Financial/Money Advice

"More than Enough"
-Dave Ramsey-  1999

Pages 45-47

Dollars and Vision

Why do we need vision? To start with, it affects income. Studies of people who earn 100,000 or more a year and have maintained that income level for years reveal an interesting character trait. These six figure earners all think in five year blocks (or more) of time. They are very unconcerned about today except for how today is a building block towards their vision, which may not be fully realised for another twenty years. They think long term in all decisions. Six figure earners think about the long term implications of every move they make and don't make those moves unless they move them one step closer to their vision. These are happy people not because they have six figures to spend (although that doesn't hurt) but because temporary pain is just that: It is temporary. IF you think long term you become a saver and an investor. As an investor with a long-term mentality you don't panic when the market drops, because you are looking at what the market has done over the last ten years and not what today brings. Saving and investing with vision makes you rich. This is one of the reasons the rich get richer. Bad times are correctly viewed as temporary setbacks and a time to learn. You can walk through the sewage that life sometimes puts in front of you and barely notice because you have your eye on the horizon rather than constantly looking at your current circumstances.

The other side of the coin continues to prove our point. The folks at the bottom end of the income brackets who stay there tend to share the character trait of short term thinking, making decisions based on short term results. That sounds harsh doesn’t it? Well, if you think short term you rent to own your VCR and get ripped off. You pawn items of fall for these jerk cash advance businesses that cash hot checks, cash advances at 650 percent annual percentage rate in most states. If you think short term you work for the weekend and fall prey to pleasure based products that will in the end steal your pleasure. If you think short term you don't save and invest so you can't build wealth. When you think short term, if you do invest you can't leave the money alone so you end upo buying high, selling low then thinking :”I have the worst luck”. Luck has nothing to do with it, you simply shortchanged yourself by not carrying through on your vision. Short term thinking is why the poor get poorer. Those who realise this are those who don't remain poor. Mike Todd states this matter of the heart well when he says, “I have never been poor, only broke. Being poor is a state of mind.” Those who are given the gift of vision by a parent, a mentor or God start to think long term and say things like, “I am getting my degree no matter what and nothing will stop me.” And they do it.

My Goals for July 2012

Wow, the month is disappearing on us! I can't believe we're twelve days in already, craziness!

I didn't realize this until recently, but I am a total control freak. The problem with goals and timelines, is that you often have to rely on other people or circumstances for things to happen. You are never really completely in control of your life. To some people, this might sound like a loser mentality, but I've learnt that unless you are absolutely determined for something to happen, and you want it no matter what the consequences are, its easier and more rewarding to go with the flow. We can make all the plans we want, but life finds a way of getting in the way.

If you had asked me what I would be doing five years ago, I would have said that I was doing a one year childcare course, getting shipped off to the USA for two years to nanny and explore the destination of my dreams then settling back in New Zealand to go to University and train as a primary school teacher (?).
Instead, I got five months into my childcare course, found out that I was no longer eligible to nanny to a better paying family with the course I was doing, dropped out and moved to England! Due to chronic illness, I haven't worked or studied since then, and I don't know when those things will happen for me. Around me, friends are graduating, continuing into masters programs, getting their first real jobs and getting engaged- those things were always going to happen, but my life ended up being a little less predictable than I had expected.

What would I like in the next five years?
-To get married
-To finish University
-Be well established and respected in my church
-Get paid to take photos
-Figure out what my darn ennegram type and wings are
-Have some idea of what I'm doing with my life.
-Be better travelled than I am now
-Have a Border Collie called Jess
-Know GOD's plan for me
-Be slim and fit

Those are some things I would like, but they certainly aren't expectations. I don't have a solid plan for right now. I've found that planning things for a year in advance is a total disaster for me. I need to focus on every day, week and month first and build the little goals into bigger ones.

My expectations for the next five years?
-Put on even more weight
-Develop a deep hatred for trains (you would understand if you followed me on Facebook!)
-Read lots of books
-Go back to using a windows based computer, I can't believe how frustrating Apple is!
-Decide real pets are too expensive and adopt a rock instead
-Know God a little better
-Have even more embarrassing experiences with men
-Start babysitting again, because no one else wants to give me a job

Ok, so realistically, I don't have any real expectations. I have no idea what the future holds for me, at the moment things look really bleak. I don't know if I should join some work program overseas, become a nun or start University so instead, I do nothing. The future scares me. I can deal with tomorrow or the next week or so.

So anywaaaayyy... (I told you I was long winded... you only have yourself to blame!)

My goals for July 2012
(x) Contact recommended work agencies
(x) Take 43 Things Personality Quiz
(x) Create New and Private photo bucket account
(x) Sign up for Animates membership (NZ pet shop)
() Make more notes on the road code
() Get job
() Print off directions to common destinations where I live off google maps (I just got a car, woo!)
() Sort photos
() Upload photos to photobucket and snapfish
() Start using flickr everyday
() Take photos everyday
() Clean up computer
(x) Start using blogs again
(x) Sort wardrobe space
() Back up all photos and old files up until July 2012 onto a cd
() Empty computer
() Read the last few Anne of Green Gables books
() Go through Giveways and Double Roundabouts with someone
() Find DIY mirrored vanity table with lights around edges
(x) Memorise new phone number and address
() Get down to 106 kilos
() Go bowling
(x) Buy work clothes (I have one set)
(x) Get hair cut and dyed
() Take photos of house
() Delete my tumblr and twitter accounts

A lot of these goals have been impossible because of lack of time with people, lack of funds and lack of internet. Oh and lack of self control. Why must I love fatty foods and chocolate so much?

Or I'm like, yeah, I could do that, but I don't feel like getting off my butt and putting some effort into something or asking someone for a favour. I am probably one of the most laziest people you could ever meet. At least I have a rich fantasy life. I just wish it existed outside of my head and imagination.