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Back For Another Year!

August 21, 2013 By

100 Days To Christmas 2013I know it is odd to be talking about Christmas and the holidays in August (or maybe it isn’t if you check your stores). However, the earlier you start and the better you plan the less stressful and budget busting the season can be.

Last year I wrote a review for “100 Days to Christmas 2012” by Jennifer Tankersley which you can find here.  Well, the 2013 edition is being released today which you can find here.

The last couple years I have talked about the importance of setting up the Christmas budget and planning ahead.  This book allows you to do that a little each day from September 16 until December 25.  It takes a lot of the stress and guesswork out of holiday planning and provides you plenty of time to enjoy the season with family without worrying about the odds and ends of what you need to get done

The book is an instant download and along with the book you get 28 interactive lists (3 additional over last year) and 60 days free on ListPlanIt – Jennifer’s main site with all kinds of organizational goodies.

How much do I believe this book can help you?  Well, I am giving it away!  All you need to do is follow the instructions below and you’ll be entered.  You have until Sunday to enter and winners will be contacted by e-mail.

Form removed.  Giveaway has ended.  Congratulations to Michael D. and Emily C. for receiving a free copy of the book!

Filed Under: Giveaways and Promotions, Holidays, Life Coaching, Money Saving Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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Sum of the Parts

August 14, 2013 By
Puzzle Pieces

Photo Courtesy of Horia Varlan.

“We are the sum of all people we have ever met; you change the tribe and the tribe changes you.” Dirk Wittenborn, Fierce People

We are all the sum of who we meet, interact with, and let into our lives.

If the two people you hang out with this most are negative and always talking about bad things happening to them guess what your other friends probably hear you talk about the most?

There is also an economic theory that states if you take the five people your are closest to and average their income the result will be close to what you earn.  Not only can those around you influence your state of mind but they may also be influencing your income.

If you want positivity and good things happening around you then you have full control to set yourself up for that.  Stay away from the negative people.  Surround yourself with the cheerleaders who are rooting for you and those that want to see you succeed.

I know this can be hard because the process means you leave people behind or remove them from your life altogether.  But the quicker you realize you can’t change other people but you can change yourself the quicker you can move into the life you want.

If you must leave someone behind you can always help them back into your life when they are ready to make a change.  Think of it like taking a break rather than leaving them out of your life.  Be ready to help those that need your help.

“You are, in fact, a mashup of what you choose to let into your life.  You are the sum of your influences.”  Austin Kleon, Steal Like An Artist

Question:  Are there people in your life that are always negative that you need to take a break from?

Filed Under: Life Coaching Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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My Dear Watson…

August 7, 2013 By
Magnifying Glass and Clouds

Photo Courtesy of Kate Ter Haar

The first step to fixing any problem is to identify exactly what the problem is.  Have you ever had someone ask you to do something and your first response is “I’m busy!” yet they haven’t even told you what it is they were wanting?  It became a problem for you and you don’t even have the full request.

‘Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth.’

Sherlock Holmes

-The Sign of Four

Anytime you feel like something is a problem take a breath before responding.  Figure out exactly what the core issue is.  As above, the core issue is you don’t have any free time.  If take a minute and respond calmly to find out what they want and you decide you need to provide assistance then your problem is not that they asked something of you but you need to find where you can put it in your day.  Now you can work on the problem.

As Sherlock Holmes said, eliminate all other factors to get to your real problem and then you can begin to work on it.  Until then you are playing a game with a perception.  Go search for truth detective.

 

Filed Under: Life Coaching Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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Teach Your Kids The Tech Way

July 31, 2013 By

My Job ChartI am going to deviate a little from my normal blog and write about a service I ran across a couple of weeks ago.  It is call My Job Chart and is a great tool for teaching your kids to spend, save, and give in a technical but easy way.  Did I mention it is also free?

My Job Chart was developed to allow the parent to assign various chores and along with that a point value.  In their system one point equals one cent towards a reward such as something from the Amazon store (you can set whatever items you want to allow them to save points for), a trip to the movies, eating out, game time and a lot more.  You can also choose custom rewards and how many points it takes to receive that reward.

