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Lighting a Fire: How to Overcome Procrastination
Published on - September 14th, 2009 (by April Dykman)
This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman. This article is particularly relevant to my own circumstances as I begin work on my book project. I've been procrastinating. A lot. In fact, I liked April's piece so much I've delayed my own article that I had scheduled to run this morning.
I like to say that I write well under pressure, and to a degree, it's true. Nevertheless, most writers would agree that writing is often an uncomfortable process filled with self-doubt. It's human nature to avoid pain and discomfort, and I know my fears are the underlying reason that I sometimes find myself furiously writing at the 11th hour.
Everyone can relate to the act of avoiding an unpleasant task, and we all know that hardest part is just getting started. Writing the first five words. Sorting the first load of laundry. Adding up your total debt.
Once I overcome inertia and actually pick up the proverbial pen, I find that words flow freely. Before I know it, I've written 1500 words, finished the laundry, and paid off the credit cards. When we light a fire in ourselves, we create momentum that propels us forward. Our fire, or zeal, keeps us disciplined and focused on the goal.
Lighting a fire
Some of us have to work harder to light the fire, but even the most focused people sometimes have one of those days when we waste hours on Facebook to avoid real work, eat 10 cookies when we swore we'd stop at two — or splurge on another winter coat even though we live in Texas.
When lethargy or ambivalence strike, it's helpful to think of yourself as an observer of your own actions. The part of yourself that knows what you should do can look (with compassion) at your actions, and maybe even find some humor in your habits. If you have a hard time being the compassionate observer, take a few moments to answer the following questions for yourself the next time you're procrastinating:
- Are you conscious of what you are doing, thinking, or feeling right now?
- Are you responding rationally to your circumstances?
- How do your feelings relate to your actions in this moment?
Once you start to observe yourself, your habits are exposed and drop away. We usually know what we should be doing, but we rarely take time to identify the real reason why we aren't doing it. Instead, we give in to our immediate wants and feel guilty later, or we resist temptation and feel deprived.
Stoking the flames
The good news is that once you get moving, you generate more and more momentum, so that each subsequent action is less difficult than the one before. This is similar to starting a camp fire. In the beginning you burn tinder and kindling, careful to shield it from the wind and blowing softly at the base to produce flames. As the fire grows you gradually increase the size of the kindling until the fire is established. Once the fire is blazing, you only need to add larger pieces of wood every now and then to keep it alive.
There are many ways to keep your own fire burning, such as:
- Spending time with a friend or family member who naturally has a lot of discipline and/or gusto.
- Reading an inspiring story about someone who accomplished something similar to your goal
- Taking an informal class.
- Practicing positive self-talk.
- Committing to a positive action for five minutes (i.e. write just 100 words). It's likely you'll be inspired to do even more.
Why bother?
There are some obvious reasons to overcome procrastination. We want to lose weight. Or to get a promotion. Or to pay off our credit card debt.
But there's a deeper psychological gain to discipline, as well. Discipline is a word with some negative connotations. It sounds hard. Boring. It brings to mind punishment. No wonder we avoid it! But when we aren't disciplined, we create a cycle of suffering for ourselves. Psychologists often cite procrastination as a coping mechanism for anxiety. It becomes a vicious cycle when procrastination results in stress, guilt, and disapproval for not fulfilling commitments — feelings that often result in further procrastination.
Avoidance may make you feel good in the short term, but it creates unhappiness on a deeper level. We know we aren't being true to ourselves. We know that we're capable of more.
Ani Pema Chödrön, author of When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice For Difficult Times, writes, "What we discipline is not our 'badness' or our 'wrongness.' What we discipline is any form of potential escape from reality." When we look at it in that light, discipline isn't punishment at all, but rather a way to steer ourselves toward a fulfilled life. When we practice discipline, we make choices that are true to our goals and ambitions.
Discipline enriches life
A personal example of this that comes to mind is travel. Going to Italy a few years ago was eye-opening for me. I learned that I feel alive and adventurous in a foreign country. I enjoy trying to speak with the locals, and I'm curious to know where they work, what they eat, and what they do for recreation. I even loved the inconveniences — such as when our bus, already packed with passengers, stopped for a nun, and we somehow made more room (getting to know our fellow passengers intimately).
Truth be told, I couldn't afford that trip at the time. It went on a credit card. But it was the first time a little voice in my head started to question my spending habits. I knew, just knew, that I had to see more of the world. And to do that, I'd have to clean up my financial act. Discipline was the way to let the unimportant stuff fall away so that I would be able to do the things that would make my life more pleasurable. I realized I actually didn't care about buying new clothes with every paycheck. It had simply been a way to mindlessly pass the time.
Of course it wasn't like flipping a switch. I had a lot to learn and a lot to let go of to get to where I was consistently saving for travel every month. But it's a good example of how discipline has enriched my life, where I used to think it would be a burden.
There will still be times when I buy something and realize later that it's not anything I truly need or want. Perfection shouldn't be the goal — we'll only drive ourselves mad trying to reach it. Life is more enjoyable when we strive for self-awareness and self-compassion instead.
J.D.'s note: I believe that learning to overcome procrastination is vital for success in all areas of life, not just personal finance. I've written about the subject several times before: "How to beat the procrastination habit", "How to build confidence and destroy fear" (procrastination often stems from lack of confidence), and "Procrastination can cost you money". Follow April's advice: Practice discipline to pursue a better life.
Photo by Nina Hale.
This article is about Psychology, Self-Improvement
I think it's really important for people who want to achieve great things, to update their knowledge of how the human brain works. So, much has been discovered in the last ten years shattering previously held conceptions about the brain. Learning how the brain works can help you a lot to develop motivation and focus to levels people seldom thought possible.
I would recommend people read "The Answer" by John Assaraf and Murray Smith. Thanks for the post.
Hey April. Thanks for this great post. Procrastination on the surface may seem like we're just delaying our work, but there is a deeper psychological level to it like a feeling of escaping any type of emotion that doesn't feel good for us.
Writing can be hard when you're staring a blank document for ten minutes and this feeling can be very overwhelming for many people. I agree with you that if you can just get a couple of words on paper, you'll start to have momentum which then turn into a larger piece of work.
But it all starts out with those steps, like you said to write just a hundred words, and from that it will spark just like how one sparks a couple of matches and turns into a great fire. Thanks again.
It takes some effort to light the fire and gain momentum, but I've realized (at least in my own situation) that it takes some effort to maintain the momentum as well.
If I come to a road block, it's easy for me to simply give up and go do something easier if I leave plenty of distractions around to divert my attention.
I've found that in order to maintain momentum while working on something I find difficult, the most important thing to do is eliminate distractions like TV, the internet, books, friends.
Perhaps its just me, but I need nearly complete isolation to start and keep doing the really difficult tasks in my life.
I agree that discipline is one of those qualities that had to be worked on and improved. It seems that many of us aren't inherently disciplined, it's something that we learn to do and takes time. Also, I agree with you about momentum, I've found that once I get motivated and get moving, I'm on a roll. But, it takes discipline to get me there!
thanks for the post-
Little House
The thing that has worked best for me is called "Dont break the chain"
I have a large calendar on my wall and for every day that I work on my website I make a big red cross.
Eventually it will lead to a chain of red crosses and since you don't want to see a gap between red crosses you are willing to take the extra step.
For some reason this rather stupid approach is working for me better than any other!
Another source of guidance might just be the Bible or the Catechism or Morgan Freeman films. There is a reason sloth is a deadly sin. It eats away at our most precious commodity, time.
Now, I better quit stalling and get back to work. Thanks for the reminder.
I procrastinate a lot. Even though this says the hardest part is getting started, the hardest part for me is getting things finished. I tend to not follow through with my projects, and I think it's because of my poor planning. Once I'm three quarters through my project, it becomes too unorganized, and I lose the drive to finish it.
My own trick for myself is to write all the things I need to get done as a list on a sheet of paper. I write even small things that are easily accomplished. I start witht he smam, easy tasks. Once I finish a task, it gets crossed off the list. As I start to see more and more things getting crossed off that list, I get more and more motivated to cross the next item off.
It's kind of a head game I am playing with myself, but it seems to work.
Like Tyler, for me it's often sustaining my discipline and making it a regular practice that can be hardest. It's relatively easy for me to feel initially motivated to save money, lose weight, etc. But the struggle really has been in maintaining that initial enthusiasm through the daily slog of making it happen.
Your analogy of the fire was quite good. I think that I often anticipate that after lighting the kindling I'll have a bonfire going – it's in establishing a good base of coals and heat against unforseen gusts of wind or rain that I am probably getting lazy. Thanks for re-focus!
Thanks for the article. Just wondering, how do you guys start a fire for someone who is already making a lot of money and living a comfortable life? If we can all live comfortably off of $100,000/yr for example, how do you motivate the guy who is making $500,000/yr etc and who doesn't need the money?
There's only so much one needs, so how do we motivate?
Thank you for this article! I often struggle with procrastination, and there is no doubt that it adds undue stress on my life. It seemed like procrastination was more of a fun challenge back in my college days when pulling an all-nighter to finish a paper was pretty common. I would always "pull it off" and sort of wear my actions as a badge of honor.
Now that I am so busy with life in the "real world", I can see the real danger behind procrastination and the vital need to be proactive in all areas of life. In particular, I have to budget my time based on my real priorities. This requires an honest and regular assessment of the priorities in my life…God, Wife, Children, etc.
