Showing posts with label habits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label habits. Show all posts

Friday, September 25, 2020

Manage the Leaks: Your Key to Escaping the Money Trap

 If you’re reading this article you’ve most likely experienced the sinking feeling of financial insufficiency at some point in your life, or you know someone who has. One of the most challenging parts of getting a grip on your finances is keeping track of where you’re actually spending all of your money. The recurring expenses are easy—rent, groceries, utilities—and are fairly easy to keep track of as you do your best to manage your money and the health of your financial goals.

You don’t have to be wealthy to have enough money to create wealth, but you do have to have one thing—awareness. You must be aware of where all of your money is going.

One of the most effective ways to create a positive financial change in your life and to escape the money trap is to manage the leaks. The leaks are simply defined as all the money you have that escapes from your savings or checking accounts unnecessarily. The leaks can range from a monthly subscription you may have forgotten to small purchases that are broadly categorized on a credit card (membership fees, restaurants, coffee purchases, etc.). The leaks can also come down to how much you pay in taxes.

I often tell people that it’s not so much about how much money you make as much as it’s about how much you keep that matters in creating real wealth. A lot of that has to do with saving strategies, most especially on taxes. There’s enough information on how to win the tax game that several books have been written on the topic. For the purposes of this article, however, let’s focus on where you can make the biggest impact right now – the small, seemingly insignificant expenditures (the leaks) that quickly add up—often enough to be a difference-maker in preventing you from creating wealth.

To manage the leaks, you first have to find them. That’s a bit easier said than done, but, rest assured, it can be done. In fact, if your goal is to create wealth of any kind, it simply must be done.

If you’re like most people, you quickly learned how to manage your money well enough to meet your basic monthly obligations. And, if you’re like most people, that’s where you stopped being as concerned about the health of your finances as you really should be. Here’s an example of what this looks like:

Get a job.

Make a living wage.

Find an affordable place to rent.

Pay the rent every month.

Pay the utilities.

Buy some groceries.

Spend any leftover money you may have on things you don’t keep track of and don’t really need.

Now let’s take a look at some ways you can better manage the leaks to create the kind of wealth that’ll make a difference in your life.

First, awareness is everything when it comes to your money and how it’s allocated among your needs and desires. The fact that you’re reading this article validates your awareness. So, congratulate yourself on getting this far.

Next, you must have a determined desire to change. No one cares about your money like you should. Without a determined desire to do whatever it takes to create wealth you will likely quit and fail. Quitting should never be an option when it comes to mastering your money.

Nothing ever happens without action. Fortunately, mastering your money doesn’t take a master’s degree, but it does take action. The good news is that even small actions produce results. When I started learning how to create wealth, I started with $25. Period. It was all I had…until I discovered the leaks.

When I told my mentor that I didn’t have $25, he showed me how to manage the leaks in my spending habits. He stressed to me the importance of being determined to discover the leaks and how important it was for me to act on my discoveries. When I convinced him that I was ready, willing, and determined to change, he agreed to help me. He actually helped me to discover that I had roughly a $125 per month leak that needed to be plugged. The leak came from various (and seemingly insignificant) things like a $10 membership fee I was no longer using, overpaying for car insurance to the tune of $50 every quarter, joining the crowd to eat out.

Once I became aware of the leaks, I took immediate action to change. In fact, I invested my first $25 based on the projected savings we discovered—a leap of huge leap of faith for me, but a commitment nonetheless. I’ll admit, that first $25 was the toughest money to part with. But the reality of it was that I wasn’t really parting with it at all.

The first lesson I learned by taking action was that, with every dollar I had set aside to create wealth, I was actually putting that money to work to create more money. This is where the magic of a money mindset comes to life. Once you understand how to make money work for you (instead of the other way around), you make an immediate shift in the direction of creating wealth!


So, now it’s your turn. Are you determined to stop the leaks and reclaim your hard-earned money? Are you ready and committed to putting that money to work for you instead of wondering where it goes every month? Even if you manage to discover $25 per month, it’ll be the start of a highly significant transition in your life that’ll pay huge dividends later in life.

