Are you living intentionally?

It takes deliberate and premeditated action to be happy and successful.  These things won’t just fall into your lap one day.

You must first imagine a better future and then willfully exercise a certain measure of forethought and planning to make it so.

If I asked you right now, “What are your specific goals?”  Could you answer me without stammering around?

If not, then you aren’t being intentional enough to realize your dreams and desires.  You need to get what you want front and center in your life.

Daydreaming Is a Smart Start

The smart way to live is to carefully and thoughtfully envision the life you desire and then intentionally live in a way to achieve your dream.

“First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.” ~ Napoleon Hill

Remember how the teacher back in elementary school used to tell you to stop daydreaming and get busy?  Well, she was dead wrong.

You see, successful people are dreamers.  They first imagine their desired future and then they go create it.

You cannot improve your situation if you don’t first conceive in your mind where you want to go.  Ideas are the seeds of a new tomorrow for you.

So, if you want to:

• Start your own business
• Improve your relationships
• Reinvent yourself
• Stop bad habits
• Get a promotion at work
• Straighten out your finances
• Be happier and more at peace with yourself

You must first dream in your little head what that new future you want will look like.  You must then get very intentional about making it your reality.

Intentionally Create Your Future

The future for you may be next week, next month, next year or five years down the road.  It depends on where you are today and the size of your dream.

But, no matter what the timeline, you aren’t going to get anywhere until you decide to get intentional about creating your future.

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.”  ~ Vince Lombardi

Did you get that?  Vince Lombardi, who celebrated a lot of victories in his life including winning the first two NFL Super Bowls, said that you have the strength and knowledge you need to live out your dreams.

It isn’t a question of that at all.  The question is, “Do you have the will to succeed?”

How much do you really want your desired future?

Are you willing to do what it takes or are you going to continue to be a slave to comfort?

Will you deliberately take action or will you continue to hide behind excuses?

It is going to take some sacrifice, work and possibly even a little money for you to get what you want.  Are you ready to get that intentional?

If you are, then you need to convert your ideas into a purposeful plan.

A Specific Plan Helps You Get Intentional

Remember, once you dream up what you want, you must then organize and mature it into a plan that you can act upon.

Here’s the path needed to achieve your dreams.

• Step 1 – Envision in your mind your ideal future.
• Step 2 – Decide to get intentional about your imagined future.
• Step 3 – Organize a plan to bring your vision into reality.
• Step 4 – Act on your plan.
• Step 5 – Evaluate results and make adjustments.

The hardest step in this process is no doubt Step 3.  How do you create a realistic plan that will actually work?

I mean if you have a solid plan that will work, you can follow it, right?  Lots of research has proven that having a good plan significantly increases your chance of success.

For example:

• One study confirms that a written business plan doubles your chances of entrepreneurial success.
• Other research verifies that 3% of Harvard MBA graduates — those with written goals and a plan to accomplish them — make 10 times as much as the other 97% combined.
• In a 2004 study, employees who adopted a well formulated savings plan increased their 401(k) contributions by over 200% in a short period.

Having a detailed plan of action definitely works and following a plan is fairly easy, so the trouble arises in creating a plan that will work, right?

Use This Shortcut to Achieve Your Goals

There is a shortcut I’ve discovered for converting your dreams into reality.

Sometimes, shortcuts get a bad rap.

However, I’m 100% convinced that this shortcut deserves respect.  Why?  Because I’ve used it a ton of times myself and it has worked without exception.

Here’s the shortcut I use.  I borrow plans from other people.

Why recreate the wheel?  For almost every goal that you want to accomplish, someone else has already developed a solid plan for achieving it.  All you have to do is borrow their plan and follow in their footsteps.  This drastically reduces the amount of time that it will require for you to succeed.

Usually for less than $20 and almost always for less than $100, you can find a top-notch plan that educates you and sets you on the path to success.  Your time alone is worth more than what you will spend on the plan.

Also, since others have already used the plan and succeeded, you have more assurance that the plan is valid.  This is a nice side benefit.

Get a Plan and Become Intentional Now

So, where do you find these valuable, but inexpensive plans?

Well, this is where I can help.  I’ve already located many of them for you.

