Archive for September, 2011
Do what you’re motivated to do.
I don’t know about you, but it seems like a lot of the time I learn lessons the hard way. Take for example this advice from Chris Guillebeau, “You’ll be more successful if you do what you are motivated to do. It’s very hard in the long-term to force yourself to do something.”
Agreed! I read those words months ago, yet I tried to force success in a sales-based organization (Juice Plus). I’m not a person who is motivated by money. I’ve NEVER enjoyed sales – I’ve never been motivated by sales or bonuses. And yet, I found myself swept away by the lifestyle opportunities enjoyed by those who work the compensation plan. Because it is a great plan – a most FABULOUS plan, and I am part of an amazing team of people. However, I always have to force myself to do the work behind Juice Plus. And I know enough to realize that if I’m not having fun with something, I’m doing something wrong. And in this case, I was putting too much pressure on myself to make Juice Plus my life’s work. I was forcing it. No good! So while I’m keeping Juice Plus as something on the side (I do love both the product and the compensation), I’ve come to realize that it’s only one part of my work.
What it is that I’m truly motivated to do is to help people. So my next step is to write my first manifesto and define what it is I want to do and who I want to help. It won’t be for everyone, and some people won’t really get it. But for those that do, wow! It’ll be exciting to exchange ideas and grow together. Stay tuned!
What lessons have you learned the hard way?
Money, money, money, mon-ey! Mon-ey!
Money. It’s been called the root of all evil.
I don’t know if I agree with that, but what I do know is that it is high time I started showing some respect to my finances. Between May 2010 and April 2011, I stood by and watched as my income was cut in half not once, not twice, but THREE times as I went from project manager to insurance-agent-in-training to health club employee to barely working grad student. Yup, those 12 months really did a number on my finances. It wasn’t pretty. But, that was then and this is now!
And now, I’m taking ownership of my finances. First, starting in May 2011, I discontinued adding ANYTHING to my credit cards. For me, this was a big step. I was able to accomplish this by transferring from a slow Red Robin to an extremely busy Red Robin and working 34 hours a week. This allowed me to earn enough money to cover my debt payments, bills and basic living expenses.
I also set up a system for building a $1000 emergency fund. Recommended by both Suze Orman and Dave Ramsey, the $1000 emergency fund is the most basic of all emergency funds. According to Dave Ramsey, “This beginning emergency fund will keep life’s little Murphies from turning into new debt while you work off the old debt. If a real emergency happens, you can handle it with your emergency fund. No more borrowing. It’s time to break the cycle of debt!”
So, what I’m doing is putting half of all my Juice Plus and Red Robin paychecks into my emergency fund until it reaches $1000. Then, once my emergency fund is fully loaded, I’ll throw that half of my paycheck money at my debt. Keep in mind that I earn most of my money in tips, so my paychecks are no where NEAR a full-time position check. And the other half of my paychecks stay in my spending account for things like groceries, gas, and personal items.
(Also important to note, my husband and I keep completely separate finances. Always have. It works for us!)
I’m so excited to have started back in on taking ownership of my finances! It feels great to no longer be putting ANYTHING on my credit cards and to be paying down my debt every month!
How are you taking ownership of your finances?
Time goes by
Time management. The first thing I think about when I hear the words “time management” is my collection of elementary school report cards. “Sara uses her time wisely.” Ah, to be in fourth grade again…
And truth be told, when I was a kid – and even up until the last three years or so – I used my time wisely. And then something changed. I went from this person who cared deeply about her goals and dreams to someone without a direction. I started watching a TON of screens – movies, rentals, television, internet. I didn’t know where I wanted to go next, so I procrastinated and put off my decisions by escaping reality through books and screens. I did that for three years.
Then, just this last week while I was preparing myself for my coursework at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, I came across this statement from Robert Notter, “How you value your time is a reflection of how you value yourself.”
Interesting.
And, admittedly,
accurate.
I certainly was not valuing my time while spending hours and hours watching DVR. And I have to agree with Robert’s statement, because looking back I can see I did not value myself highly during those three years. All the effort I had put forth to do great in high school and in college so I would be successful in the “real world” was futile because I my career was so, so, so not on track – in a lot of ways my career was non-existant. I felt tricked, fooled. I didn’t know how to move forward. So I procrastinated. I wasted time. I didn’t trust myself to make a decision about my career. It. was. frustrating! (Just ask the hubs.)
Then, I got out of my own way. With Brian’s support and encouragement, I moved to Arizona where my ENTIRE purpose was/is to find, focus, and build my dream career. Four months in, and I here I am, career path found. Now, it’s time to focus, build, and value my time.
So I’ve started with my calendar. And it has been a P-R-O-C-E-S-S! But it’s coming together. I’m setting aside time for administration, marketing, studying, working, “me” time, marriage time, etc. Essentially, what I’m doing is taking my big picture goals – being a successful health coach, fabulous wife, quality friend, financially independent – and breaking them down into bite-sized chunks of work, and then scheduling the said chunks of work into my calendar. Discipline and consistency, welcome back my old friends. My, how I’ve missed you!
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Are you valuing your time? Do you value yourself?
Words of wisdom: September 2011
I’m not going to lie – I absolutely LOVE a good quote! I am a quote collector. Here are my current favorites! Enjoy!!!
Once we make our decision, all things come to us.
– Dao
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Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.
– Robert Frost
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Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.
– William Morris
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You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.
– Oprah
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Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.
– Jim Rohn
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If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.
– Andrew Carnegie
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You have a solemn obligation to take care of yourself because you never know when the world will need you.
– Rabbi Hillel
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Just as a crying child will use increasingly extreme measures to get attention, the body will heighten your cravings and create disease if you don’t listen to it.
– Joshua Rosenthal
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Life consists in what a man is thinking of all day.
– Emerson
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Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.
– W. H. Murray
