The Ramsey Show - App - Your Career Should Be a Trail Blaze...NOT a Treadmill! (Hour 2)

Episode Date: August 2, 2021

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Thank you. Live from the headquarters of Ramsey Solutions, broadcasting from the Dollar Car Rental Studios, it's the Ramsey Show, where debt is dumb, cash is king, and the paid-off home mortgage has taken the place of the BMW as the status symbol of choice. I'm Dave Ramsey, your host. You jump in, we'll talk about your life and your money. Ken Coleman, Ramsey personality, is my co-host today. And so we'll be taking your calls about career as well. The Ken Coleman Show on 75 radio stations, Sirius XM, a podcast,
Starting point is 00:01:03 and everywhere else that you can get any kind of Ramsey Network information. He's there. He's all over the place answering your questions about your life and your career. So jump in. The phone number is 888-825-5225. It is launch day here at Ramsey. We are launching Ken's brand new book and pre-sale. It will be a number one bestseller following his last number one bestseller. It's called From Paycheck to Purpose,
Starting point is 00:01:34 The Clear Path to Doing Work You Love. From Paycheck to Purpose, The Clear Path to Doing Work You Love. You can pre-order the book at ramseysolutions.com. It's $20, and we will throw in $100 worth of goodies to bribe you to pre-order it. So all kinds of good stuff there, the audio book, the e-book, and a lot of other different things, depending on whether you're trying to get promoted or whether you're just getting started and you're trying to get clear. Something else we're launching today, Ken, in addition to your book. Congratulations on that, by the way.
Starting point is 00:02:07 Thank you. So exciting. What a great day. We're also launching the Get Clear assessment that our team has been working on with you. Our product team has spent a bazillion hours on this with you, and it is absolutely incredible. It's an assessment process that you take, and it will help you to get clear on what you should be doing that will give you joy. Yeah, this is the million-dollar question that so many people struggle to answer. What should I do with my life?
Starting point is 00:02:34 And so we give you about a 25-minute experience asking questions like I do with folks on air. And we're going to give you a report on what you do best, talent, and then what work you love to do, passion, and then the results that you most want to create with your work. And we give you a nice detailed report. It's simple, but it's so clear. And then the best part is we're going to populate a purpose statement for you. We take those results, your top three talents, top three passions, and then that driver, that missional result that you most want out of your work, and we put it in a purpose statement, and then it keeps going. Then we're going to give you some professional possibilities. We show you,
Starting point is 00:03:14 now these aren't guarantees, we say this is an area, or two, or three, or four, where this purpose statement aligns with work that would be something that you would be very good at, really enjoy, and it produces a result that connects to your values. And so what happens is, Dave, it really is this giant kind of crystal ball of clarity. Hey, there are many paths to the dream job for me, many different industries. And see, what people get locked up with is they think, well, it's just one answer. It's only one thing, and it's a very terrifying prospect. So it really is the methodology that's underneath the first stage of the seven stages. Get clear. And we're going to give you that assessment. When it prints out or you can keep it on your computer, it's going to give you
Starting point is 00:03:57 tremendous clarity to move forward. And then we give you the steps, of course, in the book, from paycheck to purpose. And that's how i get up the mountain but i gotta first know the mountain i want to climb so it's a great product the team's done a great job dave with the digital experience and it's here's the thing about this this is going to tug at your heart and your brain yes not your outside variables that's right okay so once you get clear the next step is you get qualified so for instance like if you ever took one of those old career assessments back in the day uh you know like in high school or something um you know like i have a friend who's a microbiologist now who
Starting point is 00:04:36 makes a bazillion dollars in research and when he took one of those things it told him he ought to be a custodian oh yeah slight miss there. Yeah, a little miss on that. But they were analyzing his outside variables, his current level of education and grade point, that kind of stuff. We don't do any of that. No. This is all about what makes you tick, what you're naturally good at, weaving those together to help you get clear on a direction that you need to go that will cause you to be in a job, be in a career that on Monday morning you're smiling.