For instance:

If you need help envisioning your ideal future, try one of these:

• Discover Your Passion, a strategic approach for creating the life of your dreams
• How to Live Your Best Life, create and achieve your bucket list

If you need help straightening out your finances, try this:

• The Super-Charged Guide to Financial Freedom, optimize your personal finances

If you need help improving your marriage, pick one of these:

• Stripped Down, strip away all the barriers to that deep closeness you so desire
• A Simple Marriage, ignite a spark and overcome the humdrums of every day marriage

These plans will help you in three key areas: goal setting, personal finances and your marriage.  What have I missed?  Is there a different area where you need help?  If so, please let me know.  If you are reading this in an email, then simply hit reply and tell me what kind of plan you need.  If you are reading this on my site, then leave a comment below.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

Why would you waste another day living less than the very best life possible?  Henry David Thoreau tells us, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” 

Is this going to be you?  Are you living up to your full potential or are you living a life of quiet desperation?

Your best life is out there for you to pursue, but no one is going to do it for you.  Not your boss.  Not your spouse.  Not your children.  Not anyone.  If you want more out of life, then you’ve got to wake up, take charge and make it happen.

Make a Plan for a Better Life

He who fails to plan, plans to fail
~ Proverb

How do you start living a better life?  You become very intentional.  You design your future.  How do you do this?  By making a very specific plan.  Without a plan, you will be tossed by the currents and who knows where you will end up.  It likely won’t be where you intended.  Are you going to let your life get away from you like this?  Maybe it already has to a degree.  Why not get it on track and keep it there?

There are probably a million variations on how you can go about creating a specific plan for your life, but here are three components that I think nail it down pretty well.

1.  Creating A Life List

Nothing happens unless first we dream.
~ Carl Sandberg

A life list answers questions like these:

• What do you want to do with your life?
• Where do you want to live?
• How do you want to spend your time?
• What are your dreams?
• What causes are important to you?
• How much money do you want to make?
• What kind of job do you most desire?
• What kind of home do you want to own?

A life list is basically a complete vision for your life put together one puzzle piece at a time.  To paraphrase Stephen Covey, “To get what you want, you must begin with the end in mind.”

2.  Setting Unambiguous Goals

What is not started today is never finished tomorrow.
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Once you have your life list, then you can start to build a series of unambiguous goals.  You write out as specifically as possible what you want and when you will get it.  For example, if you want to buy a house, you say, “I will own a home by January 1, 2012.” 

Some of your goals will be short-term and some will be long-term.  That’s okay.  The main thing is that you get down on paper what you really want out of life.  This charts a specific course.  This definiteness of purpose will set in motion a flow of energy that will propel you forward.  You’ll be amazed at how fast you make meaningful progress in the direction you want to move once you have your goals clearly stated.

3.  Defining an Action Plan

Action is the antidote to despair.
~ Joan Baez

Once you have translated your life list into unambiguous goals, then you need to decide on what concrete steps you need to take to bring your goals into reality.  This means putting together an action plan.  For each of your goals, ask yourself, “What action steps do I need to take to accomplish this goal?”

Writing goals is powerful, but without action, it is all for naught.  You have to act if you want anything to really change.  You have to plunge the shovel into the earth if you want to dig a hole.  Once the course is charted, then act with courage and purpose to bring your life list into reality.  Dreams are realized one small action at a time.

Stand Up and Make It Happen for You

Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.
~ Doug Firebaugh

Putting together a life list, writing out goals and defining an action plan sounds simple, but it isn’t always easy.  If it was, then more people would be living the life they really want.  You would already have everything you desire.  There would be no need for me or anyone else to even mention all this, because we’d all be enjoying wonderful, satisfying lives. 

But, that’s not really the case is it?  No.  Instead, most of us, maybe even you, are leading a life of quiet desperation.

It is time to stand up.  It is time to make a plan for living the life you really want.  It is time to reach out and get a little help to put things on the right track toward your full potential.

I have a suggestion that will help you do all this.  To give yourself a leg up, buy a copy of How to Live Your Best Life: The Essential Guide for Creating and Achieving Your Life List.  This is the best workbook I have ever discovered for walking people through creating the life they really want.

Because I feel this ebook is such a great resource, I have negotiated a special offer with Marelisa for my readers.  For everyone else, she recently raised her price to $14.60 and believe me it is worth every penny of that, but to make this decision easy for you, I have asked that she give you one more chance to buy this terrific ebook at her introductory price.

Special Offer Details

Click here and enter supercharged as your discount code during checkout and you’ll get the $9.50 introductory price until August 31, 2010.  This is 35% off the regular price!

There is no risk involved.  If you aren’t 100% satisfied, then you have up to 60 days to notify Marelisa and she will refund your money, no questions asked.  This is a deal that can’t be beat.  You can buy the ebook at a terrific discount and receive a money-back satisfaction guarantee.  What have you got to lose?

