Executing your plan is a crucial step as you work towards financial independence. It is important first of all to have a plan that you can execute. It is also crucial to write your plan down on paper and have a vision of what it is you want to accomplish. Executing your plan is a process. It starts with taking that first step towards the destination you desire to arrive at. There is a Chinese proverb that states that a thousand mile journey begins with one step. There was a great climber that was asked how he had reached the summit of Mount Everest. What he said was simple. He said that he just stayed focused and he put one foot in front of the other. Each of us are working on climbing our financial Everest.
It is also important to remember why you are doing what you are doing. Don’t lose sight of what you are trying to do. In the book Real Wealth Without Risk by J.J. Childers the author speaks about two main motivational factors. There are two simple motivators, pleasure and pain. He talks about “turning up the volume on your pleasure or pain.” This explains why so many people start to do things like a diet and they end up giving up. They give up because as they start to see results, and the motivator, perhaps in this case it would commonly be the pain motivator, has been turned down and therefore they have lost the desire to do what they set out to accomplish. My simple advice this week is to turn up the volume on your motivators; stay focused, and keep putting one foot in front of the other as you work towards executing your plan.

This week we discuss setting S.M.A.R.T. goals.

Discovering Your Dreams

It is amazing to me how many people really do not know what their dreams are. It seems that as people get older their dreams tend to shift and way to many of us lose what our dreams are altogether. Here are a few tips that may help you to discover or rediscover what your dreams really are what do you enjoy doing?
Make a list of all the things that you are good at and really enjoy doing or what you would really like to do. Then number each of those items on a scale from one to ten with ten being the highest. This should give you a good idea of what it is you want to accomplish in life. Once you have an idea of what your dreams are, and then plan on how you are going to accomplish those dreams. Start mapping out the plan of action that you can take today in order to accomplish your dreams tomorrow. We all have dreams of what we want to accomplish it is important to rediscover what those dreams really are.

Merry Christmas!

Basic Survival
There are snow storms, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes and personal challenges happening all the time. Take the time to prepare: get the basics for yourself ad your family. The basics include fresh water, food, clean air and warmth. Go to the website Ready.gov: Get a Kit for additional details. Expand your preparation by making up a Bug-out Bag or 72-Hour kit. Next blog will detail these.
When preparing for a possible emergency situation, it’s best to think first about the basics of survival: fresh water, food, clean air and warmth.
Recommended Items to Include in a Basic Emergency Supply Kit:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
• Local maps

Additional Items to Consider Adding to an Emergency Supply Kit:

• Prescription medications and glasses
• Infant formula and diapers
• Pet food and extra water for your pet
• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
• Cash or traveler’s checks and change
• Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from www.ready.gov
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
• Fire Extinguisher
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
• Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
• Paper and pencil
• Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

It's a good time to look back at what we've accomplished during 2008.

“Every time you win, it diminishes the fear a little bit. You never really cancel the fear of losing; you keep challenging it.” -Arthur Ashe

Fear has robbed more people of their dreams than anything else on this planet. If we are to succeed we must learn how to manage our doubts and fears so that they do not end up managing us. Never underestimate the power of the small successes in your life. It is the small things that we are doing on a consistent basis that help us overcome our fears and add up to our overall success. What are some ways to overcome your fears? One way is to constantly challenge them. Take what you are fearful of and do it until you have diminished the power that that fears have over you. Also, remember what Dale Carnegie said, “You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn’t exist anywhere except in the mind.” Fear truly does only exists in the mind if we can get to know the fears that we have and understand them it can truly help us to overcome this thing that only exists in the mind. Here are a few things that I believe will help you triumph over your fears.
1. Make up your mind to conquer your fears
2. Do what you fear most
3. Believe in yourself
Overcoming your fears is truly a mindset, so decide that you want to overcome your fears and go for it until you make it happen. Develop unwavering faith in the endeavor you wish to achieve and always challenge your fears. Believe in yourself that you can do it and with each success that you achieve your fears will begin to fade! You can do it! Don’t let that ugly four letter word hold you back from your full potential!