Procrastination in your marriage will inevitably lead to problems. I strongly recommend that couples be proactive and spend the time their marriage deserves so they can make it awesome.
I recently wrote a post about how you should spend 15 minutes each day just being a couple. This post was actually inspired by the fact that my wife and I had been saying for a long time that we needed to block out a little time to talk openly each day. Well, we got proactive, set the time and our relationship is reaping the benefits!
April, where were you and this post 12 months ago?
An editor I admire asked me to submit a manuscript to her over a year ago. I was scared and excited and scared and flattered and SCARED. In the last year, I wrote over 100k words and discarded more than 80k of them. In the last three months, I've written less than 2k words because my confidence nose-dived as I kept editing and thinking everything I wrote sucked.
I know my procrastination is because of this heavy, writhing ball of fear in the pit of my stomach. What if I finish the manuscript, send it to her, and she tells me I'm a talentless hack and all my previous works were flukes? Would it crush me? Probably. Bad enough to never write again? Doubtful, but I don't want to find out. The irony, of course, is I'm barely writing anything now.
Okay, rare moment of self-pity and uncertainty over.
I'm going to try your method and see what happens.
@Roman–I really like the "don't break the chain" idea. Great visual motivator.
@Ann–"I was scared and excited and scared and flattered and SCARED." That is how I feel every, single time I write. Print, online, it doesn't matter. I'm psyched to get a new assignment, and then I just want to crawl under a rock.
(I swear I won't do that, J.D.)
I told someone I'd be writing all weekend, and he said, "Great, writing with passion!" And I said, "Uh, more like writing with self-doubt."
I have done battle with prolonged bouts of procrastination.
There is no one book with "everything" in it, but I think the single best one is "The Now Habit" by Dr. Neil Fiore. It has been out for a while. You can be frugal and read it from your library.
I can write *pages* about what I learned but the two most valuable lessons I learned are:
1. Procrastination is a response to a fear. Get help and deal with the fear.
2. If you want to succeed at ANYTHING sooner or later you will have to do things when you don't feel like it. That will never go away. If you keep shopping around for a system that will have a magic trick to make whatever you think you should do feel like fun you will never get over procrastination.
I love the term "creative avoidance", because it describes how we invent ways to avoid doing those really important but not terribly urgent tasks that might actually make a real difference.
We need to ask ourselves 'how much trouble will I avoid later by doing this task now?'.
I think the problem with accomplishment is that it doesn't usually feel good until after it's done. In the meantime we look for little, stressfree ways to enjoy that feeling of completion without actually completing anything.
So much of life is deeply rooted in the psyche!
Steven Pressfield wrote a terrific book called The War of Art, in which he names procastination "Resistance" with a capital "R". It's a quick and funny read.
Procrastination is also linked to perfectionism, which can stop me in my tracks whether it's writing or cleaning the bathroom. Just thinking about the end result I want and then being fully aware of the gap between my ambition and actual talent/skill sucks the life (and all creative energy) right out of me. Blah.
Thanks for this article. A perfect read for a Monday morning!!
I've been struggling with procrastination and lack of focus at work ever since my husband died. There are days I come in and literally spend 7 out of 8 hours of the day playing some sort of mindless card game. But lately I've realized that something has to light a fire under my a** or it's very possible I could also lose my job. I'm going to print this article out and hang it on my wall (hopefully my boss doesn't see it and make conclusions about what I've been doing with my time) as a reminder and maybe a push in the right direction each day.
I'm the kind of person who makes lists. For everything.
Every night I make a list of stuff I have to get done the next day. It's just natural for me to do this. Problem is, making the list is easy but actually doing it is tough.
You might not believe me, but crossing something off a list can be fulfilling and motivating. When I tear through the list and get a lot done in a short amount of time I am motivated to get the rest done.
I am a fairly disciplined person, but sometimes I can be lazy. The list approach is my solution to that problem.
Procrastination is me + homework assignments, ugh. I tend to wait until the last possible free time I have to do something. Sadly, it's thus far proven to give me the incentive to do a good job… Rushed, not really, but I haven't yet screwed up anything major by waiting. All the "positive" reinforcement is really hard to overcome.
This is a motivating article. Just reading about overcoming procrastination can make you feel like doing it!
I think that a major issue of procrastination is that it takes a lot of energy and willpower to get yourself going on something that you don't want to do. Though, more often than not, once you get started, you find that it really isn't as bad as you built it up to be in your head (at least that is what I find).
Baby steps are also important if the task is especially daunting. My father had a friend who built a new house and was too overwhelmed to put in the grass around the house. He went for over a year with a big dirt patch around his home. One day, my dad asked him what the hold up was. He replied that there was just so much grass that needed to be rolled out and he couldn't imagine finishing it. So, my dad helped him do a little each day, and pretty soon he had a yard full of grass. Just breaking the task into smaller pieces can help to ease the pain of completing it.
Awesome! This might be the best piece on procrastination and goal-setting I've EVER read. Thank you, April, and thank you, JD, for choosing April!
Just a hunch, but I think that part of the reason we procrastinate is because of what it is we're procrastinating about.
When we hesitate to do something, even something with the real potential for big payoffs, we do it because there's also pressure attached to it. We're afraid of failing, afraid of something going wrong, or of an unexpectedly negative event.
At some level, the promise of what we'll do (someday) is so much more satisfying than actually doing it and coming face to face with it not working as we hope.
It's as if the procrastinated thing in our lives is also one of those things that define us as a person. Whether that's true or not, it would be a reason to hesitate. We usually don't need much to do that anyway!
I procrastinate most when I feel overwhelmed. If I let work pile up for a couple days all of a sudden it becomes really hard to do any of the tasks even if some of them are very simple.
If I'm unsure how to start a homework assignment I'll stop doing my daily 30 mins per class and forgo ALL the work for that class until that assignment is over which usually means a week or two of readings backlogging themselves.
What finally worked for me was a mixture of Tyler's method and the list method that various people have mentioned.
I create a list every day of what I need to accomplish for work, school, and home. The caveat being that I only allow myself to put 5 things on the list at a time or else I immediately feel overwhelmed. Then I "task snowball" by starting with the simplest tasks first so I begin to feel that momentum.
Finally, on Lifehacker they had an article from an artist or two, I forget who/where but it was a list of the 10 ways to work better
1. Do one thing at a time
2. Know the problem
3. Learn to listen
4. Learn to ask questions
5. Distinguish sense from nonsense
6. Accept change as inevitable
7. Admit mistakes
8. Say it simple
9. Be Calm
10. Smile
I've found that if I really focus on #1, #6 and #9/10 that a lot more things get accomplished!
Great guide – and you know what, it's kind of inspired me to keep the fire burning, too. As someone who is self-employed, procrastination is my worst enemy – keeping goals in mind is key to pressing forward through the mundane stuff.
I appreciate that you bolded the sentence about having compassion for yourself. Overcoming procrastination is tough work and without self-compassion, you're likely to feel like a complete failure every time you put a task off. This makes procrastination even worse the next time around. I smiled when I saw Chodron's quote – I have yet to read one of her books but I hear they are fantastic. Buddhist authors have helped me so much in this area. Great post.
Randy Pausch knew all about procrastination, and how time is our most precious gift:
Reality hits when we read this post.
Procrastination is probably the most significant road block for most people in many different areas. I know I tend to procrastinate in a multitude of areas.
Regarding finances it's those things that sit on the to do list for months or years, the "Oh, I need to do that" list.
Things like retirement savings, wills and trusts, medical directives, investments, etc.
Great article!
This is a great article. Procrastination affects not only lawyers, but anyone who provides a service rather than a product. When you're basically billing for your time, it's hard to wrap your mind around what to do when you're bored, unmotivated or lacking in direction.
I am using the reading of this articla as a procrastination tool right now
Small steps in the right direction is progress in the right direction – says I. For things like daily exercise, I count all forms, taking the stairs over the elevator, walking downtown to return my library books, etc. Same with debt, when we were paying off our debt, small progress, snowflaking, helped us keep us moving in the right direction.
I believe there's a little procrastination in all of us because there's little to no accountability; and it's so easy to do. Because I tend to "analyze until I paralyze", I sometimes find myself on Procrastination Blvd. also. Love the article.
Great ideas on how to fight procrastination. Setting goals is one highly effective way to become focused on something so you can gain proper prospective and stay on track for the long run. Another way I think helps a lot, is to give one self breaks in order to refresh one's mind and to break the "work streak" for a while.
Lots of helpful ideas in this post, but I disagree with the assertion that the hardest part is getting started. Depending on the amount of anxiety involved, even after getting started it can take a *long* time to get momentum going. I've been blogging about this very phenomenon (and ways around it, such as sneaking up on the early phases of a project) the past few weeks.
Great point that procrastination is an anxiety management strategy (even if not so effective long-term). And so true that awareness, self-compassion and sheltering the kindling are key. Thanks for the good read!
Ironically I came over to GRS right now to procrastinate on writing something hard, that I lack confidence in doing, that I worry when I submit will be ridiculed by my peers. Thanks for the reminder!
And I second the recommendation of The Now Habit by Neil Fiore – although I do still procrastinate, it's MUCH improved, and I'm only backsliding now because my recent promotion has me lacking confidence all over again.
