2017 Goals: Do you believe in the person you want to become?

“I believe in the person I want to become.”

I love that quote because it gives me the motivation to remember to be my best self. The positivity of wanting to become more resonates with me as opposed to beating myself up for my short comings. I can always think of things I should have done differently. As the New Year rolls in, now is the perfect time for us all to look at our personal goals for 2017.

Part of believing in the person I want to become includes having the ability to be more generous with the people in my “care network.” My care network is anyone that I consider when making big life and financial decisions: my husband, my children, my grandkids. This year I want to be more generous with them in terms of my emotional support, economic support (where necessary) and my most precious resource, time. Being able to offer these resources requires planning. In all instances, I must make sure that I am taking care of myself first so I can give the necessary resources to those I care about. You can’t give what you don’t have!

When we are emotionally drained, financially stressed and over committed we are of no use to anyone including ourselves. So, what do we need to do to create balance in our life to minimize those events from occurring?

Meditation

“Stress reduction could be the key to meditation’s beneficial effect on health. We know stress is a contributor to all the major modern killers,” said Charles L. Raison, MD, clinical director of the Mind-Body Program at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. More studies have shown improvement for fibromyalgia and even psoriasis in patients who meditate. “It’s hard to think of an illness in which stress and mood don’t figure,” said Raison. Making time for myself to meditate helps me be more available for those that I care about.

Save More or Spend Less

My goal for the New Year is to save 10% of our income. There are several things I can do to help me reach that goal without feeling deprived. I have set up automatic debits from my salary to savings and brokerage accounts so that I am “paying myself first”. If you are getting a year-end bonus that can be the perfect way to kick start your plan to “pay yourself first.” I also have an Acorns account which debits money from my checking account. Acorns help you save and invest small amounts regularly into your own diversified portfolio. Not only can you learn about investing through these types of accounts but you can also build your confidence, a term I call your Emotional Financial Security (EFS).  Start with just your spare change debited from your checking account. It’s amazing what you will learn and how the deposits can add up.

Time

Organizing my schedule so that I make time for all the important things and people in my life is one of my biggest challenges. I have gotten to a stage in my life where I must have lists and calendars to keep me on track. Using apps such as Google Keep or Google Calendar have organized and simplified the process for me. Having my time organized allows me to be present when I am doing a task or with people I care about. I am not thinking, “Have I forgot something?” or “Should I get going because I have so much to do?” We can earn more money, but we can’t create more time. Time management must be a priority! Make time for the people you care about and love.


My belief in the person I want to become helps me to take small steps each day to become that person. My job is managing me and keeping myself on track so that tomorrow I will have become the person I believe in.