The system also allows the child to select how much money they want to save and can click a button to have you add that amount to their savings account once they earned it.

Lastly, it allows your child to give.  You can setup whatever charities you want your child to be able to save their money to be donated to and they choose how much goes the charity.  Once they have earned enough points they click a button and you receive an e-mail asking you to donate the amount on behalf of the child.

We use this with our daughter and it is great.  She is excited to see her points go up everyday after she does her jobs rather than waiting for the once a week payday that we were doing.  She is able to be in control of her points (*cough* money) and learn how to save for a goal, give to those less fortunate, and save for a rainy day.

There is a lot more as far as customization and options you can do.  It is 100% free so give it a try.  After you do swing by here and let me know what you think!

 

Filed Under: Goal Setting, Money Saving, People Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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Serve Them Well

July 24, 2013 By

Serve others.  If you have read self development materials for any length of time you have heard this and for good reason – it is the root to many good things in life.

“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” Zig Ziglar

When you serve other people you are able to release stress and get out of a depressed state.  You can do many things to serve:  be in the military, donate time to a non-profit, or even creating a product that fills a need and makes you rich is still an example of serving others because you have filled a need and brought it to the marketplace.

Recently our car was totaled in an accident when a vehicle hit ours from behind (nobody was seriously injured).  Of course, it is can be a nerve racking experience.  Questions are up in the air and you are lost if you have never been through one before on what to do about getting your vehicle repaired, rental cars, etc.  However, it was made a lot easier thanks to my agent who took the time to explain things to me and the other person’s insurance adjuster who was there to serve us.  They should both feel good about what they do and the help they provide in moments like they deal with.

The more people you serve the better your life and those around you can be.  A service animal serves the need of their owner but the owner, in turn, provides for the needs of the animal.  Along with that service comes a bonding friendship between the two.  This can be achieved with people as well as animals.

Figure out a way to serve many and go do that.  Impact millions and make life better for everyone around.

“Service to many leads to greatness-great respect, great satisfaction.” Jim Rohn

Filed Under: Business, Careers, Customer Service, Leadership, Life Coaching, People Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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100 Things

July 17, 2013 By
Moe the Sloth

Jennifer feeding Moe the Sloth at Cincinnati Zoo.

In episode four of “This Is Your Life” Michael Hyatt talks about giving out legal pads and having his family right down 100 things they would like to do in their life.  He called it a goal list or dream list (as he says, this was before he knew of the term bucket list – I like dream list better).

I think everyone needs to make one of these and push yourself to 100 as he suggests.  Why?  You will be amazed at the results you can have just by putting pen to paper.  Share them with your family and strive to accomplish everything on it.

One of the big list items for my wife was meeting a sloth.  Thanks to Allison Gibbs and Kate Olukalns at the Cincinnati Zoo she was able to mark this off last month.  We were also able to walk in New York City which was something both of us had wanted to do for some time.

Moe and Kate

Moe with pal Kate Olukalns.

Nothing is to wild and crazy for the list and don’t leave anything off. From eating at a specific restaurant to traveling the world, anything you want to do should be on the list. You never know when you can make it happen or someone makes it happen for you.

Filed Under: Goal Setting, Life Coaching Tagged With: , , , ,
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1,972 Debt Free Miles

July 10, 2013 By
Debt Free Miles

Magic Kingdom from the bridge.

Some people wonder what the point of becoming debt free is.  They figure they have owed someone money their entire life so why not keep going?  I’ll tell you that one reason that is important to me is travel.

I greatly enjoy going places with my family.  By getting out of debt we have been able to experience so much in the last few years.  In fact, exactly one year ago today we started our 1,972 mile driving journey!

If there are things you want to do but don’t think you have the money for it then there are a couple things you can do to find the money:

*Do a written budget each month.
*Work on getting out of debt.
*Eliminate eating out until you are debt free.
*Visit sites like Money Saving Mom and Save The Coupons for a list of deals for your shopping trips.

