Taking A Break

First, I just wanted to say thank you to anyone who wrote a kind email in the past couple weeks to make sure I was okay in my absence from new posts. I sincerely appreciate that, and that’s very thoughtful. I’m still amazed at how popular this blog has become and what a wonderful community the dividend growth investors have started.

With that being said, I have decided to take a break from blogging. I feel that I am no longer able to give this blog the attention it needs and to write the quality posts that I would feel proud of. With a full-time job that demands 50+ hours a week, managing investments, personal relationships, staying fit, living life and all that it comes with, I have found less and less time to devote to Dividend Mantra. I’m sad to write this, but I don’t half-ass anything and keeping up a blog is no exception. I may come back to this blog if time warrants, but if I feel that I don’t have enough time to respond to every comment, email and write quality posts then you will not see any new content.

I still plan to actively and aggressively pursue early retirement/financial independence as I have been over the past two years. I also still plan to follow all the blogs listed on my blogroll and comment on new posts as other awesome dividend growth investors continue their respective journeys.

I’m most proud of all the blogs that started after mine. There are a number of blogs that now exist that follow a similar format to the one I started here, and for that I’m really grateful and I continue to find inspiration in that. I think it would be really great if one day a number of us dividend growth investors/active bloggers were to form one super blog where there are a number of different authors that have their individual journeys posted and logged. How cool would that be?

I thank everyone for stopping by over the past year and giving me inspiration and providing a ton of support. It’s appreciated more than I can ever say and even though I never made much money in ad revenue from this site, I consider myself well compensated in the form support and inspiration. So, thank you everyone!

Thanks for reading.

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48 Comments

  1. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

    Gonna miss reading this blog. Sad day in the blogging world. This was the first webpage I would check every morning. Thanks for all your hard work. Best of luck in the future.

    What about just posting your monthly updates ?? Income/Expense report, new stocks purchased/sold that month.

  2. Given that this is my favorite DGI blog to read, I’m disappointed by this news. However, I completely understand the demands on your time and the need to prioritize. I will certainly miss your posts, though.

    I hope your journey toward financial independence continues to go well. I also hope you’re willing to post the occasional update just to let readers know how you’re doing with regard to your investing and life in general.

    Take care and be well!

  3. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you DM!!! Thanks to you i’ll some day get out of the mouse trap!!
    Thank you very much for your inspiration!

  4. DM, I’m going to miss your posts as well. I found your blog via MMM. Your blog is the one that really inspired me to get into dividend growth investing. I second Deedubs on hoping that you’ll consider the occasional post. Slow down, don’ t burn yourself out, and don’t feel like you have to answer everyone’s comment or question. They will understand. I honestly believe you have a lot still to offer to the FI community and you’ve had a huge impact on more people than you can imagine. Best Regards!

  5. I found this blog about a year ago and it became one I checked every time I went online. I like your simple and straight forward style. You will be missed but I understand that life happens and you have to make choices. I wish you the best and hope you reach your goal.
    Thank you and best of luck.

  6. I am also going to miss this blog very much. I have enjoyed reading it and got behind in my reading since mid-May when I put in a 75 hour week and was out of town the following week. I noticed this morning as I was catching up that you hadn’t written much. Sorry to hear that you are so busy, but I can relate. Hope the hiatus isn’t permanent.

  7. First of all, glad to hear everything is ok. Like everyone else here, I’m going to miss this blog; you’re a bigger inspiration to me than you could realize. I started reading your blog at a pretty bad time in my life; at the very least, reading it was a nice distraction, but more than that, it inspired me to really change things for the better. Sign me up for the “super blog” concept.

  8. Happy to hear you’re ok, you had me worried. I hadn’t realized how much a part of my daily ritual reading your blog had become until I checked it every morning and evening looking for a post from you. Wanted to say thanks for the sacrifices you made in order to provide a first rate blog that continually piqued my interest and provided me with moral support as I continue my own quest towards independence from the rat race via DGI.

  9. Best of luck DM. I have also enjoyed your blog and have lurked since your started as we have similiar investment philosophies and holdings. I wish you the best.

  10. Hi there DM!

    I couldn’t agree more with Punctilious and everyone else’s comments here. I too have made this routine of checking your blog of news every morning/night. I was really glad to hear you’re OK, started to worry… Hope you will do well in your desire for FI!

    I do understand that it’s time consuming, my own blogging career was (is so far) much shorter than yours and I too continue to follow all other blogs since life took over.

    I hope that you’ll be able to post occacional monthly posts about your progress!

    You’ll be missed!

    But I’ll continue to have you as inspiration in my DGI-quest!