Here’s to Your Best Life!


- G -







"Your awareness is the key to everything." ~ G. Westfal


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Your Ultimate Guide to 
Setting and Achieving 
Every Goal You Can Imagine

“Gary Westfal rolls-up everything I have learned in a 40-year military career about Strategic Action Planning in one book.”

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333The Power of Equilibrium


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 cross-section of three different points of view for 
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~ Amazon Reader Feedback

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-------------------------------------------------------------

Get your copy of Gary's best-selling novel 
Dream Operative
 NOW AVAILABLE 


FEAR Is a Thief is on Amazon.com 
and is NOW AVAILABLE on Audible.com too! This inspiring book is the first in a self-empowerment series that was written to help people get past fear using five fundamental truths as a basis for understanding and taking action for a better life. 
Get your copy today at FEAR Is a Thief/Amazon.

Also be sure to check out: KEY HORIZON, the second novel in the G. Weston spy series. This thriller is receiving rave reviews across the spectrum and has captivated a new following of "spy-fi" readers. 


Order your copy of these exciting novels today at Amazon.com

Saturday, May 2, 2020

It All Comes Down to You

Everything you hope to accomplish in life lies in wait for you to act. You are solely responsible for the quality, course, and construct of your life. Every choice you make—from the use of your time to the selection of your mate—makes a difference. So, if you’ve been blaming everything and everyone for your “circumstances,” that stops right here, right now.  

If you are not happy with your life, the only one who can change things is you. Change is one of the most difficult things for people to accept because change introduces a new unknown to our life. Most people are uncomfortable with the unknown because they are afraid of what it will ask of them. 


Unfortunately, most people view change as a threat or as something that will require some kind of sacrifice or payment. The fact is, they’re right. Change will require something from you, but it will always give you something in return. This simple but powerful truth is based on the Law of Reciprocity, which tells us that if we give something of ourselves, we will receive, often in overwhelming abundance, something in return.



“Growth is painful. Change is painful. 
But nothing is as painful as choosing to remain stuck where you are.”


I get it, life can sometimes suck. Been there, done that…far more than I care to admit. But even the worst of circumstance is lined with opportunity. It’s there if you look hard enough. Oh, and keep in mind that there is always someone else who is worse off than you. So, as my military warrior friends would often say… 

“Embrace the Suck”. 

In other words, look for the good in an otherwise less-than-desirable situation and you will always find it. More often than not, when you look back upon a difficult time you will see the lessons with clarity. You may even value those moments as some of the best growth periods of your life as well.

A Universal Truth: You will always get what you settle for. 


Attitude is everything when it comes to creating the kind of life you desire. No matter what happens to you or around you, you have a choice. You can choose to feel sorry for yourself, project discontent, cast blame, and settle for mediocrity or…you can decide, right here and now that you are the master of your life. Does this mean you’ll never go through anything difficult or uncomfortable? No, but your attitude is the difference-maker in the perspective you cultivate in life. 

The formula is simple: what you project is what you get. So, instead of accepting the circumstances of life, choose instead to poke your finger into the eye of defeat and declare “enough!”

If you’re ready to wake up and take responsibility for your own life, then declare today as that day you will begin to reprogram the thoughts, beliefs, and actions that will set you on a new course. 

Here are a few simple habits that will empower you to change your perspective and begin projecting the right attitude to create the kind of life you desire. 

Be Grateful.


Most people give so much power to their misery that they overlook the magnificence of what is right in front of them at any given moment. Be thankful for what you already have and watch the miracles unfold before you. Be grateful for the people in your life, the fact that you have shelter, the sights, sounds, and scents you get to experience. 

Something happens when you stop to appreciate the things that are right in front of you. Colors become more vivid, details become more prevalent, and love grows as you become more attuned to the subtle nuances of life. There is nothing more tragic than wishing you had said or done something well after the opportunity has come and gone. Turn off the damn TV and appreciate what the silence has to offer. You may, in fact, hear the sounds of love that have been trying to make their way to you through the voices of your children or significant other. 

