life plan

Dec

2021

What To Do When You Don’t Know What You Want

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Everyone of us has had the experience or feeling of not knowing what they want to do in one area of their life, or even with the rest of their life. Young people start by trying to figure out their place in the world; but adults experience this too. We usually call this a “mid-life crisis”, or an “existential crisis”, or even an “identity crisis”. Indeed, not knowing what you want or suddenly not knowing what to do with the rest of your life is a scary experience. So, what to do when you don’t know what you want?

For young and old alike, not knowing what you want is usually due to being overwhelmed by the number of things to choose from or from a feeling of having no choice at all. In both cases, you are scared, confused and undecided. You feel helpless and uncertain about the future because you lack direction. Unfortunately, not many people will have someone beside them to point them in the right direction or to tell them what steps they should take next.

If you are in this situation, don’t lose hope. Pluck up your courage instead and do something about it. Trying to know what you want is a big, life challenge. Here are some things you can do to clear the confusion in your head and heart and reset your life.

Focus on The Now

The future is uncertain so don’t let your fears of the “what ifs” scare you. Instead, focus on what you want right now. Take a deep breath and ask yourself: “If money and time are not an issue, what do I want to do?”

There is no right or wrong answer to this question and there might not even be just one answer. So write your answers on paper and list them down as they come to you. You are creating your bucket list of goals and dreams. By creating this list, you are focusing on getting to know what you want. You are starting to clear out the uncertainty in your life and focusing on the things that you are certain about. This is your vision for your future.

For example, you might put down on your list the places you want to travel to, a business you want to start, your desire to be fit and healthy, a wish to learn to sing, your goal of financial freedom, etc. Your answers may seem broad and general, but this puts your goals in focus and they will serve as the direction to help you figure out what to do next. You might want to find a hobby or rekindle a long-forgotten passion that you had as a child thru this list. Already, you are prioritizing things in the order that you list them down but you can always order them as you want once you have your list. Consider this your fresh start.

Plan Out Your Next Steps

Once you’ve written down your list, work on the most important items first. This can be the easiest ones to accomplish or the ones that you need to work on right away. Make a plan on how you can start pursuing that goal. The plan doesn’t need to be detailed; it is just a sketch that will guide you as you go through your journey. It will help you know what you want and need to do and keep you on track with your goals.

You may have more than one thing you want to do for different aspects of your life and that’s quite normal. Your first step is important. Make sure you start small and don’t take on too much at once. Sketching out a plan on how to work on each goal in your daily life is a good start. Start with baby steps. Think of small things you can do each day to move you forward towards your goals. This will help you develop the mindset and the habits you need to succeed. You can worry about the details when you need to later on. The important thing at the moment is to have a plan to reach your goals. This is YOUR LIFE SKETCH which you will flesh out as you figure out the next steps along the way.

Act On Your Next Steps Immediately

Now that you know what you want and need to do; you can work on your first steps right away. Your plan serves as an outline or road map to reach your goals. If you need to ask help from friends or family members, colleagues or other professionals, do it. Don’t hesitate at the start of your journey. This is the time to be decisive. Yes, the future is still uncertain but you are certain of what you want right now and what you can do right now; ACT ON IT.

Once you’ve taken the first steps, the feedback you get from the people around you and from your own feelings should guide you to your next course of action. Remember that working on yourself is not an easy process. Take it one step at a time. Don’t worry too much about the future; the important thing is to start and to START RIGHT NOW.

One more important thing to keep in mind in this journey to self-discovery is to believe in yourself, keep an open mind, and an attitude of gratitude. Even when you don’t feel like it; challenge yourself to show up everyday for your goals. Even if you’re just sitting in front of your desk unable to do the work; you can still use the time to visualize your goals. Trust that things will fall into place as you keep doing your best to pursue your dreams.

Whether young and confused, or in a “mid-life crisis”, or experiencing an “existential crisis”, or going through an “identity crisis”; don’t panic. Take a deep breath, get pen and paper and start writing your “What I Want to Do” list or your Bucket List. This may seem silly at first, but it will help you know what you want and you can gain a deeper understanding about yourself. More importantly, it will serve as a light to the path you should take when you feel like you’re in a dark place in your life.

Updated. First posted on 2020.01.18.
Feature Image: Original Photo by Soroush Karimi on Unsplash.

Dec

2021

Metamorphosis

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Change is always happening all around us. The seasons change without us doing anything about it. All of us are in a constant process of transforming ourselves. Have you heard of the saying that each one of us is “a work in progress”? Each one of us is undergoing our own metamorphosis. It is up to us how long it will take for the change to happen and what the end results will be.

