Greetings and Salutations--
Well-- this is it-- last day of the year.. I can't believe that this year is over.. By far and large this is the fastest year of my life.. So much has happened and I am filled to the brim with hope and passion that 2013 will be the first year of the best years of my life.. This is my sincere wish for you as well..
When I was a kid growing up I would usually be at my grandmother's house watching the ball drop on TV in NYC and cut up newspaper for confetti to throw at midnight.. As I grew older I would spend the final hours of the eve frantically writing out my resolutions (usually about 20) thinking that it was bad luck to not have them all written down and committed to memory before midnight.. As I wrote out the list, deep inside I knew as much as I truly wanted everything I had listed to come true-- I had no real skill how to pull off lasting change.. Starting to teach myself the skills of long lasting life changes is what this past year has been about for me..
This past year has taught me so much.. I have learned that real, sustainable change is slow and steady with lots of missteps and bobbles-- Set back and failures-- Short comings and disappointments.. I have learned that real, sustainable change is sweet and wonderful--happy and soulful--given me a new sense of tenacity and consistency is a bitch you love to hate (LOL).. I have also learned that life is truly what you make of it and you can either see the good or the bad.. Its that simple.. The saying make lemonade of lemons takes on a sharper meaning.. I have heard this saying my whole life.. I always saw the lemonade out of lemons.. I never really concentrated on the MAKE part.. The action part of that cliche is so subtle it is almost hard to concentrate on.. It doesn't say LET lemons make lemonade.. It doesn't say lemons WILL MAKE lemonade.. I recently read an article in Yoga Journal that a guy framed a placard with the word "YES" on it and placed it in his home where he would see it everyday to remind him to say "YES" as much as possible in his life.. How cool is that?? The human condition is truly remarkable to me.. How we can all see the exact same thing (or hear it) yet walk away with different interpretations?? Amazing.. Its is a fundamental belief to me that if you believe that all things are possible and say yes every chance you get-- your life can change in dazzling ways..
What do you want out of life?? Are you where you want to be?? Do you believe no is the answer to most questions in life than yes?? Do you ask questions? Are you curious about life?? Do you give people the change to amaze you?? Is your heart open?? Is your mind open?? How do you deal with disappointment?? Do you have malice in your heart?? Have you given up?? Are you numb to everything?? Are you scared??
I want to challenge you in 2013 to START the journey to make your life into that you want it to really be.. I don't assume that you are miserable.. I just take the idea that most all of us can benefit from some deep personal inventory.. Maybe all you need to do is some light house keeping in your mind and soul.. Most all of us need more than that though.. If you have all of your poop in a group then maybe you know someone you can inspire or help make them more self aware..
Make a list of a few choice (3-5) things that you want to see change in your life.. Take your time (say like before the end of January 2013) .. Its OK if it stings a little--then you know its real.. Choose at least one thing that you have no earthly idea how you will pull off.. Then think about it.. Lament about it.. Read it over and over and see what starts to happen.. Read a book about it.. Talk to someone who is or has done what you want to do.. Don't worry about how you are going to do it.. Just start somewhere--anywhere.. Start slow.. Real change comes about slowly and with initial failure.. Sometimes lots of it.. Just do this-- commit to start somewhere and commit to not quitting no matter how many times it takes you to get it right.. No matter how long it takes.. Just keep at it every day.. I promise if you just start and figure it out as you go amazing things will happen along the way.. It will all come together in ways you can't imagine or figure out sitting on the couch or with a life full of in-action.. Whats on your list?? Please write and tell me..
Best of wishes to you and your families and may we all have a blessed and wonderful New Year-- Don't accept anything less
Tootles :)
Heather
Monday, December 31, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Merry Christmas!!
Greetings and Salutations--
Merry Christmas and hope everyone has a wonderful two days!! Simple thoughts as we are all spending time with family and loved ones.. I hope you are all feeling blessed and grateful for all that you have, and in the days and months to come super charged about what life has in store for you if you do the work to achieve it.. The other day I read what I really think is a profound thought in a really simple book by Jon Gordon called "The Shark And The Goldfish"--this is a very simplistic book but has a wonderful message--this is the passage I want to share-- "What fear and faith have in common is a future that hasn't happened yet. Fear believes in a negative future.. Faith believes in a positive future.. Interestingly enough, both believe in something that hasn't happened yet." This points to a blog I have done in the past.. And this is where I believe that faith doesn't have to have a religious meaning or overtone (but of course can should you chose).. The positive (faith) outcome is just as likely to happen as something bad or terrible (fear).. So why not choose the positive over the negative?
This time of year is an easy measure to reflect on your past year and start fresh.. This is what I will speak of in the final blog of 2012 and eagerly look towards what 2013 has in store for each of us.. I want to take the time to thank each and everyone of you for reading my blog.. What a wonderful thing to have such support from friends.. I am grateful for anyone that takes the time to read my thoughts and ideas.. I look forward to a new year of blogging.. I am humbled at any thoughts that I could share with you that could stimulate or inspire you to get all you can out of your life and relationships.. I feel soo blessed with the direction of my life and look forward to the work that is still ahead of me to continue to strive for the life that I chose to live.
My thoughts and prayers go out to all that have suffered the loss of loved ones this year.. May God bless you and your family this holiday season and keep us all safe..
Tootles :)
Heather
Merry Christmas and hope everyone has a wonderful two days!! Simple thoughts as we are all spending time with family and loved ones.. I hope you are all feeling blessed and grateful for all that you have, and in the days and months to come super charged about what life has in store for you if you do the work to achieve it.. The other day I read what I really think is a profound thought in a really simple book by Jon Gordon called "The Shark And The Goldfish"--this is a very simplistic book but has a wonderful message--this is the passage I want to share-- "What fear and faith have in common is a future that hasn't happened yet. Fear believes in a negative future.. Faith believes in a positive future.. Interestingly enough, both believe in something that hasn't happened yet." This points to a blog I have done in the past.. And this is where I believe that faith doesn't have to have a religious meaning or overtone (but of course can should you chose).. The positive (faith) outcome is just as likely to happen as something bad or terrible (fear).. So why not choose the positive over the negative?
This time of year is an easy measure to reflect on your past year and start fresh.. This is what I will speak of in the final blog of 2012 and eagerly look towards what 2013 has in store for each of us.. I want to take the time to thank each and everyone of you for reading my blog.. What a wonderful thing to have such support from friends.. I am grateful for anyone that takes the time to read my thoughts and ideas.. I look forward to a new year of blogging.. I am humbled at any thoughts that I could share with you that could stimulate or inspire you to get all you can out of your life and relationships.. I feel soo blessed with the direction of my life and look forward to the work that is still ahead of me to continue to strive for the life that I chose to live.
My thoughts and prayers go out to all that have suffered the loss of loved ones this year.. May God bless you and your family this holiday season and keep us all safe..
Tootles :)
Heather
Monday, December 17, 2012
You Gotta Play In Order To Win .....Right?
Greetings and Salutations
How is everyone? I sure hope well.. So I hope that most can indulge me on this most "single" of blogs that I have consciously done.. Usually I try and keep in mind to account for not only single people but couples as well.. I'm just needing to vent and put personal thoughts to "paper".. This installment is indeed directed at couples.. Just the left handed approach... Something that one day soon I hope to be a part of..
So there seems to be two very distinct trains of thought when it comes to trying to meet someone meaningful in your life.. You are either of the thinking that you should do nothing and put aside what you specifically want out of life in the romance department and subscribe to the "when you least expect it-- it will happen".. The other side of the stadium is rooting for the "go forth and put yourself out there--Mr Right isn't going to knock on your door for God sake" and this takes the form of friends/family setting you up and/or on-line dating. Which is right? I am most certainly not sure and torn within my own head where my vote would be cast..
On the first hand-- I feel that maybe being single, finding "Mr Right", and subscribing to the "when you least expect it" routine is similar to being an alcoholic and Alcoholics Anonymous (not to make light of alcoholics or AA--just a light parallel).. So many books I have read that detail addiction and recovery end up with the same message.. At first they all reject AA--only in the end to finally agree that AA is the only model that works and if they had only realized it in the beginning that it would have saved a lot of time and bullshit-- is this "letting go" approach equivalent to the AA of dating?
Then there is something more aligned with all the stuff I have been reading for about the last 8 months or so--put it out in the Universe and the Universe will respond or "conspire" to make it happen-- Take action steps to make it happen and it will.. How am I supposed to just sit here and "let it happen?" How am I suppose to learn all I have just to buy the "when you least expect it" routine? Does any one every think about this but me?
There are sooo many single people in the world--all wishing they could hurry up and become miserable like most of the married people I know.. But does marriage always have to equal mostly misery and no sex? My sincere belief is --no.. Life isn't perfect and perfection is not what I am aiming for.. I am aiming that more often not I am happy.. More often than not the person I am with enhances my life and enriches it more than my life could ever be without him and I do the same for him.. Pixie Dust Days that number more than one and less than 365 in a year..
Why can't we have the best of both worlds--be unrealistically realistic? Why can't most couples move in the same direction in life and love each other more and more each day? Why can't we grow in the same direction vs growing apart? I want to make it all count..
I know in my pain when I get low or sad that great things are just around the corner for me or anyone that feels as much as I do.. You can't give up.. I feel in my heart I am making my life better to have room for the man I am headed towards every day of my life.. I know there is a plan and for as impatient as my moments can be-- I don't want to rush things along.. I still have some refining to do with and about myself.. I still have lots to grow and improve upon.. Should you be single--what do you want? What do you search for? Do you pretend to not want it? Do you lay in your bed at night and dream of your other half? How are you going to get it? Should you be married-- are you happy? How do you stay that way? What are the little things that work and make a difference? If you are not happy how can you get that way? Where did you lose it? Did you ever have it from the start? Was it a purposeful union or one of convenience?
Someone recently told me that my adventures into online dating and putting myself out there has inspired them to "get off the bench" and get out there.. That I should look at my failures as building inner strength and knowledge.. That with ever failure I am that much closer to success.. This is what I am banking on-- How about you? What fills your thoughts when you think of someone out there for you? What side of the fence are you on? Sit on the bench and wait for something to happen or get out there and do everything you can to help destiny along? The jury is still out for me......
Tootles :)
Heather
How is everyone? I sure hope well.. So I hope that most can indulge me on this most "single" of blogs that I have consciously done.. Usually I try and keep in mind to account for not only single people but couples as well.. I'm just needing to vent and put personal thoughts to "paper".. This installment is indeed directed at couples.. Just the left handed approach... Something that one day soon I hope to be a part of..
So there seems to be two very distinct trains of thought when it comes to trying to meet someone meaningful in your life.. You are either of the thinking that you should do nothing and put aside what you specifically want out of life in the romance department and subscribe to the "when you least expect it-- it will happen".. The other side of the stadium is rooting for the "go forth and put yourself out there--Mr Right isn't going to knock on your door for God sake" and this takes the form of friends/family setting you up and/or on-line dating. Which is right? I am most certainly not sure and torn within my own head where my vote would be cast..
On the first hand-- I feel that maybe being single, finding "Mr Right", and subscribing to the "when you least expect it" routine is similar to being an alcoholic and Alcoholics Anonymous (not to make light of alcoholics or AA--just a light parallel).. So many books I have read that detail addiction and recovery end up with the same message.. At first they all reject AA--only in the end to finally agree that AA is the only model that works and if they had only realized it in the beginning that it would have saved a lot of time and bullshit-- is this "letting go" approach equivalent to the AA of dating?
Then there is something more aligned with all the stuff I have been reading for about the last 8 months or so--put it out in the Universe and the Universe will respond or "conspire" to make it happen-- Take action steps to make it happen and it will.. How am I supposed to just sit here and "let it happen?" How am I suppose to learn all I have just to buy the "when you least expect it" routine? Does any one every think about this but me?
There are sooo many single people in the world--all wishing they could hurry up and become miserable like most of the married people I know.. But does marriage always have to equal mostly misery and no sex? My sincere belief is --no.. Life isn't perfect and perfection is not what I am aiming for.. I am aiming that more often not I am happy.. More often than not the person I am with enhances my life and enriches it more than my life could ever be without him and I do the same for him.. Pixie Dust Days that number more than one and less than 365 in a year..
Why can't we have the best of both worlds--be unrealistically realistic? Why can't most couples move in the same direction in life and love each other more and more each day? Why can't we grow in the same direction vs growing apart? I want to make it all count..
I know in my pain when I get low or sad that great things are just around the corner for me or anyone that feels as much as I do.. You can't give up.. I feel in my heart I am making my life better to have room for the man I am headed towards every day of my life.. I know there is a plan and for as impatient as my moments can be-- I don't want to rush things along.. I still have some refining to do with and about myself.. I still have lots to grow and improve upon.. Should you be single--what do you want? What do you search for? Do you pretend to not want it? Do you lay in your bed at night and dream of your other half? How are you going to get it? Should you be married-- are you happy? How do you stay that way? What are the little things that work and make a difference? If you are not happy how can you get that way? Where did you lose it? Did you ever have it from the start? Was it a purposeful union or one of convenience?