Starting point is 00:05:06 That's exactly right. You get excited. Even on the long days, the hard days, you go, this was worth it when I drive home. And, you know, Psalm 139, David writes so beautifully. He's writing and he's saying, you knit me together in my mother's womb. And you're right, Dave. This assessment, the Get Clear Career Assessment from Ramsey Solutions, turns you inward. And you begin to see who you really are, who you were created to be. It's not a big mystery. Talent, passion,
Starting point is 00:05:32 mission. All of us come into this world hardwired and it really is the head and the heart coming into alignment. It's really fun. It's eye-opening. It's enlightening. There are ahas and then practical steps to actually do something about it. We don't just say, oh, here are 7 to 10 or 20 things you could do. No, we point you in that direction and then we teach you even in the assessment. And we deep dive in the book, From Paycheck to Purpose, how to clarify and verify further and actually know. This is an incredible tool that if you went to some kind of career coach or something, you'd pay $300 to take it. Oh, yeah.
Starting point is 00:06:05 I mean, it's detailed. It's going to spit out a report that you're going to go, oh, my gosh, they just read my mail. And so the Get Clear assessments, you can get it online at RamseySolutions.com, of course. Or here's a better idea. Go ahead and pre-purchase Ken Coleman's book for $20. Get the $100 worth of stuff. better idea go ahead and pre-purchase ken coleman's book for twenty dollars get the hundred dollars
Starting point is 00:06:26 worth of stuff and for another 10 bucks we'll throw in the 30 assessment otherwise if you just go buy it it's 30 bucks or you can get all that stuff for 30 bucks yeah incredible so don't go just buy it for 30 bucks go buy the whole bundle and get the assessment with it and the assessment will download immediately you can use it now you don't have to wait till november to do it and then you'll get the book and the other things associated with the book in November when the book actually comes out. So that's the ultimate career bundle on the new book from Paycheck to Purpose. Now, if you just want to go buy the assessment, you can do that. We'll take your $30.
Starting point is 00:07:00 But I'm just telling you how to get a better deal. That's the whole thing. And, you know, you talk about knit you and your mother's. When Ray Bakke talks about that word knit in the Hebrew is very similar to the word crochet. Yes. And my grandmother, she used to crochet when I was a kid. She crocheted blankets and everything. And I got my man card back.
Starting point is 00:07:22 But at one point, she taught me how to crochet. So Dave, little Dave, was a crocheter for a short period of time to get in my granny's good graces, because she would cook you anything. But, you know, Baki talks about, can you imagine the maker of heaven and earth with a couple of crochet needles? That's right. Going, okay, RNA double, RNA DNA double helix. Oh, that's a good one. You're fearfully and wonderfully made. He says every time he does that, RNA, DNA, double helix.
Starting point is 00:07:54 Ah, niche you right there. You were made to do something. You talk about that all the time. And finding out what that is, the day you know why you're here is a powerful day. Yes. It's not enough, though, Dave, just to know you've got to do it. Here's what I tell people. You were created to fill a unique role in your work.
Starting point is 00:08:12 You are needed. You must do it. Somebody out there needs you to show up and give yourself away in your work. And then the income and impact, they come with that. They're super excited about it. The new book is From Paycheck to Purpose, The Clear Path to Doing Work You Love. The new assessment is the Get Clear Assessment. All of it at RamseySolutions.com, all bundled together, all at bargains. Do not miss out on this. This is life-changing material
Starting point is 00:08:37 Coleman's putting out here. Ken Coleman, Ramsey Personality, is my co-host. Folks, listen up. I know some of y'all are putting off getting life insurance because rates went up, restrictions were added due to COVID, but it doesn't change your responsibility to take care of your family. Lucky for you, insurance companies are lowering their rates again, and there are more options than ever to let you skip the medical exam. Yes, it's actually easier than it was before all this mess. So now is the time to get it done. If you don't have term life insurance or not enough, you need to take the step, take care of this, and let the team at Zander Insurance help.
Starting point is 00:09:26 I've used and recommended Zander for over 20 years because they shop the top term life companies to find you the best rates, and they keep coming up with new ways to make the whole process faster and simpler. Apply online or over the phone, sign with electronic or voice signature, signature no exams it just doesn't get any easier go to zander.com or call 800-356-4282 it really is time to get this done Ken Coleman, Ramsey Personality, is my co-host today as we talk about your careers, your money, your life, right here on The Ramsey Show. Lee is with us in Omaha, Nebraska. Hi, Lee. How are you?