In Greek, the word has the following meaning: meta = changing, morph = shape or form, and osis = process of (*membean). Although, it seems to mean just physical change; it can also pertain to a whole lifestyle change. In reality, metamorphosis is a big word for it means a major change in many aspects of our lives. For each individual, it is a process of becoming something or someone else.

The word “meta” also means “with, across, or after” in Greek. It denotes a change of position or condition and seeing things across a period of time. You are seeing things from a different position or perspective. You may only be thinking of your life in terms of a year. Having a meta view of things means that you are now thinking about your life in 5 or 10 years time.

The word “morphosis” refers to the way an organism changes or develops. This means that a metamorphosis is a transformation that happens over a period of time. So, it is not something that is accomplished overnight or a few weeks or months. It takes time. And it can only be done slowly.

Your Metamorphosis

The important thing in your metamorphosis is that you define what you want to become. You get to choose how you want to go about your transformation and the challenges you want to overcome. You are in full control of how you want to change yourself and your life.

What are your goals for your own metamorphosis?
What change do you want to make in your life?
How do you want to implement these changes?
What changes are going on around you right now?
How will they fit in with the kind of life you want to have?

There will be uncomfortable moments as you adjust to your metamorphosis. For example, If you want to gain muscles, you go to the gym to lift weights and get body aches the next day. So, many quit along the way. But for those who persevere, rewards will soon follow. As time goes by, your body gets used to the routine. You are able to lift heavier weights more comfortably and with less pain.

Fully embracing your metamorphosis doesn’t mean that the experience will all be pleasant. A transformation requires “growing pains”. Learn to accept them as part of the process, and they become less painful.

Are you now ready to become the better version of yourself?

Updated: First published on 2020.07.03.
Feature Image: Original Photo by Ravi Roshan on Unsplash.

Jul

2021

Not Today

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Tell your self, “Not today.” If you’re thinking of quitting, turning back, ending it all; then tell your self, “No, not today.” Everyone is trying to realize their dreams. We look up to those who have already succeeded. Those who are still pursuing their dreams are taking it one day at a time.

All of us have experienced a point in our lives where we just want to quit or turn back or let go of something we want or committed too because it’s too hard to go on. You don’t want to suffer anymore. You think you have sacrificed so much already. But won’t your sufferings and sacrifices be for nothing if you quit now? You can’t always get up and continue, or redesign your life and your goals.

If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.
Martin Luther King Jr.

That’s not how successful people become successful. They too have suffered and sacrificed. They only overcame their challenges because of their attitude. Each time they encounter an obstacle; they tell themselves, “Not today.” Winners don’t quit. They just take a rest and get up to fight another day.

Of course, not quitting is not the only thing you have to do in order to succeed in your goals. Many people also want to succeed and have made up their mind not to quit on their dreams. This is the best mindset and attitude to have. But if you don’t have a plan for how to reach your goals, then you won’t know how to work around the obstacles along the way. Having a plan can be the difference that gives you major advantage in whatever goals you are pursuing. You can’t just keep wishing and hoping; you need to do some planning.

A goal without a plan is just a wish.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Not having a plan can be the difference between those who succeed and those who don’t. A plan gives you an idea of what to focus on at each stage of your journey. This serves as your guide so you never lose your path, or lose hope for your dreams. A plan helps you to tell your self that you won’t quit, not today, anyway. Because it helps you identify what paths are worth pursuing and what not to continue on.

So if you’re feeling left out, helpless and unsure; then tell your self that you won’t quit on your self; not today, not until you succeed; not until you achieve your dreams. Use your imagination, ask your heart, get into your magic shop and seek your dream. Then draw your self a plan for your future steps. If you decide not to give up on your self and your goals each day; then every tomorrow becomes an opportunity to realize your dream.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Rosie Kerr on Unsplash.

Mar

2021

How to Reset Your Life

Reading Time: 4 minutes

At some point in our lives, we always ask the question: “How can I reset my life?” This feeling of wanting to reset one’s life usually happens when one experiences, or is undergoing, a major life event. Some people may also want to reset their life in order to make a change to their regular routine. Whether you find your life too boring and want it to be more fun; or your current life feels unstable and you want to make changes to find more stability; a life reset is an important process. There are different ways to go about it. Generally, these are the steps on how to reset your life.