    Thank you and best of luck.

    / P

  11. Hey Mantra,

    I’m glad to hear you are ok. Thank you for your endless inspiration. I have this feeling that one day you’ll get back into regular blogging and all your fans will come back and start seeing your regular monthly dividend totals….only 10x larger! You have definitely touched many people’s lives in a significant way and that is immeasurable.

    Take great care,

    Mike

  12. Man, I’m definitely going to miss your posts/updates! This site was a huge inspiration for me… especially as I start out on my own journey to achieving financial independence through dividend investing.

    Hopefully you find some time here and there to post an occasional update. I’m sure the readers would love to know how the on-going journey is going. With your determination, no doubt you will be successful. Best of luck!

  13. I know I’m stating the obvious but it’s your blog and entirely up to you what you do with it. I just wonder, when you say you don’t do things half-assed, if that’s because you’ve decided that’s who you want to be or because you’ve assumed that that’s how you’re supposed to be. There is nothing inherently wrong with a sporadically updated blog with posts that may not be as polished as they could be — you can go ahead and do a half-assed blog if you want to. Just throwing it out there in case you had immediately dismissed the half-assed blog option…

    Thanks for sharing as much as you have, for as long as you have. It really is inspirational to get a glimpse at your journey. All the best to you! And I have no doubt you will reach FI at a young age and enjoy all the freedom it entails for many, many years!

  14. Hey DM, glad you are ok. If you decide to do the super blog, I’ll do the ‘girlie portion’ where I discuss living/dressing fashionable on a budget 🙂 Please update once in a while. I started my blog because of you! You are a huge inspiration for myself and many others. Best wishes in all that you do.

  15. Wow that’s a bummer. It is difficult to constantly come up with new content, I know what you’re saying there. I hope you will continue to post your new purchases, budget, and dividends received. It doesn’t take very long and will help to keep you on track. Either way I wish you the best of luck!

  16. DM,

    I found your blog just a month ago and I like your sensible thoughts on life priorities and stock investing. Wish you all the best and thanks for the inspiration you have given me and the other of your readers!

    / Finland

  17. DM! I’ll be sad while you’re not blogging, but I’ll rest assured in the knowledge that you’ll keep up your dividend investing awesomeness during this period of radio blackout. Good luck to you sir!

  18. Hi Mantra!

    Glad to hear from you and that you are ok. This blog has, since I found it, always been my favorite blog. You have readers from the entire world and your blog is the first thing I check in the morning.

    I wish you all the best on your journey to accomplish your goals!

    Best,
    //Sweden

  19. Mantra,

    Thanks for all of your contributions to the community. We will miss you.

    Best,
    ST

  20. Mantra,

    Thanks for all of your contributions to the community. We will miss you!

    Best,
    ST

  21. Hey DM….

    enjoy your break.

    anytime you get the urge, pop on over and leave a comment or two.

    Of course, in a couple of weeks I’ll also be signing off for the summer until we return from Peru & Bolivia.

    Cheers,

    JC

  22. This news is a bummer, but I completely understand where you are coming from. Wish you continued investing success.

  23. DM,
    This is very sad news, as I check your blog almost daily for inspiration and insights when it comes to dividend investing. The content you publish is always top-notch and the community is so great too (I love reading the comments). I do understand where you’re coming from as a blogger myself. I wish you all the best and hope you post here from time to time (maybe 1x/month), as it would give me and the other readers something to look forward to. Wishing you all the best! You rule!
    All the best,
    Ian

  24. Sorry to heard you’re leaving the blogging sphere. Hope you continue to update monthly thought. Best wishes to you and your family. Keep up the great work! =)

  25. Dividend Mantra, I am going to miss your blog 🙁

    Keep in touch, and I hope you’ll be able to make some updates now and then. You inspired me with many of my blog posts over the past year.

    I wish you all the best!

  26. A bit of a downer, but do what you need to do 🙂

    I’ve enjoyed reading your articles…and I hope to you contine to stop by my blog and check in. Do give me an update now and again on your dividend journey. I’ll be curious.

    Happy investing and take care,
    Mark

  27. Mantra, I completely understand how you feel – becuase I feel exactly the same way myself! 😉 I will likely be winding down my blog as well. In the meantime I truly wish you the best, and look forward to your posts in the future. By then, you will have 100K in your portfolio. 🙂

    Cheers!
    Avrom

  28. Mantra-
    Please consider publishing once a month. You could recap buys/sells/portfolio status.
    That’s only 12 posts a year and you could keep the quality high.