To be totally transparent, I want to tell you up front that out of her generosity, Marelisa shares a percentage of her sales with me to help support this site, but even if she didn’t, I would still recommend her book to you because it is truly that good.

Stop Making Excuses and Start Living

Heaven never helps the man who will not act.
~ Sophocles

You have no excuse for living in quiet desperation for another minute.  It is up to you.  What will you do?  Will you stay where you are and continue down this path or will you reach for change?  I’ve done everything I can do for you.  What will you do for yourself?

You have been presented here with an opportunity.  Will you recognize it?  Will you act upon it?  Many will not.  They will make up yet another excuse.  They will choose to believe negative things.  They will let their so-called rational minds talk them out of it.

However, a few will act and those few will realize the benefits.  They will start to move themselves toward a better life.  They will smile knowing their song will be sung.  What will you do?  I hope you’ll make it happen.

Photo by paul (dex)

Now is the time to prepare for a better tomorrow.  Many people get caught flat-footed when the economic climate changes. 

They find themselves drowning in a financial mess and unable to save themselves.  Many have to start their life over from scratch.

Will you be ready to survive and thrive when the economy shifts again?  It doesn’t matter whether it goes up or down.  You’ll still need to exercise financial wisdom to do what is best for yourself and your family.

Prepare today and you’ll come out way ahead tomorrow!

Five ways to prepare yourself financially for a better future

Real financial wisdom is timeless.  It works no matter what hysteria is going on in the media or stock market.  Abiding by these principles will help you be in a position of strength no matter what direction the economy heads.

1.  Simplify and reduce risk

Complexity often works against your success with money.  A great example of this is credit card arbitrage.  In my opinion, it is too hard to manage.  One mistake and you could wind up owing tons of interest or losing an important asset.

I believe simpler is better.  I don’t see a need for numerous financial accounts.  I try to minimize the number so they are easy to keep track of and to manage.

I also avoid debt to reduce risk.  If I can’t pay cash for it, then I don’t need it.  Debt obligates me to someone and this reduces my freedom and choices.

When the economy goes good or bad, I want my choices wide-open so I can do what is best for my family at the time.

2.  Create a financial plan to follow

I begin every month with a plan.  I delegate every dollar I earn a job.  It has its assigned task for what I want it to do.  I do this by formulating a monthly budget. 

Does everything always go as planned?  No.  However, at least by starting with a plan, I am exercising what control I have.  When unexpected things arise, I modify the plan.

My money is a tool.  I want to squeeze every ounce of usefulness out of it I can.  My budget helps me ensure that my money abides by the priorities that my wife and I establish.

I structure my budget according to the wisest financial advice I can find.  This leaves me in a position to benefit no matter what the external circumstances.

3.  Tighten up your spending to create margin

Living on a budget doesn’t necessarily mean that you are frugal.  It just means that you planned in advance how to spend your money.  I like margin in my finances.

I like to know that I’m bringing in more than is going out.  This is margin.  It is room for error or for the unexpected.  Without margin, you are always one disaster away from financial ruin.  This is no way to plan properly for the future.

For example, what would happen if your spouse got hurt and couldn’t work for several months?  Could you survive?  You could if you had enough margin.

You create margin by cutting back on your expenses.  Yes, this may require some adjustments to your lifestyle, but the peace of mind that it affords is well worth it. 

4.  Increase your savings

Along with cutting back on expenses, increasing savings is a strong way to position yourself for whatever the future holds. 

For starters, you need to have an emergency fund that will cover 3 to 6 months of living expenses.  This protects you from all the unplanned things that can occur like a hot water heater going bad or losing your job.

In addition, I am saving for retirement and for my kids college.  These are both things that are going to require a sizable pile of cash.  This means I need to plan for them now.

The more cash you have on-hand, the better.  With cash, you can take advantage of the deals and opportunities that arise no matter which way the economy goes.

5.  Plan for uncertainty

I recognize that no matter how hard various financial analysts try, they cannot predict the future.  That’s why if you try to game the system by leaning the direction you think it is going to go you could get tripped up.

The better plan is to organize your finances conservatively so no matter what happens you are prepared to handle the unexpected twists in life.

Things rarely go as we hope or as the so-called gurus on television expect.  Plan for uncertainty.  Don’t get caught like a deer in the headlights.  Expect the unexpected.

If you do the things above, you won’t have to worry yourself with every what-if scenario.  You’ll be prepared to handle whatever arises!

Follow this financial wisdom to a better future

Run your personal finances just like you would a business.  You are the CFO of your life.  Apply this financial wisdom and you’ll emerge a shining star!

What financial wisdom would you like to share?

Photo by Jake Wasdin