I enjoy writing for Untemplater because y’all are a different crowd from the ones on Financial Samurai and Yakezie.com. It’s without fail that no matter what I post on Financial Samurai, within 24 hours I’ll get some aggressive commenter who is going to challenge my point of view. The worst is when a dissident attacks while having no credibility. For example, I can write about 401k portfolio rebalancing and I’ll get ripped up by someone who has less than five years of investing experience and less than $100,000 invested. Come on now. Or I can argue how going with an adjustable rate mortgage is much more cost effective, yet get attacked by a renter who has never owned a property in his life!
On Yakezie.com, I’ve got to be very careful what I write, especially if it’s about blogging, online marketing, SEO strategies, and social media because some of the most astute personal finance bloggers on the web read that site. I’ve also got to be politically correct in what I say because I should lead by example and not offend anybody as the founder.
Everybody on Untemplater is more mellow and less vociferous, except for if I write a post like Quit Your Job And Die Alone. Then it seems like you guys get all riled up! But everything is relative, and therefore Untemplater is my sanctuary where I come to share some thoughts and not worry too much about the responses.
FINDING SANCTUARIES IN DIFFERENT SCENARIOS
The reason why we find sanctuaries is because we all long to escape the pressures of work or life.
* Work stress. Unless your job is being a masseuse’s guinea pig, you’ll likely experience plenty of work stress over your career. Some find a sanctuary at the water cooler, gossiping and complaining to any colleague who will listen. Others find a sanctuary during happy hour where they drink their sorrows away. The best place to find a sanctuary is through a candid discussion with a loved one.
* Life stress. I believe life is generally good. But, what about the times when we get ill, get rejected, or cannot find that special someone? We turn to our closest friends and family for support. Eventually, they will go through tough times, and we’ll be right there returning the favor.
* Entrepreneurial stress. Many of us who read Untemplater are entrepreneurs, or aspiring entrepreneurs. As such, we realize a day job is a walk in the park compared to entrepreneurship. It’s only been several months since I decided to work on my online endeavors full-time, and I will admit I’ve had my doubts on the ability to make $200,000 working 20 hours a week within three years. As a result, I’ve written a post about the subject and commiserated with plenty of other entrepreneurs online who feel the same way.
WE NEED SOME BALANCE
Doing our own thing is hard if we have nobody to count on. I suggest building relationships with people in your field well before you ever need them to be there for you. Worst case, you gain a friend or an acquaintance. Best case, you gain a friend to help you through your ruts!
Because I write a post every day, but publish only 3.5 times a week on Financial Samurai, I have over 58 fully written posts in the queue. I feel like a mad man with a fire hydrant worth of thoughts splashing around in my head. I may have a hoarding problem as well because I don’t want to post everyday. Or perhaps I just need a respite from the constant pounding I get from some readers and need to find a sanctuary here on Untemplater.
My other sanctuary is up at my vacation rental in Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe. It’s magical up there!
Readers, what, where, and who are your sanctuaries?
Regards,
Sam
Updated in 2015
After a stressful day at work, I find sanctuary in a gym. Inside the gym, I get to release all my stress and clear my head of all the office pressures. I also find sanctuary in my office by blogging.. it’s something about writing content or creating a video that can help people.
There are three things that keep me sane:
1.) Taking the dog for a walk around the neighborhood in the evening while chatting with my wife about the day.
2.) Playing with my two boys.
3.)Writing entries into my journal (or “morning pages” as Julia Cameron calls it)
Love #3! I definitely do that every single morning. The problem is, when you write publicly, you open up yourself to a lot of attacks from all sides, so then you start writing more blandly. Then, the writing isn’t as cathartic.
Outside, preferably in nature. Keeps things in perspective, and makes me realize that I am small, my problems are small, and everything is relative.
Ahhh… to experience nature in Portland. That’s a great outlook on your problems. Makes me want to go to Marin County for a hike now!
come visit! it’s lovely here.
For me, it’s time dedicated purely to my kids. They are focused on fun, and are so enthusiastic about life in general. They like to learn. Plus, they’re innocent and not jaded. To me, that time is a sanctuary where I get away from things that need to be done, or other worries or even aspirational goals. I live in the moment during such times with them, and it’s great.
Now, when kids are teenagers things might be different, but we’re not there yet 🙂
It’s interesting that you consider Untemplater to be your online sanctuary of sorts. That’s pretty awesome man. So far, I don’t get battered so much from comments on my blog, although a number of people do disagree with some of my advice, but they’re not usually douchey about it. The stuff at Yakezie is awesome, but I can see why you gotta be more censored and stuff.
Man, I do think my home with my wife and girls is my sanctuary. And it’s great to have it. It’s great to be able to go on about what an idiot my two bosses are to my wife, and then play with my daughters and everythign’s cool. It’s awesome!
Poor lucky wife! Ha! Hope she can commiserate and have a good time in the process!
Sounds like a very nice sanctuary. I feel I have something similar too at home.
The internet sanctuary is nice, since the internet is dominating my life right now.
My sanctuary is running. This is my time, with only me and a podcast on my ipod. Not only do I get some needed time away, but I nearly always feel even better when I’m done. I have a clear head and whatever’s bothering me has often melted away.
Nice! I can’t run work poop… maybe 3 miles max. Hurts my knees too.
That really does sound like a great sanctuary though. Maybe I’ll go mountain biking over the GG Bridge again.
I’ve gotten a lot better at managing stress overall so I find less need to hide in my sanctuary than I did back in college. Back then, I would go for long walks in the dark or meditate in the woods.
Not scared of werewolves or vampires Ed? I enjoy hiking in the woods. So wonderful.
I actually look like a werewolf, so I should be safe from those!
Hahaha, nice.
I think it is a matter of perception! I feel most comfortable at home or doing something i am more control over. It doesn’t mean i do not have other comfort zones, but I am most comfortable in those zones. I think I need sanctuaries when I am faced with chaos. It is almost like having a life jacket or something to make me feel safe.
Have you not experienced the chaos of the online world yet Larry? If not, you are a lucky man!
We love having you write on Untemplater Sam! You’re totally right about the benefits of finding a sanctuary. I have several that really help me clear my head: sitting at the piers, hiking in the forest, doing yoga, and writing my thoughts out.
I also try hard to keep my work at work so I don’t bring stress home and get a healthy separation. It isn’t always easy but I’ve gotten better at it over time and having different types of sanctuaries helps a lot!
Knowing how to relax is as important as knowing how to get things done at work. The minute you step out of your office, look forward (to playing with your kids, meeting your SO, watching your favorite sitcom) not back at how terrible your day was at work.
Unfortunately that is easier said than done.