I remember January 27 2010 very well. During this time I was coming in late to work in order to call international clients and as a side bonus, I was able to use a wifi connection that let me stream video to my phone. But this wasn't the usual YouTube or podcast night, this night something special was available. Earlier that day, Apple INC had announced a revolutionary new tablet computer called the iPad. I'd followed the announcement via liveblog that morning but I wanted to see it myself. So when I went to work I started downloading the file. About an hour later, I started watching and it was amazing. Steve Jobs was at the top of his form introducing the iPad to the world. But it wasn't until I watched him and Phil Schiller use it that I realized it's potential. This was a complete shift in the way that people interact with computers. And I immediately wanted one. That feeling never subsided through all the trials and tribulations of the last year. It wasn't simply a desire to own the latest Apple device, though I admit that was a part of it. The fact is that I wanted an iPad because I am convinced that in 10 years we will look back on it with the reverence a historic product like it deserves. Another key factor in my desire for an iPad was the fact that I've never owned a new computer before. These factors combined to maintain a level of admiration for the iPad that I've never had prior to it, and thus far haven't had since. A year passes since the announcement and I still haven't been able to buy one when the stars align to allow me to make one of the most important purchases of my life. First, after 7 months of struggling, I finally secure a job. Second I get a home based job I can work on the side for extra income. Third and most importantly, I get my tax refund. While I'm technically able to purchase an iPad, I'm hesitant to do so. The reason is that I have been broke for so long that I've become used to scraping by and I'm not in a hurry to go back to that. And frankly, I probably shouldn't have made the purchase but I had a unique set of circumstances come in to play that allowed me to finally make my purchase without remorse. First was my side job. Frankly it doesn't pay too well but that isn't the the point. The point is that I have a way outside my job of earning money. Second and much more important was that I finally purchased a wifi router for my house. Ever since I started online I'd always needed to go somewhere to access the Internet. Now, I had a cellular wifi router I could take anywhere so the "it's neat but I can't use it at home" rebuttal went away. Finally, the same "being broke for 75% of 2010" issue that had held me back now was motivating me to get what I wanted. So I decided to challenge myself. I'd get the iPad and then I'd use my side job to pay myself back. But of course while it would've made an interesting thought experiment, I knew myself well enough to know that if I didn't actually get it, I'd lose the motivation I had to work and pay myself back. Several years back I read "Rich Dad Poor Dad" and one of the lessons I took from the book was that poor people will say "I can't afford it" and shut their mind down while rich people ask "how can I afford it" and use their imaginations to find a solution that allows them to have the things they desire. I'm putting that theory to the ultimate test. While I had the ability to purchase my iPad it wasn't a tremendously good idea to do so without having a way to pay it back. The fact is that I'm not a terribly materialistically motivated person. I don't often have the drive to get things the way I did with my iPad. But in order to achieve my long term goals, I have to change how I look at earning money. This was the first step. Stay tuned. I'll be posting updates occasionally about the progress I've made to pay myself back. 2011 is going to be a fun year. Because I'm goin' up! :) $$
No comments:
Post a Comment