One thing that really works for me is to pretend that I'm doing someone else's work. I've noticed that if I take over someone else's work for them, it doesn't matter how old it is or what's wrong with it – I can just jump in and do it. I finally realized that I could do that for my own delayed work/plans. I think to myself, what would I do with this if it weren't mine? And it's amazing how fast you can go when you aren't bogged down with shame over having let things get to such a point.
I know this kind of echoes the author's remarks, but the way I motivate myself can be explained in two words–get started.
I always like to compare it to exercising.
I look at it this way–when I try to start exercising, it is quite difficult to start. However, once I start, the second day, it is just a little bit easier to go and exercise. The third day a little easier and so on.
Fianlly, it becomes a habit and there is no motivation needed.
So, for me, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. I already know that it only takes true motivation for the first day, and therefore, it is easier for me to get started.
I apply this thoery to anything I am trying to get going on, and for the most part, it works.
Great post
On 'creative avoidance', back in college, my roommate and I had (very roughly and jokingly) come up with Homework Avoidance Modes A through Z, where A was doing other (less immediate but still necessary) homework, E was housecleaning, and Z was running barefoot through your girlfriend's dorm…
On topic, it seems to me that discipline is a tool, and a rough one. We need it when want and need aren't in line. If you love what you are doing, why do you need to be disciplined? It only arises when what you want to do now and what you need to do are in conflict.
So where is the conflict? Look at both: what do you want to be doing, and what you feel you need to do. Do you really need to do that? Why don't you want to it?
Anthony de Mello said it about renunciation, but the same thing seems to apply here: If you clearly see the situation, what you need and what you want would be the same. After all, why wouldn't you want to get done what needs doing? Then you are free to do the next thing you want to do. And otherwise, whatever you are doing, you are just in a holding pattern – choosing things that distract you until you get done what needs to be done.
Procrastination basically can determine whether you succeed in life or not. I do not just mean in your career or how much money you make, it relates to everything. It's such an important thing to overcome if you want to live life to it's fullest. I find reading books and mags on successful people an inspiration to push on. Have a goal that you really want to achieve and know that if you procrastinate you will not reach this goal. An inspirational song gets me going as well from time to time.
Great Post. Cheers.
Great post!
Procrastination is a personal challenge everyday! However, I find that once I get started– it feels so good to GET IT DONE!
I can't be bothered to read this post, i'll get to it later.
Nice article. I also just wrote about procrastination and debt in my blog at http://www.mewithoutdebt.com/2009/09/procrastination-and-debt.html
This is one of the best posts I have read. I think it really targets how people can take control of their lives and what steps they need to take to move forward. Great Post!
Overcoming Procrastination is one of the most important things that a person can do (as it relates to finance and life in general).
When it comes down to it, MOST people KNOW what they should do, but they just never get around to it. And THIS ends up causing years of pain and anguish.
Sometimes the reason for inaction is fear. Not always, but win you are taking deep in the self awareness category, you might want to ask yourself, "what am I REALLY afraid of?"
I like to tell my executive coaching clients, "Don't should on yourself." When you think or say that you SHOULD do something, it has a tendency to create feelings of guilt. Better to either do it, or let it go and put it on the list for later.
"Another source of guidance might just be the Bible or the Catechism or Morgan Freeman film."
Haha, its true
This is a great article. I often find that although quite easy when writing, beginning to write is one of the most difficult things.
Great post…
I'll even suggest a complete 180 on the strategy of spending time with someone who does have discipline.
Back when I was working in an office with a couple of loafers around, it added fuel to my fire to be better and more productive. Different strokes for different folks I guess:)
Great stuff, not only did we really enjoy this, but we pushed it out to our members at http://blog.lifespace.com. This was a popular link on Monday in the LifeSpace Community. Thanks!


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Reader Story: Working Overseas
Published on - December 4th, 2011 (Modified on - December 10th, 2011) (by J.D. Roth)
This guest post from Joe Z. is part of the "reader stories" feature at Get Rich Slowly. Some stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success — or failure. These stories feature folks from all levels of financial maturity and with all sorts of incomes.
I love the premise and the concepts of GRS. The principles that J.D. and the rest of the community espouse here really do work. However, one topic that I never really thought would apply to me personally was geographic arbitrage, the notion that you can save big bucks by living abroad while keeping the same income.
I want to give you a personal story about how this concept has helped us to:
- Pay down nearly 70% of our mortgage
- Provide a huge boost to my career
- Allow us to travel extensively
- Given us an adventure to remember for the rest of our lives
My wife and I always figured we probably wouldn't find a good opportunity to go overseas for another decade or so (if ever). We're both 27 and were pretty set in our current jobs as I was an IT project manager and she was a self-employed artist. But then we had one of those ordinary moments that proved to be a tremendous turning point in our lives because we took action.
Taking a Chance
About 18 months ago, my job at a large automotive company was going very well as I was just wrapping up a couple very successful projects. One of the high-level managers had come out from headquarters and was discussing the status of our company globally and spent quite a lot of time on what was happening in some emerging markets and China specifically. At the end of his presentation he mentioned (possibly a bit tongue-in-cheek) that they were having a very hard time recruiting people to work in China and if anyone was interested to let him know. After a polite round of laughter in the room I barely gave it a second thought.
My wife and I really love living in the U.S. and are both very close to our family members and friends. I had been with my company for about three years and was really feeling comfortable with my work and co-workers. But when I started thinking in detail about the initial objections I had, they started to seem more like excuses and less like valid reasons. When I broached the subject to my wife and her initial reaction was more surprise than outright rejection, I knew we might be able to make it work. Roughly four months later, after tons of meetings, a dozen vaccinations, and countless details being sorted out, we started a two-year assignment in China.
Anyone that has lived overseas for a while will tell you that it's not always easy. Anyone that has lived in the non-Westernized parts of Asia where we are can tell you that some of the time it's unbelievably hard. Almost no one outside of the westernized cities in China speaks English. The local food is exotic much of the time, and the culture is so different than the U.S. Every day is an adventure here! We are choosing to live like nobody else for a while so we can really live like nobody else after we get back. That being said, I would highly recommend an international assignment to anyone working at a company where this is possible.
Coping with Questions
Now that you know our basic story, I want to speak to a couple main topics that I think are relevant to GRS readers. Some of these questions are the types of things that cause someone to instantly dismiss an assignment. However, when you find out how the process normally works, it's likely not as big a deal-breaker as you thought. If you want more information you can read some others articles (both informative and entertaining) at our blog.
What does an international assignment require?
There were hundreds of details to arrange. However, the most important thing is having support from your managers (both home and host countries) and your HR department. You'll need to depend on these people a lot for all sorts of things so make sure they are on board. Once they are, you would sort out everything from moving to your new job to housing to language training.
What about your jobs back home?
My wife owning her own art business turned out to be a helpful piece of the puzzle in our case. She has been able to go back to the U.S. for a few big jobs. She also has spent a while developing her online sales of portraits while she is here. It's substantially easier if one spouse can continue with no interruption, but many companies will also help with training or job placement for the spouse during or after the assignment.
I took a bit of a risk not knowing what my role will be when I get back. In fact, as I have been drafting this article we had some major turnover in our department, including my manager and mentor. However, I've received very positive feedback from a number of managers about possible options when I get back. It is definitely critical to work at planning and coordinating your reintegration. After all, you're effectively interviewing for a new job once you get back.
What did you do about housing?
We found some family members to temporarily rent our house for the first part of our assignment but at the moment it is vacant and we have it on the market. This didn't work out as smoothly as it could have as the housing market is still in a rough patch in our area (as it is in most places in the U.S.). We also timed it about as horribly as we could since we put our house on the market the month after the homebuyer's tax credit ended and demand was at some all-time lows. Regardless of these challenges it has still been a plus as our housing over here is 100% paid for by my company.
How did you pay off so much of your mortgage?
The benefits for accepting an international assignment are really good at most international companies. When you add up the housing allowance, travel allowance, moving expenses, and "hardship pay" you get it would likely come out to between a 25-75% increase.
We have taken most of this excess salary (after charitable contributions, taxes, and a somewhat increased travel budget) and paid it directly against the mortgage. When we arrived in China we owned about 12% of our house. Now we own just over 50% and should be close to 80% when our assignment finishes next year!
How much do you travel?
We definitely travel a lot more than we did in the U.S.! In addition to business trips to Europe and South Africa, we've been to Hong Kong, South Korea, and at least a half dozen cities in China. We're also planning a big trip to Australia next year. We don't have a huge vacation allotment and have to use some of it to get home for holidays. However, thanks to some great planning by my wife we've been able to have some fantastic long weekend trips. We could definitely have saved even more money than we have but we wanted to experience as much of Asia as we could. In addition, most places in Asia are cheap to visit — especially compared to Europe or the US.
I don't think I could live there — isn't everything too different?
I definitely wouldn't suggest Asia if you have a particularly weak stomach or are OCD about cleanliness. But what about South America or Europe? There are hundreds of reasons you could come up with not to go. However, if you really drill down, it may just be fear of the unknown or fear of change that's holding you back. Educate yourself a bit and see if many of your reasons (excuses?) aren't really as big a deal as they seemed. And no, they don't generally eat dog in China — at least not in Northern China. And even if they did, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between that and the silkworm you had as your appetizer…
This article is about Reader Stories, Travel
Great article! My husband and would love to do something like this, but as we have two small children (3 and 5 yrs old) it seems like a daunting challenge. Do you know any expats who have done this with children?