Dream.


Every great achievement, advancement, or contribution began in the mind of someone. They dared to dream and to believe that their dream was possible. Take some time to yourself to contemplate the power of your innermost self. Use your creative imagination to remove the limits of the natural world. Wake up to the possibilities that are waiting specifically for you to experience. 

Your greatest breakthrough lies in wait for you to unlock through the power of your imagination. Take stock of your unique abilities and pursue that which you have been called to do. Do not leave this world without knowing the gift of you.



“Imagination is everything. 
It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” ~ Albert Einstein


Change your mindset.

Be rich-minded. Rich-minded people don’t focus solely on money but on the richness of life. This mindset adds to the quality of life they get to experience. 

Far too many people think there is not enough to go around in the world. Theirs is a fear-based mindset. Their answers are based on insufficiency and lack—things they cannot see…things they fear. A poor person’s mindset selects security above love, safety before self-expression, and protection over possibility.

Rich-minded people understand that, with a little creativity, a willingness to be unconventional, and an open mind, they can indeed experience an abundant life. When you build your life with the right mindset, you will see opportunities most others simply cannot see. This is the fundamental difference between those who do and those who don’t and those who can and those who won't. 

Be intentional.


You’re creating the reality of your life at this very moment. But chances are you’re not being very intentional about the reality you’re creating. Reality is subjective. That is, it is highly personal. Once you realize the power behind that statement you will quickly realize the power you truly have to shape your life through the reality you create. Once you realize that you are indeed choosing whether or not to believe something, then you can choose to believe that you can do something about it.

Grow.


Challenge yourself to grow. Produce more ideas than you need for yourself so you can share your wisdom and insight with others. True wealth and happiness reside in the spirit of giving. Produce more than you need for yourself so you can begin blessing others, blessing your community, and enriching your life in the process.

A simple exercise…


Change begins with action, so I’ll leave you with this. Write down the beliefs you have about yourself. On one side, list the things that empower you and move you forward, the things that make you more confident, that give you the courage to move forward. On the other side, list the things that hold you back or move you away from your goals. Chances are, you will begin to see with clarity the power you truly have and you will be compelled to do something about it. After all, it all comes down to…you. 


Until next time...



- G -

"Real and lasting change always begins with you." ~ G. Westfal 




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If you'd like to receive a notification anytime I publish a new article (currently about once per month), opt-in at my website: garywestfal.com

Once there, scroll to the bottom of any page and provide your contact information.  You'll then be subscribed and will receive a notification whenever I publish a new article or provide updates to my books or appearances.  

If you like this post, please recommend it to others!
-----------------------

COMING SOON!

Your Ultimate Guide to 
Setting and Achieving 
Every Goal You Can Imagine

“Gary Westfal rolls-up everything I have learned in a 40-year military career about Strategic Action Planning in one book.”

Lieutenant General Bradley Heithold, USAF (retired)

Coming Soon!

-----------------------
333The Power of Equilibrium


"A powerful book that provides an interesting
 cross-section of three different points of view for 
the balance of body, mind, and spirit."

~ Amazon Reader Feedback

Get your copy of this insightful book

on Amazon.com TODAY!


-------------------------------------------------------------

Get your copy of Gary's best-selling novel 
Dream Operative
 NOW AVAILABLE 


FEAR Is a Thief is on Amazon.com 
and is NOW AVAILABLE on Audible.com too! This inspiring book is the first in a self-empowerment series that was written to help people get past fear using five fundamental truths as a basis for understanding and taking action for a better life. 
Get your copy today at FEAR Is a Thief/Amazon.

Also be sure to check out: KEY HORIZON, the second novel in the G. Weston spy series. This thriller is receiving rave reviews across the spectrum and has captivated a new following of "spy-fi" readers. 


Order your copy of these exciting novels today at Amazon.com