It’s Thursday, and you know what that means: time for another round of awesome personal finance articles hand-picked by ESI of Rockstar Finance!

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what inspires us to make big changes in our lives. Not for any particular reason — I haven’t super recently experienced a huge loss or unexpected life change. But when I look back and think about what events made me finally get some aspect of my life together, they are often somewhat big ones. Getting my heart broken by someone I was somewhat infatuated with made me finally go to therapy for my general anxiety; getting into (and out of) a terrible work situation with a startup made me finally start to take my career seriously.

I really loved this piece from Life Zemplified, all about the ways the writer’s former roommate changed her life after experiencing a huge loss. I don’t think anyone needs to live their life as if they owe other people inspiration, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look up to and learn from others’ positive changes. I love this idea in particular:

Weekly Plans & Journal: This one was obvious. Every Sunday, she would sit down in the backyard with her journal. She wrote down all the things she had to get done the coming week, and all the things she wanted to get done the following week. She wasn’t secretive about this habit and would share her ideas with the rest of us. Andy was still very much the leader of our household, even with her drastic changes.

Be sure to check out the full post below, as well as the rest of this week’s great picks!

1. Life is More than Compounding Money – Intelligent Fanatics

“Would you rather have $22 million at your death and have frugality be your God or would you rather enjoy your life, cultivate relationships while being generous in the present and have $5 million in the end?”

2. I Was Wrong… It Really Is Who You Know – Route To Retire

“I noticed that the more I get to know people, the more they want to open up. And the more they open up, the more connections or opportunities seem to arise.”

3. The Thirteen Boogymen That Will Wreck Your Wealth And Derail Your Plans – Michael Dinich

“There is a real headless horseman of the financial apocalypse out there, and while you may know enough not to pick up a stranger with a raincoat and a hook, you often unconsciously let these boogiemen derail your goals.We all know you don’t go skinny dipping in the lake at night, but do you know how to deal with these 13 boogymen?”

4. 10 Ways To Make Life Simple and Sane Again – Life Zemplified

“I’ve never met someone with as much willpower. I’m glad I had a chance to live with someone who possessed this kind of fortitude. It was like every minute of every day, she was laser-focused on her plans and goals.”

5. How Much Are You Really Paid? 10 Items You Must Consider – Heartland On Fire

“The vast majority of us go to work each day and trade our time for money. As we are weighing job offers we tend to get a laser focus on the listed salary or hourly wage. But you need to look past that shiny salary number to figure out the true wage being offered.”

6. Saving My Own Life With Sabbatical – Lean Fire ATL

“I took a sabbatical of undetermined length. It likely saved my life. It was only possible through the new lens with which I began to see the world. The evolution was slow at first then more rapid in its advancement.”

7. You Believe You’re a Loser and So You Are – Half-Life Theory

“We need to capitalize on that opportunity, no matter what our background is. Don’t let your current situation or your background or what other people believe about you define you. You need to rise above that.”

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