specific actions you can take right now to begin building your emergency savings. We’ll also answer a listener question about how to free up money even when you’re sure you don’t have any available.

Become a Friend of Adulting

To get Adulting delivered directly to your device, subscribe using Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, or your app of choice.

Join the Friends of Adulting! Please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. We would really appreciate the feedback!

Resources

Americans without emergency savings

Americans don’t have emergency savings

All cash may not be the best choice

Hosted byHarlan Landes and Miranda Marquit

Produced byadulting.tv

Edited and mixed bySteve Stewart

Music bybensound.com

It seems like everywhere you look, someone is touting the value of entrepreneurship as the key to long-term financial independence.

Thanks to technology and the popularity of a number of books and websites, it’s possible that you think that you’re ready to be the next Zuckerberg.

But is that a realistic expectation? Are you really cut out to be an entrepreneur?

And is entrepreneurship all that it’s cracked up to be?

Concepts

* How much money do small businesses actually make?

* Is entrepreneurship right for everyone?

* What traits make a good entrepreneur?

* What is entrepreneurship, anyway?

* The reality of trying to squeeze a side hustle into your life.

* Who is a good candidate for starting a business?

* Brief intro to the Meyers-Briggs test, and what it says about the ideal entrepreneur.

* How to get started if you are serious about starting a business.

* Tips for creating your business, a little bit at a time.

Listen for our “do-nows” for specific actions you can take to get started with a new business today. We’ll also answer a listener question about how to budget when you have the irregular income of an entrepreneur.

Become a Friend of Adulting

To get Adulting delivered directly to your device, subscribe using Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, or your app of choice.

Join the Friends of Adulting! Please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. We would really appreciate the feedback!

Resources

Small businesses don’t make that much money

Traits of entrepreneurs

Hosted byHarlan Landes and Miranda Marquit

Produced byadulting.tv

Edited and mixed bySteve Stewart

Music bybensound.com

Are you hoping that finding “the one” will complete your life?

We’ve got bad news and good news about that. The bad news is that there probably isn’t a “perfect” partner for you. The good news is that you might be able to make it work with any number of your fellow humans.

Everything we are conditioned to believe about “true love” is likely wrong. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find a good partner for your life. It takes a bit of work, and you have to be willing to grow and change, but you can create a soulmate. At least that’s what science thinks.

Concepts

* Finding a soulmate vs. becoming soulmates.

* “Made for each other” can actually kill your relationship.

* How to work with a potential partner to improve your relationship over time.

* Can you really rely on one person to furnish ALL of your emotional needs?

* A look at research that indicates that polygamy might be part of our DNA, like monogamy is.

* Is polyamory a real thing?

* Could arranged marriages be better than finding the one?

* The importance of self-reflection before you go out and try to find the one.

* The importance of honesty and authenticity when looking for a partner. Be yourself.

Listen for our “do-nows” for specific actions you can take to approach your next relationship. We’ll also answer a listener question about finding the one who makes everything easy.

Become a Friend of Adulting

To get Adulting delivered directly to your device, subscribe using Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, or your app of choice.

Join the Friends of Adulting! Please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. We would really appreciate the feedback!

Resources

Soulmates may not look like you expect

Are humans naturally polygamous?

“Made for each other” could ruin your relationship

Life doesn’t always go as planned. In fact, for most of us, life almost never goes as planned.

Concepts

* The role of resilience and how resilience is achieved.

* You can’t control other people, but you can control how you react.

* How to turn disappointments into opportunities.

* Tips for turning rejections into motivation.

* Planning outwards to avoid curveballs.

* Six competencies for resilience.

* Tips for identifying your values so you can set better goals to change your life.

Listen for our “do-nows” for specific actions you can take immediately to better handle situations that distract you from your goals and purpose. We’ll also answer a listener question.

Become a Friend of Adulting

To get Adulting delivered directly to your device, subscribe using Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, or your app of choice.

Join the Friends of Adulting! Please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. We would really appreciate the feedback!

Resources

How people learn to become resilient

Hosted byHarlan Landes and Miranda Marquit

Produced byadulting.tv

Edited and mixed bySteve Stewart

Music bybensound.com

Once in a while, we present Adulting.tv LIVE! Stay tuned to hear about future events, and share your questions about or suggestions for our next discussions!

Adulting.tv LIVE! met up with Eva Baker from Teens Got Cents in San Diego, California, for FinCon16. Eva, Harlan, and Miranda discuss the importance of paying it forward, especially with financial literacy and knowledge. Through her project teaching financial skills to teens in Florida, Eva is paying it forward.

The Plutus Foundation has awarded a grant and pledged further support to Eva’s program. Learn more or support this education program through the Plutus Foundation.

How do you pay it forward in your life?

Listen to just the audio by using the player above.

Chances are that you’ve heard of SMART goals. When it comes to setting goals, you’re supposed to be SMART about it. But is the SMART method really the way to go about setting goals?

What if, instead of being really specific about your goals, you set bigger, broader goals? You might be surprised at how much more meaningful your life might be if you take the time to set goals that address your values and larger life mission.

Harlan and Miranda disagree a bit about the usefulness of SMART goals and how to use them, but, in the end, both agree that if you want to change your life, SMART goals might not be the best approach.

Concepts

* Why goal setting is an important part of success.

* A look at SMART goals and how they work.

* The steps to take when setting goals with the SMART method.

* The advantages of using SMART for setting goals.

* Problems with SMART goals.

* How to set goals without using the SMART method.

* Tips for identifying your values so you can set better goals to change your life.

Become a Friend of Adulting

To get Adulting delivered directly to your device, subscribe using Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, or your app of choice.

Join the Friends of Adulting! Please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. We would really appreciate the feedback!

Resources

SMART goals

Hosted byHarlan Landes and Miranda Marquit

Produced byadulting.tv

Edited and mixed bySteve Stewart

Music bybensound.com

Once in a while, we present Adulting.tv LIVE! Stay tuned to hear about future events, and share your questions about or suggestions for our next discussions!

Adulting.tv LIVE! welcomes special guests David Auten and John Schneider from Debt Free Guys. David, John, Harlan, and Miranda discuss what it takes to tell when a couple may want to begin cohabitation. Living together can be a big decision and a major step forward with a relationship.

How do you know when the time is right to move in together?

Watch the video above, or listen to just the audio by using the player below.

Are you feeling the effects of burnout? We all feel this way sometimes. Whether you are dealing with a challenging situation emotionally or physically, you can experience burnout and end up feeling as though you aren’t ready to accomplish anymore. Battling burnout is a key to being an adult, and moving forward with your life.

In this episode, we talk about battling burnout and doing what it takes to re-motivate yourself and re-commit yourself to what matters in your life.

You don’t want to be “that person” at work that drags everyone down with your bad attitude, and you also don’t want to feel so much burnout that you can’t enjoy your personal life with your loved ones. Once you learn more about battling burnout, you might be surprised at how much better your life can be.

Concepts

* What causes burnout in life?

* Ways that burnout manifests in your life.

* How burnout can impact your personal life.

* How to identify the signs that you are on the path to experiencing burnout.

* Life realities that can lead to burnout.

* Tips for battling burnout and becoming motivated again.

* How to evaluate your values so you can decide what needs to be discarded.

* Tips for recognizing the value in what you do so that you don’t become burned out.

* Reasons to focus living your life now.

Become a Friend of Adulting

To get Adulting delivered directly to your device, subscribe using Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, or your app of choice.

Join the Friends of Adulting! Please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. We would really appreciate the feedback!

Resources

Signs of burnout