Many (I would say 50%) of my expat friends have kids, I think if the move works for a family or not depends on the types of benefits an overseas employer can provide.
With school-aged kids, you want to be sure that international school tuition can be covered (either by salary or a stipend).
With small kids, find out about childcare options. Typically most expat families have one stay-at-home or partially-employed spouse, because salaries or housing stipends make that more affordable. Often, in Asia at least, "helpers" – or domestic workers – serve as housekeepers and part-time child care providers, since daycare as we know it in the states is hard to come by and very pricey. Having live-in domestic help is very affordable and very common in Asia, although it can be uncomfortable for Westerners who are not used to the idea of having help.
International schools can also be extremely expensive – however the quality is typically very high depending on what part of the world you are in.
Overall I believe living overseas is an awesome experience for kids!
Ill jump in here and say that my husband and I moved to Germany for work and lived there seven years. Western europe is certainly not Asia, but our kids did just fine. We did not already live immediately next to family (wash dc to dallas, and we got home leave paid by our employer on a regular basis. That said, we did NOT save much money. We believed that we had an obligation to take our children traveling as often as possible and did exactly that-anytime there were no sports or school obligatios we were gone for the weekend.
As for how kids adjust-my parents went to europe when I was ten and I loved it for six years. We went to europe when my son was entering middle school and he adjusted well. All I had to do was promise him that our first vacation would be a week on the beaches of normandy-this for the child that watched the Longest Day in black and white at seven years old without getting up to pee
This is a good follow-up point. I would second what Bon said in that most families I know have a stay at home spouse taking care of children.
One additional benefit with kids this young is that they can easily learn a second language that will likely stay with them the rest of their lives with only minimal work.
I would say that as long as you ask good questions you'll find that the key topics are usually all right – health care access, schooling, general living conditions, etc.
I work overseas and have two small children (8 and 3). We lived in Japan when our eldest was 2 to 6 years old (our second was born during our last year there). Since then, we've moved back to the States and then on again to Germany.
Our kids have adapted well, better than us in most situations. With email, Skype, and internet in general; we can easily connect back with people at home. And in the meantime, our children have the opportunity to learn firsthand about other cultures, lifestyles, and dietary options.
The key, as others have mentioned, is having an open mind. For us, thus far, the rewards have been well worth the opportunities we may have given up back home.
I think one of the most important ways to find overseas work is to A) Talk about it and B) Leave yourself open to opportunities – just as the author did.
I flat-out told my boss (who I had a very good relationship with), that the next thing my spouse and I wanted to do was live in Asia. Fast forward just a few months later, and we were in Singapore. (Albeit with a different company, but one thing led to another and it was a win-win-win).
Also I must note that Singapore contradicts the author's notes about Asia – it is actually easier, cleaner, and more developed than anywhere I've lived including the states – KL is very nice as well.
I just visited Singapore this summer and loved every second of it. It is by far the cleanest city I've ever visited and it is very easy to get around. Westernized a bit and since everyone speaks some English it is easy to get by. Also a very diverse city-state. My dad has two years remaining of a three year assignment there, and I hope to make it back before he leaves. If the opportunity to work overseas presented itself, I would have a hard time saying no.
Thanks for this post. I am trying to convince my first year college student daughter that she needs to study abroad her junior year. I am going to show her your quote (paraphrasing here) about how one can find hundreds of reasons NOT to go, but deep down it is probably fear that is holding her back. I want her to expand her horizons. And it IS fear in her case. She loves where she is now, but when I dropped her off, I had to pry her sobbing little self off of me so I could get in the car and leave. Yep, it's definitely fear of the unkown.
Cheryl, definitely encourage your daughter! I studied abroad in college, and it was fabulous. I was a science major, and I took a semester off to go study art in Europe. I loved my time there, and I also came back refreshed and energized to study science yet again. I found that I consistently visited the science museums in my area even more than the art museums!
Have you thought of encouraging your daughter to take a summer course abroad rather than during the school year? If I'd had the money, that's what I would have done. I had no desire to do a regular semester or year abroad because it would have put me behind in my program and I wouldn't have had the time or money to see a whole lot outside of school.
This is what I did and it was an excellent option for me. My program was too intense to take an entire semester abroad, so I did 7 weeks during the summer between my junior and senior years of college. I know several people who enrolled in that program then tacked on an extra week or two afterwards to do their own traveling.
Something to consider: If you want to encourage your daughter, have her talk to the study abroad coordinator at her school. Most colleges and universities have a coordinator if not their own study abroad programs. Some even have both! The coordinator will be able to talk to her about place to go, and possible scholarships that she can apply for. If the college is the one hosting the program then a lot of times a student will be able to use his or her financial aid from the school on the program. There is no harm is asking.
My husband and I are counting down the days until we can travel to a new place for work. It will be at least 5 more years. There is something that really shakes me out of my little hole when I spend a significant time immersed in another culture. Your points are right on that its not all glitter and unicorns but I think it's worth it.
I absolutely LOVE stories like these. Where I work there's the possibility of extended international travel in the next 2-3 years to help build out the part of the business I'm heavily involved in with our overseas divisions. I'm keeping my eyes and ears open for such opportunities should they arise.
Beyond the economic benefits one could see, for my wife and I it's more about the experience than it is about the cash (though we do have to fund this somehow, so extra pay is always good!). We love travel and we love experiencing other cultures, so the idea of living abroad for 1-2 years is very enticing for the both of us.
Big props to Joe Z for seeing the opportunity, having the guts to take it, and sharing his experience with us here. I really hope I can manage something very similar in the future.
Great thoughts/perspective on a different career path!
One question though: why the emphasis on the mortgage paydown? Why not a focus on personal savings/retirement savings/etc?
And I know some people are very against this, but if you only had "12%" of equity in your home at the time you went overseas, you likely were in reality underwater in the house given the market collapse the past few years. At any point did you seriously consider walking completely away from the mortgage, especially since it was a zero factor in your life for the next few years?
Good questions. From the retirement savings topic, we already save roughly 15% of our income in long term accounts. We generally have another 15% in short to medium term savings.
When we looked at the overall savings we would have, it turned out to be surprising close to our remaining mortgage balance. After some long discussions, we decided that having no house payment would really give us tremendous flexbility in the future. If you took out our savings and housing payments, we could survive on roughly 40% of only my income. This means that essentially, I could get almost any job where we live in the US (fairly low cost of living area).
I'm sure that there might be some more optimal choices available, but the very real possibility that by the age of 30 we could have a paid-off house seemed too good to pass up.
From an overall valuation standpoint of our house, we had roughly 30% equity from the original cost and appraisal. The 12% came based on an offer we had gotten to sell it about 6 months before we decided to move (aka 6 months too early!). So, we never seriously considered walking away as it's not really underwater.
Joe Z – great post!
It sounds like your house has now been on the market for over a year and a half? If so, you might consider a few things.
Big picture, is it more important to conserve your capital (get as high a price as possible) or to eliminate the mortgage payment? No "right" answer, but thinking about it may help clarify any action you wish to take. Great work on paying down the mortgage, that gives you more flexibility than most sellers.
A few 'action' ideas (there are many more variations & possibilities, these may give you a general idea)
1-do the math, are the carrying costs high enough to justify cutting the asking price a bunch to sell sooner rather than later?
2-consider taking the house off the market, make a few cosmetic or functional upgrades (anything to help the buyer think "I could move in tomorrow), and put it back on the market (same or slightly lower price)
3-consider turning your home into a rental for the time being, and sell it later. Or, if you have friends/family nearby that you trust, make it a house sit until you return. Or close up the house (if you have someone who can check from time to time that it is secure) and make a decision when you return
4-if you like real estate as an asset class but want to be financially independent of a mortgage payment, you could offer the house as rent-to-own or 'regular' sale with seller financing (possibly wrapped around your existing mortgage). This could create a cash-flow positive situation where you have a set time line to no mortgage at all (and could increase the number of potential buyers). This might be a wait-until-return idea, since regulations for real estate vary by state & there are recent federal regulations for seller financing to abide by as well.
Good luck!
Thanks for posting this Joe! I also think that if you do have to move on to a new company, the international experience is a great boon to your resume.
I also couldn't let this post go by without putting a plug for the Foreign Service. While hiring is going to drop for a while due to budget constraints, there's still a lot of great opportunity to work overseas while serving your country (well, if you're a U.S. citizen…).
USAID, DOJ, USDA and Commerce also have overseas assignments.
Excellent article. My son has been working overseas – first in India and now in Singapore – for almost four years. I encouraged him to seize the opportunity when he graduated college because jobs were so hard to find in the U.S. He has had tremendous experiences and traveled extensively throughout Asia. Not only has he been gainfully employed and gained valuable experience, but he matured in a way that would not have been possible if he had stayed home in his comfort zone.
The biggest caveat I have for those who elect to take on an international assignment is what happens to you when you return. As mentioned in the article, sponsors and bosses change and it can be difficult to come back to your old organization. One, because they have moved on in your absence and there might not be a suitable role for you and, two, it's hard for most organizations to figure out how to use your new experiences.
I've found organizations that don't make very strategic decisions on how to handle expats on their return are very likely to lose them. You come back with a host of new experiences and aren't satisfied with the narrower scope of the position you return to. The company might make you find your own job on return and it's possible your network has faded in your absence and you have to start all over again.
