Five Changes Today To Get More Tomorrow

You’re busy.  I get it.

But if you have a dream of any kind (to write a book, build an empire, lose 10 pounds) that you have not yet achieved, that excuse is no longer any good.  Actually no excuse is.  “Excuses are tools of the incompetent used to build monuments to nothing. For those who specialize in them shall never be good at anything else.”

You are not incompetent and your dream is the foundation of something great.  It’s time to build. So what does that mean?  That means you have got to change some things: change your mind, your company, your schedule, your focus and your game plan.  Are your ready?

1.  Change Your Mind: The Power of Decision

This is the easy part.  We do it everyday all day.  We make decisions.  We decide to brush our teeth when we awake.  It’s something we learned, yes, but you decide to do it every morning.  You decided to put on the black slacks with the polka dot shirt.  You decided to go to work or call in sick. Everyday you decide.

So decide to push a bit harder today and make your dream more real. Decide to make your passion profitable.  The decision comes first.

2. Change Your Company: Birds of a Feather

My mother always said, “Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.”   When you look around at who you spent your free time with this month what do you see?  Do you see friends who inspire you? Challenge you?  Encourage and push you?  It’s ok to be the standout.  Professional Coach for Women in Transition, Pam Byrd, once said,  If you look around at your friends and you are the smartest one in the room, it’s time to find another room. You don’t have to give them up. Just expand your tribe.

3. Change Your Schedule: Tick Tock

My accountability partner was complaining to her boyfriend that she just couldn’t seem to get her website done and it was becoming extremely frustrating.  Now, my friend is a very intelligent woman but it took his simple words for her to get it.  He said,  ”Cancel something you planned for next week and spend that time working on your website.”

If you have scheduled something you want to do you may have to give it up to do these things you have to do. You have to be willing to change your schedule to meet your dreams

4. Change Your Focus: The “Eyes” Have It

You have a million and one things on your to-do list, right?  It can get frustrating because most of time you are thinking of all of it at the same time and you shut down and nothing gets accomplished.  You have to focus on one thing at a time.  Complete that then move on to the next thing.  It’s what I call “Clearing the Path”.  (Well actually my accountability partner came up with that too).  When you clear the path, your figure out the thing you need to accomplish and then what you need to get it done.  You share it with someone in your “new room” (see item 2) and ask him/her to help “clear your path” to the next item on your to do list.

5. Change Your Game Plan: It’s Time to Huddle

Sometimes you need to regroup.  Sometimes the huddle is with the few who know you best; other times with a new group of strangers who are anxious to become new friends. However you do it, understand that you cannot do this alone.  There has to be other sound minds to bounce ideas off of, to give you feedback, to split a chipotle chicken and cheese sandwich over coffee.

You need to huddle!   So grab your boyfriend/girlfriend, your mom, your sister, on someone from the class you took last month.  Search for groups online and if you can’t find a group of supportive like-minded women who want to see you succeed, leave me a comment below and you can join ours.

There is no reason you can’t make these changes to promote yourself to a spot closer to achieving your dream.  You’re busy.  I get it, but there is a gift you owe the world and we want to unwrap it.  Sooner than later!

I really do get it.  I wrote this because I recently had to do it – each one!  Heck, it’s Friday night and I’m at Panera (with my accountability partner)… making changes!

What I Know, Not What Somebody Told Me

Everyone should have a kudos list, a reference point of inspiration; a place to go to remind you of who and whose you are when you get off track.  I call mine “What I Know, Not What Somebody Told Me”.  Actually my mother says that when she really wants to drive home a point.

What do you know that no one or nothing can take from you?

• I am a child of God and he has placed great purpose in my life.
• God has gifted entrepreneurs a powerful spirit of generosity.   At the end of the day we’re giving just as much, if not more, than we are getting.
• My little sister is my biggest fan; my older sister, my personal hero.
• My mother absolutely LOVES me – the good, the bad, and the oh so ugly!
• There is little difference between “I’m perfect” and “Imperfect”.
• You cannot do this alone!
• When it becomes JUST about the money, you’ve missed the point.
• Life is best lived with passion, purpose and prayer!

Please feel free to share one or two if you’d like.

Make it a lovely day!

The Lesson

Roy Rogers, a three-year old, and a yahoo article.  Really?!

My mom often says to me, “Shut up and listen sometimes.  You can learn something from everybody.”  Of course as most moms, she is right. You can learn something from just about anybody, but a fiscal management lesson from a three-year old?

So the story goes….

A mother and daughter were in the store when the little girl saw a Roy Rogers wallet (not the one pictured. It was much more kiddie and cuter).  It was a time when Roy was all the rage and the cute little wallets were displayed perfectly at three-year old eye level.

“Mommie, mommie,” she shrieked.  The little girl ran over to the wallets and saw Roy, Dale and Trigger.  She looked up at her mommie through her pink rimmed glasses, “Oh mommie please.  I want it.”

“Well ok,” mommie replied.  “If you keep your room clean every day, put away your toys and dolls then I’ll give you money and you can buy your wallet.”

The little girl nodded in agreement.  She held the wallet next to the purse hanging on her shoulder to make sure it would fit.  It was perfect!  That next week the little girl cleaned her room every day.  “Mommie look!” she’d yell in excitement.  She put her toys in her chest and closed the lid just loud enough so her mother could hear it slam shut.  After two weeks, she had enough money to buy her wallet.

She led her mother by the hand as she pushed the glass Woolworth door open.  She ran to the wallets and picked her best one.

“Well aren’t you adorable,” the clerk behind the counter said. (And quiet as its kept, she really was.)

“I would like to purchase this wallet.” she said proudly as she showed the clerk the money in her hand. 

“It looks like you have just enough,” the clerk said.

The little girl paused.  She looked at the wallet.  She looked at her money.  She looked at her wallet and back at the money. She looked at her mommie and said, “I don’t think I want it.”

“But why?” mommie asked.  “You worked so hard. You earned it.”

She thanked the clerk and as they walked away mommie asked again, “Sweetie why won’t you buy the wallet.  You have just enough money.”

“I know,” she said sadly “but if I buy the wallet I won’t have anything to put in it.”  She put her money neatly in her purse as they left the store.

My mom shared this story of her and my older sister with me just this past weekend and I thought Fiscal management at its best.  There is so much we know, even as early as age three and so much we forget  as soon as the next “gotta have”  thing pops up on ebay. 

Before writing this post, I read a yahoo finance/CNNmoney article, entitled “Goodbye Middle Class”.  Even though I serve a God of abundance, there is a lesson to be learned. That yahoo article along with the story my mom shared made me rethink  how to allocate this year’s tax refund and how I spend my money overall. 

So sometimes, just sometimes, shut up, sit down and listen to the lesson.

Please share any lessons you’ve learned about money, life, passion,  pain or just leave a comment or like.  Thanks for stopping by!