You may have heard the saying "If you've always done what you've always done, then you'll always get what you've always gotten". Anytime I hear it, I'm reminded of another saying, "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is insanity."
Interesting thought processes, but yet how many of us go about our daily existence doing just that! We've gotten into a routine that consists of the same whos, whats, whens and wheres on a daily basis for the most part. We want things to change in our lives, but we aren't taking the necessary steps to facilitate that change. We've gotten comfortable with our surroundings and are unwilling and unable to shake things up a bit.
It doesn't always take something major to cause you to take the first steps to making a change. Sometimes it can just be something someone says or that you read or see on television. We often look for these earth shattering occurrences to tell us to make moves, but often times it's a quiet voice in our spirits that whispers to us. Don't ignore that voice! With faith and perseverance, you can and will accomplish things that may seem absolutely impossible at this point in time.
A year ago, there was no way I'd believe that I would be in the process of purchasing a home, starting a non-profit and preparing for the birth of another child. Especially that last part!!! I was comfortable in the place that I was. However, a series of events have paved the way to what I believe are going to be some awesome experiences over the next year or so.
It may be family issues, finances, a new business, a new career, going back to school, the list is endless...but it's up to you to take the first steps to making a change in your world. I believe you can and will be successful if you give it your all. Ask for help. Believe in yourself. Choose a mentor. Be determined to use the obstacles you face as building blocks and not brick walls.
Be Blessed Divas!!! And, as always, remember to be a blessing to others along the way. You never know when you may be that catalyst for change in someone's journey.
Divas With A Purpose has become a source of inspiration and motivation. It's about women being driven, inspiring, victorious and having a plan of action to become the best them they have been called to be. With collaboration, we are making our way through this thing called life as women, mothers, sisters, and friends.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Reflections
Typically, I use birthdays as a time to reflect and re-focus. Looking over year 30, I can see where I've grown and matured in many areas of my life. I may not have accomplished all that I set out to, I have to admit that I've done quite a bit over the past 365 days.
Year 31 has quite a bit in store for me and my family. We're set to close on our first home at the end of this month. We're expecting the final addition to our family in 4 months (can we say tubal ligation!!!). My non-profit is in the final stages of being fully functioning. This diva is smoking!
My focus for this upcoming year:
Be Blessed Divas and remember to be a blessing to others!!!
Year 31 has quite a bit in store for me and my family. We're set to close on our first home at the end of this month. We're expecting the final addition to our family in 4 months (can we say tubal ligation!!!). My non-profit is in the final stages of being fully functioning. This diva is smoking!
My focus for this upcoming year:
- Continuing my debt payoff and assisting others with budgeting and savings tools
- Divas With A Purpose, Incorporated becoming fully functional
- Making our new house a home
- Continuing my higher education (slow and steady wins the race seems to be my creed with this goal)
- To live life to its fullest and enjoy the time I have with my family and friends
Be Blessed Divas and remember to be a blessing to others!!!
Budgeting is not a dirty word!
I’ll admit that I struggled with this for years, but as my family grew I quickly realized in order to succeed I had to have control of our finances. How could I expect God to bless me with increases when I couldn’t manage what He’d already given me?
First, I had to commit a plan and realize that I would have to sacrifice some things from time to time in order to get what I wanted in the long range. That meant cutting out eating out as regularly as we did (lunch and dinners) and sacrificing some of shopping splurges – even if it was an awesome sale!
Secondly, I had to figure out what worked best for me. There was some trial and error during this phase. I began reading and studying different budgeting and debt management plans – Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman, etc – to find one that worked best for my family’s situation. I ended up doing a combination of different plans and strategies that I’d read up on.
Next, I had to write things down. This was the hardest for me, because I had to see in black and white just how much money I had coming in on a regular basis and how much I owed to different people. Definitely an eye opener!!! I used an Excel spreadsheet to list all my debt, minimum monthly payments and a running tally of how long it would take me to pay off what I owed.
I make pretty much the same amount each pay period, so I was able to make a monthly spreadsheet showing what was coming out of each paycheck. Sometimes I had to split up payments between paychecks so too much wouldn’t hit one check. I set up a direct deposit to my savings account (at a bank that I don’t have easy access to) so I wouldn’t have to worry about making that transfer myself. It wasn’t a large amount but it was something! When I got paid, I made all my payments immediately! Once that was done, I withdrew my set spending allowance for the next two weeks.
My debt spreadsheet was sorted from low to high and whenever I could I would make additional payments. When something was paid off, the funds that I normally paid on that debt was applied to another debt (Dave Ramsey’s Debt Snowball to some extent).
I will admit that once I began seeing in black and white my debt going down (and my credit score increasing) it became, dare I say, FUN! Yeah, the inner nerd in me came out in full force!
In today’s economy, managing your money and debt is essential. Find what works best for you and stick with it. It’s okay to splurge from time to time – just make sure those splurges done infringe on the necessities your family needs. That’s where a savings account and emergency fund comes in.
Divas, share your best budgeting and debt management tips. We can all learn from one another!
Be Blessed Divas and remember to be a blessing to others!!!
First, I had to commit a plan and realize that I would have to sacrifice some things from time to time in order to get what I wanted in the long range. That meant cutting out eating out as regularly as we did (lunch and dinners) and sacrificing some of shopping splurges – even if it was an awesome sale!
Secondly, I had to figure out what worked best for me. There was some trial and error during this phase. I began reading and studying different budgeting and debt management plans – Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman, etc – to find one that worked best for my family’s situation. I ended up doing a combination of different plans and strategies that I’d read up on.
Next, I had to write things down. This was the hardest for me, because I had to see in black and white just how much money I had coming in on a regular basis and how much I owed to different people. Definitely an eye opener!!! I used an Excel spreadsheet to list all my debt, minimum monthly payments and a running tally of how long it would take me to pay off what I owed.
I make pretty much the same amount each pay period, so I was able to make a monthly spreadsheet showing what was coming out of each paycheck. Sometimes I had to split up payments between paychecks so too much wouldn’t hit one check. I set up a direct deposit to my savings account (at a bank that I don’t have easy access to) so I wouldn’t have to worry about making that transfer myself. It wasn’t a large amount but it was something! When I got paid, I made all my payments immediately! Once that was done, I withdrew my set spending allowance for the next two weeks.
My debt spreadsheet was sorted from low to high and whenever I could I would make additional payments. When something was paid off, the funds that I normally paid on that debt was applied to another debt (Dave Ramsey’s Debt Snowball to some extent).
I will admit that once I began seeing in black and white my debt going down (and my credit score increasing) it became, dare I say, FUN! Yeah, the inner nerd in me came out in full force!
In today’s economy, managing your money and debt is essential. Find what works best for you and stick with it. It’s okay to splurge from time to time – just make sure those splurges done infringe on the necessities your family needs. That’s where a savings account and emergency fund comes in.
Divas, share your best budgeting and debt management tips. We can all learn from one another!
Be Blessed Divas and remember to be a blessing to others!!!
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