1. Make an honest assessment

Before you can move on to the next phase; an honest assessment of your current state of life is very important. This is the time to examine your life, and your life choices, and take a closer look at what the results have been. Where the results bad or unsatisfying? Is your current life comfortable but not fun anymore? Do you want to take on new challenges? Be honest with yourself and don’t think about who or what to blame. Accepting the situation as well as your own faults is the only way you can correct them.

The goal of this assessment is not just to identify the negatives in your self and in your life. It will help you see how and where you can change things. With an honest assessment about your current life situation; you can see more clearly what things you are unsatisfied about. You can determine what decisions you made or did not make, that resulted in the situation you are in right now. This will make it easier to pinpoint where you can start to change things.

2. Envision the change that you want

We used to imagine all kinds of fun and adventures when we were children. Imagining the life you want is an important step in how to reset your life. Just as you were honest in assessing your current life situation; be honest to what you truly want in life. Take the time to think about this and to envision the life that you want. Spend some time in meditation on how you want your new life to be. An important factor you should consider in this step are your thoughts and feelings. Ask yourself: “What thoughts and feelings would the new me have when I am living the life I want?”

Create a vision board or write down your vision for a new life or record yourself as you talk about it. Review your vision board, what you wrote or what you recorded. Try to identify the major keywords you used. List down your goals based on these keywords. Don’t be too strict about it. Focus on your major goals first. Finally, try to summarize your major life goals into a single statement. This will be your vision statement that will regularly remind you of your major life goals.

3. Make your goals SMART

Now that you have your major goals, it’s time to break them down into actionable and measurable steps. Follow the SMART method when doing this. It is important that you break down your major goals into smaller goals to make it easier for you to implement them. Think of your major goals as the destination and smaller goals are what will make up your daily routine. Your daily goals will serve as a checklist that will help you measure your progress towards your major goals.

Having a checklist of smaller goals makes it easier for you to focus on them daily. This makes the process of developing new habits smoother. This also helps prevent decision-fatigue. Decision fatigue happens when you are presented by too many choices. You end up wasting time thinking about what the best choice is. By having a daily routine to follow, you waste less time having to make a choice and gain more time to be productive.

4. Setup your self for success

To make your daily routine even easier to implement, setup your environment so you can focus on accomplishing what you need to do. An organized space helps in maintaining an organized mind. One of the things you can do is to start decluttering your space. Get rid of the things that you are not using anymore. You can also give them away or sell them. Redecorate your space if you have to. Clear away negative energy to freshen your environment. Prepare the things that you will need for your daily goals. For example, prepare your exercise clothes the night before. It will remind you to exercise as soon as you see them when you wake up in the morning. You might consider decluttering your closet as well.

To maximize your productivity, setup your work space so you have all the stuff you need to use without having to waste time looking for them. Be sure to include the things that you love in your spaces but keep them focused on what the purpose of the area or room is. So keep your computer in your workspace and your TV in the living room. Try not to work in your bedroom so you can keep your room a space for relaxing.

5. Stay in a positive mindset

Making any change in life, small or big, always entail challenges. It can be challenging for you personally to start new habits and replace old ones. The process can also be challenging if people around you, or your environment, is not supportive of the changes you want to make. Making change is always a process of trial and error. Don’t be afraid to fail and learn from them instead. By looking at things from a learning perspective, you can keep yourself in a positive mindset.

It is also helpful to keep a gratitude journal so that you can keep track of the positive things that you are experiencing in your daily life. If writing is not your style, just list down at least 3 things that you are grateful for each day. Or just take the time to sit down and say a prayer or meditate on the blessings you experienced for the day. This is one good habit that will definitely be helpful in how to reset your life.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.

Jan

2021

How to Move On In Life

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Almost all of us are wondering how to move on in life after the challenges we’ve been thru. Most of us end up lost and clueless after difficult times. We are usually uncertain of what our next steps should be. Life goes on but we feel stuck instead.

While we may not be in our best shape after going though life’s trials; we still need to do what we can to move on and get closer to the life we want. Here are some tips to help you get a move on and away from a negative life experience.

Accept and Be Thankful

Accepting that a situation is what it is should be your first step to moving on. That means accepting the fact that you and the other people involved made mistakes; that the situation maybe irreparable; and that it will take some time to mend each other’s hurts and clear up the situation.

Stop day dreaming about what could have been or the what if’s. Accept the fact that this chapter in your life is now a permanent part of your history. But remember that this chapter does not define your whole life. You can close this chapter whenever you want to.