All of this comes down to one thing – FOCUS!  Focus your attention on paying for that trip of a lifetime and take steps to make it happen.  Focus on eliminating your debt.  Focus on your written budget so you know where your money is going so you can get out of debt.

Ready to get started?  You can download this free Guide To Budgeting to help you.

Filed Under: Life Coaching, Personal Finance Tagged With: , , , , ,
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ENDED: Giveaway: 1 Starter and 1 Deluxe Envelope System to Manage Your Finances

July 7, 2013 By

Congratulations to Emily C. for winning the Deluxe Envelope System and and Leah K. for winning the Starter Envelope System!

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We are giving away two envelope systems this week! These are both from DaveRamsey.com and feature the FPU logo embossed on the front.

All you need to do to enter is follow the directions below.  Winners will be contacted no later than Monday, July 15, 2013 and will be announced on this page and our Facebook page.

****Sign up form removed. Giveaway has ended.****

Deluxe Envelope System

Deluxe Envelope System

Starter Envelope System

Starter Envelope System

Filed Under: Giveaways and Promotions Tagged With: , , , ,
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Happy 4th!

July 4, 2013 By

To everyone in the US have a happy and safe Independence Day! Mickey Mouse 4th

Filed Under: Holidays Tagged With: , , ,
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Don’t Let It Overwhelm You

July 3, 2013 By
Overwhelmed

Photo Courtesy of Walt Stoneburner

Sometimes life can bury you under trials and tribulations (or Tribbles if you are a Trekker).  You feel like there is no direction you can turn where a problem doesn’t sit in the middle of your path.  What can you do when this happens?  Redraw your map.

When a lot of stuff is going on first thing you need to do is breathe.  Sit back and relax.  This might be a real good time to learn how to meditate if you don’t already do it.  You have to do this first and get a grip on your emotions.  Until this happens you can’t go any further.

Once you have gotten a bit relaxed determine what your elephant is.  What is the biggest out of all the problems?  Once you have decided what this is for you write down what you can do today to take steps to getting that elephant back into the wild.  While you may not be able to fix this problem on day one taking at least a small step will allow you a bit more breathing room.  Each time you get closer to eliminating it the better you will feel.

Once you have done at least one step towards the big problem do the same thing with all of the smaller ones.  Anything you can eliminate today, such as calling and making that apology you know you need to offer, making that doctor’s appointment for the physical you dread, or making a big financial decision, just go ahead and get it over with.  You will feel better, have one less thing that you need to deal with, and can focus your energy on everything else.

Now that you have taken some steps make it a point to make small steps each day until the overwhelming feeling is gone.  If you really put some effort forward it shouldn’t take long for you to have a bit more wiggle room.  And while this is a simplistic process that will not work for everyone, most people can eliminate quite a bit by doing this.  Give it a shot and see how it works for you.

Filed Under: Life Coaching, Motivational, People Tagged With: , , , ,
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Book Review: Boundaries for Leaders

July 1, 2013 By

Boundaries For LeadersBoundaries For Leaders by Dr. Henry Cloud is the second of Dr. Cloud’s books that I have had the pleasure of reading.  It is clear, concise and if you take the steps outlined you can make dramatic changes your in your life at home and at work.

From the press release: “In Boundaries for Leaders, clinical psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Henry Cloud leverages his expertise of human behavior, neuroscience, and business leadership to explain how the best leaders set boundaries within their organizations–with their teams and with themselves–to improve performance and increase employee and customer satisfaction.”

I honestly think this book could change an entire company for the better.  With over a decade of experience with a 300+ person business location I can tell you that I have seen many of these principles work in person.  I do not think it matters whether you have 5 or 500 on your team this book will help you lead better, build culture, and keep the negativity and energy draining annoyances at bay.

I highly recommend reading this book and absorbing what is taught.  While it did start out a bit slow for me it quickly picked up in Dr. Cloud’s style.  You can’t go wrong here – pick it up and be “ridiculously in charge.”

If you would like to get other points of view or purchase the book you can do so on Amazon.