Someone recently told me that my adventures into online dating and putting myself out there has inspired them to "get off the bench" and get out there.. That I should look at my failures as building inner strength and knowledge.. That with ever failure I am that much closer to success.. This is what I am banking on-- How about you? What fills your thoughts when you think of someone out there for you? What side of the fence are you on? Sit on the bench and wait for something to happen or get out there and do everything you can to help destiny along? The jury is still out for me......
Tootles :)
Heather
Monday, December 10, 2012
Rocks In Your Pathway
Greetings and Salutations
Hope everyone's holiday season is going along smoothly and with little stress.. Its the season for all things good and stress isn't on the list--
So Sunday I participated in the closing of King Street for 2nd Sunday of the month-- I need to learn more about it (secondsundayonkingstreet.com)-- my understanding is that the city does this each month for the entire spring/summer.. I am ashamed to say I have never participated in this event but that is a dated way to express my thoughts/feelings--here is what I really meant to say-- I attended my first Second Sunday on King Street and it was AWESOME!! How wonderful with all the people out in the street, music, businesses with doors open and all the tables on the street open for lunch and dinner..It was truly a wonderful experience and I can't wait to do that again!!
I also discovered Washington Park.. beautiful and so peaceful! I have also discovered Hampton Park (recently).. I have always known I live in a wonderful city but never seen it for what it truly is.. In my travels it has been easier to appreciate strange cities and explore them then my own-- after all it has just been "home".. Sunday was a Pixie Dust Day and I felt transported to another world.. I felt like I was on vacation..
Some where in my travels I have heard that in the Zoo they will sometimes put a rock in the path of some animals such as tigers to keep them from traveling the same way repeatedly day in and day out.. This pattern can make them profoundly stressed, sick, and depressed.. My understanding is even the small act of changing its course to go around the rock is enough to have a positive impact on the animals over all health and well being.. Sunday King Street was my rock.. I had a million other things to do but decided it was time to stop being a task master and change my path.. It was a small decision that has inspired me to really become aware of my habits and how to not just get out of a rut but refuse to live in one..
My first plan is to start off by connecting with my city and be aware of events going on around town.. Take a book to the park on the weekends and enjoy everything I can every moment I can.. I have not spent my weekends (lately) judiciously and this must change.. I am watching a lot less TV and listening more to my music.. I want so much out of life.. I feel like each day and with each new experience I am becoming more and more alive.. I realize how much of my life I have spent passive and that my life has been my job.. About the party.. About letting life happen without active participation.. About being passive.. About not really being awake at the wheel of life and thinking about what I want and then taking the action steps to get it.. To make it happen.. I am so grateful I have finally started the process of waking up.. A year ago I would never thought I would be blogging every Monday and for sure never thought anyone would want to read it.. I now believe that all things are possible with hard work and never giving up..
Over the weekend they installed the left dedicated turn signal on Hwy 61 that I spoke of in a previous blog.. I can't tell you how moved I was that I had an impact on something that both myself and others will benefit from.. That makes an intersection safer for all those that travel it.. I can't tell you how it feels to have a thought and pursue it until fruition.. I hope some of this will inspire you to take a personal inventory and actively think about what you want.. Develop a plan-- Wake up and go for it!! So what's your rock gonna be?
Tootles :)
Heather
Hope everyone's holiday season is going along smoothly and with little stress.. Its the season for all things good and stress isn't on the list--
So Sunday I participated in the closing of King Street for 2nd Sunday of the month-- I need to learn more about it (secondsundayonkingstreet.com)-- my understanding is that the city does this each month for the entire spring/summer.. I am ashamed to say I have never participated in this event but that is a dated way to express my thoughts/feelings--here is what I really meant to say-- I attended my first Second Sunday on King Street and it was AWESOME!! How wonderful with all the people out in the street, music, businesses with doors open and all the tables on the street open for lunch and dinner..It was truly a wonderful experience and I can't wait to do that again!!
I also discovered Washington Park.. beautiful and so peaceful! I have also discovered Hampton Park (recently).. I have always known I live in a wonderful city but never seen it for what it truly is.. In my travels it has been easier to appreciate strange cities and explore them then my own-- after all it has just been "home".. Sunday was a Pixie Dust Day and I felt transported to another world.. I felt like I was on vacation..
Some where in my travels I have heard that in the Zoo they will sometimes put a rock in the path of some animals such as tigers to keep them from traveling the same way repeatedly day in and day out.. This pattern can make them profoundly stressed, sick, and depressed.. My understanding is even the small act of changing its course to go around the rock is enough to have a positive impact on the animals over all health and well being.. Sunday King Street was my rock.. I had a million other things to do but decided it was time to stop being a task master and change my path.. It was a small decision that has inspired me to really become aware of my habits and how to not just get out of a rut but refuse to live in one..
My first plan is to start off by connecting with my city and be aware of events going on around town.. Take a book to the park on the weekends and enjoy everything I can every moment I can.. I have not spent my weekends (lately) judiciously and this must change.. I am watching a lot less TV and listening more to my music.. I want so much out of life.. I feel like each day and with each new experience I am becoming more and more alive.. I realize how much of my life I have spent passive and that my life has been my job.. About the party.. About letting life happen without active participation.. About being passive.. About not really being awake at the wheel of life and thinking about what I want and then taking the action steps to get it.. To make it happen.. I am so grateful I have finally started the process of waking up.. A year ago I would never thought I would be blogging every Monday and for sure never thought anyone would want to read it.. I now believe that all things are possible with hard work and never giving up..
Over the weekend they installed the left dedicated turn signal on Hwy 61 that I spoke of in a previous blog.. I can't tell you how moved I was that I had an impact on something that both myself and others will benefit from.. That makes an intersection safer for all those that travel it.. I can't tell you how it feels to have a thought and pursue it until fruition.. I hope some of this will inspire you to take a personal inventory and actively think about what you want.. Develop a plan-- Wake up and go for it!! So what's your rock gonna be?
Tootles :)
Heather
Monday, December 3, 2012
taking a vacation blog day
Greetings and Salutations--
I had company over the weekend--I'm pooped and going to bed!! come back next week!! Hope all is well-
Tootles :)
Heather
I had company over the weekend--I'm pooped and going to bed!! come back next week!! Hope all is well-
Tootles :)
Heather
Monday, November 26, 2012
Do They Sell Pixie Dust At The Mall?
Greetings and Salutations--
So I have been thinking-- There are a few times of the year that get you in a pensive mood.. I would imagine that it is different for each of us.. For me the holiday season is one of those times.. It is a time of year that is an easy measure of a new beginning-- coming with the new year and the air is crisp with cold wind.. I love the decorations and all the beautiful lights.. I love any opportunity to sit around a fire and think of my future and where it is headed..
How many times in your life have you experienced moments of time--maybe lasting for hours or days where things felt surreal? Clinically-- I imagine it must be the moments when you are having a natural endorphin release.. I want to explore how to define it better than that but not sure how.. I know only this-- these are the moments I live for.. I like to think of these times as if pixie dust is all around me.. It could involve the company of a friend, spouse, lover, or just yourself.. Maybe it is a beautiful day where the weather is perfect, there is a awesome cool breeze, and the windows are up in your home.. You have a great book, a nice glass of wine, and candles burning while listening to your favorite relaxing music.. You look around and are overwhelmed with the feeling of peace and warmth yet you can't explain it in tangible terms.. How is one moment different from another?.. How do you describe in objective terms a subjective feeling when the room is quite and you watch the sun come into the window while the curtains blow gently in the breeze?? Where you have that feeling of wanting what ever it is that you are experiencing to last forever.. How do we make these experiences last longer? Can you learn to make them come around more often?
For me I am especially attached to music.. On "pixie days" it can bring tears to my eyes even though I have heard a particular piece a million times.. It is as if I can feel the music coursing through my veins.. I can often times listen to a piece of music and remember a specific day and recall what I was feeling/experiencing with vivid detail..
I want to have as many of these days and moments as possible.. Here is another time it can happen-- when Hollywood gets it right and a movie you watch touches you.. I have recently been "bitten" by the Twilight Saga.. I watched the first one when it came out and wasn't impressed.. I am not much for vampire stuff.. However I had seen the trailers for the last movie in the series and actually noticed that it appealed to me on some level that I couldn't describe.. Some how I knew I would love it.. Soon after I had an opportunity to go with some old work friends.. I LOVED IT!! I couldn't follow everything that was going on but it didn't matter.. It struck me as one of the most (for a love story) intelligent movies I have seen in quite some time.. The characters were all lovable, had great depth, and personality.. I appreciated that it wasn't the typical "rules" for vampires..I loved the powers that independently were great but collectively worked to unify them all perfectly..
Most of all I really identified with the love story between Edward and Bella.. I want that.. Does that make me a hopeless romantic? unrealistic? silly? Look-- I know I have tons of things left to experience in life but I have also lived enough to know that bills, late nights, lack of sleep, stress, and overall reality creeps in every relationship.. I know that Hollywood can make the impossible look as easy as Sunday morning..Hollywood can scue reality to the point of not knowing it is unreal.. Maybe it is because I am not married with kids/teenagers and to someone that more days than not I am tired of.. That constantly pisses me off.. Maybe being single, by default makes me either a cynic or a hopeless romantic-- but here is what I believe exists-- that feeling of a love for someone that you know from the depths of your heart you were meant to be together in an instant.. That truly for better or worse you are willing to go to the depths of hell for that person more days in a month than not.. I believe in soul mates and I believe that most people never meet theirs.. I hope I am fortunate enough to meet mine.. He'll be the one with pixie dust in his hands.. what about you? What do you believe in?
Tootles :)
Heather
So I have been thinking-- There are a few times of the year that get you in a pensive mood.. I would imagine that it is different for each of us.. For me the holiday season is one of those times.. It is a time of year that is an easy measure of a new beginning-- coming with the new year and the air is crisp with cold wind.. I love the decorations and all the beautiful lights.. I love any opportunity to sit around a fire and think of my future and where it is headed..
How many times in your life have you experienced moments of time--maybe lasting for hours or days where things felt surreal? Clinically-- I imagine it must be the moments when you are having a natural endorphin release.. I want to explore how to define it better than that but not sure how.. I know only this-- these are the moments I live for.. I like to think of these times as if pixie dust is all around me.. It could involve the company of a friend, spouse, lover, or just yourself.. Maybe it is a beautiful day where the weather is perfect, there is a awesome cool breeze, and the windows are up in your home.. You have a great book, a nice glass of wine, and candles burning while listening to your favorite relaxing music.. You look around and are overwhelmed with the feeling of peace and warmth yet you can't explain it in tangible terms.. How is one moment different from another?.. How do you describe in objective terms a subjective feeling when the room is quite and you watch the sun come into the window while the curtains blow gently in the breeze?? Where you have that feeling of wanting what ever it is that you are experiencing to last forever.. How do we make these experiences last longer? Can you learn to make them come around more often?
For me I am especially attached to music.. On "pixie days" it can bring tears to my eyes even though I have heard a particular piece a million times.. It is as if I can feel the music coursing through my veins.. I can often times listen to a piece of music and remember a specific day and recall what I was feeling/experiencing with vivid detail..
I want to have as many of these days and moments as possible.. Here is another time it can happen-- when Hollywood gets it right and a movie you watch touches you.. I have recently been "bitten" by the Twilight Saga.. I watched the first one when it came out and wasn't impressed.. I am not much for vampire stuff.. However I had seen the trailers for the last movie in the series and actually noticed that it appealed to me on some level that I couldn't describe.. Some how I knew I would love it.. Soon after I had an opportunity to go with some old work friends.. I LOVED IT!! I couldn't follow everything that was going on but it didn't matter.. It struck me as one of the most (for a love story) intelligent movies I have seen in quite some time.. The characters were all lovable, had great depth, and personality.. I appreciated that it wasn't the typical "rules" for vampires..I loved the powers that independently were great but collectively worked to unify them all perfectly..
Most of all I really identified with the love story between Edward and Bella.. I want that.. Does that make me a hopeless romantic? unrealistic? silly? Look-- I know I have tons of things left to experience in life but I have also lived enough to know that bills, late nights, lack of sleep, stress, and overall reality creeps in every relationship.. I know that Hollywood can make the impossible look as easy as Sunday morning..Hollywood can scue reality to the point of not knowing it is unreal.. Maybe it is because I am not married with kids/teenagers and to someone that more days than not I am tired of.. That constantly pisses me off.. Maybe being single, by default makes me either a cynic or a hopeless romantic-- but here is what I believe exists-- that feeling of a love for someone that you know from the depths of your heart you were meant to be together in an instant.. That truly for better or worse you are willing to go to the depths of hell for that person more days in a month than not.. I believe in soul mates and I believe that most people never meet theirs.. I hope I am fortunate enough to meet mine.. He'll be the one with pixie dust in his hands.. what about you? What do you believe in?
Tootles :)
Heather
Monday, November 19, 2012
What Does Faith Have To Do With Self Evolvement?
