It’s been my mission to always strive to be in the center of God’s will, wherever that takes me. About 18 months ago, Elisabeth and I began sensing a transition was coming. After many hours of prayer and seeking advice, we’re ready to announce that I will be resigning as executive director of BASIC College Ministries at the end of 2013.

Reaching this decision has not been easy. The past four years have been incredible, and we’ve seen God move in many powerful ways with BASIC (including this past month with over 35 students from SUNY Delhi, Sullivan County Community College, and Daemen College telling us they wanted to follow Jesus!). Some of the highlights for me so far were seeing over 150 students get water baptized at BASICcon, working daily with some of the most amazing and charismatic young leaders in the nation, and most importantly meeting the love of my life at SUNY Delhi!

There is a certain amount of fear involved in a decision like this because I’m not positive yet exactly what’s next, and there is a certain amount of personal identity that is wrapped up in my job and the people I work with.

But I’ve definitely sensed that God’s will for me and my family is to pass the torch, and that meant starting this process now so I can train a successor to ensure a transition that is seamless for all the students, churches, and advisors involved.

Please keep in mind that this change is still approximately 10 months away. I’m not going anywhere for a while! In addition to planning 2 spectacular BASICcon events and leading a trip to Brazil, I plan to spend much of this year preparing and training my successor. Even after I step down, I will still be involved with BASIC as a member of its board of directors and as counsel to the next director as needed.

I have met some of the most extraordinary people through BASIC, and I thank you all for the privilege to work in college ministry. Let’s make this next year even better than the last 4!

FAQs
Who’s taking over BASIC?
That will be decided at the end of March by BASIC’s board of directors. Whoever it is will be awesome! If you’re interested in applying for the position, please send an email to info@thebasicsite.org.

OK, but what’s the real reason you’re leaving?
It’s really not a secret thing. We’re just sensing God wants us in a new endeavor. Nothing bad happened. It’s not a matter of needing more money. We simply feel like this season is coming to a close.

What are you doing next?
The short answer is, “I don’t know.” I am actively looking for opportunities now. I think it will probably be in the business field, which is the direction I was headed before I felt God calling me to BASIC.

I’d like to suggest that there is a right way to assign tasks (or at least a better way) instead of just winging it.

Assigning tasks the right way helps you avoid confusion, align expectations, and leaves your subordinates feeling valued rather than belittled.

I grew up surrounded my leaders, but nobody ever taught me this. So when I listened to this Manager Tools podcast, I soaked it up.

In the podcast, the hosts share there are 4 parts to properly assigning a work task:

1. Ask, “Would you please…”
2. State the task
3. State the deadline
4. Include status reporting expectations

So a great example would be, “Hey Steve, would you please book the Harrison auditorium for our annual meeting by this Friday? Please let me know if there are any mandatory union fees when you finish.”

Make sure to check out the whole podcast for the reasoning, especially why asking is better than commanding (a bad example would be, “I need you to do XYZ for me.”). It’s a little long, but worth it when you consider how often the content may help you!

Manager Tools | How to Assign Work Tasks (Part 1)

Shockingly, only 4% of people have written goals.

According to the study, this elite 4% with written goals will make 9x more over their lifetimes than those without goals.

It’s no wonder so many people feel aimless; they have no plans to turn their wishes into realities. Like the old saying goes, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.”

I realized the power of written goals after reading an article about John Goddard as a young teenager. As a 15-year-old, Goddard wrote down 127 goals for places he wanted to visit, things he wanted to accomplish, mountains he wanted to climb, and cultures he wanted to study. These include everything from exploring the Nile, learning to fly a plane, catching a 10 lbs. lobster, visiting the moon, running a 5-minute mile, photographing the travels of Marco Polo, and riding an ostrich.

The list is impressive and audacious, but the results are what’s truly remarkable. Years later, he has now accomplished 109 of his goals. (He still has yet to make it to the moon)

Goddard’s story inspired me. I created my own list a few years later at 16 (although mine was much smaller and short-term). I’ll share some of mine in a later post, but check out the rest of Goddard’s list and start dreaming about what you want to accomplish in life!

John Goddard’s Life List

 
Most people who don’t have high-paying jobs think they could never afford a 30-day trip across the world doing virtually anything they want for fun. But it’s possible. I know this because Elisabeth and I just did it!