Starting point is 00:10:20 Hi, Dave. Hi, Ken. I'm doing great. Cool. How can we help? Yeah, my wife and I just finished paying off Hi, Dave. Hi, Ken. I'm doing great. Cool. How can we help? Yeah. My wife and I just finished paying off our debt snowball, $325,000, and we're busting through step three. And so here in the next month or so, we'll be ready to invest. And so my question is, how much do I start investing? I know it's 15%, but we only got a few months left here.
Starting point is 00:10:47 So do I try to go for that whole gusto and the whole 12-month sum, or just break it down into the last quarter? Okay, you're going to be doing it the rest of your life. So we're going to put it on a monthly basis. So what is your annual income? Combined about $160,000. Okay. And so you're going to be putting in about $27,000, $28,000.
Starting point is 00:11:16 Okay. And so you're going to be putting in about $2,400, $2,300 a month into something. That's what it amounts to. Okay. And somewhere in that range. $2,400, $2,300 a month into something. That's what it amounts to. Mm-hmm. Okay. And somewhere in that range. I mean, just divide it out. Right.
Starting point is 00:11:31 Your income times 15% is your annualized amount. Then divide that into your monthly, because you're going to start putting that much into your 401K, your Roth IRA, your Roth 401K, with or without a match, and all of those things to get up to the $20,000 or, yeah, to the 20-something thousand dollar mark to get you to exactly 15% of that. And so, yeah, that's the route to go. Instead of trying to do fits and starts and just do lump sums and the next year you've got to figure it out and then the next year you've got to figure it out and the next year you've got to figure it out and i just set it on a monthly thing it's automatic and you just keep doing it and keep doing it and keep doing it and before you know it you'll be a baby steps
Starting point is 00:12:13 millionaire amanda's in omaha nebraska hi amanda how are you hi mr ramsey nice to meet you. You too. How can Ken and I help? Well, I need help with juggling and prioritizing some things. I called Ken before. So what I'm juggling is passion projects, career skills, debts, and my personal limitations. Those four things. And I'm not doing very good at getting any particular thing done. Okay. Well, you need to give us a little bit more of a breakdown. So let's talk about the debt first. Okay, debt, $50,000.
Starting point is 00:12:52 I currently make $45,000. I'm a digital marketer. Okay, what's the $50,000 in debt? What is it comprised of? It is student loan debt, medical bills, and stupid debt credit cards. Okay. How much of it is student loan debt, medical bills, and stupid debt credit card. Okay. How much of it is student loan debt? About 40.
Starting point is 00:13:11 Most of it is student loan debt. Okay. All right. So now the Passion Project, you ran through things pretty quick. Give me the rest of the list. Passion Project was one, and what else? Four things. Passion Project, career skills, debt, and limitations.
Starting point is 00:13:27 And the Passion Project is, you know, what I feel driven to do is author. I write a lot. I really want to make that a side career. I've got lots of stories. I want to start publishing them. I want to keep writing. I want to finish things, too. I'm not doing very good with that.
Starting point is 00:13:44 Okay. Well, we've got a lot going on here. Let me quickly address the passion project, okay? There's nothing keeping you from writing right now. In fact, the best way to become a writer is to write. Now, that does not mean that you're published. It does not mean you have a big literary deal. It means that you are writing, and you can write in short form on Instagram. You can create a blog for next to nothing.. I know a lot of people who are world-class writers. Dave and I both are mutual friends. And every time I've ever talked to them,
Starting point is 00:14:11 when they give advice to people who ask them questions, it's just always be writing. So you need to write, write, write, write, write. That has nothing to do with the rest of this stuff. The best thing about that is you can do that while other people are asleep. Yeah, and while you're working multiple jobs to get out of debt. multiple jobs to get out of debt. You need to get out of debt.
Starting point is 00:14:27 And here's what I think is going to happen. I think if you walk out the baby steps and you see momentum there, I think you're going to see momentum in the rest of these areas of your life. And then I want to ask you about limitations. You mentioned limitations. What is that? What are you referring to? In a major depressive episode since about 2018.