Greetings and Salutations--
Hello all--Hope you are getting geared up for the coming holiday season and I wish the best for you and your families!! Tonight I hope everyone will stay with me long enough to hear out my thoughts.. I would imagine a few got the vapors from the title alone.. Stay with me now-- I promise it will not be a sermon :)
For the longest time I have had a personal self limiting belief that "true" faith is something that for the most part comes from a church.. Not that it doesn't or can't but I am not talking about that kind of faith.. Tonight I looked up old school style two words, the first of which is faith: (1) confidence or trust in a person or thing (2) belief that is not based on proof (4) belief in anything, as a code of ethics, or the occurrence of a future event (The Random House College Dictionary).. I believe this to be critical ingredient to any lasting, real life changes a person can make.. Faith that today, as you begin your journey or tomorrow when you take that first step, real change will happen.. That you can turn your life into what ever you want or need it to be.. That all things are possible and you don't have to have the outcomes drawn out on a map before you start your journey.. Some times you really shouldn't skip to to the last chapter and cheat.. Have faith that things will work out.. That you will handle what ever it is that life can throw at you with skill and grace..
I have a 12x12 inch cork board in my bathroom--my quote or thought board of sorts.. It is that priming thing I have talked about before.. I read them all every day..Here are two-- "If you are not willing to learn-- no one can help you.. If you are determined to learn--no one can stop you" and "If 75% of what you worry about doesn't happen--why worry about it 100% of the time?"-- these really speak to faith in what you can't see or touch yet you move forward anyway. Having faith that one day in the near or far future it will all come together and make sense.. That you will achieve what you are working so hard for..
I think of it like this--if you have kids you teach them and invest all you have to give them a foundation to build on for the rest of their lives.. You don't know how your kids will turn out..You don't know if they will be the next Bill Gates or the next loser.. You have faith that you are investing in someone who will do nothing but succeed in life.. So why not put that kind of faith in yourself? Whether you have kids or not is a mute point.. Have faith that you can improve yourself.. That you can move mountains when it comes to getting what you want out of your life.. It is all about quality.. It starts somewhere small and grows--which takes me to the second definition I looked up tonight..
Evolve: (1)to develop gradually (3) to come forth gradually into being;develop;undergo evolution (same as above)--This is one of the best ingredients of all in life-- I feel this with all my soul and being.. With faith in evolution it gives you purpose in life when purpose is lacking or absent.. Every day is a new beginning and an opportunity to get it right again.. Change what didn't work yesterday.. Never give up or let go of what you are striving for.. patience, love, capacity to forgive and move on, energy, ridding yourself of habits that hold you back from life, poor choices, wasting your time, or just plain squandering your life away.. My lord I could go on and on.. With the determination of getting started- faith will tide you over until results start pouring in.. Expect great things and it will happen.. Expect something positive and let it happen.. Do something to help it along.. Don't just sit on your hiney and expect a great life to knock on the door.. Seek it out.. Make it happen..
What do you want out of life? What do you lay awake at night or drink the evening away wishing you had? When will you realize that it is time to stop being a victim and take charge of who you are and where you are in life? You are the only one that can change it.. Stop being a victim of yourself-- that's the worst thief of all--
Tootles :)
Heather
Hello all--Hope you are getting geared up for the coming holiday season and I wish the best for you and your families!! Tonight I hope everyone will stay with me long enough to hear out my thoughts.. I would imagine a few got the vapors from the title alone.. Stay with me now-- I promise it will not be a sermon :)
For the longest time I have had a personal self limiting belief that "true" faith is something that for the most part comes from a church.. Not that it doesn't or can't but I am not talking about that kind of faith.. Tonight I looked up old school style two words, the first of which is faith: (1) confidence or trust in a person or thing (2) belief that is not based on proof (4) belief in anything, as a code of ethics, or the occurrence of a future event (The Random House College Dictionary).. I believe this to be critical ingredient to any lasting, real life changes a person can make.. Faith that today, as you begin your journey or tomorrow when you take that first step, real change will happen.. That you can turn your life into what ever you want or need it to be.. That all things are possible and you don't have to have the outcomes drawn out on a map before you start your journey.. Some times you really shouldn't skip to to the last chapter and cheat.. Have faith that things will work out.. That you will handle what ever it is that life can throw at you with skill and grace..
I have a 12x12 inch cork board in my bathroom--my quote or thought board of sorts.. It is that priming thing I have talked about before.. I read them all every day..Here are two-- "If you are not willing to learn-- no one can help you.. If you are determined to learn--no one can stop you" and "If 75% of what you worry about doesn't happen--why worry about it 100% of the time?"-- these really speak to faith in what you can't see or touch yet you move forward anyway. Having faith that one day in the near or far future it will all come together and make sense.. That you will achieve what you are working so hard for..
I think of it like this--if you have kids you teach them and invest all you have to give them a foundation to build on for the rest of their lives.. You don't know how your kids will turn out..You don't know if they will be the next Bill Gates or the next loser.. You have faith that you are investing in someone who will do nothing but succeed in life.. So why not put that kind of faith in yourself? Whether you have kids or not is a mute point.. Have faith that you can improve yourself.. That you can move mountains when it comes to getting what you want out of your life.. It is all about quality.. It starts somewhere small and grows--which takes me to the second definition I looked up tonight..
Evolve: (1)to develop gradually (3) to come forth gradually into being;develop;undergo evolution (same as above)--This is one of the best ingredients of all in life-- I feel this with all my soul and being.. With faith in evolution it gives you purpose in life when purpose is lacking or absent.. Every day is a new beginning and an opportunity to get it right again.. Change what didn't work yesterday.. Never give up or let go of what you are striving for.. patience, love, capacity to forgive and move on, energy, ridding yourself of habits that hold you back from life, poor choices, wasting your time, or just plain squandering your life away.. My lord I could go on and on.. With the determination of getting started- faith will tide you over until results start pouring in.. Expect great things and it will happen.. Expect something positive and let it happen.. Do something to help it along.. Don't just sit on your hiney and expect a great life to knock on the door.. Seek it out.. Make it happen..
What do you want out of life? What do you lay awake at night or drink the evening away wishing you had? When will you realize that it is time to stop being a victim and take charge of who you are and where you are in life? You are the only one that can change it.. Stop being a victim of yourself-- that's the worst thief of all--
Tootles :)
Heather
Monday, November 12, 2012
Even Santa Needs To Know How to Budget
Greetings and Salutation--
Hey!!...Hope you are all well this Monday evening..Guess for the Month of December I need to change my opener to Seasons Greetings :)
I was thinking and waiting for inspiration to hit me about what I wanted to blog about tonight. I was deciding on my musical selection--I chose Sally Harmon's Let It Snow (piano) and it hit me maybe I should speak about St Nick and what the Christmas Season means to me- and my wallet now that I am budget minded.. For those of you that have put aside money along and along...congrats! For those of you that wavered...fret not..there is always next year and I mean that with true sincerity. Start this month and I don't care how much it is. $5 is better than $0. It is my personal challenge to you to start saving a few dollars with regularity (automate it ) and let me know next year how much you managed.. This year I get to shop for my friends and family with ease as I have saved money for my shopping.. Guess the one thing I didn't plan for was saving up money to give to Santa for me :)
Speaking of Santa-- don't let that old fart rob you blind this year.. I am always amazed at how much money people are willing to go into debit for the sake of their kids or loved ones when they have not saved appropriately.. I mean don't get me wrong-- I love gifts like anyone else.. Where I see the problem is when people jump off into the deep end of the debt pool and spend the first 3-6 months of the following year digging out what they spent for Christmas.. Why? So the kids will be happy? How about teaching them humility and understanding of the real way the world works.. In the real, grounded, responsible world you don't get what you haven't planned ahead for.. That this isn't the time of the year to get thousands of dollars worth of toys and gadgets..that is it a great time of the year to remember just how big the world is..That there are people that have nothing and something simple would mean more to them that any complicated gift you could give someone that "has it all".. Does going overboard in gifts prove I love you more? Does this prove your level of importance in my life? I just don't get it.. I am not advocating being scrooge himself.. I am, However, advocating simple common sense..Buy what you can afford.. Plan ahead and stay within your means..
As you get out in the in suing crazy traffic and shop til you drop try and think what Christmas really means to you.. It is religious? It is commercial? It is spiritual? Is it all Bullshit? Is it what someone else has made you feel? When you make your decision I encourage you to really think about why you feel the way you do about the holiday season.. Reevaluate your emotions assigned to this, for most, stressful time of the year..
Most often I hear that people who express hate the holiday season do so because they don't stop and take the time to see all of the good things that the season can offer.. Maybe they tie up the holiday season with past wrongs or heartbreak..Maybe they see it all as a Hallmark moment and for as commercial as it has become. I would encourage that person to see past all the commercial and emotional wrongs and find ways to make the holidays mean something new.. Help out a local family.. Do some volunteering for a local homeless shelter or soup kitchen. Visit kids or adults in the hospital who have no family.. Help those who have less or no opportunity to have a holiday season of their choosing . Visit a retirement home and visit with the residents that have no family.. Who better to be on the receiving end of a random act of kindness then a gift from someone that could use a reason to believe in the goodness of human kind.. Giving is the best way to connect with that.. I think we should do this kind of thing year round but hey-- this is a stressful season for most and you have to start somewhere right?
The season for me means a fresh start is just around the corner and God has granted me with another year to get it right and enjoy all that is before me..It is the best time to refill my hope bank.. Maybe you are not religious or spiritual.. So take that one word out of my previous sentence and make it yours.. I look forward to sending out Christmas cards and as I do I send love and thoughts to each person I send it to.. The season is about reflection and where am I versus where do I want to go.. Spending time with people means so much more to me than a fancy gift.. Time spent together and a simple, well spoken gift mean more than any fancy-smancy gift anyone could ever give me..
Take this time to appreciate your family and all that you work for.. Not the spending of money you don't have.. Do things together as a family.. Any and all of the volunteering opportunities I mentioned above can include the whole family.. What a first hand, wonderful life learning experience you could have with yourself or your family.. Odds are the dolly you kid can't live without (which will get tossed into the pile of 20 less than a month after Christmas) would be gladly handed over to a more needy child or lonely senior citizen given that opportunity..See what you and your kids are made of this holiday season.. Try giving a gift this year that doesn't come with a bow but comes from the heart and changes someone's soul.. Just keep it in perspective and stop to enjoy the smell in the air and the energy in all that surrounds you
Tootles :)
Heather
Hey!!...Hope you are all well this Monday evening..Guess for the Month of December I need to change my opener to Seasons Greetings :)
I was thinking and waiting for inspiration to hit me about what I wanted to blog about tonight. I was deciding on my musical selection--I chose Sally Harmon's Let It Snow (piano) and it hit me maybe I should speak about St Nick and what the Christmas Season means to me- and my wallet now that I am budget minded.. For those of you that have put aside money along and along...congrats! For those of you that wavered...fret not..there is always next year and I mean that with true sincerity. Start this month and I don't care how much it is. $5 is better than $0. It is my personal challenge to you to start saving a few dollars with regularity (automate it ) and let me know next year how much you managed.. This year I get to shop for my friends and family with ease as I have saved money for my shopping.. Guess the one thing I didn't plan for was saving up money to give to Santa for me :)
Speaking of Santa-- don't let that old fart rob you blind this year.. I am always amazed at how much money people are willing to go into debit for the sake of their kids or loved ones when they have not saved appropriately.. I mean don't get me wrong-- I love gifts like anyone else.. Where I see the problem is when people jump off into the deep end of the debt pool and spend the first 3-6 months of the following year digging out what they spent for Christmas.. Why? So the kids will be happy? How about teaching them humility and understanding of the real way the world works.. In the real, grounded, responsible world you don't get what you haven't planned ahead for.. That this isn't the time of the year to get thousands of dollars worth of toys and gadgets..that is it a great time of the year to remember just how big the world is..That there are people that have nothing and something simple would mean more to them that any complicated gift you could give someone that "has it all".. Does going overboard in gifts prove I love you more? Does this prove your level of importance in my life? I just don't get it.. I am not advocating being scrooge himself.. I am, However, advocating simple common sense..Buy what you can afford.. Plan ahead and stay within your means..
As you get out in the in suing crazy traffic and shop til you drop try and think what Christmas really means to you.. It is religious? It is commercial? It is spiritual? Is it all Bullshit? Is it what someone else has made you feel? When you make your decision I encourage you to really think about why you feel the way you do about the holiday season.. Reevaluate your emotions assigned to this, for most, stressful time of the year..
Most often I hear that people who express hate the holiday season do so because they don't stop and take the time to see all of the good things that the season can offer.. Maybe they tie up the holiday season with past wrongs or heartbreak..Maybe they see it all as a Hallmark moment and for as commercial as it has become. I would encourage that person to see past all the commercial and emotional wrongs and find ways to make the holidays mean something new.. Help out a local family.. Do some volunteering for a local homeless shelter or soup kitchen. Visit kids or adults in the hospital who have no family.. Help those who have less or no opportunity to have a holiday season of their choosing . Visit a retirement home and visit with the residents that have no family.. Who better to be on the receiving end of a random act of kindness then a gift from someone that could use a reason to believe in the goodness of human kind.. Giving is the best way to connect with that.. I think we should do this kind of thing year round but hey-- this is a stressful season for most and you have to start somewhere right?