Initially, you need to start by living within your means. The key is to get ahead because you’ll need some money to play with, no doubt.

But you can experience the trip of a lifetime for a lot less than you might think. Here’s my first secret to help you travel further, faster.
 
 
 
 

1. Medical tourism. Total savings: $3,000+

When I told people I was traveling to Thailand, a number of people asked me what I was doing there. Every conversation went something like this:

Me: “Well, I’m actually having some medical work done there. I plan to get LASIK and have a root canal.”

Them: “Really? That’s interesting. I could have sworn you weren’t a psycho.”

Me: “Actually, it’s quite safe. Europeans have procedures done there all the time.”

Them: “But I thought you wanted to live to see your children.”

Me: “I do. I’ve done a lot of research. And I’m confident I’ll save a lot of money.”

Them: “Can I have your MacBook Pro after you die of infection from their dirty scalpels?”

Me: “No.”

Them: “OK, have fun!”…(what a nut case)

Me: “I can still hear you.”

Them: “Whatever, you’ll be dead in a month.”

If you’re willing to overcome the (wrong) assumption that Americans are the only ones capable of performing safe surgeries or providing effective health care, you can save THOUSANDS.

American free enterprise encouraged these medical professionals to start businesses, improve technology, and develop drugs. Sometimes they’d come across something big, something that could save millions or eradicate diseases. They changed the world and pioneered modern medicine. Meanwhile, people in undeveloped countries often struggled just to put food on their plates.

Fast forward around 150-200 years. America accomplished great things like sending a man to the moon first and developing some of the best technologies in the world. But other countries were catching up.

Some of their school systems actually became more intense than American schools. For example, Chinese students went to school 6 days a week, with longer hours, and a longer school year.

After these students from other countries graduated, many of the smartest students came to the United States to learn from the best college professors in the world. They often worked even harder than their American counterparts, and they exceled. They returned to their countries with a top-of-the-line education.

And while this was happening, another major shift was occurring. The American government grew and grew. Leaders got elected by promising perks to the American people, such as health care benefits for everyone. But someone had to pay extra to subsidize this health care.

This leads us to where we are today.

America still has the best health care system in the world, hands down. Our doctors, equipment, and access to care are unparalleled. But some of the developing nations have almost caught up. They buy some of the same equipment. They use the same drugs. (An estimated 80% of the substances used to make or package drugs sold in the US are made in other countries, according to one source). Many of their doctors and professors are trained by American doctors in American hospitals, so they know what they’re doing.

But when they return to their home countries, they charge less because:

1. The cost of living is so much lower overseas, so they can have a comfortable living by making a smaller profit.
2. There aren’t as many lawsuits, so their malpractice insurance is substantially less.
3. They don’t have to charge paying patients extra in order to subsidize the health care system.

As a result, health care in many nations now costs a FRACTION of what it does in the United States. According to an article by the University of Delaware publication UDaily:

The cost of surgery in India, Thailand, or South Africa can be one- tenth of what it is in the United States or Western Europe, and sometimes even less.

“A heart-valve replacement that would cost $200,000 or more in the US, for example, goes for $10,000 in India–and that includes round-trip airfare and a brief vacation package. Similarly, a metal-free dental bridge worth $5,500 in the US costs $500 in India, a knee replacement in Thailand with six days of physical therapy costs about one-fifth of what it would in the States…Cosmetic surgery savings are even greater: A full facelift that would cost $20,000 in the US runs about $1,250 in South Africa.”

Some of the most popular countries for medical tourism include Argentina, Cuba, Colombia, Costa Rica, Hungary, India, Malaysia, South Africa, and…drumroll, please…Thailand.

Which leads me to our recent trip: I just saved over $3,000 by traveling to Thailand and doing several medical procedures there. That was more than the cost of airfare and lodging for 2 people for 30 days!

The first procedure was LASIK eye surgery. I wanted to do this in the good ol’ US of A. But after being lured to Syracuse by an advertisement for $800/eye, I found out the real cost for me: $3,580 total + possible add-ons.

There was no way that was happening. But the good news is that I found out I passed their tests and was a candidate–although apparently I have ridiculously large pupils (something I am proud to share with Ariel).