Starting point is 00:14:46 So even when I, sometimes I'm doing great. Other times, even though I plan to write or to work on, you know, like Google certifications or something, I just struggle with getting out of bed. So just occasionally, sometimes that stuff will come up and my plans will get kind of tossed about a bit. I get that. Okay. So I'm not a licensed counselor, but I believe in counseling and this depression is a real thing and you need to get help there. And so I think the focus of where you are and where you need to be is I think you need to get help with the depression. That is debilitating stuff.
Starting point is 00:15:25 You need to see a professional on that. I would also, if you don't go to church, I consider going to church and also get some spiritual input and surround yourself with some people who really believe in you. This is beyond the counseling. The second thing is I really want you, we'll get you help, but I want you to get serious about this debt. I think if you can day job this right now and you get out of debt while getting the counseling and getting victory with depression, getting over that and being able to manage that, not getting over it, but managing that, I think that that is your priority right now. And the writing, as you begin to get healthy and even in the process.
Starting point is 00:16:05 Don't wait. Write about the stuff that you're depressed about. Put your heart, let it bleed on the paper. You can show that work or you don't have to, but you can develop the skill of writing along the way. Right now, the debt and the depression, I think, Dave, are her priorities. You already seeing somebody, hon? Yeah, I'm seeing a counselor.
Starting point is 00:16:26 Are you making progress? Yeah, yeah, I'm seeing a counselor. Are you making progress? Sometimes, yeah. Well, progress is not necessarily in a straight line. It's just in a direction. Yeah, yeah. We've been setting up. Are you better today than you were three years ago? Yes, yes.
Starting point is 00:16:41 Good. Two years ago. Yeah. Good. That's progress. Yeah. no hey listen i'm 60 i'm still making progress but some days i suck yeah so that's okay i mean that's just that's part of everybody's life right where you know this is a tide goes in tides goes out thing uh the question is uh are we moving in a direction so here's the thing talk to your counselor about this because Ken or I neither one are we've worked with a lot of manic depressives over the years a
Starting point is 00:17:13 lot of bipolar because you generally have financial trouble it goes with the territory okay and the more extreme the case the more extreme the financial trouble so you're you coming out of this, and you're starting to get some healing, and you're starting to head the right direction. So your finances are starting to pop up now and light up, and you're beginning to attack that. So I think this is a really great example where two things that you can complete will provide you two helps for the depression. Now, verify this with your coach, your counselor, because I'm not one.
Starting point is 00:17:47 But as my understanding is, like you said, completing things is a big deal. Yeah. Because the confidence that that gives you affects the chemical releases in your body and affects the depression. So the sense of confidence from completing something, like your smallest dad and your dad's snowball, okay? Or like writing a blog, okay? Mm-hmm. Or like writing a blog, not a novel.
Starting point is 00:18:08 Yes. Yes. Okay? And so completing things. The second thing that those two things give you that assist in the process of working through the depression is activity. And activity is the enemy of depression depression inactivity is its friend when you know when you lay in bed it gets worse not when you go for a run
Starting point is 00:18:33 yeah you know and so that's human nature because again you're physically completing things you're even if you're sitting at the keyboard and i'm going to force myself to complete this debt pay yeah one down or i'm going to force myself to complete this debt pay. Yeah, one down. Or I'm going to force myself to complete this blog. And it doesn't have to be big old bites. It's just got to be something that keeps you moving and builds your confidence. And I think your therapist will verify that those are two positive things you can do in this situation. Again, I'm not qualified other than 30 years of doing what I do and working with a lot of folks where you are.
Starting point is 00:19:07 And I got to tell you, there's a lot of hope for folks that are pushing against that black dog, as Winston Churchill called it. And it can be defeated. It can be. It is a process, and it is real. But it can be defeated. And I think you're on your way, kiddo. I'm proud of you. Well done.
Starting point is 00:19:26 This is The Ramsey Show. in the lobby of ramsey solutions on the debt freefree stage, Ben and Justine are with us. Hey, how are you guys? Not too bad. Welcome, welcome. Where do you all live? St. Louis, Missouri. Awesome. And you're here to do a debt-free scream.
Starting point is 00:20:15 How much have you paid off? $73,991. All right. And how long did it take you? 24 months exactly. Wow. And your range of income during that time? $62,000 to $95,000.
