“Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving.”
~ Warren Buffet
Think for a while, indulge yourself… all your debt is paid, you own your own property, cars, and live life comfortably with savings that make you proud. Imagine that you do not have a financial worry in the world. Sound like a dream? Well, it doesn’t have to only be a dream. There are thousands upon thousands of people who live each day in this dream. There is really no difference between you and the person who lives this apparently illusive dream. Except healthy financial habits. Instant gratification is not a habit, but rather an abhorrence of those who live a financially healthy lifestyle.
Successful money management requires determination, iron will and a goal in mind. It requires impeccable trust in oneself, and it expects that you stick to the path. With so many millions of possible distractions and brilliant marketing ploys to rope you in, how can you stand a chance in becoming even one step closer to your financial dream? Change your habits. Change your attitude to money. And become your own best friend. That’s it in a nutshell, but there are two even more detailed methods which we will discuss now.
Brilliant Habit #1 To Get You Financially Fit
You see something and you have to have it. You have the money on you, or you have access to enough credit at the bank to purchase it… Stop! It is said that the best remedy to the war against impulsive buying is the 30-Day Turnaround Time Rule.
Now thirty days is a long time… that’s next month. What if the item is no longer available? What if it’s on sale now and will never be on sale again? What if you do not qualify for the credit at the end of the month? All these questions are working against your dream of getting into a healthy financial space.
If you need the item immediately and it is an emergency, of course this is a different story. However, if this is an item that you simply want right now, stop and make sure that you put your foot down, proverbially, or literally, whatever works for you. Set the rule in place and write down what you want on a calendar. At the end of the 30-days, you are allowed to return to this decision. It is estimated that 98% of people will not make the same decision at the end of a 30-day period.
With this rule in place your savings account will grow, and you will be far more financially healthy for your wise decision making. You may not have the item that you wanted so badly, but you will have fostered one of the most powerful financially strengthening habits. One that you can repeat over and over again.
Brilliant Habit #2 To Get Your Financial Dream Set on Reality
Visualisation is the talk of the last few years. It is being used in every corner of the corporate world as well. The power it has is to remind the person of where they want to be and what they need to get themselves there. Have you ever visualised your financial dreams or are they simply fleeting experiences of wishful thinking?
Taking visualisation one step further and creating something tangible which you are able to see everyday, can and will help you reach your goals even faster. The first thing you need is to know where you are going. You need to know what you want the end picture to look like. A great exercise to implement this is to set aside some alone time for yourself. Make sure you have financial magazines, cut outs that resemble your goals, scissors, a large sheet of paper and glue. Using colour pencils and pens work wonders too.
Use the time you have set aside to really see yourself in a position where stress is no longer a factor, where your financial worries are no longer even a fleeting thought. Where are you when you imagine this state of being? What do you need to get yourself there? What are the steps needed and how long will it take? Place the image of this state of being on the piece of paper, in whichever way makes you happy. The important part is that you are communicating with your subconscious mind and telling it which way you want life to steer.
Once you have created your dream on a piece of paper, place it on the wall where you will see it every day. Make sure to smile when you see it and organise your life around reaching this goal. Life works wonders when you know exactly where you are going. Your decisions will be different, and you will get where you want to go a lot faster than if you did not do this.
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