It's probably more true with management-type roles than specialists, but I've read that most expat assignments ultimately fail, especially if the individual is gone longer than a couple of years. This probably works better in organizations that have a long term history of sending folks overseas, but much like a college student going overseas for a semester means missing out on some things at school, so an international assignment may mean you don't have the best opportunity for a promotion or a plum assignment upon your return.
I agree with Joe G – it's the return from overseas that can be a problem. I was an HR manager for the Navy. Navy's policy was to encourage employees to take overseas assignments; however, that often didn't reflect how individual managers felt. Good employees who were overseas for 2 years or so were generally welcomed back. But the longer the employee was overseas the less warm his/her welcome back was.
Managers turned over and knew/liked the current incumbent rather than the overseas returnee. Reorganizations might have made the original job obsolete. Also the longer a person was overseas the more likely it was that he would go overseas again as soon as possible.
Fair? Maybe, maybe not. But it is reality.
Joe G,
Very much agreed that this is one of the biggest risks (if not the biggest). I'm probably less worried than most based on my age. And if I really get a bad deal when I come back, I think I'm substantially more employable with my accomplishments now than an additional 2 years in my previous role would have made me. So I do have the option to walk. If I had been with the company for decades already though and was fairly attached I might be a good bit more worried.
Definitely a key point for people to consider when thinking about a choice like this.
Congratulations, you saw an opportunity and took it. Successful people recognize opportunities and take advantage of them.. I think you career will benefit from the experience.
Great Report Joe. Good Luck!!!
Sounds cool but I'd hate to be overseas when the SHTF..
I worked abroad in Spain in my 20′s and would love to return to Barcelona for an extended period of time. International travel and living is a priceless experience.
Not sure why this hardly ever comes up, but I have been an expat. And the only thing that would keep me from doing it again is taxes. I am back in the US 3 years after my assignment and this will be the first year I am able to do my own taxes.
Thankfully my company provided tax benefits while on assignment. This just adds stress to an already stressful situation.
I can 2nd everything in this article it was a wonderful time and if you go in with eye's wide open you will enjoy every min of it.
Excellent article, and I can't agree more. My husband and I have been on assignment for two and half years now. The first two years were in Prague, and now we are a quarter into the second assignment in Shanghai. It's been an amazing and definitely priceless experience. Not only did we get to travel to awesome locales and see how others live, the economic benefit has been phenomenal. We were blessed and fortunate in that I was able to keep my job and just worked virtually, so that we did not have to lose my income. Financially, we just banked our U.S. salaries and lived off our assignment allowance. We paid off our mortgage last year, 6 years after we purchased it. We estimated that being on assignment accelerated our pay-off schedule by 12-18 months.
Contrary to some posts are indicating here, we're not sacrificing any U.S. comfort for lower standard of living. One may think that it's a step down to move to developing countries, and it's not true. Both housing accommodation in Prague and Shanghai was/is a high-end, luxury apartment, and we live very comfortably and are very happy and grateful for the assignment opportunities. We've met many amazing people (both local as well as expats) and made long lasting friends.
True, it's not for everybody, and there's always a question of job security in repatriation back to the U.S. But there is a risk of that regardless you embark on an international career opportunity. I personally definitely think the pluses outweigh the negatives. Especially with the latest trends in globalization and shifting focus and investment in emerging countries, the experience helped to round out our perspectives. If you enjoy traveling and are not afraid of new things, and a nice international assignment package comes your way, seize the opportunity!
How lucky are you? Prague! May I ask what you do for work to be this fortunate? I want to live abroad as well
What an interesting post!
I grew up overseas — Saudi Arabia. My parents moved there when I was three years old. We didn't live on the local economy (Americans didn't then) but in an American camp. The school was far superior to the schools I went to when we returned to San Francisco (I was 13 then). When we got back to the states, I tested three years ahead of my classmates even though I'd been out of school for six months.
My father was not an educated man and so could not have earned the kind of money a young college graduate would. But because of the housing allowance, the paucity of places to spend money, the low cost of living, and much higher pay than he would have earned stateside, he did pretty well. Despite not even having a high-school diploma, he managed to retire at the age of 50. I grew up knowing a heckuva lot more about the world than most American kids do, and my mother…??? She didn't complain.
Today, now that I'm old, I would recommend that any American college graduate look overseas for work. It could be the most reliable way to stay in the middle class.
We've been living in Taiwan for 2 years now because my partner got a job with a Taiwanese company. Living abroad is full of ups and downs but overall, it's been a good experience. One benefit that I haven't seen mentioned is the great cultural and language immersion for kids. My oldest daughter goes to local school, not to an international school, and we count her fluent Chinese language abilities as one of the best things about being here.
A good thought provoking post for those that may find themselves in a similar position. A big caveat regarding these types of assignments is to thoroughly review and understand the benefits and support offered by the company. While many have commented here about their good experiences with company support (allowances, language assistance, spouse job placement) not all companies offer these types of benefits. If you are considering an international assignment, I highly suggest sitting down and thoroughly going over all the details in depth so you can assess the true reality of the move. Try not to get caught up in the romance of living abroad.
In addition, one shouldn't down play the risk surrounding reintegrating upon return, especially given the situation Joe describes with major changes happening in the department. Two years will seem like an eternity has passed when returning to the 'old position', you may find it hard to fall back into line.
Ultimately for me the biggest decision point revolves around family. My wife and I returned to the western US to be within 'easy' travel distance of our families so we can share more time and experiences with them. That is hard to do from the other side of the world.
This is a good point and important to remember. Many friends have left their overseas assignments because they "thought" they would be saving a ton – but they just didn't know the details up front, and ended up being socked by tax implications and other things. Definitely take a LOT of time when negotiating with your company and do not just trust what they tell you!
I would like some guidance on what to look for/negotiate for in an international package.
My company is looking to expand from US to Europe and wants someone to go there and open an office, but they don't have much experience with international assignments. It is not like they already have a basic package to tweak.
C.Rivers, if your company has never facilitated an international assignment I would strongly encourage them to seek external professional assistance from a relocation consulting firm. Otherwise, there is high potential for whomever takes the position to end up a lab rat, testing the sustainability of the package on the fly.
A good place for you to start gaining information would be looking at other companies in your field that offer these types of packages. Find out what they offer and you have something to compare, a starting point for what to expect.
When it comes to specifics, the most important advice I can give you is to pay special attention to TAXES. Complicated is an understatement.
Don't get me wrong, overseas assignments can be very beneficial in many ways (career, financial, worldly experience), but go into them as prepared as possible so you can make the best decision for you own situation. Best of luck.
>I definitely wouldn't suggest Asia if you have a particularly weak stomach or are OCD about cleanliness.
Neither of those two are true for Japan (lived there for 3 years). Cleanliness and food safety are impeccable, probably better than in many places in the West.
I would suggest the food comment was more about what is eaten rather than safety. I understand the Japanese palate goes to a lot of options that would be quite foreign to American tastes.
Very good post. I have worked and lived in Africa (where I am from), the US and Europe. I loved learning the culture of the other African country I lived in; was 'shocked' by life in the U.S. (ie large houses and love for shopping) and pleased by the two European countries I have lived in (ie small houses, even for someone like me, and frugality). I have also made quite a bit of money because of this, but nothing beats first hand experience of learning other cultures and languages. My tolerance for food and people with different backgrounds from mine has certainly grown. I would strongly recommend spending at least a couple of years living in a different country, hopefully where the culture is also very different from yours.
I chose Bermuda for 2 years after I graduated highschool. The salary was tax free and it was very close to home in Toronto (direct flights took less than 3 hours). I paid off $24k in student loan debts and saved a big cushion. I know couples that saved one spouse's salary while working there and came back after 3 years or so to buy a house outright, no mortgage.
Highly recommended even though island living gets tedious (no seriously) after a while. Still more patatable than mainland China I'd imagine for most Americans. And it's first world living, too!
What about taxes?
I was an expat to England, and I am still dealing with taxes. This is even with the help of my company.
I am always curious to see if tax burden is always an issue from other expats.
Hi John,
Good question and I can discuss taxes a bit but it really varies by your location. Some countries have very generous agreements with the US on how to treat taxes and some not so much so this will all be general.
Most companies will assist you with tax preparation as this can be quite daunting during and after your assignment (as some commenters mentioned already). That said, your total taxes owed can be a huge problem and it's usually helpful to reduce your taxable income as much as possible as many benefits you might receive are taxable.
My company has a tax equalization policy so they calculate what I would have owed if I received my standard salary in the US and make up any difference. Very helpful for us but not every company will do that. It's a nice thing to negotiate for if you are considering an international assignment but your company doesn't offer it. If you have a deal like this, don't forget to check the tax paperwork to make sure the calculations are correct!
In general, filing your taxes is quite complicated and while we always filed our own taxes in the US, I would never dream of handling this on my own. Make sure to get a clear picture of how this aspect of an assignment would be handled! And don't just take off-hand comments as gospel either. I can't tell you how many people told me I would owe no taxes as I was working outside the US or that I only paid Chinese taxes on money made in China or other random things. None of these are true but you need to do a bit of research to make sure you understand the true tax impact on you.
