You Don’t Have to End Where You Started

Good morning!

I hope this finds you well.

Welcome to another edition of The Matt Viera Newsletter.

The newsletter with the goal to inspire you to invest in life experiences.

Thank you for your continued support.

Grab your FREE copy of The Beginner’s Guide to Mini-Retirements by clicking here.

In 2008, I graduated from law school with roughly $220,000 in student loan debt.

The day I graduated, I moved back to New York City, thinking I'd quickly land a solid attorney position.

Instead, I struggled. I job-hopped. I was barely making ends meet.

Becoming an attorney was supposed to change everything. 

But it didn't.

The long hours, the relentless grind, and the one week of vacation per year took a toll on my health, happiness, and sense of purpose. 

Eventually, I made a radical decision: I quit practicing law and became a teacher.

That shift gave me something I desperately needed: 

Time.

I gained a healthier work-life balance, job security, and regular salary increases, which gave me more breathing room.

But something was still missing.

So, in 2016, I packed up my car and took a solo cross-country road trip from New York to Montana. 

That was the experience that changed everything.

I reconnected with who I was and what I wanted out of life.

Using the discipline I learned as a soldier and the skills I developed as an attorney, I transitioned into an office-based role in my field. 

For the first time, I had the freedom and the income to pursue my passion for travel.

In 2017, I picked up a copy of Tim Ferriss's The 4-Hour Workweek and discovered the concept of the mini-retirement.

A year later, I experienced my first mini-retirement: a month in Europe. 

That one trip changed my life perspective permanently. 

Since then, I've taken three more.

And this summer, I'll experience my fifth: six weeks in Italy.

Each mini-retirement is a reminder that life doesn't have to wait.

Over time, I paid off tens of thousands of dollars in debt, bought a home in NYC, and designed a life built on freedom: off-grid getaways, cross-country road trips, and transformative mini-retirements.

I didn't end where I started. 

And I'm glad I didn't.

What's the point of all this?

The point is that you don't have to end where you started. 

Just because you chose a path at 22 doesn't mean you're obligated to stay on that path until you're 42, 52, or 62. 

Life is not linear. 

And it certainly isn't fixed.

You're allowed to explore your options. You're allowed to pivot. You're allowed to say, "This isn't working for me anymore." 

And that's not failure. 

That's growth.

Too many people stay stuck in careers or routines that no longer serve them because they feel like they've come too far to turn around. 

They've invested time, energy, and money. They worry about what others will think. Or they believe the safe path is the only path.

But staying stuck isn't safe. 

It's slowly eroding your potential.

Exploring your options (whether a different job, a new city, or taking a break to breathe) opens doors you didn't know existed. 

And sometimes, that exploration leads you to the version of yourself you were always meant to become.

My (recent) story started with student loan debt and a career that didn't fit, which was leading to burnout because I spent so much time in an office. 

But it didn't end there. 

And yours doesn't have to either.

Don't be afraid to make a change.

Don't be afraid to choose a different ending.

Because in the end, no one on their deathbed ever said:

"I wish I spent more time in the office."

Quote that caught my attention:

“Some people revel in taking risks, and some go through life taking no risks at all.”

—Nicholas Winton

You can find the collection of financial tools & resources that helped me grow from a 6-figure debt to a 6-figure net worth by clicking here.

Thanks for reading!

Please feel free to reply to this email with suggestions, questions, or comments.

I read every email.

If you have a question about personal finance, travel, or mini-retirements, email me and ask and I’ll discuss the answer in a future article.

If you enjoy The Matt Viera Newsletter, please forward this email to one person you believe would enjoy reading this.

I’m ready to follow you on X (formerly known as Twitter)!

I definitely want to read past articles of The Matt Viera Newsletter!

I’m not a subscriber to The Matt Viera Newsletter and I’m ready to subscribe!