*Note: I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.*

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Business, Leadership Tagged With: , , , ,
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Forgive Them For You

June 26, 2013 By
Forgivness

Photo Courtesy of Appu Shaji

Everyone has been mad, upset, or in deep emotional turmoil in the past due to someone’s actions or words.  Were you able to forgive them?  I hope so. Forgiving someone is for you; not for them. It is your ability to let go of the situation. Never ask if they deserve to be forgiven; ask if you deserve to forgive them.

Holding onto hate or rage when someone has done something against you does not hurt the other person.  Many times we hide these emotions because we don’t want to hurt them in return.  However, you need to release them for your own sake.  Why allow them to live in your mind and let you pay the emotional rent?

Take out a notebook or journal and for five minutes write about a hurt that you have been holding onto.  Describe the feelings in detail and get them all out on paper as if you were speaking to the person who hurt you directly.  At the end write “now I forgive you” and let it go.  I am not asking you to forgive and forget but  I am asking you to get that baggage off of you.

Letting these things go allows you to move past the situation and at the same time lowers your stress level.  Do yourself a favor and let it go.

Filed Under: Life Coaching Tagged With: , , , ,
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Who Shaped Your Life?

June 19, 2013 By
Jason Mraz

Musician Jason Mraz

Have you ever took a real look at how other people have shaped your life? Even the mean people who bullied and made fun of you in school. No matter what happened they helped shape the person that you have become today.

Take a few minutes and write down some of the people who helped you become the person you are.  Not the people who helped you get a job or repair your house but those that influenced your character; your being.  Reflect on those people and whether it was a good or bad experience at the time be thankful for the person that you are today.

Take a moment to watch the following video of “They Shaped My Life” by Jason Mraz to see what I am talking about.  I think this song sums up how we should all be grateful for who we are and the people who are written in our life story.

Filed Under: Life Coaching Tagged With: , , ,
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Isn’t That Interesting

June 12, 2013 By

Jim RohnOne of the most influential recordings that I listened to early on was Jim Rohn’s “Building Your Network Marketing Business.”  While the obvious focus was intended for network marketing I got so much more out of the hour I listened.  One of those jewels was Mr. Rohn’s quote “Isn’t that interesting.”

When something isn’t quite going your way simply say “Isn’t that interesting.” and move on.  This also works well when your someone comes up to you and says something or tells you to do something you don’t particularly care for.  You simply say the phrase and move on.

This technique does a few things:

1. It keeps you from saying something as a quick reaction and gives you a moment to think of an appropriate response.  Keep your foot out of your mouth in the front end and you won’t have the after taste.

2. It can defuse the situation if there is already some tension.  This can be especially true when you are using this phrase after your employer walks up.

3. It also keeps your stress level down.  Rather than get upset you allow yourself to be in another state of mind.

Give this a shot and see how much better you can feel during a stressful conversation or when you are given a quick instruction you might not agree with.  It is a thing of linguistic beauty.

Filed Under: Business, Life Coaching Tagged With: , , ,
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Alive In Your Mind

June 5, 2013 By
Main Street USA

Main Street USA at Magic Kingdom

Why do some people make changes in their lives while others don’t? One of the key reasons is those that change can see the change in their mind before it happens.  If there is something you want you have to see that you already have it in your imagination.

Want to own a restaurant?  See it in your mind so vividly that you can see the menu and smell the food.  See the layout of your place and the guests sitting in at their table enjoying their food.  Revisit this in your mind over and over to where it becomes so real for you that you.  When you do this opportunities show up and when you grab them your dreams become realities.

One of the most notable imaginations of the 1900s was Walt Disney.  In the book “How to Be Like Walt” Pat Williams says this on page 84:

Though Walt envisioned Walt Disney World in Florida, he died before it was built.  On opening day in 1971, almost five years after his death, someone commented to Mike Vance, creative director of Walt Disney Studios,”Isn’t it to bad Walt Disney didn’t live to see this?”

“He did see it,” Vance replied simply.  “That’s why it’s here.”

See yourself where you want to be and take the journey as life allows you.  It may take some time but you can get there.

 

Filed Under: Business, Creativity, Motivational, People Tagged With: , , , , ,