Lessons learned

A little over a month ago, I posted about my field of dreams. Consider this an update.

1. Sticking to my budget. This was a tough one. I started off giving myself $50/week. I realized how extremely low it was when that didnt work. I spent $50 in the first two days going out to eat. I was so upset with myself because I saw it as a failure. I grew disappointed with myself until I realized my budget was not realistic. I had to set a realistic budget according to my lifestyle and the amount of money I wanted to save. It was tough, but I have come up with a budget I can stick to.


2. Save moola. I have been able to save money and I'm very proud of myself. I get to do more things that I enjoy and I didnt have to sacrifice much. My technique:
*I assessed my spending. I started by tracking my spending for one week & then I analyzed where my money went. It came as no suprise that most of my money went to shopping with food and entertainment at a close second. It was tough to cut down on shopping but I made progress.
*When I needed something from the mall I went an hour before it closed instead of earlier in the morning. I was less likely to browse because I knew I didnt have much time for such things. By going later I forced myself to stay on task.

3. Learn new web design techniques. Web design is hard!! I had no idea it was so tough. All of my readers with design talent I salute thee!! I tried to push through and learn design techniques but towards the final week I gave it up. I will keep this on my list take a course or something but teaching myself was not working.

4. Change my attitude. My attitude is pretty much still the same. As with any journey I had a few ups and a few downs but somehow it all worked out. I believe I was made this way for a reason. My parents have always taught me God doesnt make mistakes so if I am this way at this point in my life it is for a reason. Regardless of the reason or when I will realize it, I embrace everything about my personality-good and bad. Everyone is different and there is no one else who looks at life the exact same way I do.

5. Learning when to take a break. Taking a break is easier now, its the going back to work after the break part that is difficult. I leave my laptop closed after work unless I am blogging and I spend time doing things that make me happy. What I didn't see at first was how beneficial breaks can be to your productivity. Sometimes breaking up your routine is an opportunity for you to have a new perspective on old situations. Taking breaks is wonderful but I still have to catch myself thinking about the gazillion other productive things I could be doing instead.

What I've learned:

Whenever you set out to change something about yourself it is a journey. Regardless of whether you set goals for 30 days or 300 days, you will be forced to look within yourself to find reasons why you behave/react in a certain way. Even when you are lying to others, you cannot truly lie to yourself. Eventually you will tire of lies and you will have to face the truth. My journey forced me to endure the truth. I understand more about my actions. I learned that people will judge you so harshly that it makes you question yourself. I learned not to allow that bother me. I understand more about how I end up in various situations. I had to give in to the slow and frustrating process many of us endure before we make progress. I not only talked the talk but I walked the walk until my feet hurt. I learned that we must enjoy life even when we dont feel like living it up!

What I wish I knew:

I should warn you all that I am one who likes to control a situation. When I lose control, it makes me feel uncomfortable and apprehensive. I like to know as much I can know about everything so that if I ever need to apply the knowledge I can tap into my brain and find the answer. I'm constantly researching random things and if I dont know something I will not hesitate to look it up. I wish I knew how to relinquish that control more and just go with the flow. I wish I knew how to not want to be an overachiever in everything. I wish I knew how to not be so competitive. I wish I knew how to sleep in on Saturdays. Sometimes being this way is frustrating because it puts strains on relationships and I feel helpless. By the same token, my personality has worked to my advantage more often than not so I embrace it. I embrace the female dog in me.

 There you have it!

Tuesday Trivia

According to the latest research, IQ accounts for what portion of career success??

a. 50-60 percent

b. 35-45 percent

c. 23-29 percent

d. 15-20 percent

Image source: http://www.iol.ie/~gbs/images/simpsons-trivia.gif
The answer after the jump.

Evaluating your business idea

You're out on the town with friends and an idea pops into your head. You grab a cocktail napkin and jot down the major premises of your business. You awaken the next morning feeling inspired and ready to launch your new business but you are unsure here to start. Dont fret my pets, the following resources are a great starting point. Why not just dive into your chosen industry? It is best to use some of your time to plan and research. The more you do beforehand, the less you will learn the hard way. Evaluating your business idea is just as important as launching your business because it will reveal any holes you may have in your idea as well as what your competition is offering.

Now what? You must learn more about what you are getting yourself into. Use the following online and offline resources from entreprenuer.com to help you determine if your idea is a good one.

•Entrepreneur Assist offers a collection of free business planning and productivity tools, letting you access free business books, bookmark your favorite articles, schedule events and reminders and share documents to assist you in your idea evaluation and market research process.

•How to Create a Marketing Plan, will help you strategize your marketing efforts.

•The U.S. Census Bureau has the stats and demographics you need to know.

•FirstGov.gov is a well-designed, easy-to-navigate portal to the government online. Click on the tab that says "Businesses and Nonprofits."

More resources after the jump.

Field of Dreams

I'm a firm believer in the power of sharing goals. Sharing your ambitions with others may lead to new opportunities for you to reach new heights or it may inspire someone else to aim higher. I also think there is power in holding people accountable for their actions & words.  

Image source: http://www.michaelfruchter.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/baseball-field.jpg

With that said, here are my short term goals:

1. Sticking to my budget. I've had a budget for some years now but I always manage to skirt around it when it comes to "treating myself." I've become more conscious of my spending so I realize that "treating myself" has gotten expensive. I've treated myself to filet mignon and new designer suits when I could have lived happy without either. I've told myself things like "I work hard, I deserve it." While I stand firm in my belief that you should give yourself permission to treat yourself I must admit that this is an area where I struggle. I've made a vow starting today to find other ways to treat myself. If you struggle with this, the same goes for you. If you have a budget to stick to then you cant continue to use retail therapy to make yourself feel better when you're stressed. If you struggle with your weight, you cannot use cupcakes and ice cream to make yourself feel better. Condition yourself to enjoy other things. Instead of giving myself $100 treats, I've reduced my treats to $10-$20 and when I stick to it for longer I may choose to increase the amount. Better yet, I challenge you to eliminate the need to treat yourself until you reach your ultimate goal. My father taught me at a young age that God will not put more on you than you can bear. The same goes for funds & resources. If you cannot handle what you have now, it is less likely that you will be blessed with more until you get a handle on what you already have. This leads me to...

2. $ave moola.  I wasnt born with a $ilver $poon. My spoon was more like polished stainless steel, it wasnt quite silver but I had what I needed to get the job done. I never wanted for much and I lived a happy childhood. Money doesnt buy happiness & it doesnt buy friends. BUT you cant buy a house or car with happiness. Although I am happy and I have real friends I seek to accumulate wealth because moola it gives me piece of mind.  Rainy days are less gloomy when you have the funds to jet set to sunshine. I also have two companies I'd like to have running smoothly within the next 6 months and business require capital. Sticking to my budget=saving money=less loans=more freedom.

More goals when you read on...

Push yourself to reach new limits!

I'm pretty sure he has been in the ER more than a few times. I admit I cringed a few times while watching, but its worth a peek. Watch for yourself:



The man featured in the video is Damien Walters. I decided to post it as inspiration to you all. Think about how much Damien has to push himself to reach new limits and successfully execute more challenging jumps. Think about the fear of injury or anxiety he might feel before he prepares to attempt a new jump. Although your anxiety levels may not reach exorbitant levels, we all experience some level of fear or anxiety when working to execute our vision. I hope Damien provides inspiration for you to continue pushing yourself towards greatness!