Success and Goal Setting

Success is a process and not something encoded in your DNA. It doesn’t transfer through generations, even if you were "born into" a wealthy family.  It is a learning process that requires you to take steps towards your goal.  Sometimes you might feel like you’re going backwards instead of forward, however even then, you’re learning the process which will push you along.  Because of this, the playing field is even- anyone can learn to become successful with focus and desire.

Sometimes those backward steps are telling you to redirect and take a different path to your goal. So, your first step to learning how to become successful should be goal setting.  As rudimentary as this sounds, many don’t do it.  A very basic, day to day, goal setting process would be to start with three types of lists:

•    Standard type tasks that must be attended to each day

•    Things you can do each day to create new opportunities and growth (personal development is included)

•    Daily to-do and to-call lists - these are best created the night before.  You’ll find by doing this, you’ll save time and be able to hit the floor running the next day.

Of course these then can be expanded on for weekly and monthly lists.  Master the use of them and you’ll find yourself beginning to learn the process of goal setting.

Until next time - J.
"Take control of your destiny or someone else will"

Going California Coastal

GOING CALIFORNIA COASTAL

It was weekend’s like this past one that I feel so blessed to live in California. Within a few hours of either direction (from SF Bay Area) we can be in a variety of micro-climates and terrains. I had to pinch myself all weekend as we took off on one of our Harley excursions for the weekend with a couple of friends. We started out on Friday morning, making our way through some traffic (although could’ve been worse!), and went up to Healdsburg for lunch. This is an area that is one of the “gateways” to the wine country. Imagine rows and rows of grape plants with their leaves just popping out. The sky was blue and the weather about 80 degrees. Perfect day for a bike ride!

After lunch we cut over to the coast for our evening destination at Sea Ranch. A community which started in the 70’s and all homes are positioned with ocean views. During the ride over the mountain range to get there we drove through some breathtaking vistas. Starting with rolling hills of green starting to turn golden. The wildflowers are all in bloom this time of year and every so often at a turn we could breath a sweet smell of flowers. The Bay Leaf trees are bursting and we would smell those as well. The air was what we call “soft” this weekend, meaning there were just light puffs going across you instead of nagging hard blowing wind. (Yes, we’ve ridden in that too!) You’d never be able to experience some of these things from a car! This time of year all of the trees and shrubs are pushing out their new foliage and they’ve not had a summer season of dust on them yet. The various shades of greens and shadowing make for a fabulous tapestry.

Saturday we headed up north further along Hwy 1 to the town of Mendocino. The sky was so blue, not a bit of fog, making the water look as turquoise as you’d see in Hawaii - although not near as warm! It’s one reason I prefer our coast in the Spring and Fall - the weather seems much calmer then. We had a terrific lunch on the deck of a small restaurant, sitting in the sun and overlooking the beaches. We then headed back to Sea Ranch for the evening - and what a treat we had - we saw a couple of whales “blowing their spouts” from the living room window!

Here’s a picture of the coastline we were on for a few days….. not a bad shot since it was taken from the back of a Harley going about 60mph!

On our return trip home Sunday, we took a different route via Russian River and through the Redwoods. If you’ve never seen a redwood grove, try to do it sometime. The road is lined with lush ferns and other shade loving plants. When the sun filters through these giant trees onto the greens it’s an incredibly peaceful sight. We then visited a very unusual nursery/greenhouse which you can checkout at www.californiacarnivores.com. It reminded me of something out of The Little Shop of Horrors! All of these plants eat bugs, some of them can grow large enough to eat small rodents - yikes! You’ve probably heard of Venus Fly Trap, they have those and many others. You’ve just gotta love Spring and getting outside to do things!

Here’s a picture of one of the “carnivores” but really doesn’t do it justice. Check out their website!

Until next time, J.
“Take control of your destiny or someone else will”

The Keys to Financial Independence

There’s an old saying - "Life is not a dress rehearsal. It’s the real thing".  With that there’s a certain amount of living on the edge that’s needed if one is going to excel. Does that mean you need to live on the edge of a financial cliff each week or month though? Quite the opposite - it’s very liberating to not need to worry about your finances, and then you can enjoy those moments of living on the edge.
The keys to this are:

•    Evaluating your current financial situation objectively. Get some assistance to do this if necessary. Then put a plan in place to consistently knock down your debt.

•    Minimize your taxes.  There are ways you can legally and lawfully lower your income taxes.  Learn ways that you can benefit specific to your situation.

•    Create a savings/emergency fund.  You should have a minimum of 3-6 months of income saved to pay your bills in an emergency situation.

•    Ensure proper protection, so you can sleep better at night. Is your family properly protected?  Do you have adequate life insurance? Do you have a living trust?  Find out what you need to do to protect your family’s assets.

•    Create wealth and build a legacy. This is where it gets FUN! Invest like the wealthy and see how it grows. Fully fund college accounts.  Retire early on your terms.  Make your financial dreams a reality.

•    Remember that finances are only one piece of the "being wealthy" equation.  Maintain your health so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. Give back to your family, friends and community - it’s a wonderful feeling, embrace it.

Until next time -

Janet

"Take control of your destiny or someone else will"