It's very important to have a company that is supportive of your move, and not just looking for a warm body. I had a great experience working for a year in London – but my company didn't offer the most supportive package and I ended up out of pocket. I decided to take the hit as an investment in my career, and am now much more marketable than I was – but not everyone will come out ahead financially, and sometimes that's okay.
I definitely want to live in Argentina… probably Buenos Aires… for at least a few months.
If I had the money to get there and back right now, I'd be jumping on it. Unfortunately, I don't have the money to spend on the actual travel–otherwise most of my expenses would be the same or cheaper than they are right now. Living somewhere cheaper than I'm currently living is always a tempting prospect.
I would more be in your wife's boat, though, since I'm seeking self-employment as one of those crazy artistic types. As soon as it becomes profitable *crosses fingers* I'm out of here.

subset: commoncrawl


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Despite being 23 and maybe a little old for the series I thoroughly enjoy them and Stephens work on the audiobooks just adds to the magic.
I can't imagine what hard work it must have been to do them or how long it must have taken, the total play time for all seven books under iTunes is 5.1 days and although of course they weren't all recorded at the same time even so it's quite a lot of work, and i think they are done remarkably well, Stephens voices also bring a lot to the role and it must have been hard remembering all the different voices and doing the right ones at the right time, lots of different takes i imagine.
I would also like, while I am here, just to say how much i enjoy QI, a fantastic show and very informative as well as hilariously funny. Sean Locke is one of my favourites and Jimmy Car is always good. I'd like to see Simon Pegg join the team some time in he future, if he can drag himself away from his new found Hollywood lovey friends


text: When most people think of the North American car scene, images of car shows at the Queen Mary, meets at In-N-Out, and track events at Willow Springs may initially come to mind. Seldom will Canadian-built cars be the first thought as defining factors in current trends and styles. The reason, however, that the Great White North tends to fade into the background is not due to incompetence, but rather their modesty and ability to keep secrets. To let the cat out of the bag, so to speak, Canada has more than a few incredibly well-engineered cars, which are neither documented in forum build threads nor attend car shows but are easily on par with many SoCal builds built simply for the enjoyment of ownership. Vincent Ong's S2000 is a great example of what Canada has to offer, proving that world-class Honda builds are definitely not restricted to the United States and Japan. Vincent was originally born in the Philippines to a family of car enthusiasts. He fondly recalls being given toy cars and Tonka trucks to play with as a child. His father owned a bakery, but also had a garage where he kept his many cars; it was there that Vincent realized his passion for anything and everything automotive. To say that Vincent has oil in his blood is more than just a poetic way of describing his passion; it's actually quite literal. When Vincent was just 5 years old he was helping his father change a wheel when his hand slipped off the tire iron and created a sizable gash in his index finger. The cut eventually healed with little scarring, but to this day the oil that was on the end of the tool is still embedded within his skin. After several years of living in Ontario, Canada, the Ong family moved back to the Philippines. This relocation, however, was a short stint. Upon realizing the pollution's effect on their health, the Ongs decided to check out British Columbia, Canada, where they have been calling home since. A few years later, Vincent was finally old enough to start driving and choose a car of his own. Surprisingly, he chose to accept a hand-me-down '89 Camry. "It was beautiful," he says, joking about its condition but without a trace of regret, fondly recalling how much oil it leaked. Vincent says a refill was necessary every day when leaving for school. Still, Vincent understood the importance of doing well in school for the sake of his future career--and driving a Camry to high school was a small price to pay in order to build his dream car: the Honda S2000. Vincent's first experience with the S2000 was when his brother-in-law purchased one the first year they were available for sale. From the moment Vincent rode in the car, he knew he had to have one. Vincent began purchasing parts for his future car prior to ownership, such as a titanium exhaust and a Spoon S-Tai front bumper. Waiting for the perfect car to become available for sale can be a frustrating experience, but Vincent endured, finally finding an '07 model with only 5,000 kilometers on the clock. The bumper and exhaust were immediately installed, and Vincent took his car out to the track. After the first session, he knew he was hooked, and although he found the S2000 to be very capable on the track in stock form, he knew the car was far from complete, especially in the aesthetics department. Vincent explained that "if you're having fun in a car, you might as well look good doing it" to which we wholeheartedly agree. Soon after the first track day, BC Racing coilovers, RPF1s and RE11s, were ordered and installed. Vincent is adamant about doing all the work to his car himself, although he is the first to admit that he is anything but mechanically inclined. Everything Vincent has done to this car has been his first time with the specific task, from changing oil to repairing fiberglass and even the supercharger install. Vincent operates under the pretense that "if I can follow instructions, I can put a car together". The Spoon fenders on this car were actually a damaged set that he found used and took the opportunity to learn how to work with fiberglass. Of course, virtually nothing ever went smoothly. He confesses that many parts took him triple the time it should normally take to install, but he gained the experience that now allows him to help other people with their cars, which he quickly points out is just as rewarding as feeling the difference the parts make when driving the car. The aforementioned Spoon bumper and RPF1s are no longer on the car (as you may have noticed). After several years of ownership, Volk Racing TE37s and a Voltex Circuit front bumper replaced them. Vincent admits that although he had his eyes on the Volks and Voltex bumper for some time, he chose to enjoy the Enkei and Spoon counterparts for as long as he could. It's in that same state of mind that he chooses to really enjoy the affect each part has on his car one by one, never purchasing and installing multiple parts at once. Vincent credits his parents for raising him well: "When you get clothes and stuff, you enjoy them as long as you can." I can imagine that this practice really makes the most of owning and modifying a car--especially when combined with the "do everything yourself" rule that Vincent has set for his time he shares with his car. Living where snow and salt is a yearly occurrence, Vincent also owns an '07 Civic for the winter months. Nicknamed the Snow Bunny "because it's white and cute", it's the polar opposite of his S2000. Having a second car allows him to perform all of the major modifications to the S2000 while it's safely in his garage, so he takes advantage of this downtime to plan a project every winter. The quality of work Vincent puts into his car is unreal; the amount of patience he has is extraordinary, never settling for good enough or second best. A great example of this resolve is the original exhaust manifold that is still on the car after all these years; (he is waiting for a certain discontinued ASM header to pop up for sale). We can say without a doubt in our minds that there are very few people who put such deliberate thought into how they can enjoy their car as much as possible. From the short time we spent with Vincent, photographing and talking about his car, the attention to detail he puts into his car was obvious in the other aspects of his life, his daily grind as a civil engineer designing highways (perhaps this is why Canada has such nice roads!), and his passion for culinary arts. As you can probably guess from Vincent's attitude when it come to his car, it will be a work in progress until the day he no longer owns it. Until that day, we will definitely look forward to see what he does with it next. 1 | 2 | » | View Full Article By Yuta Akaishi Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!


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Customer Reviews
Showing 1-10 of 567
Per Page:
Confirmed Sales Customer
"Confirmed Sales Customer" means that this consumer has been verified as having purchased a vehicle from Fremont Chevrolet.
Confirmed Service Customer
"Confirmed Service Customer" means that this consumer has been verified as having serviced their vehicle at Fremont Chevrolet.
Sep 25, 2014
Posted 6 days ago
The service dept. is very disorganize....
The service dept. Is very disorganize. They lost my keys and so I have to stay in the service shop for extra hour or more. The service group were not informing the clients what is going on and so they wasted my precious time. I really had a bad day. Up to now they do not have the courtesy of calling me and let me know if they have found my keys. Theys includes the car key and 2 of my house keys. If the service dept. Ca not return my keys , I would be forced t change all my house doors locks, that means money and time.
Milpitas, CA
Sep 24, 2014
Posted 7 days ago
I have been bringing my 2008 chevy...
I have been bringing my 2008 Chevy Trailblazer to this dealership for several years, and "T" was my contact in the service department. I was disappointed to hear T was no longer with the company, but explained to the person who answered my call that my headlights would not turn on and wanted to see if the problem might be an easy fix like a fuse or relay. I had looked at my owner's manual and saw there are two fuses (which looked fine) and two relays. I wanted to see if I should try replacing the relay(s). I was told don't worry, don't start throwing parts at it, just bring it in and we'll check it out. If it was something to do with the fuses that I could have fixed, they wouldn't charge me for the fix, just the parts. Well, it was a relay, and I was going to be charged almost $200 to replace a part I could have easily done myself in 2 minutes. On top of that, I was told my water pump was making noise and would cost over $800 to be replaced and I should replace my spark plugs to the tune of another $288. My relay replacement was reduced to $60 after I reminded the salesperson what he told me when I came in, and I declined the additional services. I have subsequently had my water pump replaced at a reputable mechanic for just over $450 (albeit using a Napa Auto Parts replacement, not an AC Delco authentic part) and will check out the spark plugs in the future. While I was picking up my car, another customer was having a heated discussion regarding the service they received. Looks like everyone in the service department has been replaced...maybe that wasn't a good move....
Newark, CA
Sep 23, 2014
Posted 8 days ago
Was the best experience i've had from any...
Was the best experience I've had from any other dealership. I highly recommend.
Newark, CA
Sep 22, 2014
Posted 9 days ago
Brought my 2002 chevy silverado in for an...
