Every morning I take my dog for a long walk.  The distance is 2 miles and we complete it in about 40 minutes.  

Up until recently I wore wireless earbuds and listened to all sorts of music on Pandora. Some days it would be Metallica and other days it would be Motown.  I started noticing songs repeating on my Pandora stations and I became less interested in the music.  I realized that I was wasting these incredibly important 40 minutes of solitude by listening to music instead of brainstorming and thinking about my future.  Allowing my mind to wander and enter stream of conscious thought is helping me reduce anxiety and prepare for my next steps in financial freedom.

In my hectic life as a father, husband, and volunteer I should have realized much earlier that private time alone is a very valuable asset.  I was too comfortable in my patterns of waking up, drinking coffee, turning on music, and walking the dog.

By breaking the monotony of listening to similar songs every day and using the gift of time more wisely I hope to propel myself in my career and narrow down options of my future work life.