They treated me like a VIP, bringing me drinks and food, and even giving me a private room so my pregnant wife could rest. The facilities were top-notch, and I had researched online to know the laser they used was state-of-the-art, even nicer than many of the lasers used in American offices. I had the consultation and surgery done in one day. Total cost: $1,691.70. Savings: $1,883.30+

I also had some dental work done. First, I wanted a routine dental cleaning. This was done by Ph.D. in dentistry. A Ph.D. Maybe that’s normal for you, but it seems like I normally get a recent community college grad who seems more interested in Coronas than cavities.

Then I had a root canal procedure. My dentist in NY referred me to a specialist who quoted me $2,000, with no discounts for paying cash or not having dental insurance. Since my tooth didn’t hurt, I politely told him, “NO FREAKIN’ WAY.”

I’m 100% certain the dental care I received in Thailand was superior to what I would have received in the US. Over several visits, the dentist carefully drilled and finished the root canal. Total cost for cleaning & root canal: $916.09. Savings: $1,153.91.

You can easily see how paying for the medical care your insurance won’t cover overseas can save you BIG TIME.

Is there something you’ve been putting off? New eyeglasses? Elective surgery? Do it in conjunction with an overseas trip and it can make that $4K trip possible.

The decisions we made BEFORE the trip made it possible to GO on the trip. Thailand was possible because Elisabeth and I set ourselves up to travel by living within our means. Let me share the remainder of the 6 basic finance principles we live by that enabled us to have sufficient funds for our 30-day trip of a lifetime:
 

3. Telling our dollars where to go.

Most people think of budgeting as this huge chore. I actually enjoy it. I lick my lips at the thought of a meeting with my wife around the New Year to evaluate our spending and plan for the next year. (Mmmmmmm, I’m getting antsy just daydreaming about it.)

Obviously, some of this is personality and you can’t help it that I’m weird like that. But you gotta stop thinking about a budget as this bondage that wants to ruin your fun.

A budget is a way to prioritize your life. It’s you telling the future dollars you’ll earn what their purpose is so that you can accomplish what’s important to you.

There are all sorts of systems to do this: some involve taking cash out of envelopes, and others filling out a complicated spreadsheet. My thoughts on this:

1. There is definitely proven evidence that you spend less forking over cold, hard cash than when using plastic. But taking money out of envelopes seems just too old school for me, not to mention all the work of putting cash in the envelopes each month and counting what’s left at the end of the month. Count me out. Besides, this eliminates the benefits of using credit cards, as listed above.
    
2. Any system that requires me to fill out something with a pen or pencil is wrong. Period. (You’d be surprised how many “systems” still involved photocopying worksheets. No thanks, Grandpa.) I want a system that works with my digital lifestyle.

At the end of the day, the budget system you should use if the one that you’ll use. My preferred system is to use Mint.com, an online service that syncs with all of your bank accounts, credit cards, and investment accounts. You can create a budget on the website, and as you categorize your expenditures, you get immediate feedback on how it compares to your budget. Plus, the iPhone and Android apps are great.

If you’re not doing anything to keep track of you money, do yourself a favor and sign up for Mint.com today. You won’t regret it.

4. Pay God & give first.

I strongly believe in what Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” If you’re a Christian, I’d challenge you to give over 10% of your gross income away (to your home church and beyond). Even if you don’t believe in tithing, I think you should go above and beyond what the law was. (I’ll try to write more about this in another post). You cannot out-give God. He loves cheerful givers, and He honors generosity.

But you don’t have to follow Christ to understand that giving money away feels great. I’d challenge anyone to give away at least 10% of their income. Do it for 3 months. It’s a powerful medicine to prevent the materialism and selfishness that plagues America.

5. Make saving automatic.

If you’re planning for a big trip, you’re going to have to save some money. I’ve found the key for me is to pay myself automatically because:

• I forget.
• I’d rather buy a new MacBook Pro (or whatever Jony Ive says I should buy).
• Life gets in the way and my money mysteriously evaporates.

I have certain amounts deducted from my checking account automatically to a Vanguard brokerage account each month. That way, I don’t have to worry about having enough left over to save for the trip or retirement. I already took care of the important stuff before I saw that great deal on any shiny object with an Apple logo.

