2012

As we get ready to start 2012, it is time when most people think about what they want to accomplish in the next year and sometimes write resolutions. Well, my resolution list for 2011 was one I didn't pay much attention to. It listed dreams and wants, but it wasn't too specific when it came down to actually making them happen. I wasn't "resolute" enough! Some things were beyond my doing anyways, so I'm not getting too down on myself about that. And some things happen that you just don't expect.

Instead of doing a long list of resolutions, I think maybe it's better to focus on different categories of what we're doing right now and do them a little better:

Money:  This seems to be a big one for everyone this year, especially as the recession is occurring all over the world. Financial expert David Bach has some really good checkpoints to meet:

1) PAY YOURSELF FIRST  According to a new Fidelity Research Report, the number one goal of American's is to double their savings in 2012. What I want you to do is take out your 401k statement and either increase the dollar amount or increase the percentage of your contribution. If you just change it by 1% this year, you will make a positive impact on your financial life and savings. Making this increase to your savings is the single easiest thing you can do right off the bat for 2012.  2) MAKE YOUR FINANCES "AUTOMATIC"  2012 is the time to use technology to your advantage when it comes to your finances. The best part about automating your financial life is that it can be done in less than an hour and it will save you time and money for years to come! You need to start by making sure your paycheck is directly deposited into your checking account. Then by using online banking and bill pay, you will distribute your money automatically into the following key accounts:  Retirement Savings Emergency Savings College Savings Dream Account (i.e. vacations, holidays savings) Mortgage Payment Credit Card Bills (minimum payment, so you will never miss a payment again) Recurring Bills (utilities, phone, cable, etc.) Click HERE to watch my NBC's TODAY show segment and to get more information on your 2012 Financial Action Plan.  3) GET A WILL  It is reported that over 50% of Americans do not have a will. The reality is, everyone needs a will, even if you are not married or don't have kids. Think of the family and friends you will want to receive your life's work. Many people do not realize that making a will can actually be quick and relatively cheap. You can create a will yourself for as little as $50 using a program such as Quicken WillMaker or you can hire an attorney to help you.  Critical things that you will need in your will are:  Health care directive Financial power of attorney Executor documents Final arrangements 4) TRACK WHERE THE MONEY GOES "AKA FIND YOUR LATTE FACTOR®"  The best way to improve your financial life that I know of, other than paying yourself first, is to track where your money is actually going. I would use a site like Mint.com, or Yodlee Money Center. They have the best programs online to track your expenses and they use the same encryption system the banks do, so your information will be safe. If you don't want your expenses tracked online then you can go get an old school "budget tracker" workbook and keep track of where your money goes each month. Then review your finances to see where you are either overspending or wasting money and then stop that specific spending! 5) CLEAN IT OUT AND SELL IT  January is a great time of the year to clean out everything in your house that you don't need and then sell it or give it away--especially if you have a storage facility. If you are paying to store things you don't really use and realistically will probably never use, now is the time to get rid of everything! Doing this one act could save you over $1,000 a year. What you can do to help yourself is to look up companies in your area that will come photograph and sell your unwanted items for you, saving you time and making you money.  I would like to say, that this is my personal, number one New Year's resolution to help me save in 2012. In fact, you can mark my words that I will get rid of my storage facility this year!  6) GIVE SOMETHING UP  One of the fastest ways to cut your expenses in 2012 is to pick ONE thing and give it up. We all hate to do it at first, but once we make the change we usually find out it's not the end of the world and can be completely worth the savings. For example, you can give up a car. For many families this can cut expenses by $5,000 to $10,000 a year! If you don't think you can give up your car, really think about what you could give up. What are you paying for each year that you truly could try and live without? Is it your storage facility? Is it premium cable? Is it a cell phone? Is it a second home? A vacation you ALWAYS take? Sometimes just deciding to give up "one thing" can completely change your financial life. Then these savings could be used to pay down your debt, save for retirement, emergency purposes, college etc...  What I want you to remember is that you don't need to have a doctorate in mathematics to get these things done; you just need the motivation to make a positive financial change in your life. Trust me--it will be worth it! To connect with like-minded people and get support on your journey to live and finish rich join my community on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

Suze Orman also has some good tools on her website. She suggests a living trust instead of just a will. If it's not too complicated, there are online will sites that you can use and finish it in  a weekend.  The best piece of money advice we ever got was to make the paycheck direct deposit and automatically move money to savings before you even see it hitting the checking account. The beginning of the year is also a time to evaluate "what is a want and what is a need". I used to teach Junior Achievement to first graders and we talked about this concept. Funny how even adults get these two things mixed up!


