People set lofty goals for themselves at the start of the year, but (as discussed earlier this year in this newsletter) most of those resolutions/intentions/goals fall apart by mid-February. If you're one of those people who didn't really stick with the plan they set in January, don't feel bad – there's still plenty of time to end the year on a positive note!
As we close in on the end of the year, there's still plenty of time to build great habits and make real progress. Here's your challenge:
What is one thing you will do during the final 3 months of the year to make sure you improve your life?
Don't make a long list, don't get bogged down by details, don't convince yourself that it's better to just push it to next year. Pick one meaningful thing that you want in your life and that you can start right now, today.
If you haven't been any saving money, commit to saving something small like $20 per week. If you've been waiting until the "right" time to invest, start small by investing $100 every other week for the rest of the year. If your gym routine has fallen apart, commit to going one day per week. If you didn't get around to cleaning out that garage (like me), fill up just one box of stuff to donate and get it out of the house.
And, if you want to really stick with it, make yourself accountable by telling someone else. Studies show that just saying what you intend to do out loud to someone you care about increases your changes of sticking with it.
It doesn't matter how small you start: if you can take an action and stick with it, you will start to build good habits. And once that habit takes hold, it will feel good to do those things. You start to look forward to it and feel bad when you can't stick with your routine. It feels absolutely great to do something positive for your life, especially if you've been procrastinating all year!
The last quarter of the year is the time to focus on timely actions you can take to improve your financial health. But even if you're doing great on the financial health side, I still encourage you to pick one positive thing you want in your life and commit to making it reality before the end of the year. Go for it, this is the time!
Thanks,
Timothy Iseler, CFP®
Founder & Lead Advisor
Iseler Financial, LLC | Durham NC | (919) 666-7604
Iseler Financial helps creative professionals remove stress while taking control of their financial lives. We'll help identify your current strengths and weaknesses, clarify and refine your long-term goals, and prioritize decisions to improve your financial well-being now and later. Reach out today to take the first step.
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