6. We’re a team, not two individuals.

Elisabeth and I are a team in every sense of the word in our finances. We fight together, struggle together, and succeed together. This means we have joint accounts, and our income is pooled into one pot.

I only recommend this for married couples, not cohabitating couples. Because we’ve decided divorce is not a word in our vocabulary, we don’t worry about splitting assets if things don’t work out.

By treating our money as OUR money, we force ourselves to work together and communicate regularly about finances.

This does NOT mean we don’t each receive money that we can do what we want with (like buy clothes or go out with our friends). But it avoids all sorts of problems stemming from someone thinking, “Hey…I earned this. This is MY money, and you’re not spending it right.”

There are none of the hidden surprises that stem from maintaining separate accounts. It’s easier to share responsibility for the finances, and there’s no extra administrative work to try to split the bills. I suppose every marriage is different and others may disagree, but we can’t imagine a situation having to figure out who has paid for which thing, for how much, and then somehow trying to make it “even” at the end.

So those are our 6 principles to set the stage for the resources required for extended overseas travel. Next time, I’ll share some tips on saving THOUSANDS on your trip of a lifetime!

IMAGE: A hat from a new friend

But there’s always a cost to follow your dream. It usually takes some risk and planning. I’ve found the most important decisions start way before you plan itineraries or pick out locations.

Now before you get all spazzy and decide this is going to be a boring article about budgets and not buying Starbucks lattes, you’re wrong.

Well, actually you’re mostly right. But I’ll try not to make it boring.

The decisions we made BEFORE the trip made it possible to GO on the trip. Thailand was possible because Elisabeth and I set ourselves up to travel by living within our means. Let me share the 6 basic finance principles we live by that enabled us to have sufficient funds for our 30-day trip of a lifetime:

1. Avoiding debt like a Ben Affleck movie.

We hate debt. Like seriously. Sometimes the Bible has some really good things to say, and I believe what it says about debt. I think God has blessed our efforts to stay away from debt.

Debt is like a shackle around your ankle. It makes it very difficult to do what you want and have the freedom to just pack up and go somewhere. We’ve avoided a few debt pitfalls that trap a lot of young professionals:

• Education. I’ve only been in debt once in my life: I took out a $20,000 loan for graduate school for an MBA degree, which generally has immediate payoff. (According to The National Association of Colleges and Employers, first-year MBA graduates’ salaries average between $50,000 and $75,000–with more than 40% earning $75,000 and up.) This loan annoyed me so much I paid it back in less than 2 years despite a very modest salary with a non-profit.
   
  It’s no longer true that earning a college degree (even from a “good” school) is worth whatever the cost. IMHO, it’s a bad idea to go more than $5,000-$8,000 in debt per year for undergraduate school unless you’re going into a very lucrative career (i.e. nursing, engineering). This may sound unrealistic, but it’s not if you work hard and make wise choices about where you go to school.
   
• Automobiles. I made one stupid car purchase when I was 18 (a sports car that broke down and became useless immediately after buying). But that $2,500 mistake taught me a valuable lesson: cars suck, and they steal your money. I’ve had several jobs selling new and used cars, and I’ve seen the ridiculous mistakes people make after becoming enamored with an automobile.
   
  I almost cried once after a man came in trying to trade in a brand new Ford Mustang. It only had 1,500 miles on it and, boy, did the paint sparkle when he drove up on that sunny day. But he couldn’t afford the $500+ monthly payments on the car. He owed over $32,000 on it, but now it had a trade-in value of only $18,000. The hopelessness in his eyes was depressing. I learned that cars only make you poorer.

  I’ve never had a car payment, and I never will.

  There are so many other things I’d rather have, do, or give to right now than drive an expensive car.

  I’m not against expensive cars, but I’m aware enough to know I can’t afford one now. And many young professionals can’t, either. (Well, I actually could afford one, but then we wouldn’t be able to take a 30-day trip to an exotic location. It’s really about priorities.)

  While every situation is different, I don’t suggest spending more than 20-25% of your gross annual income on a car. Forget how much the monthly payment is; only people shopping out of their league ask that question.

  One other strategy is to only have one car. This isn’t always possible, but it’s a big cost saver. Our apartment is close enough to my job that I can walk to work. This eliminates the need for a second car for my wife. After we were married, we sold Elisabeth’s nicer car (at a small loss) because it saves thousands a year on gas, repairs, and insurance.

