Goals / Taking Action Archives - Page 2 of 6

31Dec 2020 by Elizabeth

Write A Letter as Your Future Self

Do you know what you want to spend your time on over the course of the next year? Do you know where you want to spend your money? Can you describe your passion and life’s work? One of the best ways to find happiness and create wealth is to have clear goals and direction. But sometimes, you don’t know exactly what you want. One of the best exercises I have done is to write a letter as my future self. Specifically, I imagine myself a year from now, and I write a letter to myself looking back at and reflecting on the past year. As you finish a month of preparing for the next year, spend 30 minutes and do the following exercise. How to Write a Letter as Your Future Self…

23Dec 2020 by Elizabeth

The Power of Visualization: How Affirmations and Visualizations Work

Goals / Taking Action

If you’ve ever participated in a competitive sport, you’ve likely been introduced to the concept of visualization. Your coach might have told you: Just imagine yourself kicking the soccer ball into the upper right corner of the goal...or sprinting with all of your remaining energy for the last 400 meters of your 5k...or serving the tennis ball to the inside of your opponent’s backhand. Even if you didn’t play sports, you may have heard about visualization, affirmations, mental rehearsals, or vision boards. The basic idea is that you picture yourself achieving a specific goal with vivid detail. Imagine exactly how it feels, the emotions you are feeling, the smell, the touch, what you are wearing, the sounds you are hearing, etc. The more detail you can envision, the better. The power of…

14Dec 2020 by Elizabeth

12 Best Questions About Money and Happiness

Goals / Taking Action

As you continue to use the month of December to reflect, think about how money can be used as a tool to improve your life and increase your overall happiness. Below is a list of the best questions to ask yourself as you think about your money and your life. I encourage you to print this list and spend some time writing your answer to each one. When were you the happiest or filled with the most joy in the last week?When were you the happiest or filled with the most joy in the last year?If you had to give away all of your money to one charitable cause, what would it be?What is something you do in any given day/week/month that you like the least?When have you felt like…

09Dec 2020 by Elizabeth

Choose a Word of the Year for You or Your Family

Goals / Taking Action

As you think about what you want to focus on next year, what jumps out at you as something you'll need to help you succeed? This isn't something tangible, but is actually the intangible. Are there skills, traits, or values that will inspire or assist you in your areas of focus? What went well this year that you want to build on? Where do you really want to pivot and move forward? Set a Word of the Year Many people set a personal word of the year. In our home, we set a family word of the year. Three years ago our word was “courage.” Last year, the word was “grit.” My 9-year-old son recently announced that he had come up with our family word of the year on his own. Our…

07Dec 2020 by Elizabeth

7 Insightful Frameworks to Analyze Your Life

Goals / Taking Action

As you begin planning for 2021, it’s helpful to have a framework. A framework offers a structure that helps you think about and organize your life and well-being as a whole. But what are some options for wellness frameworks that can help you get 2021 off on the right foot? I’ve outlined seven of my favorite frameworks to help you analyze your life. Frameworks to Empower You in 2021 Whether you get your framework from a book, life coach, or website, there are plenty of choices that can help you organize your life. These options are worth checking out. Power of Full Engagement The Power of Full Engagement was one of the most impactful books I’ve read about managing energy and wellness. In the book, the authors show that in…

02Dec 2020 by Elizabeth

Make Ready December — Prepare, Work, Recover

Goals / Taking Action, Uncategorized

December is the ultimate month of preparations. In a normal year, we spend time and effort getting ready for the holidays and the new year. We make cookies, throw holiday parties, send cards, and attend gatherings with friends and family. For those who celebrate Christmas, nearly the entire month of December is spent in a dizzying display of preparations. In fact, the season of Advent is considered to be the season of “preparation” or “expectant waiting.” We also use December as a month to wind down the current year and get ready for the coming year. Most of us don’t wake up on New Year’s Day and spontaneously have a resolution the moment we open our eyes. Rather, we use the month of December to start to think about what…

01Nov 2020 by Elizabeth

Why and How to Set Up a Donor-Advised Fund

Goals / Taking Action, Take Action

One of the most practical tips I learned in law school was from a Wills & Trusts class. No, it wasn’t about how to plan for your death. It was about how to plan for your life, specifically when it comes to donating money. The term I heard in that class, that I had never heard about before, was “donor-advised fund.” We learned that this was similar to a charitable trust, but with some unique differences. I don’t know about you, but to me, setting up a charitable trust or anything similar sounded like something only rich people would or should do. However, it turns out you don’t have to be one of the ultra-rich to have a donor advised fund. You can and should set one up. Why Should…

28Jun 2017 by Women's Money

Money Talks. You Should, Too.

Budgeting, Goals / Taking Action, Miscellaneous, Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement, Relationships & Money

I think we can all agree that talking about our finances is uncomfortable, especially if your finances are not in the best health. Fortunately, you do not need to broach this subject with everyone you meet. However you do need to be able to communicate with your significant other about money, especially in serious relationships. The 2016 Stress in America Report produced by the APA found that 64% of women and 57% of men reported money and family responsibility as one of their most significant stressors. Because money is such a huge source of stress for many people, couples need to talk about it. Ensuring that you and your partner are on the same page with how you spend money and what your individual situations are helps prevent future arguments and…

22Jun 2017 by Women's Money

The Wonderful World of Robo-Advisors

Entrepreneurship / Making Money, Goals / Taking Action, Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement

Investing money is an effective way to grow your wealth, but knowing how to invest and what to invest in can be difficult when starting out. Until recently, the only options for investing were doing it on your own (a rather intimidating prospect for a newbie) or hiring an investment advisor, which comes with its own research burden to find the right advisor. Fortunately, there is now a third option available - using a robo-advisor. Do not let the odd name throw you off, they are actually very helpful tools. A robo-advisor automates the asset allocation of your investments using a computer algorithm. In other words, it is a type of software that acts in place of a traditional investment advisor to help you make investments. Human financial advisors may…

19May 2017 by Women's Money

The Life of an Emotional Shopper

Budgeting, Goals / Taking Action, Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement

Let’s be honest. Spending money is emotional. Finding a “bargain” is very emotionally satisfying, and buying things for loved ones feels good - even when it makes more financial sense not to spend. While it is important to train your rational brain to manage your money, you also need to acknowledge the emotional motivations that drive your spending habits. Understanding why you spend helps guide you to the most effective method for you to change that spending habit. Personally, I have always enjoyed shopping. I love poking around in different stores, finding deals, gifts for friends and family, and little splurge items like candles and nail polish for myself. It was never that I needed those things. Often, I would go the store to buy one or two specific items,…

Category: Goals / Taking Action