The season for me means a fresh start is just around the corner and God has granted me with another year to get it right and enjoy all that is before me..It is the best time to refill my hope bank.. Maybe you are not religious or spiritual.. So take that one word out of my previous sentence and make it yours.. I look forward to sending out Christmas cards and as I do I send love and thoughts to each person I send it to.. The season is about reflection and where am I versus where do I want to go.. Spending time with people means so much more to me than a fancy gift.. Time spent together and a simple, well spoken gift mean more than any fancy-smancy gift anyone could ever give me..
Take this time to appreciate your family and all that you work for.. Not the spending of money you don't have.. Do things together as a family.. Any and all of the volunteering opportunities I mentioned above can include the whole family.. What a first hand, wonderful life learning experience you could have with yourself or your family.. Odds are the dolly you kid can't live without (which will get tossed into the pile of 20 less than a month after Christmas) would be gladly handed over to a more needy child or lonely senior citizen given that opportunity..See what you and your kids are made of this holiday season.. Try giving a gift this year that doesn't come with a bow but comes from the heart and changes someone's soul.. Just keep it in perspective and stop to enjoy the smell in the air and the energy in all that surrounds you
Tootles :)
Heather
Monday, November 5, 2012
Automation Makes It Happen
Greetings and Salutations-
So tonight I thought I would bring it back to some financial stuff.. Automation came to mind.. I most certainly believe that this is one of the most important keys to financial success.. When you start to automate your saving, spending, saving to spend, and paying yourself-- it closes the gap of unaccounted spending.. I have talked about this before but thought this time I would spend a little more time on this subject because it is really something that you can start small and increase it over time.. Its a great bang for your buck!!
So first lets look at a habit that you quit, change, or decrease.. I would think that most all people at this point bank online--drafting money into your savings/spending account doesn't cost anything so start it small and start it frequently.. As I have said before-- I started with $8 for coffee that I was spending at work everyday and decided to cut that out. The trick is instead of just changing that habit you have to keep "spending" it as you would before..but instead of making Starbucks richer (and don't get me wrong I love Starbucks) you have to get it to a place that you will benefit from it-- your spending/savings account. Every Friday I drafted $8 and quickly started looking around on how I could add to the kitty. I quit smoking and that added $20.. What would you add to yours? It can start with any amount that you have.. Figure out how to add to it.. Maybe it is how much you usually spend out with your friends. Try every other time taking even $20 off the top of what you would spend..
Life s all about choices and I feel that more are up to us than we like to admit to.. When you automate things and account for more and more of each dollar and know where it is going then that is when you get going.. It is where you start to see progress and progress begets progress and before you know it.. you are accounting for all of your money and what you spend and save!! We all know that the more you have the more you spend.. So why not the more you account for the more you actually have when you need it?
Figure out what works for you.. Try every and all combinations that you can until you find your sweet spot of success.. There is nothing in the world like having the money available to you when you need it because you have planned ahead and done without until you were actually financially ready to purchase it.. Draft it.. Make it weekly.. Make it challenge you.. Start off with a buck or two and watch it grow.. Find ways to add to it.. Minimal planning today can make tomorrow a day of pleasure when you are prepared and accountable to yourself and/or your family.. Financial skills are learned either through passing it down in a family or active participation and teaching yourself.. It is a skill that has more immediate payoff than you think.. You just have to get started and that is why I think automating as much money as possible makes a real difference..Once you get it all going for the most part you just watch your money go in the categories and accounts that it belongs and you spend and save with intelligence and purpose.. It can change your life..
Tootles :)
Heather
So tonight I thought I would bring it back to some financial stuff.. Automation came to mind.. I most certainly believe that this is one of the most important keys to financial success.. When you start to automate your saving, spending, saving to spend, and paying yourself-- it closes the gap of unaccounted spending.. I have talked about this before but thought this time I would spend a little more time on this subject because it is really something that you can start small and increase it over time.. Its a great bang for your buck!!
So first lets look at a habit that you quit, change, or decrease.. I would think that most all people at this point bank online--drafting money into your savings/spending account doesn't cost anything so start it small and start it frequently.. As I have said before-- I started with $8 for coffee that I was spending at work everyday and decided to cut that out. The trick is instead of just changing that habit you have to keep "spending" it as you would before..but instead of making Starbucks richer (and don't get me wrong I love Starbucks) you have to get it to a place that you will benefit from it-- your spending/savings account. Every Friday I drafted $8 and quickly started looking around on how I could add to the kitty. I quit smoking and that added $20.. What would you add to yours? It can start with any amount that you have.. Figure out how to add to it.. Maybe it is how much you usually spend out with your friends. Try every other time taking even $20 off the top of what you would spend..
Life s all about choices and I feel that more are up to us than we like to admit to.. When you automate things and account for more and more of each dollar and know where it is going then that is when you get going.. It is where you start to see progress and progress begets progress and before you know it.. you are accounting for all of your money and what you spend and save!! We all know that the more you have the more you spend.. So why not the more you account for the more you actually have when you need it?
Figure out what works for you.. Try every and all combinations that you can until you find your sweet spot of success.. There is nothing in the world like having the money available to you when you need it because you have planned ahead and done without until you were actually financially ready to purchase it.. Draft it.. Make it weekly.. Make it challenge you.. Start off with a buck or two and watch it grow.. Find ways to add to it.. Minimal planning today can make tomorrow a day of pleasure when you are prepared and accountable to yourself and/or your family.. Financial skills are learned either through passing it down in a family or active participation and teaching yourself.. It is a skill that has more immediate payoff than you think.. You just have to get started and that is why I think automating as much money as possible makes a real difference..Once you get it all going for the most part you just watch your money go in the categories and accounts that it belongs and you spend and save with intelligence and purpose.. It can change your life..
Tootles :)
Heather
Monday, October 29, 2012
goals...got one?
Greetings and Salutations-
A few days ago I was reading an article on Yahoo that was talking about finances.. This viewpoint was not to think about a goal in concrete terms but instead to picture how it will feel once you reach it.. I have to say that while I can understand where that frame of thinking comes from I believe a goal is better to be as specific as possible.. Thinking about how you will "feel" when you have achieved your goal(s) seems a bit like a fantasy if you ask me...and trust me--I have better things to fantasize about ;) When you save with a clearly defined goal in mind for most it gives you an objective way to measure your success (or lack there of) when you attain it.. I do believe that no matter what way you chose to go at your goal--just do it (sorry Nike).
What are your goals? Have you ever officially ever set one? Have you ever achieved it in a timely manner? Make a goal simple, concise, and measurable.. It should be something like "by 12-31-12 I will have $300 in my emergency fund" or "I will spend 20 minutes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week taking a walk or run the week of 10-29-12" and and put it in a place that you view everyday.. As you read it and re-read it- you will start to make subtle choices in your habits that will help get you attain your goal.. Start out with a few to get going.. Chose a number you can live with.. Maybe that number is one.. Maybe it is five.. Pick a few things that mean something to you and go for it.. It can be financial or personal.. I have a goal board in my kitchen.. I can tell you that I burned it up for the first 4-5 months of the year.. I have slacked off with that and my success for goal setting has taken a nose dive.. Why? Because I am not taking the time to write out my goals in black and white and read them day after day.. Thinking about them in my head is not the same as writing them out.. I must get back to this so that I can get the machine of accomplishments going once again.
In a great book I am currently reading--"Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell it describes a behavior that I have been participating in that until now I had no idea what it was called.. Priming.. When I put words or phrases up on my 12x12 square of cork in my bathroom to read everyday of positive statements-- that's priming. When you have goals on a goal board or central location to read over and over again-- that's priming.. You can prime for good thoughts or bad thoughts.. All of the books that I have been reading that prescribe to this behavior have not used this phrase "priming" to describe this action.. Now I understand why it can be so successful with changing behavior.
Most of us have an internal dialogue which is quite self deprecating.. With diligent effort this dialogue can be re-written and all that was once negative can be positive.. Imagine what your life could be if you really believed that with patience, due diligence, persistence, and a positive belief system that any and all things are possible.. There is a common denominator I see and read about with people who "get it" about life--a commonality that they all share--clear and purposeful goal setting.. Most didn't know how they were going to get there--they saw the vision of their life as they knew it to be long before it was evident on the outside for the world to see.. What are your goals?
Tootles :)
Heather
A few days ago I was reading an article on Yahoo that was talking about finances.. This viewpoint was not to think about a goal in concrete terms but instead to picture how it will feel once you reach it.. I have to say that while I can understand where that frame of thinking comes from I believe a goal is better to be as specific as possible.. Thinking about how you will "feel" when you have achieved your goal(s) seems a bit like a fantasy if you ask me...and trust me--I have better things to fantasize about ;) When you save with a clearly defined goal in mind for most it gives you an objective way to measure your success (or lack there of) when you attain it.. I do believe that no matter what way you chose to go at your goal--just do it (sorry Nike).
What are your goals? Have you ever officially ever set one? Have you ever achieved it in a timely manner? Make a goal simple, concise, and measurable.. It should be something like "by 12-31-12 I will have $300 in my emergency fund" or "I will spend 20 minutes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week taking a walk or run the week of 10-29-12" and and put it in a place that you view everyday.. As you read it and re-read it- you will start to make subtle choices in your habits that will help get you attain your goal.. Start out with a few to get going.. Chose a number you can live with.. Maybe that number is one.. Maybe it is five.. Pick a few things that mean something to you and go for it.. It can be financial or personal.. I have a goal board in my kitchen.. I can tell you that I burned it up for the first 4-5 months of the year.. I have slacked off with that and my success for goal setting has taken a nose dive.. Why? Because I am not taking the time to write out my goals in black and white and read them day after day.. Thinking about them in my head is not the same as writing them out.. I must get back to this so that I can get the machine of accomplishments going once again.
In a great book I am currently reading--"Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell it describes a behavior that I have been participating in that until now I had no idea what it was called.. Priming.. When I put words or phrases up on my 12x12 square of cork in my bathroom to read everyday of positive statements-- that's priming. When you have goals on a goal board or central location to read over and over again-- that's priming.. You can prime for good thoughts or bad thoughts.. All of the books that I have been reading that prescribe to this behavior have not used this phrase "priming" to describe this action.. Now I understand why it can be so successful with changing behavior.
Most of us have an internal dialogue which is quite self deprecating.. With diligent effort this dialogue can be re-written and all that was once negative can be positive.. Imagine what your life could be if you really believed that with patience, due diligence, persistence, and a positive belief system that any and all things are possible.. There is a common denominator I see and read about with people who "get it" about life--a commonality that they all share--clear and purposeful goal setting.. Most didn't know how they were going to get there--they saw the vision of their life as they knew it to be long before it was evident on the outside for the world to see.. What are your goals?
Tootles :)
Heather
Monday, October 22, 2012
Persistence is one of many keys to success
Greetings and Salutations--
Good evening to you. Hope this Monday finds you well. I have been thinking a lot about persistence and how much it takes to have the kind of life that I think most of us want to have but for one reason or another don't. This is a basic factor that keeps me doggedly at my quest to shape my life into what I see in my minds eye. Persistence is one of the foundations to achievement. This is a basic truth in any subject of your life; financial, personal, and professional.
Lets talk about financial--as you are trying to reshape your spending habits and save-concentrate on your successes not your shortcomings ...see every opportunity to make better choices with your money as just that--endless chances to get it right. A poor choice today should not automatically mean to give up or in and continue to make more poor choices. The best way to stop digging a hole is to put down the flipping shovel...basic right? yet most all of us just keep digging the proverbial hole and then say "how the hell did I get here?" When the next spending opportunity occurs, think before you decide, if you don't get it right this time--aim for getting it right next time.
I think often we all suffer from the "all or nothing" disease. It has plagued me my entire life. It is as if I haven't seen any real value in stopping something that isn't working for me even though I know I need to stop but why? Is it human nature? I think mostly yes. I think we have a real need to be able to predict our environment so much so that despite what we intellectually know to be counterproductive--we persist with that behavior because we are familiar with the outcome. Fear of that unknown is the foundation as to why it is so difficult to learn new behaviors and ideas. Most of what we do in life is done while our brains are "asleep at the wheel". How we spend, what we spend it on, the amount we spend and we do it over and over again. This is why I am a firm believer that as you start to master your finances your mind will be ripe for opening the door to the rest of your life before you even realize it. Its intuitive to want more. More out of life. Take responsibility for who and what are you.
Personal- take an inventory of your life. Are you doing what you want? Are you living to your fullest potential? Are you fulfilling your destiny as you know you can and want to? Are you sharing your life with the person that brings out the best in you more often than the worst? most importantly and the one that will kick you in the kisser every time--WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT? what are your action steps to give yourself the life you want? It isn't going happen by spontaneous combustion. This is where it can get really sticky. This is where the real hard work is waiting for you. Should there be things in your life that you don't like or want- change it. It shouldn't be over night.It is going to take lots of real truths about yourself. Its hard and its raw. But most importantly its REAL.
