The Writers Coin

I have a new post up over at Wisebread that’s all about speeding up your current PC so you don’t have to buy a new one.

It may sound weird after recently writing about my new computer—but I only bought it after trying to fix the old one up.

Either way, make sure to check it out because commenters are including some great tips of their own, including some software that might be leaner and more efficient than the ones I suggested.

If you think the post is helpful, then tell your friends or retweet it. And any social media love (Reddit or SU) is much appreciated!

I admit—I overdid it.

After owning my laptop for over six years, I started chomping at the bit to buy myself a new one.

Not because I needed one, but because I wanted one. And I felt I deserved it because, well, look how long I’ve kept this old, crappy laptop. And you know what? I would actually use it for more than just basic things like email, Internetting and so on.

I felt like I deserved a new one. I had a classic case of the gimmies.

Which is fine, because I did A LOT of work to try and keep it around for another year or two. I spent hours on end trying to tweak and fix every little problem it had.

My wife was like, “You’re STILL on the computer? What happened now?”

Then, right as I thought I was getting close to solving the whole problem…the computer flat out died on me.

POOF.

Just like that, I didn’t have to make any excuses to buy a new one, I had earned it.

My Mistake

But instead of being smart and frugal about it, I was reckless.

I zeroed in on the wrong thing. Instead of looking at how I was using my old laptop, I concentrated on what I could do on a new one. And an old habit came back to bite me in the ass: gaming.

I used to be a big gamer back in the day, but I hadn’t played in years (it’s tough on an old, decrepit laptop). But the thought of buying a shiny new machine with a Quad Core processor and a pimped out video card was just too much.

Now, in my defense, I did do the buying part right. I did my homework, saved for the machine ahead of time, and waited until a got a great deal. I ended up paying around $1,000 for a machine that retailed at over $1,200. And I got it shipped for free.

So I did get a good deal, but now I was buying more than I could chew. Or more than I should’ve chewed, anyway.

Sure, I played the game (Fallout 3, which is actually pretty sweet) right when I got it, but then I played less and less.

Why? I was busy with my life. You know, doing all the stuff I was doing before I bought the game. There just wasn’t any room for any kind of consistent gaming. It was like the Wii fiasco all over again.

Now I have this sweet machine (which I don’t regret at all, mind you—she’s my baby) that can run any game under the sun. And guess what I use it for?

Writing blog posts, checking email, and surfing the ‘net.

What has two thumbs and feels kind of like a chump?

This guy.

Image by Vision Valley Photography

Steve Prefontaine was one of the greatest long-distance runners of all time. I became a huge fan of his after watching Without Limits and Prefontaine (both very good movies) back in middle school. This was way before I started running in races like the Urbanathlon.

Even if you don’t like running, “Pre” was a very interesting guy that has a lot to teach us.

The Quote

I’m currently training for the 2009 Urbanathlon, and in the middle of a run the other day I started thinking about him. One of my favorite lines from the movie Without Limits happens when he’s explaining to his girlfriend why he’s so good even though he thinks he doesn’t have any talent:

I can endure more pain than anyone you’ve ever met. That’s why I can beat anyone I’ve ever met.

Pre was very quotable like that.

The line has stuck with me for years because it’s how I feel a lot of the time when I run: training makes up for a lot, but being able to endure pain is a huge part of being a successful runner.

If you can withstand the pain, you can beat a lot of other people who can’t.

It’s the same story with our money.

Endurance and Money

Can you endure not going out and spending money all the time? Can you endure driving an old car that doesn’t have all the bells and whistles? Are you OK with living in a smaller home instead of pushing your budget as far as it will go? Can you cook most of of your meals at home instead of going out to eat all the time?

You may not make as much money as other people, but if you can endure this kind of stuff, you’ll be in better financial shape than most other people at the end of the day.

For most things, I can endure the monotony of things like a boring lunch every day. If you can endure monotony and lack of spending, then you’ll be able to save a lot of money.

As Pre would say, if you’re willing to endure more than the next person, you’re going to beat a lot of other people with more talent and more money than yourself.

For all the runners out there, make sure to check out my guest post on the Three Things Running can Teach us About Personal Finance.

Image from BrentSchoonover.com

It’s 5:30am and I’m tired. I don’t have to go to work until 7:45, but I’m awake anyway. Why? It’s become a habit to get up and write, which I’m doing right now.

Which I’m really proud of, by the way—don’t get me wrong.

Being Tired Sucks

But I’m still tired. As in, really tired. And I’ve been really tired for a long time now. What I’ve noticed is that, by the time 7:30pm rolls around, I’m about ready to crawl into bed and call it a day.

Going out with friends and having some drinks during the week? Ugh.

Yeah, I’m that guy.

A month or so ago, some friends were in from out of town and I was sitting right there in front of them in their hotel room trying to stay awake. Finally, Josh says to me, “You OK?” I was trying to battle the nodding off and I was losing. Right there in front of everyone.

My sister is in from out of town and I’m so tired when we go out after work that I feel like one of those boring people you never want to hang out with because they’re so blah. I’m not blah—but by 7:30 my “blah factor” shoots up.

Why I’m So Tired

I’m directly attributing it to getting up so early in the morning every day. On average, I probably get around 6.5 hours of sleep (and yes, I know, I don’t have a baby yet—we’ll cross that bridge when we absolutely have to). Is that enough sleep?

Apparently not.

Why I Keep Doing It

Productivity, baby! I do it to get things done. Those two hours in the morning are when I get to sit in a quite place and think, brainstorm, and let my imagination roam. No TV, no music, no nothing. Just me and the keyboard and some scraps of paper with ideas jotted down on them.

And the computer waiting to take it all in. Sometimes I’ll write on this site, sometimes I’ll write for other sites. Sometimes I don’t write for anyone but myself.

The point is: I’m sacrificing sleep in order to get all these things done. The question becomes, “is it worth it?”

I don’t have the answer to that, but I haven’t figured out any other way to get all I want to get done done, so I’m going to keep on waking up early and being a little tired later in the day.

For me, right now, it’s worth it. Is it worth it for you?

Image by Raul DS