Brought my 2002 Chevy Silverado in for an oil change to give the dealer another try. After my last oil change, I had to add a quart of oil about a month after my oil change which I have never has to do on ANY previous oil change from my mechanic since I have owned the vehicle. I had an 8:30 appointment. Got seen around 8:45 and was still waiting for the 9:00 shuttle at 9:15. Ended up calling a co-worker for a pick up. The shuttle driver stuff I understand as sometimes they take a longer than expected. No worries on that since I work around the corner. Just wish they could be more accurate on when to expect the driver. Recently my parking brake wire had broke so I have been manually releasing the parking brake. When I came to the dealership for the oil change, I set my parking brake. It's a habit. When the technician came to move my truck he could not release the parking brake. I asked the service guy if I should go out and help them. He said they should have it. Well they finally got it but my truck started to roll away with no one in control of it. They managed to stop it before it hit anything. Confidence not very high.
San Jose, CA
Sep 21, 2014
Posted 10 days ago
Routine maint.,plus 2 recalls. friendly &...
Routine maint.,plus 2 recalls. Friendly & knowledgeable service advisor. Free rental car. Kept me advised of service progress.
Newark, CA
Sep 19, 2014
Posted 12 days ago
We were helped quickly though paperwork...
We were helped quickly though paperwork took a lot of time. We needed to trade a vehicle in, which required to be entered into the system for an offer. After that we went through the lot to find cars that fit our criteria. I would have liked that the salesperson already knew what he had in stock versus searching the backlot with him. We completed a cash transaction but it still required a credit check. This was not clarified prior to the credit check and nobody likes surprises especially one that could affect other lending deals in the pipeline. Overall I would come back and refer friends and family but I do think training on inventory skills and application information is a must.
Milpitas, CA
Sep 19, 2014
Posted 12 days ago
Great sales team and finanace team. quick...
Great sales team and finanace team. Quick and easy. I know what I wanted and they got the deal done.
San Lorenzo, CA
Sep 18, 2014
Posted 13 days ago
Great serivce in and out with no problem...
Great Serivce in and out with no problem and sales and financing was great I got a 2012 Chevy Camaro RS at a great price
Fremont, CA
Sep 17, 2014
Posted 14 days ago
I had a oil change a couple of weeks ago...
I had a oil change a couple of weeks ago with a 27 point check on everything I thought and just Monday about two weeks later my battery was dead and my key got stuck in the ignition and had to call "On Star" to give me a jump. I do believe that when the tech checked my car battery if he did, some should've said that it is low and I might need a new one. When I brought it back the man told me that nothing was drawing off the battery to make it go lower, but that the battery was at it's middle of the road and this might happen again. Thank goodness I was parked in my driveway and it was easy for On Star guy to give me a jump. I had an appointment and had to take my partners car. If she wasn't at home the poor older lady I had to pickup and take to her appointment wouldn't have made it because the car had to run for at least 45 minutes. They need to let people know when their battery is going low. Thanks Otherwise I've had good service up until now.
Union City, CA
Sep 17, 2014
Posted 14 days ago
I was notified it was time for my frist...
I Was notified it was time for my frist service on my new chevy volt. Went well the only thing the car was wet but not clean. Everyone very nice. Thank you.
Fremont, CA
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Voice of the Lost by Andrea K. Host (2011)
Smashwords / Amazon / Author's Site
4/5 stars
Medair an Rynstar wants only to leave.
Five hundred years after the Empire she served fell before the Ibisian invasion, Medair has betrayed her Emperor's memory by helping the descendants of the invaders. She knows she will be reviled, that to thousands she is hero-become-villain. Her one goal is to return to the hidden cave where she slept out of time, and hope that she wakes in a world where the name Medair an Rynstar has been forgotten.
Assassins, armies, and desperate magic complicate Medair's plan of escape, leading her inexorably to face the very people her choice has cost the most. She has learned that you can never return to your past, or run from the consequences of your actions, but can she find a way to live in defeat?
Voice of the Lost is the perfect sequel to The Silence of Medair. The first book is a political fantasy that's epic in scope, and Voice continues to develop the themes of colonialism, empire, and sacrifice and a controversial romance is set in motion. Medair chooses to side with the descendants of her invaders while facing an oncoming apocalypse brought on by wild magic. Talk about raising the stakes!
I loved this book, and it has the strengths of The Silence of Medair, but with a slightly different focus. It's still character-driven, but there's less brooding introspection and more political intrigues. Medair is thrust in the midst of a war and makes tough choices, possibly earning her place as a villain in history. What makes it interesting is how she deals with it, and how she views heroism, sacrifice, and ethics in herself and the colonizers. Medair's character development is one of the best I've seen in the fantasy genre.
I must commend the author for how she handles magic in the world-setting. Magic systems are best explained in some books, while in others, it's best left as a mysterious force of nature–whichever helps the suspension of disbelief. Höst treats it as the latter, and it works. Magic is a messy thing in this world–it merges parallel worlds, triggers a looming apocalypse, and even changes people's ethnicity–which is a big deal in a historical reality of heated colonizer vs. colonized dynamics. While those are all crazy, its believable because the emotional consequences for the characters are so real, and that's the key achieving verisimilitude in fantastical literature. I don't know how the author pulled it off, but she deserves mad props.
With sacrifice as a key theme, it mostly reads like a tragedy. Whenever I cheered for the small victories, things became infinitely worse, but none of it came off as melodramatic. I was on the verge of tears in some parts, unable to decide whether it's best to read on (and feel that screwdriver to the chest) or put the book down (and be unable to think of anything else!).
Medair's internal dialogue sometimes summarizes what just happened and her reaction to it instead of only the latter, and it's a little redundant. But other than that minor quibble, there's nothing I'd change about the book.
It's rare to find an epic fantasy that's ambitious in scope and yet ties the story together succinctly. There's no filler subplots or unnecessary scenes, it hits hard but ends with a satisfying conclusion. The story is emotionally involving and deals with heavy themes, but it's worth it. I highly recommend this duology if you're looking for an epic fantasy that's character-driven, different, and thought-provoking.
You might like this if you like…
Epic fantasy with no filler; epic apocalyptic scenarios; fantastic character development; intelligent themes that you'll ponder on long after you've read the book
If you're interested in reading this two-book series, you can also purchase it as a single volume on Smashwords or Amazon. It's a better deal than buying each book separately.
You can also read my interview with Andrea K. Host.
Posted on February 17, 2012, in 4 stars, Andrea K Host, Ebook Reviews, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Frida Reviewed, Voice of the Lost and tagged court intrigue, nice job breaking it hero, scenery porn. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
Fabulous review Frida! I'm glad part 2 worked for you. :)


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Jury Selected for Jeffery Trevino Murder Trial
A jury has been selected for the murder trial of a St. Paul man accused of killing his wife.
Thirty-nine-year-old Jeffery Trevino is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the death of his wife, Kira Steger.
Steger disappeared in February. Her body was pulled from the Mississippi River more than two months later.
Family members say Steger was trying to leave Trevino when she was killed. Authorities say "copious amounts" of blood were found in the couple's home.
Jury selection wrapped up Wednesday afternoon. There are 12 jurors and two alternates. The jury includes eight men and six women.
The trial is expected to last two to three weeks. Opening statements will begin Thursday.
Warning: the criminal complaint contains graphic and disturbing details. Click here to read the criminal complaint.
Watch the video box above for our previous coverage on the jury selection.
The Associated Press Contributed to this Report.
Related Stories:
- Jeffery Trevino Appeals Murder Conviction in Death of Wife
- Jeffery Trevino Sentenced to 27 Years, Kira Steger's Family Wanted More
- Friends, Family Say Goodbye to Kira Steger
- Kira Steger's Family Plans to Lay Her to Rest
- Court Asked to Toss Jeffery Trevino's Murder Conviction
- INTERVIEW: Defense Attorney Weighs in on Trevino Trial
- NEWS CONFERENCE: Steger Family Speaks Following Verdict in Jeffery Trevino Murder Trial
- Kira Steger's Father: Justice Has Been Done
- Testimony: Trevino Concerned About Missing Wife's 'Stuff'
- Judge: Closing Arguments Expected Tuesday in Jeffery Trevino Murder Trial


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A prominent plastic surgeon meets the woman of his dreams only to find their future thrown into jeopardy when his playboy past comes back to haunt him. Danny ( Adam Sandler ) has a unique approach to picking up women -- in order to break the ice and gain their sympathy, he pretends to be stuck in an unhappy marriage. The instant he brandishes his wedding ring, the deal is all but cinched. But when Danny finally meets a woman ( Brooklyn Decker ) that he really would want to marry, he abandons his usual approach for something a bit more subtle. Incredibly, it works. But when she discovers the wedding band that he used to use as a pick-up prop, Danny attempts to cover his tracks by falling back on his tried-and-true divorce line. Unfortunately for Danny , the plan backfires when his new girlfriend asks to meet his future ex. Desperate, Danny recruits his office manager, Katherine ( Jennifer Aniston ), to validate his ruse by posing as his current wife. Before long, the lies are snowballing, and by the time Katherine 's kids get involved and everyone comes together for a trip to Hawaii, it's not a matter of if Danny 's plan will fall through, but when. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Comedy
- Romantic Comedy
- Assumed Identities, Schemes and Ruses
- 01 hr 56 min
- French , Spanish , English
- French , Spanish , English
- widescreen
- June 7, 2011
- Adam Sandler , Jennifer Aniston , Nicole Kidman , Nick Swardson , Brooklyn Decker
- Bailee Madison , Griffin Gluck , Dave Matthews , Kevin Nealon , Rachel Dratch , Allen Covert , Dan Patrick , Minka Kelly , Jackie Sandler , Jessica Jade Andres , Rakefet Abergel , Andrew Tomoso , Brandon Eggertsen , Todd Sherry , Tia Van Berg , Rachel Specter , Kent Avenido , Aaron Zachary Philips , Branscombe Richmond , Julie Dixon Jackson , Darrin Lackey , Lori Heuring , Azer Greco , Lilian Tapia , Jillian Nelson , Andy Roddick , Heidi Montag , Keegan-Michael Key , Mario Joyner , Gene Pompa , Carol-Ann Susi , Michael Laskin , Peter Dante , Jonathan Loughran , Jana Sandler , Colby Kline , Julia Wolov , Dana Min Goodman
- Dennis Dugan
Rating: pg-13 - Drug Content, Brief Nudity, Sexual Situations, Profanity
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The case has taken a new turn, with the studio saying they will digitally alter the tattoo before the DVD release in December, if things aren't settled by then.
