From Roth IRA’s, ESOP plans, tax brackets, Index funds, HSA’s, credit card trifectas and beyond, I quickly realized that no part of my education had prepared me for the ‘real’ financial world.

While this can make it difficult to meet new people, it’s oddly refreshing to not be expected to put on a happy and approachable face all the time.

Beating burnout feels like a tall order. But according to researcher Dr. Stuart Brown, M.D., the answer can be as simple as making time to Play as an adult.

There’s a freedom and abandonment that comes from this kind of solitude. Messy bun, oversized t-shirt, dancing around to Norah Jones…

If a forced paring doesn’t work, and neither party is comfortable reaching out, we seem to have reached an impasse.

I’d rather find ways to make the journey exciting and do things scared, then never do them at all.