Starting point is 00:20:28 Cool. Good. What do you guys do for a living? I'm a manager at Aldi. And I'm an occupational therapist. Awesome. Very cool. What kind of debt was this $74,000? Almost all of it was student loans. We had a little bit that was a car and then a little bit of medical debt from the birth of our son. How long have you all been married? Seven years.
Starting point is 00:20:48 Okay, cool. So what happened 24 months ago? So about 24 months ago, we were just living life normally, but realized that we were so tired. And then we weren't gaining any traction at all in our lives. We had just moved into our new home. We had, at that point, our our son who was like six months old. And we were working jobs and careers and just not getting anywhere. So we realized that there were things that we wanted to do.
Starting point is 00:21:16 We wanted to be able to go out as a family. We wanted to be able to buy a microwave for our new home. And there was just no room in the budget or in our bank account to do so. So about at that time, my brother had moved into the St. Louis area, and he had just graduated college and was getting ready to start his new job. And he was having dinner with us. And he said that he was getting ready to pay off his student loans using the baby steps. And he asked us if we had ever heard of you. And of course, we said we had. Then he goes, well, have you guys thought about doing the baby steps? And we said, well, no. And he said, well, why not? He said, you guys could totally do it. So at that point,
Starting point is 00:21:55 I ended up reading your book, The Total Money Makeover. And then Ben ended up watching a couple of, I think, your podcasts, a couple of your interviews. And at that point, it was game on. We knew when we believed that we could. Go little brother. How about that? I like that. Yeah. So once we had decided that that was our future and that was what we were going to do,
Starting point is 00:22:18 as soon as we were both on the same page, there was no stopping us. So Ben ended up actually changing careers right at the beginning of it from a job that I would consider probably pretty toxic for us in many different realms and into a new role. I stepped into a full-time position, took on
Starting point is 00:22:37 another job, and we also watched a ton of dogs over the course of two years. I think it was over like 200 dogs over the course of two years. I think it was over like 200 dogs over the course of two years in order to make this happen. You used to like dogs, but not anymore. Oh, my God. What was the rate on watching dogs?
Starting point is 00:22:53 I'm curious. We watched dogs at about $25 a night. Okay. So we ended up, we were able to propel our debts mobile even more. Man, look at you. Wow, everything is game on here. Yes, yeah, we really leaned into it and decided that that was what we wanted to make happen. And then with he and I just together as a team, that was what we did.
Starting point is 00:23:16 Ben, what was the career change from what to what? I went from manager at McDonald's to just associate role at Aldi, and then I eventually got moved up into a management role. Wow. Okay. Good for you. That's fun. Cool. Very cool.
Starting point is 00:23:31 It's worked out well. Yes. Worked out well. Everything changed. Yeah. What do you tell people the key to getting out of debt is? I always give people three things. Just being on the same page with your spouse.
Starting point is 00:23:42 That's number one. Setting a clear goal. And then just being at a mindset that you're going to get there. You know that you're going to get there. So you guys, I mean, being on the same page with your spouse, from the very time you started this, you were on the same page. Yeah. It wasn't like one of you got drug kicking and streaming.
Starting point is 00:24:03 No, I would say it took us maybe between the two of us us it took about a month for us each to end up being there but podcast or youtube totally makeover book and these things weaving back and forth bouncing around your household and finally it all lands yes yeah and she definitely pushed me to do that so okay okay all right so but it wasn't't like you were ready because you wanted out too, though. Yeah. Yeah. Wow, way to go, little brother. That's amazing.
Starting point is 00:24:30 That's a great story. Very cool. So, Justine, what do you tell people the key to getting out of debt is? I think that Ben really wrapped it up well. But for us and for everyone else, if you're doing this with someone else being on that same page, because two minds are greater than one, two paychecks are better than one, being together and having that bullseye goal, you're going to get there twice as fast. So I tell people to stay focused as a team and to make sure that you and your spouse continue or whoever it is that you're
Starting point is 00:25:05 going along this plan and journey with are together. So I got to ask you, I love these stories because the focus and the intensity. It's so incredible. Was there a point where you go, okay, we're heads down for a while, right? And then you look up one day and you go, whoa, we're really making some serious progress. I'm just curious, when was that for you in your journey? I would say about six months in. Six months? Yeah. We were pretty headstrong. And then we were like, hey, we can do this a couple months ahead of our goal. Let's do this. Let's go headfirst into it and let's get it done.