Acceptance also means that you acknowledge your own flaws and mistakes but you don’t dwell on blaming yourself or the other parties. Remember that you are more than that one broken piece of you. Instead, you should use the situation to learn life lessons. What did you like and did not like about the persons/situation? What can you do next time to avoid the same issues? Take stock of what this person or situation has taught you and be grateful for it.

Being accepting also means that you allow yourself to feel what you feel. Don’t pretend like you’re okay. Cry if you have to; get a friend to whom you can rant to. Write a letter that describes all the gory details while you’re crying instead of bottling up your emotions. Just don’t send it to anyone though.

The point is to feel what you need to feel so that in the future, you can be more aware when a situation has taken a wrong turn; and that is, when you start feeling the same emotions again. Take the time to purge yourself of your negative emotions or to rechannel it. But don’t dwell too long in that negative space. Learn to forgive yourself and promise to do better.

Give yourself a day or two; then take a deep breath and take the next step on how to move on in life. This step is based on your own personal circumstances so it will be different for each one but the next tip should help.

Re-Invest in Your Self

Most of us forget to take care of our selves in our pursuit of success and happiness in the different areas of our life. One of the best things you can do for your self after a challenging life experience is to re-invest in yourself.

Take stock of your own self value. We often forget our own value as we try to please other people in our lives; be it our romantic partner, our work colleagues or boss, or even the expectations of our family members.

You have invested so much of your time and energy into other things that you might have forgotten to give your self some love. Now is the time to indulge in self-care practices to show yourself some love. This is also one way to start your own healing process.

Remember what you were passionate about as a child. As a child, what were your dreams then? What are you good at doing or making? What qualities do you like in other people?

Learning the wonderful things about yourself helps you to identify the qualities that you also value in others. This is what you can share with other people and what other people appreciate about you. We often forget these wonderful aspects of our personalities as we adjust our attitudes and behavior to blend in with our community and environment.

Remembering what makes you who you are and what you can offer to the world will not only boost your sense of self-worth and confidence; it will also help you to figure out how you can utilize your unique talents and abilities to transform your self into the successful person you’ve always wanted to be.

Focus on Change

The time after a storm is when you can see a clearer picture of what you can do and what you can change to transform things for the better. The same is true for personal challenges. When the storm of your life has passed, take stock of what you can do at the moment to change things and improve your situation. You can begin again.

Focus on what you can control. You can’t control what other people think, feel or do. So focus on what you can do on your own to start making change. Now that you have decided to close this chapter; it is the perfect time to start planning out the rest of your life.

Go back to your vision board; consult your bucket list. Review your goals and see which ones you still want to pursue and which ones to discard.

Define what success means for you. Plan out some fun times in your life. Envision the kind of people you want to hang out with; the relationships you want to have. Write down your ideal life story. Break down your goals into measurable chunks. Finally, outline the small steps that you can start working on to start making the change you want.

Of course, planning out the rest of your life will take more than a day. Taking the time to clarify what is important to you will be worth it in the long run. You are building the foundation for the rest of your future so don’t rush through the process. How you want to live your life is your personal responsibility so step up to the challenge.

Most importantly, be consistent in showing up for yourself and doing your best. Believe in yourself and trust that the Universe has your back.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash.

Nov

2020

The Best Options Among Us

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Have you ever wondered to yourself: who are the best options among us? Who are going to be successful in their careers, their relationships, and in life in general? Which among my family members or friends are helpful to my own life journey?

We all move around different social circles. In this way, we get to interact with different types of people. Some of us have family members that we love but are difficult to get along with. Others, have that one friend that always annoys the other members but they remain friends with that person, anyway

The People We Surround Ourselves With

The people that we surround ourselves with and the situations we put ourselves into makeup our reality. However, not everyone in our social circles are who we perceive them to be. This is not because they want to deceive others. This is only because, people present themselves in different ways to different people. Unless we have known someone more deeply; we will never be able to realize their true character. Are they a part of the best options among us?

There are many monsters among us, it’s true. But there are heroes too.
— Amie Kaufman

Even the people that you think you know deeply may surprise you sometimes. This is because people can, and do change as they grow from their life experiences. Those who do not grow or are unwilling, will be left behind as others move on to pursue new goals and nurture new relationships.

The Situations We Choose to Engage In

There are situations that we keep coming back to, even if they are unpleasant. We do it for various reasons; because we need to or because the familiarity is somehow comforting. They are not necessarily the best options among the scenarios.

We find comfort among those who agree with us and growth among those who don’t.
— Frank A. Clark

The situations you choose to put yourself in will change with time. Everyone and everything around you can change along with your personal growth. You will find that you need to leave some relationships behind that have served their purpose in your life. You realize that you will have to stay away from situations that don’t contribute to your goals.

