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Lesson 1b: Steps for Taking Charge of Your Financial Life

Objective: To prepare yourself for real change in your life
"An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion."
- Newton's First Law of Physics

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.  In making a change in your life, you sometimes need to stretch yourself beyond what you normally do.  In other words, you need to overcome the inertia of where you currently are.  This will take new energy to get you to past the inertia and reach your goals and meet you commitment. 

To help you accomplish this, it is important to realize that prosperity comes from within. The key is to take responsibility for your life and your beliefs so that you can create new energy and overcome your resistance.   To prepare yourself to move forward with your journey towards financial prosperity, I ask you to keep five important steps in mind as you continue through this educational series:

1) Determine your willingness and reasons to make a change.

We are creatures of habit - we take the path that is well traveled.  As mentioned above, making a change takes effort.  With every difficulty and every bump in the road, we may be tempted to revert back to our old patterns. 

To make the change easier, determine your willingness to change and your reasons for wanting a change.  Understand the payoff of making a change compared to continuing your current path.  If the payoff is not worth it, then it may not be worth making the change.  If the payoff is worth it, having a clear picture of your goal will motivate you (create energy) to be persistent.

What is your willingness to make a change in your financial life?  Why do you want to make a change?  Create a clear picture of what you want to accomplish.

2) Know that your current situation can change.

When we have grown up in a particular situation, it becomes familiar to us (the path well traveled).  It may seem like life is supposed to be this way because we do not know any other way.  If we doubt that our situation can change, we create excuses and an expectation that it will not (resistance). That expectation, in turn, often turns into reality.  If you want to make a change, you need to know and believe that a change is possible.

Look at your thoughts as you read this.  What disbeliefs or questions do you have about creating an abundant and prosperous life?  Do you have some self-doubt?  If so, that is fine, just continue reading and experiment with some of the ideas this website offers.

3) Be open to new ideas.

There will be many ideas in this website that may sound strange at first or that you may disagree with.  I am not asking you to change your beliefs, but to temporarily challenge them.  It is like trying on a new pair of shoes to see if they fit.   If they fit, keep them.  If not, discard them.   Yet, if you do not even try them on (resistant), you will never know and no change will ever occur.
4) Be persistent.

They say Edison tried 1,000 different ways to create a light bulb before he finally succeeded.   He maintained his energy in creating energy.  Where would we be if he had given up on his third try? 

If you have not succeeded with your financial plans in the past, don't give up.  Try a different approach.   Keep reading about new ideas.

5) Take responsibility for your life.

In our society, we tend to blame others for negative outcomes in our lives.  When we blame others, we tend to get stuck in a situation.  Blame is a form of resistance.  By blaming others, we lose sight of finding a solution to the problem.  We may not have caused the situation, but we are the only ones who can control how we deal with it.  In other words, we can not change what has already happened to us, but we can control how we view the situation in the present and how we move forward in the future.

For example, there has been many discussions about how China and India are taking jobs away from Americans.  For those who are laid off because of this, there can be a lot of blaming management and our government for allowing this to happen.  Yet, this blaming will not bring their jobs back.  Their energy is pointed in the wrong direction which is resistance in miss directing them from their goal of having a job.  Their energy would be much more productive if it went towards find ways to get retrained for a new job.  When their blame is place on others, the remove their responsibility on what they could have done and can do to make themselves the employee that any other employer would be crazy not to hire.

So take responsibility for finding a solution rather than finding someone to blame.  This website will focus on your role in your financial situation, through education, and by asking you to look inward at your beliefs and ideas about money.

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The material on this website is provided for educational purposes only.  We make no guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or applicability of any material presented on this website.  This website is not a substitute for individual financial or counseling advice.  You should seek the advice of a professional regarding your particular situation.  My Financial Awareness is not responsible for any losses, damages or claims that may result from your financial decisions.

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