When you go at life with the passion to be the best person you were put on this planet to be you begin to see the world in a different light. Which brings persistence back to mind. No matter how small the change- decide what about you that you want to change and DO NOT stop until you achieve your goal. "failures" are what let you know that you are getting closer to success because you are trying. Learn what doesn't work and you will be all the smarter with the next attempt.
I would like to share one of my recent "ah-ha" moments. (other than the great song "take on me"..lol) So I have been fairly new at this "Monday through Friday" grind. My entire professional career I have worked on/off with no rhythm. Finally after trying and trying I have figured this out about my Mondays- No running, no getting up early and no structure. No real plans except to come home and blog. That is it. It is now my official "get started gently" day and I am stoked about that. Instead of setting myself up for failure with unrealistic expectations, I've instead given myself permission to "ease" into the work week and you know what? It has been the best start to a great work week in quite some time-- I think I am on to something. Wishing you the best in your week
Tootles,
Heather :)
Good evening to you. Hope this Monday finds you well. I have been thinking a lot about persistence and how much it takes to have the kind of life that I think most of us want to have but for one reason or another don't. This is a basic factor that keeps me doggedly at my quest to shape my life into what I see in my minds eye. Persistence is one of the foundations to achievement. This is a basic truth in any subject of your life; financial, personal, and professional.
Lets talk about financial--as you are trying to reshape your spending habits and save-concentrate on your successes not your shortcomings ...see every opportunity to make better choices with your money as just that--endless chances to get it right. A poor choice today should not automatically mean to give up or in and continue to make more poor choices. The best way to stop digging a hole is to put down the flipping shovel...basic right? yet most all of us just keep digging the proverbial hole and then say "how the hell did I get here?" When the next spending opportunity occurs, think before you decide, if you don't get it right this time--aim for getting it right next time.
I think often we all suffer from the "all or nothing" disease. It has plagued me my entire life. It is as if I haven't seen any real value in stopping something that isn't working for me even though I know I need to stop but why? Is it human nature? I think mostly yes. I think we have a real need to be able to predict our environment so much so that despite what we intellectually know to be counterproductive--we persist with that behavior because we are familiar with the outcome. Fear of that unknown is the foundation as to why it is so difficult to learn new behaviors and ideas. Most of what we do in life is done while our brains are "asleep at the wheel". How we spend, what we spend it on, the amount we spend and we do it over and over again. This is why I am a firm believer that as you start to master your finances your mind will be ripe for opening the door to the rest of your life before you even realize it. Its intuitive to want more. More out of life. Take responsibility for who and what are you.
Personal- take an inventory of your life. Are you doing what you want? Are you living to your fullest potential? Are you fulfilling your destiny as you know you can and want to? Are you sharing your life with the person that brings out the best in you more often than the worst? most importantly and the one that will kick you in the kisser every time--WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT? what are your action steps to give yourself the life you want? It isn't going happen by spontaneous combustion. This is where it can get really sticky. This is where the real hard work is waiting for you. Should there be things in your life that you don't like or want- change it. It shouldn't be over night.It is going to take lots of real truths about yourself. Its hard and its raw. But most importantly its REAL.
When you go at life with the passion to be the best person you were put on this planet to be you begin to see the world in a different light. Which brings persistence back to mind. No matter how small the change- decide what about you that you want to change and DO NOT stop until you achieve your goal. "failures" are what let you know that you are getting closer to success because you are trying. Learn what doesn't work and you will be all the smarter with the next attempt.
I would like to share one of my recent "ah-ha" moments. (other than the great song "take on me"..lol) So I have been fairly new at this "Monday through Friday" grind. My entire professional career I have worked on/off with no rhythm. Finally after trying and trying I have figured this out about my Mondays- No running, no getting up early and no structure. No real plans except to come home and blog. That is it. It is now my official "get started gently" day and I am stoked about that. Instead of setting myself up for failure with unrealistic expectations, I've instead given myself permission to "ease" into the work week and you know what? It has been the best start to a great work week in quite some time-- I think I am on to something. Wishing you the best in your week
Tootles,
Heather :)
Monday, October 15, 2012
Random Ideas and Various Thoughts
Greetings and Salutations--
Well it may be due to needing some inspiration myself but I think it is time to switch from all this financial talk and do some solving of the worlds problems--jk. I want to think about life in general and how it impacts each of us and how much it can change us. I was talking with a friend of mine the other day and she said she never reads self help books. My first thought was thinking that is a real shame because of how much you can miss out on by not reading any of those type books. Introspection is a wonderful tool that can open up your world. This got me to thinking about how I have viewed self help books in the past and how my perspective has changed since I started the journey I am on now.
One day I hope to change the section in Barnes and Noble from "self help" to "self achievement" because that is really what I really think it is all about. Changing your reality is hard enough as it is but in a world full of "Debbie Doubters" and negative talk it seems almost impossible to make any real life changes. Most days I feel truly like I could leap a skyscraper in a single bound to be followed up with lots of "why am I even trying any of this- it won't change" or "this is a nice path to pursue but I'll soon go back to my old ways- at least it was entertaining for awhile" or "I'll never have the real success I truly want". Have you ever had thoughts like this?
I have been thinking a lot about this ever since I picked up the book "The Success Principles" by Jack Canfield and other like-minded books since then. After having read the book and applying many of its principles about life (which we all already know most of them)--I feel it basically boils down to how difficult it is to change your reality and make it stick. I think this is where it is born of the cliche that one day you're the bug and another your the windshield. Most of these books don't really promise you a perfect life (as some people might think)- they just remind you or give you the tools of how to be more successful at what ever you chose and more importantly get you to a place that when the poo-poo hits the fan you are more prepared to handle it. Your change is in your attitude. About any and all things. Negative breeds negative. Positive breeds positive and keeps you in a place where you are better equipped to handle it when life takes the turns that we all know it will.
One of the things I like the best is that you don't have to know how you will get to where you want- just know where you want to end up and begin. That isn't going to happen while watching TV or without some really hard work and action. This idea is either full of poop or its real but the way I see it- even if its crap I'll be too old to care by the time I figure it out. Besides time is going to pass one way or the other- might as well be entertained while it passes right?
So what are some of the things that have happened in my life that I can attribute to this way of living I am really trying to learn?--lots but there are few that stick out in my mind in the last 6 months: (1) I negotiated my salary at my job and I had no idea I could really do that in a staff position. (2) I finally called about a stop sign in my neighborhood that really looked awful and needed to be cleaned or replaced. (3) While I was at it I was tired of taking my life into my own hands turning left at an intersection coming into my neighborhood. I called and wrote the letter that was required requesting a protected left turn signal (the green arrow signal separate from the green light) at this intersection. The lady told me she was pretty sure that this assessment had already been done a few years ago and was rejected. I said oh well- maybe things have changed. After one follow up phone call and being informed that they would be conducting the assessment once school started (it was June when I initiated this) as to capture highest volumes (wow- someone in government actually does think) I just received a letter thanking me for bringing it to their attention and for my concern about highway safety and they would be installing not only a turn signal in the northbound lane but the southbound lane as well!! oh yeah and the stop sign was sparkling clean in less then 10 days :)
How would I summarize my experience as I try so very hard to change my reality into a life that I really want to have? frustrating, liberating, scary, wonderful, sad, overwhelming, but most of all super empowered and hopeful for what I can change in my world and anyone that I could possible inspire. Never give up. Stop the negative voice in your head and start asking asking asking-- start believing that all things are possible because even if the answer is no it could have been yes and next time it just might be.
Tootles
Heather :)
Well it may be due to needing some inspiration myself but I think it is time to switch from all this financial talk and do some solving of the worlds problems--jk. I want to think about life in general and how it impacts each of us and how much it can change us. I was talking with a friend of mine the other day and she said she never reads self help books. My first thought was thinking that is a real shame because of how much you can miss out on by not reading any of those type books. Introspection is a wonderful tool that can open up your world. This got me to thinking about how I have viewed self help books in the past and how my perspective has changed since I started the journey I am on now.
One day I hope to change the section in Barnes and Noble from "self help" to "self achievement" because that is really what I really think it is all about. Changing your reality is hard enough as it is but in a world full of "Debbie Doubters" and negative talk it seems almost impossible to make any real life changes. Most days I feel truly like I could leap a skyscraper in a single bound to be followed up with lots of "why am I even trying any of this- it won't change" or "this is a nice path to pursue but I'll soon go back to my old ways- at least it was entertaining for awhile" or "I'll never have the real success I truly want". Have you ever had thoughts like this?
I have been thinking a lot about this ever since I picked up the book "The Success Principles" by Jack Canfield and other like-minded books since then. After having read the book and applying many of its principles about life (which we all already know most of them)--I feel it basically boils down to how difficult it is to change your reality and make it stick. I think this is where it is born of the cliche that one day you're the bug and another your the windshield. Most of these books don't really promise you a perfect life (as some people might think)- they just remind you or give you the tools of how to be more successful at what ever you chose and more importantly get you to a place that when the poo-poo hits the fan you are more prepared to handle it. Your change is in your attitude. About any and all things. Negative breeds negative. Positive breeds positive and keeps you in a place where you are better equipped to handle it when life takes the turns that we all know it will.
One of the things I like the best is that you don't have to know how you will get to where you want- just know where you want to end up and begin. That isn't going to happen while watching TV or without some really hard work and action. This idea is either full of poop or its real but the way I see it- even if its crap I'll be too old to care by the time I figure it out. Besides time is going to pass one way or the other- might as well be entertained while it passes right?
So what are some of the things that have happened in my life that I can attribute to this way of living I am really trying to learn?--lots but there are few that stick out in my mind in the last 6 months: (1) I negotiated my salary at my job and I had no idea I could really do that in a staff position. (2) I finally called about a stop sign in my neighborhood that really looked awful and needed to be cleaned or replaced. (3) While I was at it I was tired of taking my life into my own hands turning left at an intersection coming into my neighborhood. I called and wrote the letter that was required requesting a protected left turn signal (the green arrow signal separate from the green light) at this intersection. The lady told me she was pretty sure that this assessment had already been done a few years ago and was rejected. I said oh well- maybe things have changed. After one follow up phone call and being informed that they would be conducting the assessment once school started (it was June when I initiated this) as to capture highest volumes (wow- someone in government actually does think) I just received a letter thanking me for bringing it to their attention and for my concern about highway safety and they would be installing not only a turn signal in the northbound lane but the southbound lane as well!! oh yeah and the stop sign was sparkling clean in less then 10 days :)
How would I summarize my experience as I try so very hard to change my reality into a life that I really want to have? frustrating, liberating, scary, wonderful, sad, overwhelming, but most of all super empowered and hopeful for what I can change in my world and anyone that I could possible inspire. Never give up. Stop the negative voice in your head and start asking asking asking-- start believing that all things are possible because even if the answer is no it could have been yes and next time it just might be.
Tootles
Heather :)
Monday, October 8, 2012
Is This Thing in Drive or Reverse?
Greetings and Salutations-
How is every little body doing out there in cyber land? I hope great, reading, and keeping at it like the little engine that could!! I want to point out something that may help anyone that is having problems getting any or all of this going. Should it over whelm you to think about going backwards and looking at the LAST 2-3 months worth of bank statements-- spend the NEXT 2-3 months keeping track of what and where you spend. Get the energy moving forward. This was an excellent point brought up to me by someone that I have been "coaching on the side". She has an excellent point and one that I like as an alternative for anyone that can't even get the gear out of park, much less into reverse.
The other point I want to reiterate is that when this stuff starts to make you swimmy-headed, and for a lot of you I know it will and does, work on it in the smallest amounts of time bites that you can stand to chew. Never underestimate how slow and steady wins the race. Make the goal to read a chapter a week in one of the books. Just no matter what you do keep at it and don't give up. Buy a calendar and mark your paydays and 3 bills on their respective due dates. Just do something. It gets easier--I promise!!
One of the quotes that I read every day is "Never Never Never give up" by Winston Churchill. You just can't. Stay at it and it will happen. This is a truth no matter what the subject in your life is before you. Persistence will pay off you just have to stay at it until you get there. No matter how long it takes. The truth for most is we say "are we there yet, are we there yet" but we take no concrete steps to achieve our goals. Do it and make every effort count no matter how big or small.
One of the other categories that I wanted to touch on with your spending plan is the importance of the unexpected expenses. This is just plain out preparing for what you know is going to happen eventually. So maybe I should call this the "expected unexpected" expenses category. Any amount of money you can put aside here saves you that much on the other end.
I can not begin to express how once you get any portion of this going how it quickly snowballs into money growth, accomplishment, and most of all pride in yourself. When you learn to manage your money with increased skill- it is a building block for so many other things in your life. You start to take responsibility for more and more actions. One of the first steps in managing your money better is to take a real hard but mostly truthful look at yourself and realize that YOU are the only one that can change any aspect of your life. Accountability and honesty with yourself and those in your life is difficult at best to even think about but the key to any real personal growth.
