What’s up fabulous people, and welcome to the blog!

“Take this as your sign — it’s time to invite a life beyond financial limitations.” — The Good Trade

Should I start a YouTube? I’m sure many people ponder this question daily because YouTubers make it seem easy.  But we don’t see the stress from brands, what algorithms YouTube holds you to, the constant editing, the cost of equipment, and planning content that people will watch and find helpful.  Then I think, who needs that stress…am I right?

However, with some big dates looming in a few (short) years, I ponder whether or not I want to document these things and form a mini-community. A potential house renovation or purchase. Or how to financially plan for retirement and make extra money.

I’ve got a retirement bucket list that’s getting longer by the minute. With that said, I don’t need to fill every minute of the day with activities, but I want to stay semi-busy and control if and when I freelance and what that plan looks like.  I don’t want to be beholden to any entity …other than me.

Also ..what would I even call my channel?  I would have called you silly if you had told me ten years ago that I could make money and receive items from brands from people watching me clean my house and organize my life. 🤪 But behold, several YouTubers have been doing this for years and are making a living wage doing it.  I’ve thought about a cleaning channel, but YouTube is saturated with them now, and at the stage of life I’m in (currently) …I don’t have the stamina.

But something, where I can document a new home purchase, a renovation, options for saving retirement, and what to do, is right on my level. I’ve thought about this subject in a blog format, like a segment once a week or twice a month (depending on what I’m doing) because I’m familiar with blogging and how that goes.  But stepping outside my comfort zone is one of the things I’m trying to incorporate more often.

travel, volunteering, freelance work

It can be tough to navigate these waters, and when you think about working in terms of ..I’ve been working since I was 13, why do I want to continue?  Simply put … you can’t just stop a body in motion.  This means you can’t sit on your butt and do nothing when your body is used to being on a schedule, moving, doing, and engaging with people.  So, I plan on working part-time, seasonal, or offering web-related services.

I would love to use this platform to share my volunteering experience and what that work “really” looks like.  We all envision at some point how we think things will go.  I’ve always wanted to volunteer at a pet shelter, but after some research, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.  Just because you’ve stopped working at your real job doesn’t mean the ones you volunteer for are easy.  However, I think it will be rewarding.  So whether I help out at the animal shelter, foster, or help at my local library, I plan on documenting, vlogging, or blogging the process.

life in retirement

What do you think of when it comes to retirement? Does it make you think of an AARP ad or a Medicaid commercial? Do you think of an old couple sitting on a porch sipping coffee and taking care of the grandkids? Or maybe traveling and being in the garden for hours on end, tinkering with things around the house. Maybe it means all this free time to do absolutely nothing.

There are so many misconceptions when it comes to retirement, and granted, I’m not old, but in just 2 1/2 years, I will be eligible to retire. Some big life changes have been happening since my Dad passed away, and some decisions that I have to make. So what’s my plan? To get busy living. I envision so many things in my retirement, but the biggest is a life without constraints. We know that’s not how the world works. You must be even more vigilant and responsible about your time, money, and caring for your body and mind.

For me …it means doing that thing on that list that I’m keeping, being able to travel and spend time without having time to be back at a desk. I can finish my Bachelor’s degree, learn a new language, or adopt a pet, and have more time to visit family.

what does all this mean?

All this is to say that I have more exciting things coming, and whether I start a channel or continue to blog about my journey, I want to bring my LifebyWyetha family with me.  Because it’s through this platform that I’ve had some of my highest highs and my lowest lows.  I’ve made sure to be as candid as possible and only bring you things I think you would enjoy.

So, I hope you’ll continue to follow along with me on my next adventure.  I’ll have more coming soon, but in the meantime, I just wanted to put my idea out there.  Everything plays out differently in your head than when you put it on this screen, right?  It does.

So, friends, I’ll end here.  Thanks for hanging with me today for this oh-so-random post and letting me share some ideas.  I’ll have more to come in my retirement diaries, but in the meantime, I appreciate each and every one of you. Peace.