Charging Through Life

There comes a time in every TV sitcom's life where all the writers ditch work and the producer's only option is to do a year-in-review show. Something cheesy, that you only need one editor and some past episodes to compile, and someting that reminds everyone how far the characters have come in a year. So with that in-mind, Ladies and Gentlemen I give you my 1 year blog-in-review entry!!!!!!!!

Yes it has been one year since I started writing "Charging Through Life." Originally, you may recall, the blog had a stupid lame name, "33 going on 40." Boooooo. You also might remember the inspiration for starting this whole thing came from an impending doom on my life. I was contemplating bankruptcy, I had just had "major fight #1" with my then best friend. And I was getting my ass handed to me at Beachbody. It was the most stressed out time in my life - which is saying something - because my financial snapshot was shot. Let's take a look:

• • On Aug. 8, 2009 I was carrying 3-times as much debt as I had cash-on-hand. I was $38,277 in the red and could only see to find $10,404 in assets.
• • One year later my debt is completely eliminated and I have $22,760.45 in liquid assets.

Money was clearly a big challenge in my life a year ago. But fueling that challenge was my job at Beachbody. I was stuck and not growing or being challenged. And I was lost, unsure of what I could do that would make me happy. I knew how to "play the game" and be a good employee, I just didn't know that I wasn't playing it. Overall, I was certain that my life needed to change, I just had no direction on how to do it. Let's see what has changed:

• On Aug. 22 & Oct. 12 I expressed how lost I felt and wondered how anyone ever discovers the correct route to take in life for career/life satisfaction. Then on Nov. 16 I got a wake-up call at work that got me thinking, though probably not in the way my boss thought it would.
• Today I am out of corporate life and have launched my own freelance company with four clients to-date. There is definitely a direction in my life: up. And I recognize more than ever how talented, smart, and creative I am and how to begin translating that into a career.

There were two major events that set into motion most of the improvements I've gained throughout this past year. The first was taking a leap of faith over to The Valley followed a couple months later by bringing myself back to zero. The second major event was realizing that all I had to do was to just lie a little, but understanding that it wasn't going to make me happy.

• On Aug. 24 I met with a bankruptcy attorney and began a process that took me to debt-free on Sept. 26. Then the next year on March 25 I was finally fired from Beachbody.
• Today I remain debt-free (of course I can't qualify for credit yet but I'm working on it). And I have more satisfaction in working for myself than ever in my career before.

Wackiness was never in short-supply around me this past year. I've tried and experimented with many new things like looking for a spiritual path for my life, gazing at the stars for answers, finding a new cheerleader in my life, and seeing if money could possibly grow on trees. What I've learned in all this was to just go for it in life and try what is different, new and scary. You're going to get knocked down a bit, but that's OK.

Folks, we have successfully completed season one! And I think we have all learned a little, laughed a little, and discovered some new things about ourselves. Be sure to join us again next year when we take a look back at some fantastic new adventures that are certain to keep you entertained all this coming year. Until then, I'm Sam Watkins. Good Night.