My goal is to plant the seed of perseverance and confidence it will take to get this thing off the ground for you. I believe in my heart and soul that all things can be conquered. This does not always mean it works out with the current choices you are making. Remember choosing to do nothing is a choice in itself. It doesn't mean it is going to come easy or without a lot of hard work. You have to learn the difference between futility and when its worth the battle. Sometimes backing up and punting really does win the game.
Tootles
Heather :)
How is every little body doing out there in cyber land? I hope great, reading, and keeping at it like the little engine that could!! I want to point out something that may help anyone that is having problems getting any or all of this going. Should it over whelm you to think about going backwards and looking at the LAST 2-3 months worth of bank statements-- spend the NEXT 2-3 months keeping track of what and where you spend. Get the energy moving forward. This was an excellent point brought up to me by someone that I have been "coaching on the side". She has an excellent point and one that I like as an alternative for anyone that can't even get the gear out of park, much less into reverse.
The other point I want to reiterate is that when this stuff starts to make you swimmy-headed, and for a lot of you I know it will and does, work on it in the smallest amounts of time bites that you can stand to chew. Never underestimate how slow and steady wins the race. Make the goal to read a chapter a week in one of the books. Just no matter what you do keep at it and don't give up. Buy a calendar and mark your paydays and 3 bills on their respective due dates. Just do something. It gets easier--I promise!!
One of the quotes that I read every day is "Never Never Never give up" by Winston Churchill. You just can't. Stay at it and it will happen. This is a truth no matter what the subject in your life is before you. Persistence will pay off you just have to stay at it until you get there. No matter how long it takes. The truth for most is we say "are we there yet, are we there yet" but we take no concrete steps to achieve our goals. Do it and make every effort count no matter how big or small.
One of the other categories that I wanted to touch on with your spending plan is the importance of the unexpected expenses. This is just plain out preparing for what you know is going to happen eventually. So maybe I should call this the "expected unexpected" expenses category. Any amount of money you can put aside here saves you that much on the other end.
I can not begin to express how once you get any portion of this going how it quickly snowballs into money growth, accomplishment, and most of all pride in yourself. When you learn to manage your money with increased skill- it is a building block for so many other things in your life. You start to take responsibility for more and more actions. One of the first steps in managing your money better is to take a real hard but mostly truthful look at yourself and realize that YOU are the only one that can change any aspect of your life. Accountability and honesty with yourself and those in your life is difficult at best to even think about but the key to any real personal growth.
My goal is to plant the seed of perseverance and confidence it will take to get this thing off the ground for you. I believe in my heart and soul that all things can be conquered. This does not always mean it works out with the current choices you are making. Remember choosing to do nothing is a choice in itself. It doesn't mean it is going to come easy or without a lot of hard work. You have to learn the difference between futility and when its worth the battle. Sometimes backing up and punting really does win the game.
Tootles
Heather :)
Monday, October 1, 2012
Saving to Spend
Greetings and Salutations-
So now we enter the world of pre-planned spending. I call this my Category Spending/Savings Account. I would recommend no more than 10 categories to plan for at a time. Should you be able to handle more please do--but 10 is about all my head and wallet can handle! Your situation will be different and what you plan to save/spend for will be different. Maybe you should start with one category or two. Makes no difference as you need to start from somewhere-- so close your eyes and pick something!!
Theses are my categories: (1) Home repair (2) Car Fund (I'm saving ahead of time for a down payment on a car) (3) Deductibles (home owners and my car deductible) (4) Christmas Fund (5) Unexpected Expenses (6) quarterly and yearly bills (ie my car taxes, terminix, costco membership etc) (7) Murphy's Slice (my dog--vet, food etc) (8) Personal Acct (make-up, hair cuts, etc (9) Clothes (10) Car Repair.
I can tell you the item I see missing off the list immediately--Vacation Fund! This is a very important fund, but for now- I can't justify saving any real money for that until I get some of these accounts fully funded and then can start that kitty. Make these categories your own and change out what you need for you. Maybe you will have categories in waiting like I do. First things first. There are some things I need to get a cushion for that when I have met my goals (even if that is just a really good start in savings) I can "spread the love" so to say.
For instance-(category 3) once my deductibles account is fully funded with the amounts of (my deductibles) for both my home owners and car I will stop putting money back in this account and move onto the next. My home owners is high so this will take me years to have this goal come to fruition but it will happen. Maybe you rent so all you need to fund is for your car. Cool--save and move on! (category 4) I will have $350 to do my Christmas shopping without sweating where it comes from because I set aside $30 a month through out the year. When I get ready to go shopping for the first time in a LONG time I will not even get my heart rate up about it!! How much will I spend for my gifts? $350 because that is what works for me. What is your number? Don't worry about this year- but pay attention. How much do you want to earmark for next year and start this Jan!!
Lets talk about one more category in detail this time and save the rest for next time.I don't want you to be overwhelmed by this process. This is one of the most important processes to this entire thing in my humble opinion. With minimal planning and due diligence on your part- you can plan for the future of spending tomorrow today and keep your bee-hind out of trouble. Even if the burden is lifted in only one area of your life. Pick one subject and I don't care if all you save is $5 a month.
Quarterly bills- add up and pay attention to the bills that you pay irregularly--I keep a running tab and add to it when someone comes up due I forgot about. Like your car taxes. Like pest control. Like professional licenses. Add them all up and divide by 12. This is the amount you need to save for that category so when the bill comes due you will be ready. In some instances this is $2 a month for me. But it all adds up in the end.
Use any method you choose to keep up with these categories. As by now you can imagine I use a 2 column book with pens in 2 contrasting colors-Blue for the regular stuff and red for when I exceed my goal. You are doing great I am certain of it!! Remember that the small successes lead to big ones and it all counts. Any change in the right direction is something that can snowball into something terrific!! keep at it and don't give up!
Tootles :)
Heather
So now we enter the world of pre-planned spending. I call this my Category Spending/Savings Account. I would recommend no more than 10 categories to plan for at a time. Should you be able to handle more please do--but 10 is about all my head and wallet can handle! Your situation will be different and what you plan to save/spend for will be different. Maybe you should start with one category or two. Makes no difference as you need to start from somewhere-- so close your eyes and pick something!!
Theses are my categories: (1) Home repair (2) Car Fund (I'm saving ahead of time for a down payment on a car) (3) Deductibles (home owners and my car deductible) (4) Christmas Fund (5) Unexpected Expenses (6) quarterly and yearly bills (ie my car taxes, terminix, costco membership etc) (7) Murphy's Slice (my dog--vet, food etc) (8) Personal Acct (make-up, hair cuts, etc (9) Clothes (10) Car Repair.
I can tell you the item I see missing off the list immediately--Vacation Fund! This is a very important fund, but for now- I can't justify saving any real money for that until I get some of these accounts fully funded and then can start that kitty. Make these categories your own and change out what you need for you. Maybe you will have categories in waiting like I do. First things first. There are some things I need to get a cushion for that when I have met my goals (even if that is just a really good start in savings) I can "spread the love" so to say.
For instance-(category 3) once my deductibles account is fully funded with the amounts of (my deductibles) for both my home owners and car I will stop putting money back in this account and move onto the next. My home owners is high so this will take me years to have this goal come to fruition but it will happen. Maybe you rent so all you need to fund is for your car. Cool--save and move on! (category 4) I will have $350 to do my Christmas shopping without sweating where it comes from because I set aside $30 a month through out the year. When I get ready to go shopping for the first time in a LONG time I will not even get my heart rate up about it!! How much will I spend for my gifts? $350 because that is what works for me. What is your number? Don't worry about this year- but pay attention. How much do you want to earmark for next year and start this Jan!!
Lets talk about one more category in detail this time and save the rest for next time.I don't want you to be overwhelmed by this process. This is one of the most important processes to this entire thing in my humble opinion. With minimal planning and due diligence on your part- you can plan for the future of spending tomorrow today and keep your bee-hind out of trouble. Even if the burden is lifted in only one area of your life. Pick one subject and I don't care if all you save is $5 a month.
Quarterly bills- add up and pay attention to the bills that you pay irregularly--I keep a running tab and add to it when someone comes up due I forgot about. Like your car taxes. Like pest control. Like professional licenses. Add them all up and divide by 12. This is the amount you need to save for that category so when the bill comes due you will be ready. In some instances this is $2 a month for me. But it all adds up in the end.
Use any method you choose to keep up with these categories. As by now you can imagine I use a 2 column book with pens in 2 contrasting colors-Blue for the regular stuff and red for when I exceed my goal. You are doing great I am certain of it!! Remember that the small successes lead to big ones and it all counts. Any change in the right direction is something that can snowball into something terrific!! keep at it and don't give up!
Tootles :)
Heather
Monday, September 24, 2012
What is an EDA anyway??
Greetings and Salutations-
So lets jump into this ting--yah? In my world, and I live with a lot of abbreviations as a language in and of itself, EDA stands for Every Day Account. Our first account was The Main Checking Account- which is where the main meat and potatoes of our bills come out of. Either auto-drafted or manually drafted for each bill. The main account is the one that eventually you will fill every two weeks (or weekly if that is how you are paid) and let it run like the well oiled machine it will become. Now the Every Day Account it where (at least for me) things that are more variable and somewhat controllable come from such as gas, food, and some incidentals. I have figured up how much I need to live on for the flexible stuff and then we will have a final move to a last account- your spending/savings account. More on that later but just know that the money gets split one more time.
Know that everyone's situation is different and this is a place that is a big variable in and of itself. Accurately estimate an amount as close to reality and monitor it. Make sure that what you thought you first needed for gas is correct. for Groceries is correct. Think about where you can cut things.
The grocery store is a vortex of possibilities to cut your bottom line. It is a place that most people don't realize (or want to realize) how much control they actually have .Can you shop for groceries at Wal-Mart? (I know you need meds to go in there but there is always a possibility you can end up on people of wal-mart.com or what ever that site is LOL) Make it a game to switch brands from name brand to store brand with your family. Make it scientific with yourself. Make a list of all the products you try and know which ones don't make a differences and which ones do (like a check list). I can promise you that you can switch more items that you think and you can't tell the difference for most except in your wallet. Write down the price differences. Go shopping at Harris Teeter or Publix's and then go to Food Lion or Wal-mart and buy the same things. Substitute store brand where ever you can. It adds up and fast. Make it that game again that will keep you on the pathway of success.
Another place is Costco/Sam's Club. Can you split things with someone if it is more food than you or your family need at once? A word to the wise-all of the items that they sell in these warehouses are not always a bargain. DO THE MATH!! sometimes it is just buying in bulk- other times it is savings by the dollars. I have taken a calculator (yes I am a dork), gone up and down the isles and divided items per piece, ounce, etc and compared it to what I buy at Wal-Mart. I can tell you from my list what is really cheaper at Costco and what isn't worth the storage or that I won't be tricked into buying. I save a lot of money for the items I buy there. It is a pain to shop at several different places sometimes but the savings are always worth it. You have to know for your self and your situation where the bargain is.
Hope you are reading some of the books I have suggested and would love to have any input that you would like to share including any successes and any reading that you have done.
Tootles
Heather :)
So lets jump into this ting--yah? In my world, and I live with a lot of abbreviations as a language in and of itself, EDA stands for Every Day Account. Our first account was The Main Checking Account- which is where the main meat and potatoes of our bills come out of. Either auto-drafted or manually drafted for each bill. The main account is the one that eventually you will fill every two weeks (or weekly if that is how you are paid) and let it run like the well oiled machine it will become. Now the Every Day Account it where (at least for me) things that are more variable and somewhat controllable come from such as gas, food, and some incidentals. I have figured up how much I need to live on for the flexible stuff and then we will have a final move to a last account- your spending/savings account. More on that later but just know that the money gets split one more time.
Know that everyone's situation is different and this is a place that is a big variable in and of itself. Accurately estimate an amount as close to reality and monitor it. Make sure that what you thought you first needed for gas is correct. for Groceries is correct. Think about where you can cut things.
The grocery store is a vortex of possibilities to cut your bottom line. It is a place that most people don't realize (or want to realize) how much control they actually have .Can you shop for groceries at Wal-Mart? (I know you need meds to go in there but there is always a possibility you can end up on people of wal-mart.com or what ever that site is LOL) Make it a game to switch brands from name brand to store brand with your family. Make it scientific with yourself. Make a list of all the products you try and know which ones don't make a differences and which ones do (like a check list). I can promise you that you can switch more items that you think and you can't tell the difference for most except in your wallet. Write down the price differences. Go shopping at Harris Teeter or Publix's and then go to Food Lion or Wal-mart and buy the same things. Substitute store brand where ever you can. It adds up and fast. Make it that game again that will keep you on the pathway of success.
Another place is Costco/Sam's Club. Can you split things with someone if it is more food than you or your family need at once? A word to the wise-all of the items that they sell in these warehouses are not always a bargain. DO THE MATH!! sometimes it is just buying in bulk- other times it is savings by the dollars. I have taken a calculator (yes I am a dork), gone up and down the isles and divided items per piece, ounce, etc and compared it to what I buy at Wal-Mart. I can tell you from my list what is really cheaper at Costco and what isn't worth the storage or that I won't be tricked into buying. I save a lot of money for the items I buy there. It is a pain to shop at several different places sometimes but the savings are always worth it. You have to know for your self and your situation where the bargain is.
