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

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...