The Best Options Among Us

In your current place in life, ask yourself – Who among us are going in the same direction in life? Who have similar goals? Which of us understand each other the most? Are there any among us in the same situation right now? Which are the best options among us right now?

We may wish to embrace everyone who comes into our lives. But who among us are truly helpful to be around with? Most of us want to engage in situations that we are comfortable in and familiar with. However, it is important that we learn to differentiate who and what benefits us and which may potentially harm us.

Just trying to get along with others is not enough. You need to be aware who among the others will your time be most productively spent with. Being aware of your surroundings is also important in creating an environment that is conducive for your personal growth and success.

Among us, who are those that can serve as role models? Who are the best options to choose? Among us, who are those that we can look up to? These are the people that we should try to learn from. From these examples, we will also learn to differentiate the persons and situations that will best help us overcome our challenges and get closer to our goals.

Feature Images: Original Photo by mauro mora on Unsplash.

Sep

2020

Signs From the Universe That You Are on The Wrong Path

Reading Time: 4 minutes

We have all experienced ‘coincidences’ in life. They often affirm our strong belief that something was meant to be or not meant to be. How many times have you had a gut feeling that you should do or not do something? These are what we call signs from the Universe (or from God, the Divine Source, etc.). Have you also experienced getting signs from the Universe that you are on the wrong path?

The Universe is always communicating with us but sometimes we aren’t aware about it, or we don’t trust it. If you’ve ever had a good or bad feeling about a situation; that is a sign from the Universe. Sometimes, the signs are not as subtle as a ‘gut feeling’ but a long-lasting phase or mood. If you are feeling or experiencing any of these things in your life right now; then it is a sign from the Universe that something has to change.

1. You’re Always Stressed Out

The mot common sign that most of us ignore is when we always feel stressed out about something. Especially if this stress is constant, that means that you need to leave the situation. It may also mean that you need to do something you’re afraid of doing to change the situation.

Sometimes, it’s a person or a thing that stresses us out. If it’s a thing that stresses you out; like the sight of the clutter in your room, then you can easily do something about it. Clearly, it’s a sign from the Universe that you are on the wrong path. So don’t be lazy and clean your room.

If you are always stressed out when you’re around a certain person, examine why this is so. What is it that this person does that stresses you out? Is it something trivial, then maybe it’s your reaction that you can change. If it’s something that not only affects you, then maybe you can talk with that person to stop doing it. If they are unwilling, then maybe you need to stay away from that person or that group of people. Or maybe you just need to take a break from seeing them for a while. This way you can sort yourself out and be able to deal with them better next time.

2. You’ve Lost Interest

Do you feel you’ve lost interest in the things you once loved doing? Take a break from it and see if you can come back to it with renewed interest. If this is not the case, then perhaps you need to move on to something new, or to bigger things.

We sometimes feel guilty when we feel the need to move on from something that we once had a passion for. It’s almost as if we are betraying them and ourselves because we are turning our back on them. So we try to stop the process from happening. But we are only prolonging our agony (and maybe everyone else’s) as a result. This is one of the signs from the Universe that you are on the wrong path.

Whenever you have a feeling that you need to move on from something or someone, your gut is probably right. You are not betraying them or yourself. You only feel this way because you regret all the time and effort you spent with them. Moving on feels as though you invalidate all that you did before. The truth is that all your time and effort has prepared you for the next step or phase. Just be thankful for the experience and move on without regrets.

3. You’re Longing for Change

Did you suddenly wake up one day feeling or thinking that you want things to change? Then they probably need to. Most of us have a sudden realization like this; but we brush it aside and just go on our usual activities. We wait until this thought or feeling becomes a strong longing. Then we either get depressed or frustrated over it, or we do something about it.

The best way to deal with this kind of realization is to do something about it quickly. But figure out what change you want to make first, then start with the small things. Think about what you can do today to implement the change you want for the long-term. Do you wan to start exercising again? Start by doing some light, stretching exercise first or go for a walk or a short jog.

Embrace your longing for change. Do something about it every day instead of putting up with it until it becomes a stressful experience. Define what that change means for you. Set up a plan and a strategy on how you are going to do it. Then start implementing your plan. You future self will thank your old self later on for responding quickly to a nudge from the Universe.

4. You’re in Chronic Pain

We are all aware of the phrase ‘listen to your body’. The Universe also speaks to us through our bodies. If you are experiencing chronic pain that you can’t explain, then take it as a sign from the Universe. You need to do something to make that pain go away.