Hope you are reading some of the books I have suggested and would love to have any input that you would like to share including any successes and any reading that you have done.
Tootles
Heather :)
Monday, September 17, 2012
Sharpen Your Pencil
Greetings and Salutations-
So- shall we take a break from studying and put some lead to paper so to speak? You have gotten your calender and now you need to start filling it in. I will tell you how I do it, but please don't hesitate on working out your system that is best for you. How I do it will get it done until you can devise your own way as you get comfortable with the process. I use a green highlighter to mark my paydays. When I see green I think $$. I will mark them ahead as many months as I have the patience for at that time that I am doing it but at least 2 months head. Gather your bills (this may take a few cycles to capture all bills including the irregular ones) and mark them when they are due and I pencil in my estimates for the variable ones (for example the electric) and in pen when I know they are fixed (like rent/mortgage).
I have all my bills on auto-pay, and depending on your situation, I recommend this. Even if you have to start out with one bill-- It does a few things. Number one it starts the automation process for setting something and letting it do its thing. Today it is a bill payment- tomorrow it will be auto-payments into savings. The second thing it does is it makes you more honest with yourself and your bills because you know that on the 15th of the month your cell phone bill is going to be drafted and so you can't pay it late to have fun with until payday and play makeup. It helps you get away from robbing Peter to pay Paul. Its due and you better have the money in your account. I would recommend that you think this through and if it isn't something that you can do now, try and make it a goal in the super near future again even if it is one small bill. Remember small victories are what makes big changes.
Every 2 weeks after payday (usually saves me from spending/going out on a Friday) I pick a day that weekend and set aside time to plan my next 2 weeks of bills,savings, and pre-spending. I also balance my checkbooks. I estimate my total in bills and add a cushion (I choose $100 but I am already to the point I can lower that amount) just in case a bill hits that I wasn't planning on, forgot, or drafts on the "wrong" date. I write that amount down on my payday. Then I take my paycheck and subtract the difference and MOVE IT TO ANOTHER ACCOUNT. then the money I have left over in that "main checking account" tends to itself and I never dip into it. Because all of that money is as good as spent. It is just waiting for the drafts to kick in.
The hardest thing I ever did was move that money the first time. I was sooo scared that I messed up the calculations. That I would overdraft. I pushed past that fear and did it. Closed my eyes and nothing bad happened. The bills were paid and I did nothing to see that it happened except that I arranged them to auto-draft. Should you not be able to do this you can let the money sit in the account until it is time to pay the bill. The rule is that the money that you left in this account can't be used for anything else other than bills and can't cover a night out with the girls/boys and now you are short.
That one giant move is when things started really happening for me. I started accounting for my money and putting it where it needed to go. Next time we will talk about where the balance went that we moved out of the main checking account and what happens to it. Keep up your reading. I have added more books and will continue to do so. Please don't forget questions and feedback is truly appreciated and welcomed!!
Tootles
Heather
So- shall we take a break from studying and put some lead to paper so to speak? You have gotten your calender and now you need to start filling it in. I will tell you how I do it, but please don't hesitate on working out your system that is best for you. How I do it will get it done until you can devise your own way as you get comfortable with the process. I use a green highlighter to mark my paydays. When I see green I think $$. I will mark them ahead as many months as I have the patience for at that time that I am doing it but at least 2 months head. Gather your bills (this may take a few cycles to capture all bills including the irregular ones) and mark them when they are due and I pencil in my estimates for the variable ones (for example the electric) and in pen when I know they are fixed (like rent/mortgage).
I have all my bills on auto-pay, and depending on your situation, I recommend this. Even if you have to start out with one bill-- It does a few things. Number one it starts the automation process for setting something and letting it do its thing. Today it is a bill payment- tomorrow it will be auto-payments into savings. The second thing it does is it makes you more honest with yourself and your bills because you know that on the 15th of the month your cell phone bill is going to be drafted and so you can't pay it late to have fun with until payday and play makeup. It helps you get away from robbing Peter to pay Paul. Its due and you better have the money in your account. I would recommend that you think this through and if it isn't something that you can do now, try and make it a goal in the super near future again even if it is one small bill. Remember small victories are what makes big changes.
Every 2 weeks after payday (usually saves me from spending/going out on a Friday) I pick a day that weekend and set aside time to plan my next 2 weeks of bills,savings, and pre-spending. I also balance my checkbooks. I estimate my total in bills and add a cushion (I choose $100 but I am already to the point I can lower that amount) just in case a bill hits that I wasn't planning on, forgot, or drafts on the "wrong" date. I write that amount down on my payday. Then I take my paycheck and subtract the difference and MOVE IT TO ANOTHER ACCOUNT. then the money I have left over in that "main checking account" tends to itself and I never dip into it. Because all of that money is as good as spent. It is just waiting for the drafts to kick in.
The hardest thing I ever did was move that money the first time. I was sooo scared that I messed up the calculations. That I would overdraft. I pushed past that fear and did it. Closed my eyes and nothing bad happened. The bills were paid and I did nothing to see that it happened except that I arranged them to auto-draft. Should you not be able to do this you can let the money sit in the account until it is time to pay the bill. The rule is that the money that you left in this account can't be used for anything else other than bills and can't cover a night out with the girls/boys and now you are short.
That one giant move is when things started really happening for me. I started accounting for my money and putting it where it needed to go. Next time we will talk about where the balance went that we moved out of the main checking account and what happens to it. Keep up your reading. I have added more books and will continue to do so. Please don't forget questions and feedback is truly appreciated and welcomed!!
Tootles
Heather
Monday, September 10, 2012
Behavioral Economics
Greetings and Salutations
So lets talk about a few of these terms to help increase your awareness of why you do what you do when you are making choices about how to spend your money. Mental Accounting (first named by Richard Thaler)-- basically how do you decide to justify certain expenditures and where you group them. Lets say I asked you right now would you go to Upstairs Audio and spend $550 on a new CD player for your current car and you said no. Then lets say a year from now your car craps out and you go buy a new one and you can get either the standard issue player OR an upgraded CD player for $550. You say "sure what the heck...whats $550 more when I am already spending $23,000".That is mental accounting and framing at work. Its the same $550 dollars and isn't any cheaper because it is hidden the big numbers. Here is another example- would you be willing to go 4 blocks to save $25 on a $100 lamp? of course you would. Now...would you be willing to go 4 blocks to save $25 on a dining room suite that was $1600? of course you wouldn't.
Mental accounting and framing dictates that your mind will see the savings of 25% on the purchase price of the lamp worth the short distance but the savings of 4% of the purchase price of the dining room suite as not worth the hassle. The point of this really isn't if you would or would not go the 4 blocks. Its to make you acutely aware of how you size things up and rationalize how you see the dollar. $25 bucks saved is $25 bucks saved. Period. Do that over and over in the course of a year for various purchases and put the difference aside. You would be amazed at how much money you would have at the end of that year.
Loss Aversion is another key concept in understanding how our brains work with money. It is our strong tendency to prefer to avoid losses even over acquiring gains. Simply put it is more painful to pay for a $5 surcharge than receive a $10 or even $20 bonus. Here is a great example. I want a new phone. I can get one from Sprint for $29.99 and I really like it. Even though all it will do is text and make calls (exact same as what my phone does now)I will pay $36 for an "upgrade". I'd really rather Sprint just tell me that it is $66 (+tax) for the phone. The thrill of the phone being cheap at $30 bucks is way offset by the fact I have to pay $36 bucks for the upgrade/surcharge.
Here is another example of loss aversion that hits the old elusive savings account in the kisser. When you asked to put aside money today for a upcoming bill in the future..lets say you have $100 and you take $50 and put to the side--you feel as if you have "lost" $50 dollars. You haven't. You are planning on spending it in the near future-but your brain tells you that you now have $50 less spending power, despite the fact that you now either have a bill paid for or have a good contribution saved to lessen the amount owed.
I hope that while driving the point home that in order for you to make sound financial decisions and raise your financial intelligence I have kept you interested. Remember it is only through behavior modification that real and solid life changes can be made. Go to the dollar store and get a basic calender in what ever size you choose. How is your reading going? Will someone please ask a question? or something?? Feedback is very welcomed and encouraged!!
Tootles :)
Heather
So lets talk about a few of these terms to help increase your awareness of why you do what you do when you are making choices about how to spend your money. Mental Accounting (first named by Richard Thaler)-- basically how do you decide to justify certain expenditures and where you group them. Lets say I asked you right now would you go to Upstairs Audio and spend $550 on a new CD player for your current car and you said no. Then lets say a year from now your car craps out and you go buy a new one and you can get either the standard issue player OR an upgraded CD player for $550. You say "sure what the heck...whats $550 more when I am already spending $23,000".That is mental accounting and framing at work. Its the same $550 dollars and isn't any cheaper because it is hidden the big numbers. Here is another example- would you be willing to go 4 blocks to save $25 on a $100 lamp? of course you would. Now...would you be willing to go 4 blocks to save $25 on a dining room suite that was $1600? of course you wouldn't.
Mental accounting and framing dictates that your mind will see the savings of 25% on the purchase price of the lamp worth the short distance but the savings of 4% of the purchase price of the dining room suite as not worth the hassle. The point of this really isn't if you would or would not go the 4 blocks. Its to make you acutely aware of how you size things up and rationalize how you see the dollar. $25 bucks saved is $25 bucks saved. Period. Do that over and over in the course of a year for various purchases and put the difference aside. You would be amazed at how much money you would have at the end of that year.
Loss Aversion is another key concept in understanding how our brains work with money. It is our strong tendency to prefer to avoid losses even over acquiring gains. Simply put it is more painful to pay for a $5 surcharge than receive a $10 or even $20 bonus. Here is a great example. I want a new phone. I can get one from Sprint for $29.99 and I really like it. Even though all it will do is text and make calls (exact same as what my phone does now)I will pay $36 for an "upgrade". I'd really rather Sprint just tell me that it is $66 (+tax) for the phone. The thrill of the phone being cheap at $30 bucks is way offset by the fact I have to pay $36 bucks for the upgrade/surcharge.
Here is another example of loss aversion that hits the old elusive savings account in the kisser. When you asked to put aside money today for a upcoming bill in the future..lets say you have $100 and you take $50 and put to the side--you feel as if you have "lost" $50 dollars. You haven't. You are planning on spending it in the near future-but your brain tells you that you now have $50 less spending power, despite the fact that you now either have a bill paid for or have a good contribution saved to lessen the amount owed.
I hope that while driving the point home that in order for you to make sound financial decisions and raise your financial intelligence I have kept you interested. Remember it is only through behavior modification that real and solid life changes can be made. Go to the dollar store and get a basic calender in what ever size you choose. How is your reading going? Will someone please ask a question? or something?? Feedback is very welcomed and encouraged!!
Tootles :)
Heather
Monday, August 20, 2012
Ready to Roll
Ok...sorry it has taken me so long to get back into the swing of things...please excuse me--this blog thing is quite new for me but I have lots to share--
Lets do a quick review- you have thought about what money means to you and you have thought about where you think you would like to start taking a hatchet to your spending...you have a snap shot of where your money has been going and I would assume by now your heart has started beating again and you have gotten over the shame of where you have been bleeding money...no worries...this is why you are working with me to wake up from your zombie state and start making your money work for you...while you were at it you also have defined what money means to you and what you want out of it in honest terms...like for me...I once thought that saying that I wanted to be wealthy was somehow a bad thing..."I am middle class and damnit I will always be middle class"....that people who have money were somehow "different"..I now know this to not be a fact but only a self limited thought in my head.
This is where I am going to need your patience and willingness to stick with it here...now we are going to talk about the psychology of money and what it means to you on a deeper level. I am going to go over this briefly in multiple blogs, but there will be more learning when you read...read....read....
I personally believe that people who don't save money do so for several reasons, biggest one of which is that they have never seen an account grow without touching it once it reaches a certain amount ("hot damn I have $200 dollars...Best Buy here I come)or never saving past a certain amount("Oh hell...I've been saving for months and all I have is $100 dollars. Screw it..I'm going to go shopping..I deserve it). I call this the savings threshold and you need to determine yours. If I was to give you $20 what would you do with it? Immediately spend it? save it? save half spend half? what about $50? $100 $200 $400 $500?? determine what you have in your head as the scale tipping amount that you personally feel is worth saving and hanging onto IE NOT TOUCHING...and let this be the amount that you head for...your Bulls Eye ....write it down where you can see it and look at it every day...kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, office, car- you get the pic...everywhere and I mean write it down with pen and paper old school style...and start your Bulls Eye fund (name it what ever you want) where ever you want but somewhere you can't or won't touch...in a jar, savings account (that you don't have an atm/debit card linked to it ), or with a trusted friend/family member. Add to this piggy bank every time-every moment you can, even one dollar at a time any week you can....challenge yourself..Make it yours...It is my belief that once you achieve this number, while no magical pixie dust will rain down on you and you will wake up on a beautiful island vacation...the sense of achievement that you will feel will be a small success and a solid foundation to build on. It is soo much about small, success, and building.