Starting point is 00:25:39 Yeah. And at that point, we were like, extra jobs, whatever we can do. I had written all of our debts down. And every time we wrote one, we wrote a goal to get there. And every time we kept, we're like, wait, if we do this, we can hit this goal a couple months faster than we thought we could. You know, if we just watch a few more extra dogs or if we end up picking up a couple extra shifts, you know, we're really going to gain. 200 dogs in two years. That's what I was about to ask. I'm sorry I interrupted you.
Starting point is 00:26:08 I'll just divide it. How many dogs? Was there a crazy story where you had like, I just got to know. The too many dog night. There was at one point, there was one overnight where dogs were coming in and out of our home
Starting point is 00:26:19 and it ended up being like seven dogs. We also have three young children too. I know there was one day we watched some dogs who actually had to be diapered and I walked into my home and I was like, I have to diaper like four living things
Starting point is 00:26:33 with heartbeats right now between children and dogs. And we only have a 900 square foot house so we're just like trying to balance it. Please God, tell me you charge extra for that. We wish. And tell me you documented the day where the babies were running around and the dogs all in diapers please tell me we have pictures of that we do
Starting point is 00:26:50 you work like no one else later you get to work like no one else that's right you guys are powerful you're powerful very very well done so proud of you thank you so your little brother was cheering you on outside of the two of you, who else was cheering you on? Just on my side of the family, a lot of my parents and my siblings definitely cheered us on too. Yeah, and my side of the family also was a big support for us. We had family coming into town. We live about an hour to two hours, three hours away from family, but they were coming into town
Starting point is 00:27:25 every weekend so that we could work our jobs and work our shifts. And when they came into our home, that meant they were also watching the dogs and helping us take care of them. So we had an incredible family support. A lot of our friends checked in with us asking us how we were doing, you know, what's new for you guys this week? How many of you paid off? Like an adventure. Everybody went on with you. Absolutely, yeah. And we had wonderful neighbors, too, who put up with all the barking dogs and knew what we were doing and why we were doing it as well.
Starting point is 00:27:54 That's crazy. We really had a great village and community behind us. That's so fun. All right. So you brought the kiddos with you. What are their names and ages? Caroline is five, Lucas is is three and then we have our baby becca who is one year old oh fun well we've got a copy of the legacy journey for you
Starting point is 00:28:10 because that's what you've done for sure changed your legacy and we've got a copy of the total money makeover as well where you can pay it forward to someone and they can um they can pay it forward to someone else and they can learn how to be on the you can be like your little brother was to you yeah just get somebody that's little brother over there right yeah came with you to cheer on very good all right here we go ben and justine caroline lucas and back up from st louis 74 000 paid off in 24 months making 62 to 95 rock Rock stars. Look at these heroes. Count it down. Let's hear a debt-free scream. Three, two, one. We're debt-free!
Starting point is 00:28:53 Yeah! Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Wow. You get the feeling that crew right there is unstoppable. Yeah. Hey, let me tell you. You want to walk some dogs for some extra money? You want a diaper?
Starting point is 00:29:11 Diaper someone else's dogs. For some extra... I got to tell you. That's gazelle. That's over the top. I'm just saying. This is the Ramsey Personality. Brand new book on sale today, From Paycheck to Purpose.
Starting point is 00:29:58 The clear path to doing work you love. You can get it at RamseySolutions.com for $20 on pre-order. You get about $100, $150 worth of stuff included. You don't want to miss out on that. The book actually comes out in November, but we're going to bribe you to buy it today. It goes on sale today. From Paycheck to Purpose, the clear path to doing work you love. Our question of the day comes from Blinds.com.
Starting point is 00:30:21 They have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Even if you mess up and you mismeasure, you pick the wrong color, they'll remake your window blinds for free. Free samples, free shipping, and with the new promos they run every month, you'll save even more. Use the promo code RAMSEY to get the best possible deal. Today's question comes from Roneal in California. He says, my wife and I are 39 and 40.