Have you tried exercising and eating healthy to improve your condition to no avail? Then maybe it’s one of the signs from the Universe telling you that you are on the wrong path. Maybe you need to stop self-medicating and see a doctor instead? Maybe something has to change in your environment.

Sometimes, physical pain can be a sign of other underlying conditions. You may have an emotional issue that you have not addressed. Maybe the Universe is telling you that now is the time to take action to resolve these issues.

There are always signs from the Universe that you are on the wrong path or the right path. It helps to be mindful of your body and your habits so you can easily identify these signs. Try to act on these signs as quickly as you can. That way, you can get back on the right track quickly too.

What other signs from the Universe have you experienced that helped you identify you were on the wrong path? These signs are often very personal and only we can identify them. Don’t take it negatively when things don’t go as planned. Think of it as a sign from the Universe that you are on the wrong path. It’s the Universe’ way of nudging you back into the right path so you can accomplish your goals.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels.

Jul

2020

What Stage Are You In In Your Financial Life?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Imagine a life where you are free to do whatever you want to do without having to worry about money. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Yes, that life is possible and it is imperative that you know how to get there. Some people like businessmen, athletes, artists and lottery winners fast tracked their way to wealth. But for most of the people, the road to wealth can only be done one step at a time. There are stages to financial independence. First and foremost, you must figure out what stage are you in in your financial life right now. Knowing where you are will give you an idea on where to go next.

Active vs. Passive Income

Before you can understand the stages, you need to have a clear understanding of two basic financial terms about income.

Active Income – is the money that you earned while working. It means the income comes from your active participation or as a direct result of you performing a service. Active income can be in the form of salary, commission, tip, wage and even income from business.

Passive Income – requires little or no effort at all from your part. It is basically money that you earn from doing almost nothing.Examples of active income include income from rent, investments, dividends, trademarks, copyrights, affiliate marketing and other portfolio incomes.

Stages in Your Financial Life:

Stage 0: Financial Dependence

Financial dependence means someone else is responsible for you in your financial life. That person can be your parents, spouse, grandparents, uncles and aunts or whoever is paying for your monthly living expenses. It is perfectly normal to be financially dependent on someone else when young. If you are still in this stage, yet you are old enough to earn on your own, your main goal should now be to move on to the next stage.

Stage 1: Financial Solvency

Financial Solvency is the first stage towards financial freedom. In this stage, you no longer depend on someone else to pay your financial obligations. You now have the ability to pay for your monthly living expenses. It also means that if you have debt, you are now able to pay for your loans on time. Generally, the first step is to either get a job or start a business.

Stage 2: Financial Stability

Once you are already able to consistently meet your financial obligations on time, the next thing to do is to start saving money. Ideally, you should be able to save at least 6 months worth of monthly expenses in your emergency fund. As the name suggests, emergency funds are a stash of money set aside for life’s emergencies. It can be used for emergencies such as a job loss, health emergency or appliance and car repair. At this stage, you should also begin investing a portion of your income. A budgeting system will help you handle your money properly.

Stage 3: Financial Security

At this stage, the income from your investments should already be enough to cover your basic monthly expenses. You are no longer reliant on your active income alone because you are now earning some passive income. Even if you lose your job or business at this point, you can now afford to live a simple life without having to worry about your basic needs.

Stage 4: Financial Independence

This is the ultimate goal for most people. This is the stage of financial freedom. It is the stage where you have enough savings and investments to finance your desired lifestyle. At this stage, your passive income can now completely take over. Your basic needs as well as some comfort in life can now be sustained by the income that you are receiving from your investments. Even if you are vacationing in an island somewhere, you don’t need to worry because money is still pouring in without you having to lift a finger.

Stage 5: Financial Abundance

Some people will not be contented with merely achieving financial freedom. The next stage is for these people. In this stage, there is abundant wealth. You already have all the money that you ever need to the point that you don’t know where to spend them anymore. People on this stage usually looks into building their legacy. A legacy is basically who you are, how you lived your life and how you want the people to remember you. It is at this point that you consider how you will leave your wealth behind so it can served as a very strong foundation for the next generation.

Now assess your financial life. What stage are you in in your financial life right now? Where will you grow from here? What is your end goal?

Good luck on your financial journey!

