We are very close to the end of 2009 and as Jamie McIntyre, financial educator and success coach, has a habit of saying, ‘I want to give you something to think about’. What better time to go over the past year and assess how you are progressing toward your goals, what goals have been achieved and what improvements can be made. Maybe you haven’t made any plans or goals yet, if not this time of year is an excellent opportunity to get started.
I have gathered a few questions together that you can ask yourself, answering these may help to sort out the things you want and how you can achieve them. See how many you can answer, but have a goal to answer them all soon. If you’re still under 25 you’re in a great place to consider what you want to achieve over the next few years or so and set up a plan.
I had no idea where I was going when I was 18, one day just followed another, I met my husband, at 21, and then my life followed his direction. I don’t regret it, I’ve had a great life but I know if I or we had considered some of the following questions when we were starting out, life could have been easier. In fact I believe it would have been a lot easier in many ways. Even if you’re over 25, if you haven’t already done so find your answers as well, it’s never too late.
Get a journal or notebook write out each question, add some more of your own if you want, and give yourself a page or two for your answers as they may change over time. Life doesn’t come with a ‘How To’ handbook, we all set out to do the best we can though, anything to make the journey a little easier is worth a bit of your time.
- What are my dreams?
- What do I want to achieve? (goals)
- What are my values?(see below)
- What strategies or methods will I use to achieve my goals? (further training, education etc;)
- How committed am I really?
- What type of lifestyle do I want?
- Where do I want to live?
- What do I really enjoy doing?
- Can I (do I want to) make an income from this?
- What do I really want to accomplish with my life?
- How much income will I need to make a month to meet my needs now and in the future?
- What is my purpose?
It may seem a lot to ask and answer but I encourage you to make an effort to do so anyway. One thing I learnt years ago was to take a good look at people 5, 10, 15, 20 years older than yourself, people just like you doing what you’re doing, in your field of work or family. If you’re heading in the same direction is it where you want to go? If not, then the above questions might help you find a better course for you.
Right now, the life you have is the only one you’ve got, do what you can to give yourself a chance for the best positive outcome.
Following is an extensive list of values, consider choosing 10 that may be important for you to live by, as you look through these values ask yourself, what is important to you, what values would you like to live by or aspire to, write them down, remind yourself regularly, choose to live by them and you will achieve greatness and success in your life.
- Abundance Acceptance Achievement Adventure Affection Ambition Appreciation Assertiveness Awe
- Balance Benevolence Bliss Bravery
- Calmness Care Challenge Charity Cheerfulness Cleanliness Comfort Commitment Compassion Completion Consistency Cooperation Creativity Credibility
- Decisiveness Dependability Desire Determination Diligence Direction Discipline Dreaming
- Economy Education Efficiency Empathy Encouragement Endurance Enjoyment Excellence Expertise
- Fairness Faith Family Fidelity Financial Independence Fitness Flexibility Freedom Fun
- Gallantry Giving Grace Gratitude Growth Guidance
- Happiness Harmony Health Honesty Honor Humor
- Imagination Independence Ingenuity Inspiration Integrity Intelligence Intimacy Intuition Investing
- Joy Justice
- Kindness Knowledge
- Leadership Learning Liberty Logic Longevity Love Loyalty
- Making a Difference Maturity Mellowness Meticulousness Modesty Motivation
- Neatness Nerve
- Open-mindedness Optimism Order Outrageousness
- Passion Peace Perceptiveness Perseverance Practicality Preparedness Presence Privacy Proactivity Professionalism Prosperity Punctuality
- Reasonableness Recreation Relaxation Religiousness Resilience Respect Rest Restraint Richness
- Security Self-control Sensitivity Sensuality Serenity Service Sharing Simplicity Spirituality Success
- Teamwork Thrift Traditionalism Tranquility Transcendence Trust Trustworthiness
- Understanding Unity
- Variety Virtue Vision Vitality
- Warmth Wealth Willingness Wisdom Wonder
- Youthfulness
- Zeal
‘You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you are going to live. Now.’ Joan Baez.
Have an amazing day
Teresa and the Team at
