10 Action Tips to Enrich Your Life
Use these tips to avoid paralysis--and loss.In order for things to happen in your life, you have to be in motion. Nothing occurs without motion. One word I've heard out of people's mouths lately is the word "paralyzed." Many people are feeling out of control or just flat-out confused about what to do in today's economy, so they do nothing--they're paralyzed.
As Albert Einstein said, "Nothing happens until something moves." People who do nothing--who are waiting for things to change or, worse, to go back to the way things were--will lose. I believe that everything happens for a reason. And the reason behind this economic fiasco may be an opportunity staring you in the face. The most important thing, in my opinion, is to stay in motion and take action.
Here are 10 things you can do today to keep in motion.
- Answer this question: What is the one thing in your life that, if you did it, would have the greatest positive impact in your life? The answer will probably come to you instantly, so don't discount the first answer that pops into your head. Once you know what that one thing is, commit to make the changes needed to achieve it. For some it might be losing 30 pounds and getting healthy. One woman knew immediately that she needed to end a toxic relationship with her boyfriend. For many women, the one thing may focus on profession or finances. We all have one thing in our life that, if handled, would make all the difference.
- Read a book. Ask yourself, "What do I want to learn next?" It may be related to business, investments, a hobby or personal development. What do you want to learn for your own business, financial and personal growth? Then begin with a book on the subject to start the creativity flowing.
- Play a game. Games are a great way to learn. Get together with a few friends in the evening and play a game that has a learning component to it. My husband and I created Cashflow 101 so people could teach one another about money and investing. Monopoly is another great game that teaches you to acquire properties and conduct business.
- Learn one new financial word every day. When you hear a financial word you don't understand, look it up on Wikipedia or in a financial/investment dictionary and learn the meaning.
- Watch your words. Pay attention to the words you use. What are you saying to yourself? Are your words supportive and positive? "I can do this." "I'm my own financial expert." Are your words demeaning, negative and harmful? "I'm not smart enough." "I don't know what to do." What you say to yourself and what you say to others can determine the quality of your life. Your thoughts truly do create your reality. One of my favorite books of all time on this subject is As A Man Thinketh by James Allen.
- Know your numbers. Tell yourself the truth about where you are today financially. List all income. List all expenses--and don't shortcut this step. Include all of your financial debts, IOUs, and agreements you've made with individuals, companies, friends and relatives. Review your personal financials twice a month, and twice a month ask yourself, "How can I improve my financial situation?"
- Buy a 1-ounce silver coin. Find your local precious-metals dealer. What good is buying silver? Three reasons:
- For a little less than $20, you now own a commodity, a commodity that is a consumable. It's used in cell phones, computers, light bulbs, televisions, etc. And the demand for silver is only increasing. There is actually more gold in the world than there is silver.
- It's a hedge against inflation. As the dollar continues to go down in value because the government is printing so much of it, silver generally goes up. This is why I save very few dollars and, instead, convert my dollars to silver.
- At the end of 2008, the Dow was up approximately 17 percent, gold was up about 25 percent, and silver was up approximately 50 percent.
- Attend a seminar or meeting on investing or business. Many free or inexpensive meetings and seminars offer valuable information. Just be aware that if an educational meeting or workshop is offered for free, then the presenter is probably there to sell you something. Your job is to discern the difference between real information and the sales pitch.
- Start a part-time business. This can be as simple as buying a gumball machine and putting it in a local independent business such as a bookstore, car wash or toy store. Use your artistic abilities to create products to sell at arts-and-crafts shows or on the internet. Is there a hobby you do for fun that you could turn into a part-time business? If the idea takes off, it could grow into something much bigger.
- This may be the most important thing you can do: Think for yourself. So much information is available today and so many opinions exist that it's important not to go along with the crowd but to truly do your own thinking to figure out what's best for you. Too often people looking for the hot tip or the quick fix take the first answer that comes along instead of thinking through the situation. As Henry Ford said, "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably why so few people engage in it." Here is an example of someone not thinking for himself. I was watching one of the national morning TV programs. It had a panel of financial experts answering people's questions. One man called in and said he had lost his job 10 months before and wondered whether he should cash in his retirement fund or sell his house. That is all the information the "experts" received. What advice was he given? One expert, without knowing his financial situation or what options he had available to him, told him, "You should sell your house." He said, "Oh, thank you so much for your advice." I was outraged! First, I was livid that someone representing herself as a financial expert would give such bad and potentially dangerous advice without knowing the facts. Second, I was upset that this man would actually consider following this terrible advice. Thinking for yourself does not just apply to your financial life--it applies to every area of your life. There was a time in my life when I began questioning what I'd been taught by my parents, teachers, friends and colleagues. Was I operating on their thoughts and ideas or on my own? I began to discover my strengths, my weaknesses, my gifts and talents, and what was truly important to me. Think for yourself was a powerful step for me in being true to myself.
Thank you!
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