• Credit cards. I’m not against credit cards. I actually think saying credit cards are bad is simplistic and untrue. Personal finance gurus like Dave Ramsey say they’re evil because he thinks you’re not disciplined or smart enough to use a credit card wisely. If you look at the national stats, most people aren’t. But there are a lot of benefits for savvy usage.
   
  When I signed up for my first credit card over 7 years ago, it felt so weird because I had been told they were evil. To protect myself, I created one main rule: The first month I pay a penny for use of a credit card, I destroy all of them. Paying interest on credit cards is a fool’s game. My credit card bills are automatically paid each month out of my checking account, so I don’t even worry about forgetting. By using credit cards, I get 1-5% cash back on everything I buy. I’ve received checks totaling hundreds of dollars because of this. I’ve never paid an annual fee or a penny of interest in over 7 years of using credit cards.

  But let me emphasize: if you’re not responsible enough to follow the rule I created (or if you’ve already racked up credit card debt), then don’t bother. It’s not worth it. You’ll pay more in annual fees and interest than you’ll ever receive in bonuses. And it will keep you from the freedom necessary to follow your dream.

  Using cards also has the added benefit of helping me track where my money is spent by using Mint.com. And without getting into too much detail, they are also safer than debit cards in cases of theft or fraud.

  Please notice that I didn’t list “building your credit score” as a good reason to use a credit card. The mythical “credit score” has been misunderstood and given way too much importance in mainstream personal finance. I’ve even heard of people purposely keeping a balance as to somehow increase their credit score. This is not true and is a poor reason to use a credit card. Like I said, I’ve never paid a penny to use credit cards and I’ve developed excellent credit (790+, which is top tier). If you’re concerned about buying a house in the future, banks will look at a lot more than some abstract, calculated number to decide how to structure your mortgage.

2. Eliminating recurring monthly expenses.

Elisabeth and I possess a really strong aversion to monthly charges. We’ve avoided services like Netflix, Spotify, and cable TV, and I waited about 3 years before I could bring myself to pay the $30/month for internet for the iPhone (and it still gives me night sweats). With no car payment, student loan payment, or credit card balances to worry about, we have a lot of freedom and peace.

Rules 3-6 will be in the next blog post!

Playing with tigers!

I think a lot of people want to do something like this; they dream of traveling to a distant land, exploring the world. But they don’t because of all the different excuses why it’s impossible (excuses I also had).

Excuses like:

• I don’t have enough time for that.
• It’s too expensive. I need to work more first to get more $$$.
• Where will I even go, anyways?
• I don’t speak that language.
• I have too much work to do.
• What if I get sick overseas?
• I have no idea about what to do or where to stay once I get there!

I always thought traveling overseas with Elisabeth in some exotic location would be fun, and I knew the window of opportunity might be closing soon since we had begun talking about children. But with a modest salary, not enough vacation time, and a thousand different projects with my name on them at work, I wondered if it would ever happen.

But the truth is, those reasons were all cover-ups…camouflage for the real assassin of my dream: fear. It is really scary to do something like that. What if it doesn’t work out? What if I let someone at work down? What if my pregnant wife gets sick and has to go to a strange hospital? (that one actually happened)

With so much uncertainty, it was enough to paralyze my dream before it ever had legs to run.

But everything changed on a cold winter evening in January. Why? Because I bought the plane tickets.

Not all of them, actually. Just the most expensive one, from JFK to Bangkok. I threw my hat over the wall, burned the ships, or whatever “commitment” metaphor you prefer. But I made the decision to not let fear stop me.

Our rooftop pool

I certainly didn’t have all the details worked out (we actually didn’t know where we were going to stay upon arrival until the day before we left). Not to mention we found out my wife was pregnant with twins only 2 days before the trip! But we made it there and had the experience of a lifetime because there was no other option. The tickets were bought.

What dream have you been too scared to pursue? Buy the ticket. Find out how resourceful you can be.

I edited it and uploaded it to Facebook to share with our friends…and 13 hours later it had nearly 400,000 views! Now it has over 700,000 views. We’re excited about this new adventure and we’re eagerly anticipating this little treasure God is giving us.

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