It’s the end of the first quarter and time for a money progress check in. How have you gone?
In case you have been busy, and let’s face it, who hasn’t been right? The end of the first quarter of 2019 has been and gone already. Yep time is flying even faster than last year it seems.
So in the spirit of helping you and being your accountability buddy, I thought we should do a money progress check in.
Money Progress: First Quarter 2019
If you have been following my blog for a while you will know that I spoke at the start of the year about being intentional for 2019. Simply put, being intentional is about having a plan.
When it comes to your money, and the growth of your money, it simply doesn’t just miraculously grow without some form of plan. How awesome would it be if it did? But reality kicks in and we know that money needs a plan.
We have to direct our money to do what we want it to…
So with the first quarter been and gone, what has been your experience this past quarter? Did you create a plan at the start of the year, or has it been more of the same old same old?
No judgement here, just some questions to get you thinking, and hopefully motivated as well.
Checking In: What Went Well
Maybe you had some plans and you have been implementing one step at a time. There is absolutely nothing wrong with small incremental steps to get you moving in the right direction.
Take one of our customers for example, Dave. He has started investing in stocks, just small amounts to get started. He has taken some of the lessons he learned in Investing Bootcamp and spread his investing dollars across a few different stocks to gain some exposure to the market…
And more importantly, he is gaining experience. No matter how much reading and learning you do about the markets, nothing beats actual real money experience.
What has gone well for you in the past quarter? Maybe it was getting control of your credit card or cards. Using them less, or not even taking them with you to the shops. These little things are progress in the right direction and the start of your journey.
Those Pesky Limiting Beliefs
Now if you are reading to this point and starting to feel a little squeamish, it might be time to revisit some of those pesky limiting beliefs.
You see, I suspect that you are feeling uncomfortable because maybe you haven’t had the results you wanted, or maybe you haven’t taken the actions you planned to.
Before you get too hung up, or get down on yourself, I want you to know it is ok. It’s not the end of the world…
So, let’s have a look at what could be the reason for not taking the action you wanted to.
Three Reasons That Delay You
In my experience, there are only ever three real reasons that people have for not getting the results they want with money. Or at least, they all can be traced back to these three reasons.
The first, and most common, is that I don’t have the time to take care of my money, or to have money progress.
The second, is that you believe you don’t have enough money to deal with the day to day living costs let alone to worry about your future financial self…
And the third is that even if you did have the time and money, you don’t know where to start to get money progress.
You might have other reasons, but I suspect in some way they will all come back to one of more of these three reasons.
What I want to let you know, is that these are just limiting beliefs. They are a result of past thoughts and experiences, and don’t have to be your current reality.
Overcoming these thought patterns is not easy, but it is the first step to money progress. The great thing is, once you identify that this is what is stopping you, the next part is a lot easier. All you need to do is be aware that these thoughts exist and when they pop up, find a way to recognise them and convert them into a positive thought process.
For example, when you think you don’t have time to concentrate on your money progress, pause the thought, and then convert it into a question. For example, if you catch yourself saying I don’t have time, pause, and then ask yourself, when can I schedule time to concentrate on my money progress…
It’s being intentional. You are creating the space in your day or week, and you are ensuring that it will get done.
Simple and very effective. Give it a try, you will thank me later.
First Quarter Reflections
Take the time this week to reflect back on what you have done to move forward.
As you will have read me say before, it is the small action steps that you take at the start that will be the real reason for your success. It’s not about having to take massive steps to gain progress with your money.
Small, consistent actions accumulate just like the power of compounding to make big gains.
If you want the balance of 2019 to be the time when you take control of your money and set yourself on the path to a secure financial future, then stop what you are doing now and make a plan for the next 9 months.
What will you do each quarter? What are your goals for each quarter for the balance of 2019 that will define your outcomes? Make the plan now, so when we check in at the end of next quarter, you can see how much progress you have made.
You will be surprised by the changes you can make by knowing in advance what you want to achieve, and what actions you need to take to make those outcomes a reality. Money progress doesn’t come from thinking about it, or hoping it will happen.
You know, that to be successful, to achieve money progress, you need to have a plan and to have a set of actions that set you on the path to success with that plan.
Now if you want assistance with that plan, then I can help you, just like I did with Dave. Keep an eye out for the next class of Investing Bootcamp which will be opening at the end of the month. And leave me a comment below to let me know what you have achieved toward your money progress in quarter one of 2019, big or small, they all count.