Is the resolution working? Then try this

Is the resolution working? Then try this.

  They say the percentage of people who achieve their resolutions are about 8%.  You may be thinking this is going to be one of those blogs that will fire me up to work harder to achieve my resolutions or one that reminds me that I have failed once again. I can throw out statistics that say if you do A+B=C every time (yeah sure it does, NOT)   you will do better.  We have been smothered with work harder, do more, do it better, that when we fail we say, well I guess I am just can’t change.  Well we do know if we quit we do not have to measure up to everyone else that seems to be succeeding.  One reason I love the gospel is that I was not good enough, and Jesus fixed that problem for me! No more having to do better, I get to do better!  You don’t have to do better at whatever your resolution is, but you get to do better if you want.  Don’t compare your problem, your progress or your success to someone else.  We all move at different speeds and handle things differently.  If you have ever taken a DISC profile you know that we have different personalities, and react differently in life situations. One of the animals they use to describe different personality types is a lion for the strong type A personalities.  For the more stable and lower keyed faithful types they use a golden retriever.  We all know that a lion and a retriever will react differently and handle things differently.  Neither personality type is wrong, they are just different. We need all the different types in our lives! 

So what should you try?  Whatever your resolution is write it down and create steps, baby steps, to achieve it.  Don’t make it to large, such as I am going to get my finances straight. That is very broad because you are dealing with, saving, spending, getting out of debt, paying off the mortgage, retirement, college etc.  That can overwhelm you when the Christmas bill comes in and it will make you want to quit on your resolution.   Start in one area, if all of the areas overwhelm you. Start with just a budget. Write down everything you will spend and try to trim those numbers. The big thing is to try and stick to the number you determine to spend and track it. A budget takes about 3 months to begin to work right, so stick to it. Make sure you spend what you save wisely, savings or applying it to debt.   Sit down at least once a week and see how much you have actually spent vs. what you have written down.  Depending on your personality, you can either live on the bare necessities or trim things slowly but surely.  The more you sacrifice the faster you reach your goal. But if you don’t like the idea of going too fast you may sabotage yourself and quit before it works.  Go at a speed you can handle.  You did not get into the financial shape you are in overnight and you will not get out overnight.  Be patient and take one step at a time.  Let me know if you want my help.

     Let me know if I can help!

Tim West

Go West Coaching 1-11-14

Challenge to change

Challenge to Change
    We have all heard the saying, if you want a different result you need to do something different to get it.  That is very true, but it is not comfortable.  If you want to lose weight, you have to change your eating and exercise habits.  I can give you a few pointers on those things but I will just stick with your personal finance. If you are tired of the same pattern your life is in, try a couple of quick changes and stick to them.  If they are not working change them.  I will issue you a budget challenge, a debt challenge and a saving challenge.  Pick an area that you want to work on and dive in.  Here they go-
1. Budget Challenge- If you dont live on a written budget every month this may be for you.  First list all of your expenses, debts, bills, hobbies etc.  List them in order of importance. (Hint-Food, clothing, shelter, Transportation and utilities most important.)  Set the amounts you need to spend and make sure you stick to them.  Remember this concept that the government cannot, you cannot spend more money than you make.  When you have spent every dollar you made, on paper, you  are finished.  If you come up short you have to either make more money or cut some categories. Download a budget here if you like.

2. Debt Challenge- Maybe you are on a budget and you have been on cruse control for the summer and have not attacked your debts the way you like.  List all of your debts smallest to largest, squeeze all of the money you can out of the budget and attack the smallest debt like ants at a picnic!!  To give yourself a little motivation add up all of your non- mortgage monthly debt payments and see how much you could be keeping yourself instead of sending it to others.  Once you are good and mad throw everything you can at the smallest debt and start knocking it out.  Remember debt robs you of the ability to build wealth.  Visa has a plan for your money make your plan better than theirs. 

3. Saving- With school coming up in less than a month, and the holidays around the corner, you will need to buy things.  The best purchase plan is to pay for it and be done.  You cannot wait until you make more money to save because you will always spend it before it gets in the savings account.  Put your savings in your budget first and pay yourself first.  Determine what you will need to have for what ever you are saving for and sacrifice to get there.  The holidays are much more fun when they are paid for!!

Let me know if you have any questions.  Also let me know how you do, it helps to here the successes of others who have the same struggles.  It is encouraging!!

Tim West
706-840-0992

Quotes to think about:

"You can't build a reputation on what you're GOING to do."  Henry Ford

  

A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor people perfected without trials.

  

We cannot start over, but we can begin now, and make a new beginning"  Zig Ziglar 

  

When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane. Stephen Wright