Goal Achievement Month - Chapter 4

STEP 4: Follow your plan and adjust or pivot when necessary

I realized that the path to achieving my goal was through building a business. I always believed this to be true: you can either be a star in your own movie or an extra in someone else’s. I always knew I was a superstar. The first action I took was to study about money and business from the greats in the field. I learned about the American financial system, most importantly how to keep more of the money I made, because I realized that making a lot of money was not sufficient when it fell through my fingers. I learned how to make the right financial decisions, how to send out a dollar that would bring back friends, not one that would follow its friends away from my pocketbook.

I also had to learn a whole new business language and to understand what business ownership actually meant. I started like many others with a home-based business in direct sales with a well-known network marketing company. It didn't get me too far on my way to financial independence, but it gave me the first basic knowledge about business, and I'm grateful to this day to my mentor who showed me the first steps. Especially because I had a huge disadvantage over Richmond natives - I didn't have any friends or relatives in the city who had known me my whole life. So I had to learn very quick to become good at talking to strangers.

When I was offered a position as an independent contractor with a life insurance company, I jumped at the chance of making my own hours and writing my own paycheck, based on the effort I was willing to put in. I doubled my income and within less than a year, achieved my first major goal I had set since arriving to the US: home ownership. 

I understood that knowing what to do from reading books was not enough, unless I acted on that acquired knowledge. Therefore, I built a few solopreneurship businesses, some more successful than others. I learned from each experience and I adapted. I felt stronger with each lesson and new doors opened with each pivoting moment. The field that attracted me was always the financial one because I learned that by sharing my knowledge in this field with others looking to build businesses in other fields, can lead to their success and set them on a path to their own financial serenity.

The hardest lesson to digest, when talking to other women about their finances, was the fact that most women are uncomfortable even thinking about their money, let alone talking about it. I made it my mission to help women (and a few good men) build better relationships with their money.  

STEP 5: Teach others how to achieve their goals, and partner up for accountability

Money and dieting?... Well, they have something in common!

Have you ever thought about your dreams coming true? If money were no object, where would you be now? What would you do? What are you passionate about? And would you do that for free?

If you want to honor your passion, think about it every day, imagine yourself living your passion and let your brain live it as if it were true. And then, while your subconscious mind works on a plan to bring your passion to life, start looking at your finances and make a plan.

If you think your situation is hopeless, you are not the only one. If you have debt you can’t even see yourself paying off, you are not alone. I understand it is not pretty, or sexy, to be thinking about the debt; but I can promise that ignoring it doesn’t make it go away.

If you were ill, you would go see a doctor and follow her instructions to get well, right?! Well, if your financial self is ill, you also need to follow someone advice on how to get well – only this person is a money doctor, and not a people doctor.

Finding a financial coach, a prosperity mentor, a financial adviser is the first step in working on a solution for any and all your money problems, challenges and frustrations. And just like a personal trainer, this coach’s job is to help you get on a workout schedule, also known as budget. And not just to show you what your budget should be, but also to hold you accountable to stick with it in the long run.

If you ever wanted to look like a supermodel, then you should know that takes a lot of dieting. Well, in finances, that is the equivalent of budgeting. And just as a supermodel makes a lot of money at the end of years of dieting, you will have a lot of money at the end of years of budgeting.

Now, I’m not suggesting a long and depressing fast. I’m merely talking about some smart planning, and sticking to the plan. And the first step in that plan is having a SMART goal written down. 

(in 2 weeks we will go over what a SMART goal is - stay tuned) 

Wishing well

Have you contributed to this?

I had to share this picture from the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. I found it so important to share that I decided to put it on the blog, and not just have a couple of lines about it on Facebook.

You may wonder what is so important about this picture…. Well, it is just another wishing well. (Excuse the pun!) But it made ME wonder what people are thinking to just be throwing money in this little pool of water created for decorative purposes.

Looking at the coins resting at the bottom of this little decorative waterfall, I had to wonder how many “wishes” (meaning coins) collect there over the course of the year… and then, also wonder how many of those wishes are money-related, i.e. pay off debt, save for a vacation, buy a new house, buy a new car, etc. Has any of the wishers considered saving that penny, or nickel, or dime, or quarter and put it toward achieving that goal?

Some of you might know the story of the penny that doubles every day for 30 days… I guess the people how throw money way like this, don’t know it. I know you are going to say that nobody nowadays will double your money daily and make you a millionaire in 30 days. You are probably right. But you also have to agree that if you keep your money instead of literally throwing it away, you have more chances or multiplying it. And if a penny won’t make you a millionaire, no problem. Keep your penny, and find some friends for it – in your piggy bank, in your pocket or in your bank account. You will be richer with all your money rather than just some of it, won’t you?

This is not a way of saying you should not give, or help others, by any means. This is just my way of saying that you can and should do what you want with your money – as long as your decisions are wise, and well thought out. And if your choice is to support Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, I will commend you on a wise decision. Give them a donation (from your bank account, tax deductible) and not the change in your pocket thrown in the wishing well.

Another thought that came to mind was the example that we set for the children when we teach them it is OK to throw money away, and that it will bring us more money and more of what we want. What will they think, and how is that going to impact their future?