Starting point is 00:30:43 We make over $230,000. We have $300,000 in mortgage debt and $500,000 in retirement. We plan on selling our house in the next few months where we will clear between 700 or about $700,000 in equity. We are not happy in our jobs and do not have passion for the work we've been doing. We want to either ask for six months unpaid time off, or in the worst case, quit and use some of our savings, a little bit less than $100,000, to travel while trying to figure out what we want to do for the next 10 to 20 years of our career. Are we being unwise? Well, you're being very impatient, and I get it. When you're restless, you got to be careful, because restless people are looking for diversions.
Starting point is 00:31:25 This sounds like a diversion here. We're going to travel and use some of our savings that we've worked hard for and try to discover what we want to do while traveling. I want you to be diligent because you can figure this out without traveling. I'm not against traveling, but to ask for six months unpaid time off I do think is unwise. Not sure you'd get that. That's essentially a fancy form of quitting. And I don't want you to quit and use that savings when we don't have something to quit to. We want you to walk to it. We want you to walk across the bridge. The seven stages that I
Starting point is 00:31:59 unpack in the new book, From Paycheck to Purpose, does not require you to take a big leap. And I know what you're feeling. I've been there. But the reality is you can discover what that next stage is, those next seasons, before we quit. I don't want you to just travel and go try to find yourself. That's an excuse. That's a bad idea.
Starting point is 00:32:21 Yeah, it's a bad idea. It's an excuse not to confront it. Well, it's an escapism that at the end of this, you still are not going to have landed on anything, and then you're going to be screwed. Yeah. Based on what I have done, Dave, and what I write about, we don't just travel the world and get quiet under a tree and it drops down. And a whole acre falls on us. Yeah, that doesn't work. Now, here's the thing.
Starting point is 00:32:39 You need to sell your house. Sure. And you need to change jobs. Yes. But you do not need to do your plan. Your plan sucks. No, that's right. No. I like the other that's right no you're gonna end up in a mess here dude yeah because they're in great financial shape if they pay that what you need to do is you need to spend some time go ahead and uh take your vacation time sure you probably have some sure and use that time to be
Starting point is 00:33:00 introspective uh maybe a little bit of travel during some of that. Spend some money. You've got some money. You're not in bad shape financially. But you don't need to take six months to do this. And spend some time going, okay, I'm going to get real quiet on the back porch with a cup of coffee of a cabin in the woods that is 400 miles away, 300 miles away. It doesn't have to be you don't have to go to Europe for five months to find yourself. By the way, yourself is not in Europe. Yourself is right where yourself is. Could spend 30 minutes, Dave, going to ramsaysolutions.com and taking the Get Clear
Starting point is 00:33:32 Career Assessment, then sit alone underneath the tree and go, hey, with all these possibilities that have been pointed out to me, which one of these things actually makes my heart come alive when I think about doing it. And then one more step. Go spend time with somebody who's doing that thing, that career path that you think you want to do. Get that extra level of clarity to say, tell me about the good, the bad. What do you love the most? What do you like the least? We make this decision, Dave, so mysterious and so out of touch.
Starting point is 00:34:04 And we've got to simplify it and that's what we're doing at ramsey solutions we're saying hey look inward it's not a way the answers no you don't need a ouija board yeah you need to sit down and get clear on where you're going then get qualified to do that and follow your steps straight through that's it and you take that assessment it's 30 bucks yeah that's a good idea we'll sell them one of those if i had their name but if we have their contact stuff we'll send them one but um send them I had their name. If we have their contact stuff, we'll send them one. But send them a link to do it. It's the Get Clear Assessment.
Starting point is 00:34:28 It went on today with the book. And it's available right this second at RamseySolutions.com. It's incredible. So if you take that thing and you figure out who you are, then you start to say, okay, I'm going to transfer to this job in this state. And so then I sell my house and I move to that job in that state. Yes. I don't have to take six months off without pay. No.
Starting point is 00:34:49 I don't have to wander the world hoping that somehow I'm going to have an epiphany as I stand at the foot of the pyramids. That's right. That's just complete BS. That's right. And not necessary, because if you do it the way that you just laid out, Dave, the income is not interrupted. Right.
