Based on the premise that your career and money choices are interdependent, let's shift our attention to the real reason you probably picked up this book: to come up with a plan for how to improve your career and finances, and gain some peace of mind in the process. In the coming chapters, you'll take the first step toward optimizing your situation by assessing where you stand now.

Because your career has such an overarching impact on your life, we'll start by putting your current job to the test. Specifically, we'll measure your role against five benchmarks of career satisfaction so that you can gain a clearer understanding of which aspects need improvement. You might also come away with criteria for what a fulfilling and enjoyable job looks like for you.

With a solid understanding of your current job situation, you'll then evaluate the financial resources you have to facilitate your ideal career path. First, I'll show you how to compile a report card that summarizes your financial health based on several key metrics, including your net worth, burn rate, financial runway, and credit score. You'll also be able to determine how much you're saving (if anything), and the minimum salary you need to fund your expenses.

Last but not least, you'll learn several effective and relatively painless ways to decrease your current living expenses (think pesky service fees, not your precious lattes), which can help you increase your savings rate and financial runway, while allowing you to expand your career choices (read: you could take a lower-paying but more satisfying job if you wanted).

So break out a pen and paper (or get access to helpful templates by visiting the website for this book at www.workyourmoneybook.com), grab a tasty snack, and let's get this party started!