We all enjoy the story of the self-made person, right? The story is especially seductive when we can readily point to the sacrifices we've made on the road to reaching our goals. But at the same time, what advantages did we enjoy along the way? This week, I zero in on ten distinct advantages our family had on the path to financial independence (FI) and early retirement (FIRE).

Please reach out! I'd love to hear your thoughts. Gmail is [email protected], and Instagram is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kathleen at The Reframe Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Let's be honest: although systems can be live savers, they can also be boat anchors. How to tell the difference, and what do do with systems that aren't serving us?

This week, we talk about three questions to ask when deciding whether to design a new life system, and five areas where we just might tend towards a little bit of unnecessary over-systematizing -- along with lower-key alternative solutions.

Please reach out! I'd love to hear your thoughts. Gmail is [email protected], and Instagram is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kathleen at The Reframe Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Looking for casual, directional metrics to assess whether life is heading in your right direction? Tune in for some inspiration to develop your own life ratios, from "houseplants to heels" to "planes to games" and more.

Please reach out! I'd love to hear your thoughts. Gmail is [email protected], and Instagram is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kathleen at The Reframe Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

From earning points and miles post-FIRE, to navigating health insurance in retirement, to favorite books and much more, tune in for this special listener question episode!

Please reach out! I'd love to hear your thoughts. Gmail is [email protected], and Instagram is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kathleen at The Reframe Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Shhh, here's a secret: you don't have to bullseye all opportunities for financial optimization in order to retire early.

In fact, we made nine notable "mistakes" along the way to reaching retirement in our mid-40s. Tune in to hear about those nine mistakes, plus the four Big Rocks that made it possible to retire well before going grey.

Please reach out! I'd love to hear your thoughts. Gmail is [email protected], and Instagram is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kathleen at The Reframe Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to fall in love with your schedule, and develop a sense of time abundance? Then you won't want to miss this interview with time management expert Laura Vanderkam, author of the new book Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance.

We discuss principles and tactics for cultivating a calm sense of enough -- and a big dose of optimism -- about our most precious resource, our time.

Find more about Laura at her website, her weekly podcast Best of Both Worlds, and her short-form daily podcast Before Breakfast.

Please reach out! I'd love to hear your thoughts. Gmail is [email protected], and Instagram is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kathleen at The Reframe Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

"So, how are you going to fill all those hours?" It's the perennial -- and sometimes stressful -- question asked of pretty much anyone calling it quits on the career before Medicare eligibility. Rather than fretting over the fact that we don't have a perfect answer, and worrying about others' judgment, let's explore strategies for developing our own exciting next stage.

Please reach out! I'd love to hear your thoughts. Gmail is [email protected], and Instagram is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kathleen at The Reframe Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Welcome to a special limited series: Parallel Play with Liz of ⁠LizGetsLoaded ⁠and Kathleen from The Reframe!

Pull up a chair as Liz and I swap stories about our approaches to finding clothing and dressing ourselves for the day. Who thrifted in college, and who only started in her 30s? What were our self-selected Work Uniforms, and what did we pay for them? Then then listen to the throw down on Team Lulu v. Team Tailored.

Find Liz everywhere on the internet as LizGetsLoaded, including her Instagram account, her ⁠website⁠, her ⁠Substack account⁠, and of course her ⁠podcast⁠.

As for moi: please reach out! I'd love to hear your thoughts. Gmail is [email protected], and Instagram is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kathleen at The Reframe Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Curious about how to rein in the spending, but feeling intimidated by the idea of large or permanent changes? Enter the micro-experiment in how to right-size our spending. Nothing scary, nothing overwhelming: just fun data-gathering exercises to help us move towards our bigger goals.

Please reach out! I'd love to hear your thoughts. Gmail is [email protected], and Instagram is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kathleen at The Reframe Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Welcome to a special limited series: Parallel Play with Liz of ⁠LizGetsLoaded ⁠and Kathleen from The Reframe!

Today’s Battle Royale: fitness spending. Are you camp $3000 annually, camp $30 a year, or somewhere in between?

Find Liz everywhere on the internet as LizGetsLoaded, including her Instagram account, her ⁠website⁠, her ⁠Substack account⁠, and of course her ⁠podcast⁠.

As for moi: please reach out! I'd love to hear your thoughts. Gmail is [email protected], and Instagram is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kathleen at The Reframe Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.