Posts Tagged ‘love’

With all the options to connect to people, save links and blogs, read articles, store data, search for information, and do just about anything else on the computer, it is all starting to seem a bit overwhelming. Too many ways to access data means too much time on the computer and lack of efficiency.

To be honest, I love technology and am usually one of the first to try something new. Lately though, the options have become too numerous and it is hard to keep track. It is no longer just finding something that is better and using it. Programs and applications on the web (especially networking sites) change with fads. A good example is Myspace and Facebook. Myspace was one of the largest networking sites growing at an amazing rate, and then it stopped being popular. It is true that it wasn’t really that well designed, but more than that it just wasn’t “cool” anymore. People started switching to facebook.

On one hand all the options are good. It means that you can communicate he way you like. The bad part is it means that you will spend more time on the computer and internet keeping track of your contact and making sure that you are using the same applications and sites as your friends. It takes time to get design your site the way you like it and build up your fiends, and then when a new site starts you have to do it all over again. Then there are others like LinkedIn or Plaxo. No one wants to keep 3 or 4 address books, but that’s exactly what we are doing.

Then there are all of the websites that allow you to track and share links make various functions easier. These would include Evernote, Del.icio.us, twitter, Stumble, and Digg. You can see a full list at Go2Web20.net.

Having to many options makes the web and the computer much less efficient. People are building a lot of niche applications that have a purpose, but aren’t important enough to fuinction alone. So many of them become popular and then fade away.

I think what we should work towards for what everyone is calling web 3.0 is consolidation and simplicity. Less signing up and more efficiency.

This is the question that I find myself thinking about more than anything else. We all want to follow our dreams and do what makes us happy, but there is also the need for money. Most people want to own a house, to retire on a beach, to travel the world, to focus on the one thing that they really love. However, it takes money to do most of these things.

The problem is that we spend most of our time chasing after money, and there is very little left over for our dreams. Not to mention that most of us end up spending the money we make on the things we don’t really need/want just to feel better. Most people seem to end up doing something they don’t really like for a higher pay. We stress about our careers that don’t really matter, and most importantly we lose track of our dreams. Most of us as children wanted to be something, whether a policeman, fireman, tractor driver, ninja, or star player; we all had dreams. Yet, most people give them up to pay the bills.

So what’s the answer? Well, I think it is different for every person. People who are living their dreams generally seem to be happier to me. They have less worries and always seem to be in the moment. But, that lifestyle in many cases may does not have much security. I think it is balance. Spend as much time as you can living, while also making sure to save for the future.

Most people seem to have difficulties with their finances, and there are a lot of books put out there to help. However, I really don’t think it is that difficult. I think that financial stability can be reached with just a few steps.

1. Save “at least”10% of every paycheck ( I would encourage you pay off any debt before doing this)
2. Don’t use credit. You want to make interest, not pay it.
3. Look at your expenses and see what you can remove (it will be difficult at first, but gets much easier)
4. Learn to have fun without spending money. Especially for those who shop as a hobby
5. Invest your savings to earn money. Whether it is stocks, bonds, savings, or buying and selling, it is important for your money to grow
6. Continue your education. The best investment you can make is on yourself. Learn finances, investing, take classes to move into a better position, finish that degree. The more you learn, the easier it is to make money.

It takes a little work at first to change your habits, but once you do it for a few months it becomes much easier. you will wonder how you spent so much money.

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