Feature Image by Photo by Lukas from Pexels

Apr

2020

Smart Ways To Combat Boredom

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Having a daily routine is a good way to organize your activities. However, when you’ve grown tired of your daily routine, or when your activities are cancelled and you suddenly have nothing to do, boredom can strike. Taking a nap is one quick way to combat boredom but unless you truly need it, it isn’t the best way. You can play games of binge-watch TV shows but they are not that productive. We’re sure some ideas have already popped into your head but why not try some more uncommon ways to spend your free time? Try out these smart ways to combat boredom:

1. Redesign Your Life

Start redesigning your future life with a list. Sit down with some pen and paper and ask yourself these questions: “What do you want to become in the future? What areas of your life do you want to improve and how?” Write down a bucket list of all the things you want to improve in the different areas of your life.

2. Create a Vision Board

Once you have a bucket list of how you want your future life to be, get some old magazines, scissors, glue and cardboard. Sit down for a bit and write down a paragraph to summarize what your redesigned life is like. Take note of the important keywords and find the images that relate to those words in the magazines. Cut them out and arrange them accordingly on your cardboard. Your vision board should remind you of your future goals everyday so make sure to hang it where you will always see it.

3. Set Your Financial Goals

If you’ve been itching to tackle your financial situation, now is the time to do so. Focus on what your short term, medium term and long-term financial goals are and assess where you are now. From here, you can determine what you need to do to move towards your goals. Make sure that you are making S.M.A.R.T. goals so you can measure your progress.

4. Create Your Budget

So you might have your financial goals set but how about your daily, weekly, monthly spending? How do you allocate your money each time you get your paycheck? The answer to that is having a budget and while no one budget system is perfect for everyone, you can start with the Money Jar Budgeting System and tweak it according to your needs.

5. Plan Your Meals

A healthy body keeps you going so you can pursue your goals further. So what you eat is an important part of your success. If you’re going on a diet and even if you are not, planning your meals not only keeps you healthy but also keeps your budget on track. There are ways to get the most out of your meals while saving money on groceries. If you keep these in mind, your body and your wallet will surely thank you. Plus, you can ensure that you and your family get to enjoy all your favorite dishes too.

6. Organize Your Clothes

A messy closet can be a daily scene that seems normal when you are always in a rush to get out the door each morning. Now that you have the time, why not be productive and spend it organizing your wardrobe? You might find hidden gems that you can wear on your next party or items that you don’t want to keep but your friend would love to have. Make sure to check if you have the basic items and make a note of what you need to complete them. If you have a lot of items to let go of, then you can sell them for some extra cash.

7. Compose An Apology

Do you need to say sorry to a friend or family member but haven’t done so for whatever reason? Now is the time to compose your thoughts and learn to properly say you’re sorry. The important thing is to be sincere about it. It would be good to write down your thoughts first and practice saying your apology. When you think you’re ready, contact your friend or family member and ask them to listen to you as you state your apology. Hopefully, your sincerity should win them over and you can sleep with a lighter heart.

8. Hone A Skill

Got a hobby or childhood talent you’ve never had time to practice? Now that you’ve got the time, pick up that guitar, paint brush and canvas, or that manual and start training yourself again. Or you can learn a new skill. All the greats started where you are now and you may not be aiming to be a professional in that field but improving yourself in something you love to do can boost your confidence and help you perform better in other areas of your life.

9. Start a Gratitude Journal

Being grateful is life-changing so why not start being grateful right now? All you need is your favorite notebook and pen, or your mobile phone will also do. Review your day, week, month, and write down the things that you are thankful about. Don’t discriminate between the small things and the big things, they are all equally worthy of being grateful for. You can do this every day before you sleep so you can rest with good vibes around you.

10. Go On a Themed Staycation

This is especially fun to do with the whole family. Since you’re stuck at home, why not indulge in a themed staycation? It doesn’t cost much and it can be fun. It can be a game night, a musical where you are all actors and singers, movie night with kids movies, starting a garden, a home decluttering theme, or even making a game of finding things that you can get rid of in your home. While some things may sound like a chore, if a delicious home-cooked meal is a reward, it should bring a sense of fun into the activity.

These are just some of the things that you can do while you’re stuck at home, alone or with your family. What other things do you do to help ease boredom at home? We’d love to hear your suggestions.

Original Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash.

Mar

2020

How to Make SMART Goals

Reading Time: 4 minutes

We are constantly dreaming and making wishes for what we want our future to be like but most of us procrastinate when it comes to actually writing down our plan for how to achieve our goals. We all know where we want to go but we don’t have a plan on how to get there. This causes us a lot of anxiety in our everyday lives. More often, we see the prize but we are not prepared for what it takes to achieve it. Having a vision is not enough. You need to know how to make SMART goals to complement your vision.