Today, U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry set a trial date for February 21, 2012, although it is unlikely this case will go to trial. S. Victor Whitmill's lawyers argued for a trial date in August, although Warner Bros. countered, saying they will replace Whitmill's design with another tattoo after The Hangover Part II's theatrical run. Here's an excerpt from one of the court documents submitted today.
Judge Catherine Perry has scheduled a private mediation session for June 16, for both sides to work out their issues, which could lead to a settlement agreement. As of today, The Hangover Part II has taken in nearly $350 million worldwide, after just two and a half weeks in theaters.
The Hangover Part II was released May 26th, 2011 and stars Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Jamie Chung, Paul Giamatti, Nick Cassavetes. The film is directed by Todd Phillips.


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overscanIn film and television terminology, overscan represents the extra information on all four sides of am image that is normally not seen by the viewer. Overscan was more of an issue before the 1970s when the video images were framed inside a CRT.
The future remains, well, cloudy. But either way: Amazon, look out. Microsoft is gaining fast. Read More »Hype Versus Action in the Developer's World
Often times technologies start as hype but with time become adopted. As a developer or technologist, it is worth reading the hype and knowing the... Read More »Microsoft Hyper-V Network Virtualization Q&A
The top 5 Hyper-V questions with answers provided by Nirmal Sharma, a MCSEx3, MCITP and Microsoft MVP in Directory Services. Read More »
Webopedia Polls: Is iPhone 6 or iWatch on your list? Read More »How to Create a Desktop Shortcut to a Website
This Webopedia guide will show you how to create a desktop shortcut to a website using Firefox, Chrome or Internet Explorer (IE). Read More »Flash Data Storage Vendor Trends
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Baby Phat
Fabric: Jacket: 100% Polyester; Top: 55% Cotton, 45% Polyester; Pants: 100% Polyester
Color: PinkSKU: BF34140
Item ID: 1646259
3 pc tricot set (newborn)
$21.99 $48.00
The 3 PC TRICOT SET by Baby Phat features:
- Set consists of jacket, top and pants
- Jacket: pieced jacket with screen printed Baby Phat cat logo at left chest, front hand pockets and banded sleeve cuffs and hem and full length zipper closure with die-cut logo hardware pull tab
- Top: soft cotton blend t-shirt with stitched crew neck collar and screen printed design with Baby Phat cat logo and 3 button closure at back of neck
- Pants: Large elastic ribbed, waistband and embroidered script Baby Phat logo on left pocket
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Perri's Police Line Leather Guitar Strap
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Order today with the no-risk assurance of our Total Satisfaction and Low Price Guarantees!
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Friday, 19 September 2014
About | Contact Us | Careers | Feed
The government of Western Australia is fast-tracking investments in geographic information systems (GIS) under moves to make state-wide land and resources information more readily available for end-users, businesses and agencies.
An award-winning Shared Land Information Platform (SLIP) is being upgraded with the expanded use of spatial technology. This upgrade makes location-based knowledge easier to access, share and use across the state.
The SLIP initiative is administered by Perth-based Landgate, a statutory authority that maintains land ownership and survey information, as well as the valuation of land and property interests.
This platform is being revamped under a new GIS contract that supports the government's US$23 million (AUD$23 million) Location Information Strategy.
This strategy, being delivered during 2012-2015, sources spatial technology to offer more accurate and up-to-date land information. This access further streamlines planning, investment and development activities in Western Australia.
Spatial technology offers sought-after cost savings, according to Landgate's chief executive, Mike Bradford. "Western Australia is internationally recognised as a leader in the management and use of location information and technology."
SLIP is the core technology infrastructure that opens up access to Western Australia's dispersed land and geographic information resources.
Among the enhancements, a "SLIP Future" initiative builds on the success of this programme over the past five years. This programme, running since 2007, is supported by spatial information management tools to access data using a dedicated web portal.
A first step involves an "infrastructure refresh" that draws on contemporary architecture and design. The goal is to deliver a more robust, functional and scalable platform that meets fast-changing information needs.
The latest upgrade contract has been awarded to NGIS. This firm specialises in location-based technologies for the mining, oil and gas, government, utilities and environment sectors.
Track ICT reforms at the flagship FutureGov Forum Western Australia (Tuesday 5th February 2013) Perth, Western Australia. Visit http://www.futuregov.asia/events/futuregov-forum-wa-2013/
In a visit to Ngee Ann Secondary School yesterday (22 July), FutureGov found students deeply ...
The Infocomm Development Authority and Ministry of Education of Singapore have initiated plans to introduce ...
Ngee Ann Secondary School's students are on a bid to "change the world" with ...


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true detective is really good!
people who are exactly the same as they were in 2011 ♡♡♡
should i change my url to blondiere for this new period in my blog?
i do miss this blog though. i never really fought with anyone on it.
ah, well, to remaking i go!
hey lovelies how would you feel about me starting this blog over?
woah what you can reblog asks now? tumblr finally listened?
- gloomylittleprincess said: i love you i am tori if you remember me
How could I not remember you???? HI!!!!!!!!
everyone has changed so much wow
awh, love, i miss being here too. i've just been so busy, my life is changing faster than i've wanted it to!
(and of all the blogs i follow so few of them have remained pale it's impossible for me to find content from people i consider friends of some sort, which was something that made blogging nice. plus my blog looks nice pale and i'm too selfish to change.)
thank you for your love (◠‿◠✿)


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Nicholson, Georgia is located in Jackson County. Nicholson has a population of 1,701 and has shown 9.8% growth since 2000. Of the 603 households in Nicholson, 64.1% are owned, 26.0% are rented and 10% are not currently occupied. The median age of homes in Nicholson is 15 years and 30.0% of the homes have been occupied by the same residents for more than 5 years. Learn more about Nicholson, Georgia real estate at coldwellbanker.com.
Upchurch Realty
2405 W. Broad Street
Fort Realty
13325 Jones St
Residential Brokerage
1735 Buford Hwy Ste 125


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HARLAM SHAKE.wmv
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I hope you will find the information on here enjoyable and informative. If you have any comments, I would be very pleased to hear from you.
The site gives readers an insight into who I am and my evaluation and thoughts on a whole range of issues that affect all of us; from major concerns such as the state of the global economy to personal passions, such as photography. I also couldn't resist telling the story of Sophie Scholl, a young woman who paid the ultimate price for standing by her principles.
I had no intention of developing a personal website. This certainly wasn't planned. In fact I actually see this whole exercise as a little narcissistic. Anyway, due to not knowing what to do with a number of papers I had written, I was spurred on. I can at least take comfort in the fact that there are nearly half a billion Facebook uses all with their own little bit of narcissism going on, but then wasn't it Freud who believed that some narcissism is an essential part of all of us from birth. I wouldn't be surprised if a "no show" on the web in some form will one day be viewed by society as a rather introvert act or worse still, a sign of being slightly odd, rather like not having a phone or television is today.
I do not claim to be an academic, far from it, but I would like to say I have taken the time to do my research on whatever I have written. That doesn't mean you have to agree with my conclusions, but I hope at least the work I've done stands up to scrutiny. An old friend of mine, Inga Haag, drummed it into me that before I open my mouth I should make sure I know exactly what I am talking about. "Research my boy, make sure you do your research."
I live in London, but due to my work, I spend a great deal of time overseas, particularly in Eastern Europe and Asia.
Oh yes and the picture above, that's me somewhere near the Sudan border in 1986 after walking about 2,000 miles.


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Goodlass says Fulham's Goodison woes are set to continue.
Related Links
Ronnie Goodlass believes Everton's imperious Goodison Park record against Fulham gives them the edge in Friday night's FA Cup fourth round tie.
While the Blues have sometimes found it difficult at Craven Cottage they have a supreme record against the West Londoners on home soil.
Such has been their dominance, the Blues have racked up 10 straight wins in the league at Goodison.
And Goodlass, who played for both clubs, told evertontv: "Hopefully that record will continue. Down the years we have had a really good record against them, going to Craven Cottage has been tough at times, although we have done well there recently as well.
"But at home it has been a bit intimidating for them and hopefully we can do that again on Friday. It is always good at Goodison under lights and I think we will all be up for it, supporters and players."
Watch the video above for the rest of Ronnie's thoughts on the game.
Tickets for Everton's FA Cup clash with Fulham are still available priced £25 for adults and just £5 for juniors. To buy yours, click here.
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