Understanding where you are is important to knowing where you're going or where you could be going. I had a topsy-turvy kind of year in 2015. There were so many transitions and obstacles constantly being thrown my way. There were times I would have to plan my gas allowance down to the mile. I was constantly calling creditors and debtors for arrangements I couldn't fulfill. My lowest lf lows was not really being able to have complete meals. I was too wealthy for food stamps but too poor for vegetables. This is the status for many other people. But, we have the power to change this. If you've been dreaming of that vacation or that amazing outing or some tech toy you've been dying for, it's already yours.
Step 1. BELIEF: I had to make the decision that I would surmount my struggles. It wasn't easy. A major part of my eventual success was having support. I did have people that supported my ideas and my potential. I'm thankful for that. I started to do things with more intention. I read the amazing book, The Secret, and here in lies my modus operandi. I was able to change my way lf thinking to shape my universe that I dreamed of. I saw myself in abundance of health, money, good relationships, and fulfillment of my ambitions. It was heavy visualization but it took practice and belief before the worry dissipated and I was fully aware that all that was mine was at my fingertips to command.
Step 2. EDUCATION: I had to get smart. What did I need to do to be able to make my current situation change. How could I become financially stable? I knew I could do two things. I could increase my streams of income and profit from my skills. I did both through StrongWill Foods. I also decided. I would take at least $5 from every check for savings which in turn I decided wasn't giving me enough growth just sitting there. So, I decided to invest what I had in stocks.
Step 3. ACT: Just do it. I failed. A lot. I had products to fail, scores of recipes to fail, advertising to fail. The truth is things don't always go your way but you have to stay steadfast in your vision.
So where do you go from here? How does this help you? Here's what you need to do:
1. Assess your current situation or state of affairs (I started with a hand written budget sheet tracking groceries. I kept the receipts and stapled them to every sheet at the end of a week. I built a budget model for food that way and now I have about 6 sheets on excel that span different sectors of my life I still write my groceries though )
2. Learn from those you admire. If you admire Bill Gates, find your innovation. If you admire Oprah, learn to tap into your brand of influence. Figure out what they did and how they failed and succeeded in order to elevate yourself. (Intelligent people learn from mistakes of others, average people learn from their own mistakes, and simple people never learn)
3. Read the books The Secret and The Alchemist. For me they are critical to my success. I was able to understand how to attract things to my life as well as what my hearts truest desires were and how to follow my dreams through these books.
4. Invest. Study for the future. Open that TD Ameritrade account and build, build, build.
5. Figure out a way to monetize your skills. It may be tutoring, your special cake recipe, or your strong organization skills.
6. Give. Give thanks and give what you can. Wake up everyday thankful for everything you can think of and say it out loud. When I'm really down on myself I stop and ask "How are you really right now?". The answer is always..."I'm well, I have, food, shelter, and health" then I go back to a more productive state of being. Just say thank you!
Do your homework. The test is tomorrow
p.s.
I wrote this on one of my 7 recent flights so hopefully it's totally coherent...