    As a super site why not set up a site like TD-net where the posts rotate?
    Now 2 of my favs are gone you and themoneygardener.
    Scott

  29. Mantra,

    Thanks for all the great posts. I attribute my changed investing path mainly to this blog. It has worked wonders for my bottom line. I like the idea of a monthly update. Recap all your purchases and the growth of your portfolio. Keep in simple, short and concise. That being said, do whatever the hell you want and have a great life!

    DPS

  30. Ah, crap. I’m really sorry to hear this but I hear you about being crazy busy. If you could squeeze out the time, the monthly updates would be SO appreciated. Hope a lot of your busy-ness is FUN.

  31. Thank YOU for so very much DM! You have taught me many wonderful ways on how to invest wisely, and live a happy/ frugal and not deprived lifestyle. ERE and MMM got me into the goal of Extreme early retirement, and your DGI way is ideal for a passive income stream that I can control. I hope you find a little time to Post Monthly your expenses/incomes/thoughts/dreams of breaking away from 50+ hours, because you fans on your blog need you more in life then some corporation! Take care and thank you again. You are very inspirational and motivational for the PF blogging industry.

  32. Oh no! Not you too DN! I just got interested in your site and check it 5 times a week! First Earlyretirementextreme.com, now DM, and soon to be DN. But thank you all for the wonderful knowledge and awakening/ strength for us to have true freedom and ability to change this world for the better, let alone our own personal now happier lives!

  33. I also wanted to mention that you should organize your posts into a well constructed book for publication, someday when you have the time. Remember your happiness and Fun should always be prioritized first, for you only have one life to live, and if you have fun challenging and changing the world, then you will impact everyone’s life forever for the better.

  34. Best of luck in all your future endeavors! You were an inspiration for me getting into dividend growth investing so I want to give you a big THANKS for all your writing. Good Luck in your future!

  35. Hey man –

    Enjoy your break (and that scooter), and good luck on your continued investing success.

  36. Hey bro, congrats on all of your achievements and your continued success in the financial world. You have inspired so many people and that’s something that they will never forget!

  37. Sorry to hear that Mantra, but I’m glad you enjoyed the experience of blogging. Maybe time will permit you to do it again.

    Your ability to generate positive discussion via comments is unparalleled among dividend bloggers. You clearly brought a personal vibe to the table that attracted a particularly strong readership.

    Good luck on your endeavors.

  38. Hi DM,

    I have been out of town and unable to comment until now. I am sorry to hear you are taking a break but life calls.

    I do want to say this blog was one of the first if not the first investing blog that I started to follow. Your blog inspired me to start my own to keep track and hold myself accountable for my investment decisions. I hope that you could update us at least on your purchases.

    I wish you luck and hope that at some point you have more time to come back and contribute to your blog.

  39. This was always a great blog. Keeping up a high quality blog though is a lot tougher then it might appear!

    Best of luck

  40. Good luck on your break, hope all goes well for you:} I really enjoyed your blog alot, and still come back to it for the links to some of other fave FI sites. Take care.

  41. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who left a wonderfully kind comment to this post. I’ll be back posting with a month or so and I can’t wait to deliver personal and inspirational content.

    Best wishes everyone!

  42. Welcome back DM. Am eagerly awaiting new postings–and have enjoyed your unique perspective on life and how it relates to investing strategy. Good to see you back!

  43. Markus,

    Thank you!

    I look forward to providing more of that unique perspective and also learning from readers like you. It’s the mutual inspiration that draws me back!

    Best wishes!

  44. Good to see you back, buddy. I for one was getting a bit tired of seeing your ugly mug next to that tiny scooter. (I kid, I kid!)

    Looking forward to some excellent posts!

  45. Pey,

    Haha! I was getting tired of my ugly mug too!

    When will be blessed with a blog of your own where we get to see your ugly mug? Hmm? Haha.

    Thanks for stopping by. Good to see you. Hope all is well.

    Take care.

  46. Oh man, good question. I bought a house in North County San Diego with 0.77 acres of land. I had no idea how much yard work would be required for a place like this with around 100 trees and lots of bushes. It’s incredibly beautiful and serene — we even have a creek running east to west on our property — but it’s still way more work than I ever expected.

    I took a two month hiatus from blogging but I’ve been posting a few articles on Seeking Alpha lately.

    Feels good to be back, does it not?

  47. Pey,

    Congratulations on the house! It sounds like a beautiful pad and I’m glad you’ve been enjoying it. I can certainly understand having less time to devote to writing articles when you’re a freshly minted homeowner.

    It feels great to be back. My vision is clearer than ever and I’m not going to stop until I get to where I want to be.

    Keep in touch!

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