Spring Forward
I was honored to speak at Lori’s WOYN Breakfast Series on April 28 and so enjoyed my time at the Commerce Club with all of the ladies who were able to attend. (If you have not attended one, take a look at the upcoming schedule and see if you can get it on your calendar!)
While I don’t have the space to go through everything that I presented to them, I did want to share my approach for springing forward with your finances. Think about an area of your financial life that you are dissatisfied with. Take a moment and write it down. Now let’s SPRING forward to improve that situation:
• See the situation – view the situation objectively. If emotions are coming up, explore the what, when, why, and how to become clear about why it is emotional for you. Then view it with your actual mind – get rid of the “always,” “never,” and “can’t” statements. List out the facts of the situation and how you would like it to change.
• Plan a new approach – what specific action step could you take today to move you from where you are to where you want to be? Continue to list the actions necessary to take another small step.
o Get the swirling thoughts and ideas out of your head and write it down;
o Bullet points are best – 1, 2, 3, 4 – that objectifies it, breaks it into smaller pieces, and gives you a specific action step to focus on.
o Nothing is more empowering than making a plan;
o Nothing kills fear, guilt, and shame like a plan!
• Recruit a positive emotion to feel the way you want to feel
o Grab hold of the feeling that you want to embody:
o Confident,
o Capable,
o Competent, (we often avoid when we feel incompetent!)
o In control;
o Use emotion to power you forward rather than drag you down!
• Invest the time
o This is not going to change overnight;
o Let go of frustration;
o Try, try again;
o It’s a process.
• Narrow your focus
o Pick your biggest battle, the thing/area that is most important to you or is the source of the most frustration,
o You can’t change everything at once,
o It is a process,
o Sometimes you fall a little backward before you spring forward.
• Give yourself credit
o Little victories are cause for big recognition and celebration;
o You didn’t create the bad habits in a day and you won’t change them that quickly either.
o Understand that under stress, it all falls apart; it’s ok – just pick yourself up and start anew.
Put some spring in your step by taking one issue that is weighing you down and springing forward to a better place. It may take some time but small steps can take you around the world if you just keep on stepping.
To your financial success,
Tana
