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How a Great Friend Taught a Lesson of Patience

I recently learned a very important lesson from a good friend of mine, Manny, who’s been going through some big transformations in his life. He just started a new job and came to some realizations about health, nutrition, money, and the importance of where we put our values. He was like, “Man, when it comes to food, nutrition, sugar, what they’re putting in the food, and GMOs—did you know they do this, this, and this?” And I said, “Manny, you know I’ve been talking to you about this stuff for like 8 years, right?” Because I started my business in 2009, so food and nutrition have been a focus for 8 years. And he said, “I know!” But it had just now hit him.

And I thought that was such a great life lesson—for me and for anyone else out there whose mission is to help people live a better life, whether that’s your business, career, job, or what you do on the side—you never know when it’s going to hit somebody, when information that you’ve been sharing and putting out into the world is actually going to resonate with another person. Because it might take 8 years.

It was such a great reminder to me to keep going, to keep doing what I’m doing, to keep building our business the way that we’re building it, to keep learning new skills because you never know when they might come into play. I listen to a podcast called Icon Athlete, a group of Crossfit Coaches in Park City, Utah, and they were talking about how long it takes to become an expert in that world, which was another great reminder that it really can take a while for people to change their perspective on the world. It was very informative to me and encouraged me to keep moving forward because people are listening, they will eventually be affected by your message, and we need more good being put out in the world because goodness does spread. My friend Manny was in a world that was very negative, and now he’s creating something more positive for himself in all areas of his life.

So keep consistent in your mission and promotion, keep on doing your thing – because you never know when your message might hit.

The Ultimate Guide to Money

I recently did a podcast series all about money. Today I’d like to break it all down with the goal to provide clarity on your relationship with money and move you in a more positive, understanding direction when it comes to your finances.

What Is Your Money Story?

We all have one. Your money story is about your beliefs, feelings, view and relationship surrounding money.  The best place to begin when identifying your money story is to take a look at your upbringing. Typically, our parents relationship with money often shapes our initial views and beliefs.  Think about it, what did you hear growing up – ‘money doesn’t grow on trees,’ ‘money isn’t everything,’ ‘ you must spend money to make money,’ the list goes on.  Was there debt or was money never a problem? Think about how you were raised around this topic and which beliefs you have carried with you into adulthood.  One part of my money story is a belief I inherited from my dad which resulted in less than ideal spending habits.  Once I went off to college I quickly went into debt, now this was simply my own spending as my parents paid for my tuition. I spent money as if I were making money, with the mentality that I’d make up for it later. The result was about $120,000 of debt once I graduated – not so great.  This belief was what I was brought up with and is quite different from the way I live my life now. I was able to check my attitude and money mindset, make some changes and evolve my money story.  I now have check-in’s on a monthly basis regarding how I currently feel about my money situation, asking myself – what is my money story today?  Now ask yourself, what parts of my money story would I  like to change?

How Do You Want To View Money?

My view on money in the past versus the present could not be more different. In the past, I would make it and then promptly spend it. One turning point in my money story was when I transitioned from working a 9-5 into becoming an entrepreneur. I am now more about investing, looking for things that add value and simplifying. Which is a stark contrast to my previous views on money where I had an issue with constantly consuming, accumulating unnecessary items and overspending.  I was able to change my view on money and shift my mindset into an attitude of allowing money to work for me.  Part of this is also gaining clarity on how we view debt.  We will all experience debt at some point in our lives whether it’s student loans, a mortgage or something as small as a cell phone. It’s important when diving into your money story, to acknowledge any fear or anxiety surrounding money – and this typically comes up when we think of debt.  Reflect on your past and present views of money, what shifts would you like to make?

How Do You Handle Your Money?

A vital part of being on top of your finances is keeping track.  No matter if you work a 9-5 with one income stream or run your own business with multiple, it’s important to be aware!  Once you start tracking the ins and outs of your income including expenses, debt, taxes and more, you will gain clarity surrounding your flow of money.  This will also help you to stay accountable, hold yourself responsible and ensure you’re clear on your full financial picture.  Do you currently keep track of your finances?  What can you improve on?

What Is Your Money Mindset?

The last step is to think about your goals and what you have in mind for your future.  What is your current reality and what do you have to do to reach your goal. Or better yet – who do you have to become to reach that goal?  You may require a shift in mindset, a change in habit or a re-wiring of your money beliefs. A perfect resource for uncovering this is Kate’s book, Money: A Love Story and her accompanying course, the Money Love Course.  Creating more abundance is possible and those seemingly unreachable goals are achievable – it usually only requires a simple adjustment.

Once you’ve fully reflected on the questions above, you need to create a game plan for moving forward.  This could be setting up the business you have right now to be completely sustainable or starting a side business you love.  Ready to take real action?  Check out the resources below and make the change now!

Resources:

TheFreedomFamily.net
MoneyLoveCourse.com

SustainableSuccessWorkshop.com
Kate’s book, Money: A Love Story
Project Life’s Money Series: Episodes 061 – 066
Smart Passive Income
Entrepreneur on Fire

Do You Hate Mondays?

Why is Friday so different than Monday for so many people? What is Hump Day?

I was sitting next to a guy on the plane who was so pissed and stressed that he was late. It really hurt me as a human being – the thought of people, like this guy, doing things that stress them out, living for the weekend and “Hump Day” (Wednesday).

We need to reevaluate what we are doing in our lives. I spend a lot of time talking to people about doing something more empowering with their lives, overcoming guilt or shame about doing something differently.

I used to be a person who lived for the weekend, when I could check out from work, but the Information Age has provided me the opportunity for something different.

Are you living for the weekend? Do you enjoy Monday as much as you enjoy Friday?

In my research on Google, I found this survey taken by the Gallup Poll in 2005, view here.

In the survey it stated that the least favorite day of the week is Monday. 65% of the people interviewed did not enjoy Mondays, and the next closest day was a tie for Sunday & Wednesday at 6%.

You know what happens on Mondays – people go back to work. We usually are working from Monday to Friday and have only the weekends off to enjoy time with family and friends. This brings me back to the point: are you living for the weekends?

Our jobs/businesses are a huge part of our lives, so why do so many people continue to do work that is boring and uninspiring? There is more to life than working at some place just to pay the bills until we hit the age of so­called retirement, then we die.

When I was working at my former job, I was living for the weekends. I would hop in the car Friday night and go camping to get away, then high­-tail it back on Sunday morning to start work again on Monday morning.

Now I go camping in the middle of the week because so few people are on the trails, and there’s no traffic to the vacation destinations.
Living for the weekends was killing my spirit, my life, because I had less time to spend time on the things I wanted to do and with the people I wanted to see.

I would try to pack everything into two days, and then Sunday night would roll around and I’d start to think about what I actually accomplished over the weekends.

If this sounds like you, it might be time to think about changing careers or starting your own business. The biggest thing I can say is that if you are living for the weekends like I was, you are probably doing the wrong thing.

I shot the following video, which inspired this post, when I was traveling from NYC to Maine.

Check it out:

How do you feel about Monday mornings? Do you have a favorite day of the week?