In order for us to lessen the anxiety and worries that plague us about our future, it is necessary that we come up with a plan that will give us a structure and provide guidepost to follow so we can track our progress. A vision board serves as a reminder of where you want to be but you need a plan on how to get there. One of the best methods to do this is to make S.M.A.R.T. goals.

What are S.M.A.R.T. Goals?

S.M.A.R.T. goals allow you to define what steps you need to achieve your goals and allows you to measure your progress as you advance thru each step of the plan. This acronym stands for the following aspects of goal setting:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely / Tangible

According to Antoine de Saint-Exupery, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Allen Lakein said, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”, and Napoleon Hill said, “Plan your work and work your plan.” So let’s start planning the S.M.A.R.T. way.

SPECIFIC

Create a specific goal statement. A goal stated in general terms will seem difficult or even impossible to accomplish so make sure that you make your goal statement specific. Your goal statement should answer the following questions:

Who is involved?
What do I want to accomplish?
Where will this happen/be implemented? – This may not always apply especially for personal goals.
When should this happen/be implemented?
Which things are needed? – These are the requirements and the current limitations.
Why should I achieve this? – Your reason for the purpose and/or benefits of accomplishing the goal.

As an example, a general goal would be “I want to get physically fit.” A more specific goal would be “I want to lose 15lbs by November 15 by working out at home 3-4 times a week so I can look and feel better as well as gain more confidence in social gatherings.”

Another example is if your general goal is to get out of debt, a specific goal is “I will pay an extra P2,000 a month to my credit card bill for 12 months.”

MEASURABLE

Create the specific steps that you will do to achieve your goals but make sure they are measurable so you know that you are making progress. This also means that if you see that you are not making progress doing a particular step, then you can change that specific part of the plan.

Your measurable steps should answer questions such as how much, how many and how will I know when it is accomplished.

Include specific amounts, measurements and dates so you can better track and monitor your progress each step of the way.

For example, a measurable step for the physical fitness goal would be to “exercise 30 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week”, “eat 6 small meals through out the day”, as well as “to lose approximately 2lbs per week.”

ATTAINABLE

Set attainable goals. Weight the efforts you need to make to achieve the goal. Do you have the time to make the effort? Are you willing to make that much effort in the amount of time you have defined? Make sure that the goal you set for yourself is acceptable to you personally otherwise you will only lose confidence in trying to accomplish it.

However, do make your goals challenging and avoid goals that are too easy. Set a goal that you can attain but will allow you to move forward in you plan.

As an example, maybe you would really like to go to the gym for a workout but there’s not one near your home and you need to travel early to get to work on time; you also can’t afford the extra gym fee. A more attainable option is to start your plan by buying some affordable gym equipment such as dumb bells and just work out at home instead.

REALISTIC

Make sure that the goals you set are realistic otherwise you may give up in the middle of the process. If you have financial or physical issues for example, take that into consideration as you make your goals. Try to focus on baby steps and give yourself an adequate amount of time to accomplish each step in your plan.

For example you are earning ten thousand pesos a month (P10,000). A goal to save nine thousand pesos (P9,000) a month is not realistic. In loosing weight, loosing 2lbs a week is an attainable goal compared to losing 5lbs a week. A realistic goal is more more motivating than setting the bar too high and not be able to achieve it at all.

Do your research first to make sure that what you are setting for yourself is realistically and humanly possible and break it into smaller goals if necessary. You can also ask yourself if you have achieved something similar to your goal in the past. If you have, then that is a good way to tell that your goal is realistic.

Set a realistic target but make sure it’s also challenging to you and not too easy.

TIMELY / TANGIBLE

Your goals should be timely. You should give yourself an adequate time frame to complete each step of the plan and achieve your goals. As in the goal statement example above, you should set yourself a deadline for when you should have achieved the goal.

Your goals should also be tangible, meaning you can measure the actual progress made or the exact difference from the “before” situation compared to the “after.” In short, you can experience everything with your senses to measure the progress you are making and should be making.

A timely goals allows you to know when you can give up on a step if it fails to produce results and when to begin the next step in the plan. It also allows you to know when you can celebrate a completed milestone in your plan.

So, what are you waiting for? Get a piece of pen and paper. Look at your vision board and start writing down SMART goals on how you can slowly attain the life depicted in your vision board. Do bear in mind though that it is not going to be easy. There will be a lot of challenges ahead but there is a way to how to make your journey a lot easier.

First published in Pinoy Smart Living on 03.22.2019
Original Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash