Ahh the elusive subject of “Balance” It can start out with such good intentions and quickly spiral out of control and, before you know it, you are back to square one.
Often your life might seem like a never-ending game of “Snakes & Ladders”. Forever taking one step forward and three steps back, until maybe – finally you get a lucky roll of the dice.
So what CAN you do to create balance and momentum in your life to achieve your 10/10 life?
PLAN!!! Yep, it really can be that simple. (but oh so HARD)
Step 1: List your Goals
Get REALLY specific here. What does your perfect life look like? Break your life down to these areas and write a few pages about what “perfect” looks like for you.
Home/Environment, Family and Friends, Romance/Significant Other, Health & Fitness, Career/Business, Wealth, Personal Growth/ Learning and Spirituality, Fun & Recreation
Rate each area out of 10, don’t think too hard about it. Now write down what each area would look like if it were a 10.
What can you do this month to improve each area by just ONE STEP? This is the best way I have found to set realistic goals for my life, not trying to jump ahead too much at once. Eg: Set yourself a goal of losing just 1 kg this month. Simple? Probably, now duplicate that each month and you will have lost 12kg in a year.
Step 2: Plan your Days.
Schedules and To-Do lists need not be restrictive. In fact, if they are too tight, you are far more likely to not stick to the plan. Look over your life goals and plan to move those areas up one step. Get creative. Want to exercise more and have more time to read? Use your commute time, walk one extra bus stop, and park a little farther away. During your commute, read a book rather than a trashy magazine, or if you drive, listen to audiobooks or podcasts rather than talkback radio.
Step 3: Prioritize YOU!
Don’t minimize the time available to do the things you want to do, particularly if they are contributing to your life goals or wellbeing. Include ‘me” time around other essential life activities that require your time and attention.
Keep to the Plan unless in an Emergency ( a real Emergency)
Most people who create a daily plan, keep to it for a while, but not long enough for it to become a habit. Habits take around 28 days to form, so if you want your new plan to work and your lifestyle to be improved, you must protect it at all costs… Eventually, the changes you implement will become second nature, but until then, you need to stay in control of your plan. Have a look over your plan every day to remind yourself of where you want to be. Think of your plan as a roadmap to your perfect life. Just like any journey, there may be some roadblocks or detours, but if you just follow the map you will arrive at your destination.
Want to learn more? Join me on my Rise to RICH Programme and create YOUR perfect 10/10 life.
Life is like a road. There are long and short roads; smooth and rough roads; windy and straight roads. Many roads are on the map as we journey through life. There are roads that lead to a life of marriage and family or others that lead to a fulfilling career with or without a family. There are roads that lead to fame and fortune on one hand or isolation and poverty on the other. There are roads to happiness as there are roads to sadness, roads towards victory and success, and roads leading to defeat and disappointment.
Just like any road, there are corners, detours, and crossroads in life. Perhaps the most perplexing road that you would encounter is an intersection. With four roads to choose from and with limited knowledge of where they would go, which road will you take? What is the guarantee that you will choose the right one? Will you take any road, or just stay where you are: in front of a crossroad?
Guess what-There are no guarantees!
You do not really know where a road will lead you until you take it. There are no guarantees. This is one of the most important things you need to realise about life. Choosing to do the right thing ( what even is the “right” thing) all the time would always lead you to happiness. Loving someone with all your heart does not guarantee that it would be returned. Certainly, fame and fortune do not guarantee happiness. Fast tracking your way up the corporate ladder by accepting a “favour” from somebody is not always bad, especially if you are highly qualified and competent. There are too many possible outcomes, which you really cannot control. The only thing you have power over is the decisions that you will make, and how you would act and react to different situations.
Wrong decisions are always far clearer in hindsight.
Had you known that you were making a wrong decision, would you have gone along with it? Perhaps not, why would you choose a certain path when you know it would get you lost? Why make a certain decision if you knew from the very beginning that it is not the right one? It is only after you have made a decision and reflected on it that you realise its relevance. If the consequences or outcomes are good for you, then you have decided correctly. Otherwise, your decision was wrong, but even a seemingly “bad” decision can produce some positive benefits. Taking the wrong path might turn into “the scenic route” where you discover new things. That bad career move might have given you a skill that you would not have otherwise achieved, or maybe a bad relationship created beautiful children that you cherish.
Take the risk: decide.
Since life offers no guarantee and you will never know that your decision would be wrong until you have made it, then you might as well take the educated risk and decide. It is definitely better than keeping yourself stuck in a rut complaining that nothing ever goes right, or dreaming that “one day life will change”. Although it is true that one wrong turn could get you lost, it could also be that such a turn could be an opportunity for an adventure, as you discover more roads. It is all a matter of perspective. You have the choice between being a lost aimless traveller or an accidental tourist of life. But take caution that you do not make decisions haphazardly. Taking risks is not about being careless and stupid. Here are some pointers that could help you choose the best option in the face of life’s crossroads:
· Get as much information as you can about your situation.
You cannot find the confidence to decide when you know so little about what you are faced with. Just like any news reporter, ask the 5 W’s: what, who, when, where, and why. What is the situation? Who are the people involved? When did this happen? Where is this leading? Why are you in this situation? These are just some of the possible questions to ask to know more about your situation. This is important. Oftentimes, the reason for indecision is the lack of information about a situation.
· Identify and create options.
What options do the situation give you? Sometimes the options are few, but sometimes they are numerous. But what do you do when you think that the situation offers no options? This is the time that you create your own. Make your creative mind work. From the most simplistic to the most complicated, entertain all ideas. Do not shoot anything down when an idea comes to your head. Sometimes the most outrageous idea could prove to be the right one in the end. You can ask a friend to help you identify options and even make more options if you encounter some difficulty, but make sure that you make the decision yourself in the end. Remember there is rarely only one road to any given destination.
Consider this scenario. You wish to travel from Brisbane to Sydney – you have no time restraints to arrival time. Will you fly? Will you take a coach? Will you drive? Which highway will you take? There are many options, but in the end, all will see you arrive at your destination. Are any one of these paths “wrong?”
· Weigh the pros and cons of every option.
Assess each option by looking at the advantages and disadvantages it offers you. In this way, you get more insights into the consequences of such an option.
· Trust yourself and make that decision.
Now that you have assessed your options, it is now time to trust yourself. Remember that there are no guarantees and wrong decisions are always in hindsight. So choose… decide… believe that you are choosing the best option at this point in time.
Now that you have made a decision, be ready to face its consequences: good and bad. It may take you to a place of promise or to a land of problems. But the important thing is that you have chosen to live your life instead of remaining a bystander or a passive onlooker of your own life. Whether it is the right decision or not, only time can tell. But do not regret it whatever the outcome. Instead, learn from it and remember that you always have the chance to make better decisions in the future.
· Take action and make the move.
The next step in making the decision is to take ACTION. After all, it is no good if you are at the intersection, with the brakes on and you decide to go right and do not move your foot to the accelerator. Without action, you will remain right where you are – good or bad decisions.
On my path in life, I am aiming to create a 10/10 life for myself in all areas. And you can too, discover your path at risetorich.net
OH NO!! you might be thinking that this is yet ANOTHER New Years Resolution post. It is not!!
In fact I don’t “do” resolutions. As most of you know, resolutions are easily made, but seldom kept, with most being broken by the first week in January.
What I DO do, is have a strategic plan for my year. This is broken down to a Quarterly Plan, Monthly Plan and finally Daily Tasks. That is not to say that I am so scheduled that there is no room for spontaneity and fun. My daily tasks are flexible enough to cope with almost any diversion without causing the whole plan to implode.
So how to start?
To move forward, you first need to know where you are right now. Take a good hard look at the state of your life and decide – REALLY decide to move each area just one step closer to your version of perfect.
Now the point here is to look at YOUR version of perfect. The perfect holiday for instance for me is not a 5 star hotel, but rather a cute cottage by the beach or in the country that is close to a farmers market where hubby and I can buy some amazing local produce and spend a lazy afternoon cooking up a superb meal.
To help guide you to see where you are right now, and them move forward, why not take a look at my “Getting $#!T Done” course
I promised to put together a 5-day challenge that will help you set goals, break them into tasks and achieve your ideal life
and here it is 🙂
Join my short 5 Day “Getting $#!t Done” Workshop and I will guide you step by step to being a more productive you.
I’ve broken the entire how to “Get $#!T Done” process down for you 1 step at a time…
That means, with the “Getting $#!T Done” course, you’re able to know where to begin, know that it is possible and not a pipe-dream, and start feeling better about life easier, faster, and with more confidence than you could any other way!
A friend recently commented that they have no idea how I fit everything into my days, and stay sane 🙂
Yes, it is true that I always have a heap of things going on at one time, and also a number of plans that are ready to burst into fruition in the future. Between my husband and I, we run 3 businesses, I also try and keep up with this blog and keep the house clean and tidy.
Like many women, I am pretty good at juggling life and getting things done. But I am going to let you in a little secret. I do have a system. I have had a diary/planner since high school. I have all appointments diarised so I know exactly where I should be on any given day.
I also have defined goals that I write down every year, month and week. Science has PROVEN that you need to write down your goals. I have a vision board that details my long term goals and then a physical planner that outlines exactly what I want my life to look like in one year. I do this around my birthday. It is like giving myself the present of an elite life.
I look at every area of my life and set a goal to achieve within that year. Once I have set my (often big stretch) goals, it is easy to chunk them into monthly goals and then further into weekly and sometimes even daily tasks. The old adage of “how to eat an elephant – one bite at a time” is fitting.
I am about to launch a 5 day challenge that will help you set goals, break them into tasks and achieve your ideal life. Stay tuned it is coming real soon. 🙂
Yay!!! It is here. Please check out my 5 Day Challenge for Getting $#!T done.
The whole concept of “Sunshine Cash” is the total opposite of “Saving for a Rainy Day” It is, of course, important to save an emergency fund for unforeseen events, but (in my opinion) to have money in the bank for money’s sake is just not necessary. In no way would I EVER advocate spending more than you have, but cash is there to be spent. ALWAYS pay your bills first, then allow funds for savings and general “adulting” then allow some “Sunshine Cash” for just having fun.
Some call it “Fun Money” or “Splash Cash” or”Splurge Money”
We all work very hard for our money, and yes!! you DO deserve to enjoy some of it. I am sure you have relished the joy of a fun purchase bought with no guilt.
Spending is not greedy or wasteful, money is meant to be circulated. Your purchase means the cashier has a job, the store owner makes a profit and the whole circle of cash continues. In accounting terms it is even called cash FLOW…cash needs to flow or everything stops.
My greatest ability to have money seemingly rain down is a positive attitude and a good eye for a bargain. The Power of Positive Thinking, The Secret, The Law of Attraction, Manifesting, Mind Powers and a heap of other “brand names” for a positive mindset are not “Woo Woo” rubbish. Our minds ability to manifest what it truly wants has been shown over and over again throughout centuries of Human existence. A simple example of the power of the Law of Attraction is the example that almost everybody has had when looking for a new car. You decide to buy a red VW Beetle and all of a sudden it seems that every second car on the street is a red Beetle.
The Universe will rarely give you money for the sake of money. Money in itself is just random pieces of paper and metal. What you CAN manifest is the ability to be able to buy the things you desire. You might get a pay rise or promotion that gives you the amount needed to fund the monthly payment on your red VW Beetle, or the local dealer might be having a great runout sale and you snap up your Beetle at a fraction of the price you originally budgeted for. This happens so often to me and many of my friends, cannot be simply LUCK.
The other side of keeping a positive mindset about your money is the inevitable blocks we all have around wealth and money in general. How often have you heard terms like..
Filthy Rich
Dirt Poor
Rich Bitch
Greedy Capitalist
Gold Digger
Sugar Daddy
Many people have a real block around attracting wealth for fear that their friends will not like them anymore, or worse, that their friends will resent them.
I have spent quite a bit of time over the years practising my money language. Instead of saying “I can’t afford that” I will say “I have different priorities right now” or Instead of “OMG That is SOOOO expensive” I might think “Hmmm I wonder how I can achieve that”
Let’s get into action and manifest more Sunshine Cash!!
Many of us have been raised with the idea of "saving for a rainy day", so we diligently squirrel away savings for a disastrous event.
While it is important to have a safety net backup, "Sunshine Cash" is the complete opposite :) It is the money to have FUN with, money to burn, money to enjoy, and money to LIVE.
It is the formula that has seen me "Rise to Rich" and I can help you do the same.
Where to now? Join me on the Sunshine Cash journey. Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for tips and hacks to create YOUR best life.
Oh! Please do comment on my posts. I love to know if something resonates with you, or how you do things differently. I love to hear your stories.
Since life offers no guarantee and you will never know that your decision would be wrong until you have made it, then you might as well take the educated risk and decide. It is definitely better than keeping yourself stuck in a rut complaining that nothing ever goes right, or dreaming that “one day life will change”. Although it is true that one wrong turn could get you lost, it could also be that such a turn could be an opportunity for an adventure, as you discover more roads. It is all a matter of perspective. You have the choice between being a lost aimless traveller or an accidental tourist of life. But take caution that you do not make decisions haphazardly. Taking risks is not about being careless and stupid. Here are some pointers that could help you choose the best option in the face of life’s crossroads:
A friend recently commented that they have no idea how I fit everything into my days, and stay sane 🙂
The whole concept of “Sunshine Cash” is the total opposite of “Saving for a Rainy Day” It is, of course, important to save an emergency fund for unforeseen events, but (in my opinion) to have money in the bank for money’s sake is just not necessary. In no way would I EVER advocate spending more than you have, but cash is there to be spent. ALWAYS pay your bills first, then allow funds for savings and general “adulting” then allow some “Sunshine Cash” for just having fun.