Starting point is 00:35:03 And the best part is the income increases. And you're not going to burn through all the equity in your house and burn through all your savings trying to find yourself while yourself was in front of you all the time. That's really well said. That's really true. It's just you go out looking for yourself. And by the way, who's with you while you're doing that? Yourself. And so you don't need to go looking. They're right there. So, you know, sit down, spend some time, maybe even get with a coach, maybe get with a counselor, maybe get with your pastor, maybe get with some of your friends who will dope slap you into reality and say, no, you're not one of those. You're one of these. You're not a tiger. You're a koala bear.
Starting point is 00:35:38 You're not a koala bear. You're a tiger. What kind of animal are you? You know, let's figure this out. You got to have people like this sometimes in your life. And so that's part of what that get clear assessment will do yeah it's a gentle dope slap dave yeah but this is how you do it though because i mean i've had have you not had friends that saved you from yourself i love that you said that that's listen that's what you need
Starting point is 00:35:57 sometimes like wake up friends that saved me from myself half the time it's what we do on this show is we love you so much we just reach over and go go, as a friend, here, hold this, pop. Yeah. But, yeah, that's the thing. Get clear, get qualified, get connected, get started, get promoted. Work through Ken's clear steps on this. It's not just trying to sell Ken's stuff, dude. The bottom line is you need a plan, and wandering the earth is not your plan.
Starting point is 00:36:21 No. In the name of I'm burned out and i'm hate my life and uh that just sounds like you know i'm 17 years old i'm going to go backpacking in europe for six months and find myself you're not 17 you make 230 000 a year you have a half million dollars in your investments you're not a child anymore my son so um you're going to function through this and lay out a game plan like an adult have a strategic game plan and execute the plan flawlessly and at the end the plan you're going to be making more money in a better situation you're going to have sold the house
Starting point is 00:36:55 you're going to be in a state different than california where your new career is your whole new life everything about your new life is going to be amazing because you game planned it and then you went and got it. Yeah. And when you travel, you're traveling on purpose, right? We're not blowing money and blowing time. We're actually planning it. We're doing it.
Starting point is 00:37:13 Don't travel to hide. No. Travel to enjoy. Yeah. Don't travel to hide. No, all of you. People do this. Listen, if your whole reason to go
Starting point is 00:37:25 on vacation is you can hide from your life then you need to come home change your freaking life it's true there's something wrong with that this idea it's not it's like some kind of escapism yes and of course these people in the in the resort world they pander to that that we're going to have this alternate reality that we get to go live in for a little while. Yes. And then we have to come back to our horrible life that's drudgery. And, dude, hey, I enjoy travel. I like my home, too. You have a pretty great life. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:37:54 So do I. I mean, you know, this idea of vacation ought to be about resting and restoring yourself, right? Yeah. Restoration, recreating, recreating yourself. It's great to resign you know write that resignation letter but don't turn it in and go and vacate and restore and recreate yourself and come back tear it up and keep on going but this idea of coming back to this oh i just got to make it through to next year's vacation it's really crazy and i'll tell
Starting point is 00:38:18 you something else you know six months of unpaid work doing uh six pounds off from work you hate you ought to take the rest of your life off from work you hate right and then i'll be unpaid work, doing six pounds off from work you hate, you ought to take the rest of your life off from work you hate. Right. And then not be unpaid. Yeah, that's what we're about here. Yeah, you need to change direction. Get the new thing.
Starting point is 00:38:34 Get the new thing, baby. Get the new thing. Get you a target. If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time. That's the truth. You will hit it every time. It's a 100% shot that you're going to miss because you have no idea what you're aiming at and other people do ready aim aim aim oh yeah and pull the trigger that's exactly right oh my god sit around and whine about it pull the trigger so that's not
Starting point is 00:38:55 his problem he's ready to pull the trigger too fast doesn't have a game plan so yeah uh but but you know you got some people get paralysis of the analysis on the other thing, right? And they can't move off their butt. They get stuck on their butt. So it's a problem, folks. You've got to think through these things and lay it out. And then that's the beauty of a clear path. That's why the baby steps work. That's why Ken's seven stages work.
Starting point is 00:39:17 This clear path keeps you moving right along, right along, right along, right along, right along. It's not a treadmill. It's a trailblaze. This is the Ramsey Show. Have a friend or family member that needs a daily dose of Ramsey advice in their life? Let them know about the Ramsey Call of the Day podcast. It's a quick hit of advice about life and money in under 10 minutes. Check out the Ramsey Call of the Day podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.

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