Health:  If you haven't taken this seriously, then now is the time. Malnutrition is probably the number one reason people get sick! Waiting until a diagnosis of cancer or an autoimmune disease is not the time to take your health and diet more seriously. Doctors are trained to treat the symptoms. Let's give them a little less work to do by avoiding the causes!
-- Stop drinking soda pop this year. That has reversed so many people's health and weight... I can't even tell you the profound difference it makes. That includes diet soda. (Artificial sweeteners - aspartame, Equal, Sweet n' Low... all those are so bad!!!)
-- Pay attention to the sugar you consume in everything! Look at ingredient lists. If you're craving, it may be out of balance flora in your intestines. Yeast will crave more sugar for food. Yeast imbalances in the intestine are very strong. Sugar is more addictive than cocaine! Willpower can not fight something gone wrong in your intestinal probiotic health.
-- Give up all the bad fats that do cause illness:  vegetable oil, canola oil (read it's bad history here) ... both of which have too high of omega 6 in them, margarine, transfats.
-- Start eating the good fats!: Butter (organic), coconut oil (cold-pressed, organic), ev olive oil, nut oils in small amounts (not for heating and kept refrigerated), lard from free-range pigs (Watch your dry skin, dry hair, feeling cold, depression, low vitamin D levels, weight gain, and bland cooking... all go away!)
-- Try Raw Milk... you might think you can't digest milk anymore but it may be because you're drinking fake (homogenized) milk. If you're drinking skim milk, then there's no health benefit, only calories... you need the fat in the dairy to help absorb the vitamin D and calcium. And if it's been pasteurized, you can bet that they are adding synthetic vitamins back into the milk and you're not getting the real stuff. Whole milk has only 4% fat in it, so get over yourself and drink some real milk. By the way, it's totally safe.
-- Find a CSA in your area and consider joining. Or grow a little garden! Good fresh vegetables can't be beat!
-- Discover the huge health benefits of lacto-fermented vegetables and drinks. Forget the probiotic claims of sugar-filled store yogurts (they are dead by the time they get to the store shelf). Get real probiotics from real fermented food.
-- Stop drinking flouride! It's a poison (check out your warning on the tube of toothpaste!). Invest in a water filter.
-- It's time to recognize unfermented soy as a danger!  It is one of the biggest healthfood scams. Don't believe me? Read the link above and also pay attention to the fact that soy plants are listed among the governments list of poisonous plants. Man boobs... enough said.
-- Find some form of exercise and movement that you enjoy... it doesn't mean hanging out at sweaty gyms (unless that's your thing!). I am loving Pilates right now and taking walks with my dog. I was loving Yoga and tennis before that. And before that, heavy weights. And before that, Tracey Anderson's work out. And before that Calinetics. See? It doesn't matter what... just do something!  Your muscles don't age... you just lose them. The best thing you can do if you don't have any time: do a Pilates workout to strengthen your core. That means no back problems and believe me, that's worth it!  Now to start planning more kayaking in Maine! ;)


Faith:  This one covers so many different things. For me, it's spending more time learning about my own Faith from people who've come before me and from spending time being quiet and listening to God. Faith is determined by all of your experiences you've had so far. Some may not have any faith and some may find that it's always there. I've tried hard not to be judgmental of others' faith journeys. If you're focusing on someone else's faith, then you're not focusing enough on your own weaknesses. Finding simplicity in life seems to bring me closer. Realizing that happiness doesn't come from acquiring anything or from relying on other people to give it to me, but from a feeling of having control over my own decisions and from meaningful relationships and trust. I put that money thing first because I think worrying about money keeps me from being generous and I've actually learned to stop worrying about it. I feel in some ways we've been a lot more generous as a family this year... in lots of different ways and outlets. We also don't participate in as many things as some families do nor constantly seek entertainment that costs money. I love going to the library for books because I'm learning and increasing my mind for free! And I donate a ton of books back to them. It's a win-win!  My biggest struggle is that I don't believe most people are good. I think most people are greedy. So the friends I invest time in are people who I see something different in-- creativity, thoughtfulness, a giving spirit, ethics, joy. Lots of good things!  I'm trying to raise my own children to recognize this, though it is harder than it seems.


Creativity:  When we are making something, whether it be art, craft, cooking, music, writing... ... we are being real. There is an anticipation and a fulfillment of good work that comes through making things. I feel that's important. When we're not creating, it is a stifled stale feeling and sometimes the opposite happens-- destruction. Only observing life or expecting everything to be made for you, robs you of the joy that comes from creating. Carving out time in a week to create is one of the best things I can think of to remedy a boring existence. Being surrounded by your own creations and those by people you love, is probably the closest thing to a perfect life that I can think of! I'd rather listen to my family playing guitar over any cd or professional. (Though I love those too!)


Dreams:  I don't underestimate the power of dreaming about something. When I feel like there's nothing to look forward to, then the routines of life seem more mundane. Little dreams... big dreams. One of my dreams is to visit France. This might not be accomplished for a little while, but I have this dream and it will come to fruition if I hold onto it and give it importance in my plans for my future. If I don't, then the least I have gained is the excitement of the dream itself. There are other dreams too... they just keep me moving forward and not just focusing on the now and the past.


So... I am not writing out New Year's Resolutions but am adhering to what I think is important. I will learn things along the way and discover new things. I might not accomplish what I set out to do but I'm sure the setting out will accomplish something. Most of all, I just seek joy and peace. I'm leaving worrying behind and only keeping the idea of being prepared and planning from that. We just can't anticipate what will happen, but we can help avoid things that keep us from our dreams and our joy in life. That way, when something bad happens, we can grasp the good things and know that it always gets better somehow.