I will leave you with this last thought..this money thing is all about your brain and how you mentally/psychologically wrap your mind around it...its behavior modification and learning to make smarter choices automatically..its not about a quick fix or just filling out a spread sheet....change your thinking and how you see things and the world is yours... and I am not just talking about the mighty dollar :)
Tootles-
Heather
Lets do a quick review- you have thought about what money means to you and you have thought about where you think you would like to start taking a hatchet to your spending...you have a snap shot of where your money has been going and I would assume by now your heart has started beating again and you have gotten over the shame of where you have been bleeding money...no worries...this is why you are working with me to wake up from your zombie state and start making your money work for you...while you were at it you also have defined what money means to you and what you want out of it in honest terms...like for me...I once thought that saying that I wanted to be wealthy was somehow a bad thing..."I am middle class and damnit I will always be middle class"....that people who have money were somehow "different"..I now know this to not be a fact but only a self limited thought in my head.
This is where I am going to need your patience and willingness to stick with it here...now we are going to talk about the psychology of money and what it means to you on a deeper level. I am going to go over this briefly in multiple blogs, but there will be more learning when you read...read....read....
I personally believe that people who don't save money do so for several reasons, biggest one of which is that they have never seen an account grow without touching it once it reaches a certain amount ("hot damn I have $200 dollars...Best Buy here I come)or never saving past a certain amount("Oh hell...I've been saving for months and all I have is $100 dollars. Screw it..I'm going to go shopping..I deserve it). I call this the savings threshold and you need to determine yours. If I was to give you $20 what would you do with it? Immediately spend it? save it? save half spend half? what about $50? $100 $200 $400 $500?? determine what you have in your head as the scale tipping amount that you personally feel is worth saving and hanging onto IE NOT TOUCHING...and let this be the amount that you head for...your Bulls Eye ....write it down where you can see it and look at it every day...kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, office, car- you get the pic...everywhere and I mean write it down with pen and paper old school style...and start your Bulls Eye fund (name it what ever you want) where ever you want but somewhere you can't or won't touch...in a jar, savings account (that you don't have an atm/debit card linked to it ), or with a trusted friend/family member. Add to this piggy bank every time-every moment you can, even one dollar at a time any week you can....challenge yourself..Make it yours...It is my belief that once you achieve this number, while no magical pixie dust will rain down on you and you will wake up on a beautiful island vacation...the sense of achievement that you will feel will be a small success and a solid foundation to build on. It is soo much about small, success, and building.
I will leave you with this last thought..this money thing is all about your brain and how you mentally/psychologically wrap your mind around it...its behavior modification and learning to make smarter choices automatically..its not about a quick fix or just filling out a spread sheet....change your thinking and how you see things and the world is yours... and I am not just talking about the mighty dollar :)
Tootles-
Heather
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Decisions Decisions
Hi-- well..moving along to the next phase...lets see...you have all of your spending in a neat report. Now it is up to you to decide where and how much you are going to cut from your spending. Most of what you need to do to be successful in your spending and savings is subjective and only you can decide what you will do without or not. Try not to cut anything major or multiple things at once. One thing that helps is for you to switch to cash for all of your "fun". Think about your "fun" or "mad" money in two week intervals. Designate how much and pull it out in cash each paycheck. Start with a realistic figure and know that you can adjust it as you go. See how long you can make it last until you "pay yourself" again with your next paycheck. It is amazing how much easier it is to spend when you swipe a card vs using cold hard cash. It actually makes you sad to break that twenty because you know it is as good as gone when you do that! So you will tend to make the break count! It makes you want to hold onto it longer and spread it out more judiciously. You can have fun going out with your friends- either once and blow your whole wad or you can go several times by going out during happy hour, or switching to a cheaper beer/wine/rail liquor or ordering an app instead of a full meal. You can go shopping but again- do you want to spend all of your money in one place or break it up and be able to do it multiple times. Make it a game. This is a great time to do some inventory in your closet and house. How many shoes/purses/clothes etc does one person really need? This is also the time to do a lot of reading on budgets and how they work.
Keep in mind and have faith that if you allocate your money and get in the habit of pre-spending and savings it will all come together. No one is making you do this. This is your choice and the amount of success- how fast and how much- is all up to you and how determined you are. The very first budget book I tried to read I never made it through to the end.I can't tell you how many times I tried to create a budget and it failed. One of the first ones I actually got through was Idiots Guide to Living on a Budget. Great start. It wasn't until I read Dave Ramsey that I actually finally understood that a budget is fluid and changes every month. For me I do my budget every two weeks. For now- just read about them. Don't try and make one just yet.
One of the most important concepts when you are trying to change a behavior in yourself is that you build on successes. Start with something small and the success you get from that will snowball into more and more success. Here is an example. I enjoy coffee and the coffee at work is horrible. Starbucks gets expensive-fast!! so I purchased a thermos I got at a consignment shop and brewed it at home. Yeah- my co-workers thought I was crazy and laughed at me but it got me started on something. Starbucks is $2 a day for basic simple coffee. $2 x4(days a week)=$8 x4(a month)-$32.( I do make sure a few times a month I treat myself to a cup at Starbucks to keep things on tract and reward myself) This is what I started drafting into a savings account. I auto drafted it into my savings $8 each week and watched it grow. Then I stopped smoking. I estimated that I spent $80 a month on cigs. So I added $20(cigs) + $8(coffee)=$28 a week x4 (month)= $112 a month into a savings account. That is $1456 in a year --an amazing amount!(since you are putting it away every week take $112 x52 and you will get this figure) I was already spending that money any way right? So why not put it into better use. Its amazing to watch something so simple grow so quickly. That is another key concept into gaining control over your money- make every penny that you possible can go somewhere automatically.
I would like to suggest depending on your overwhelmed meter- read and re-read about budgets at least twice. Repetition is important when you are attempting to re-wire your thinking. I sure hope this is helping and is making some sense.
Tootles-
Heather
Keep in mind and have faith that if you allocate your money and get in the habit of pre-spending and savings it will all come together. No one is making you do this. This is your choice and the amount of success- how fast and how much- is all up to you and how determined you are. The very first budget book I tried to read I never made it through to the end.I can't tell you how many times I tried to create a budget and it failed. One of the first ones I actually got through was Idiots Guide to Living on a Budget. Great start. It wasn't until I read Dave Ramsey that I actually finally understood that a budget is fluid and changes every month. For me I do my budget every two weeks. For now- just read about them. Don't try and make one just yet.
One of the most important concepts when you are trying to change a behavior in yourself is that you build on successes. Start with something small and the success you get from that will snowball into more and more success. Here is an example. I enjoy coffee and the coffee at work is horrible. Starbucks gets expensive-fast!! so I purchased a thermos I got at a consignment shop and brewed it at home. Yeah- my co-workers thought I was crazy and laughed at me but it got me started on something. Starbucks is $2 a day for basic simple coffee. $2 x4(days a week)=$8 x4(a month)-$32.( I do make sure a few times a month I treat myself to a cup at Starbucks to keep things on tract and reward myself) This is what I started drafting into a savings account. I auto drafted it into my savings $8 each week and watched it grow. Then I stopped smoking. I estimated that I spent $80 a month on cigs. So I added $20(cigs) + $8(coffee)=$28 a week x4 (month)= $112 a month into a savings account. That is $1456 in a year --an amazing amount!(since you are putting it away every week take $112 x52 and you will get this figure) I was already spending that money any way right? So why not put it into better use. Its amazing to watch something so simple grow so quickly. That is another key concept into gaining control over your money- make every penny that you possible can go somewhere automatically.
I would like to suggest depending on your overwhelmed meter- read and re-read about budgets at least twice. Repetition is important when you are attempting to re-wire your thinking. I sure hope this is helping and is making some sense.
Tootles-
Heather
Monday, May 28, 2012
Lets get started
well- lets get started with this blog thing-since I am interested in becoming a life and money coach I will choose to start with money and life later. All of the ideas that I am going to talk about is a starting point for someone to try. These things worked for me and they may work for you. Maybe not. The idea is you have to start from somewhere and then tweak it to work for you. There is a lot of reading that needs to be done. One of the self limiting thoughts that I have had in the past is that you get an education from a school and you read for fun from the library or book store. I have proven this wrong by accident in my journey for teaching myself about finances. I have read about 15 or so financial books and have lots more to read. Through this I have taken control over my checkbook and constantly improve on on my spending habits and where to put my money. I have more in savings than I ever have had in my whole life of 41 years. I still have a long way to go but I have gotten to the point where it is more fine tuning then having the overwhelming feeling of how money can make you want to puke.
So where do you begin to untangle the snake clutch of a mess your checkbook is in and figure out where all your money goes and why you don't have savings? This is the part that will take patience and persistence on your part. Step one is taking a three month snap shot of your spending. Or two months if you can't handle three. Account for every penny that you can without going blind. Don't get emotional. Don't change your spending habits today. Pretend if you have to that you are digging into someone else's checkbook and spending habits and sort it out into categories. Most likely you will find the hardest part is the little stuff that is hard to chase down and drives you crazy. Do what ever you have to do to accomplish this. Work on it for twenty minutes a day. Start with the hard stuff. Start with the easy stuff. Just get started. Once you know where your money goes mindlessly then you can start to decide where you choose to spend it. Learning about money is mostly about the psychology of what money means to you. Grab a notebook, electronic or an old fashioned pen and paper and start to write down what money means to you. Your fears about it. Your likes and loves about it. What you want from it. During your journey to financial intelligence you will read about more than just creating a budget, where you spend your money, or the mechanics of numbers. You will need to unlock why you spend the way you do so you no longer spend like a zombie. Its ultimately getting to the meat and potatoes of why you do what you do. Even think about the phrase financial intelligence. I wasn't even aware there was such phrase existed until I read Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. I never thought about money in concrete terms that could be mastered. I thought it was a means to survive and move from one paycheck date to another. Spend until it runs out and wait to get more.
So that is it. First things first. Think about what money means to you. Write it down. Put it in your pipe and think about it. Get three months worth of bank statements and track your spending into objective information. Remember to make this into a game for yourself. I know thinking about money and finances is like going to the dentist or doing your taxes but like everything else- if you put in the work you will reap the reward. The headache and dizziness will go away. Power through it and get it done. Home work reading is on the horizon. I have some GREAT books to suggest for you. Should it do nothing else than get you thinking... you are making progress!
Tootles-
Heather
So where do you begin to untangle the snake clutch of a mess your checkbook is in and figure out where all your money goes and why you don't have savings? This is the part that will take patience and persistence on your part. Step one is taking a three month snap shot of your spending. Or two months if you can't handle three. Account for every penny that you can without going blind. Don't get emotional. Don't change your spending habits today. Pretend if you have to that you are digging into someone else's checkbook and spending habits and sort it out into categories. Most likely you will find the hardest part is the little stuff that is hard to chase down and drives you crazy. Do what ever you have to do to accomplish this. Work on it for twenty minutes a day. Start with the hard stuff. Start with the easy stuff. Just get started. Once you know where your money goes mindlessly then you can start to decide where you choose to spend it. Learning about money is mostly about the psychology of what money means to you. Grab a notebook, electronic or an old fashioned pen and paper and start to write down what money means to you. Your fears about it. Your likes and loves about it. What you want from it. During your journey to financial intelligence you will read about more than just creating a budget, where you spend your money, or the mechanics of numbers. You will need to unlock why you spend the way you do so you no longer spend like a zombie. Its ultimately getting to the meat and potatoes of why you do what you do. Even think about the phrase financial intelligence. I wasn't even aware there was such phrase existed until I read Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. I never thought about money in concrete terms that could be mastered. I thought it was a means to survive and move from one paycheck date to another. Spend until it runs out and wait to get more.
So that is it. First things first. Think about what money means to you. Write it down. Put it in your pipe and think about it. Get three months worth of bank statements and track your spending into objective information. Remember to make this into a game for yourself. I know thinking about money and finances is like going to the dentist or doing your taxes but like everything else- if you put in the work you will reap the reward. The headache and dizziness will go away. Power through it and get it done. Home work reading is on the horizon. I have some GREAT books to suggest for you. Should it do nothing else than get you thinking... you are making progress!
Tootles-
Heather
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Hello
Hi-
This is my maiden blog!! I am taking the first big step of many to get my life going in the direction that I see in my mind and feel with my soul. I want to start helping anyone out in cyber land, local and not so local, who is interested in needing someone to help motivate them in various ways in their life. I have learned a lot and want to share what I have learned thus far in my life. I believe through interaction with others we can both benefit. So-- I wanted to see what happens from here and see if there is anyone out there...
This is my maiden blog!! I am taking the first big step of many to get my life going in the direction that I see in my mind and feel with my soul. I want to start helping anyone out in cyber land, local and not so local, who is interested in needing someone to help motivate them in various ways in their life. I have learned a lot and want to share what I have learned thus far in my life. I believe through interaction with others we can both benefit. So-- I wanted to see what happens from here and see if there is anyone out there...
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