Today, I’m offering a guest post about being self-employed with young kids as part of the Ultimate Blog Swap. You’ll find me posting over at Slightly Cosmopolitan about letting your light shine brightly.  Please welcome Hillary Boucher to My Super-Charged Life!

Do you dream about being self-employed, but feel that it’s impossible with a young family?

We knew from the get-go that we wanted to design our own lifestyle. We wanted to homeschool our kids and do work that we were passionate about.

We both wanted to share the responsibility of earning income and caregiving.  We also wanted the freedom to travel to visit family and take educational field trips on our own timeline. We decided that self-employment would ultimately give us the control to create this lifestyle.

Self-Employed with Kids Is Tough But Worth It

The tough economy and the many new web tools available is resulting in people embarking on similar self-employment journeys. However, starting your own business with young kids is not as easy as crashing on your sister’s couch and eating Ramen noodles while you grind through the start-up phase. Kids need stability, good food and a stress-free place to live and grow.

We’ve got three kids and two businesses that are still in the early phases, but we’re well on our way to living our personal vision outside the 9-to-5 with kids in tow. It may be a bit unconventional, but it’s exciting, fulfilling and gives us the freedom we value.

Can you do it? Definitely!

Does it take careful planning? You bet.

Is it guaranteed? No way.

But it’s exciting and if you set yourself up for success you can be your own boss and have the added flexibility of self-employment to enjoy life along side your family.

Advice to Families for Breaking Free of 9-to-5

Looking back we weren’t nearly as prepared as we could have been so I’ll let you in on what we’ve learned so far.

1. Don’t Quit Your Job Yet!

Don’t quit your job and then make a plan. Instead, lay out your plan ahead of time. Create a one-year and a five-year plan and BE REALISTIC! Most businesses don’t cut a profit in the first year. Figure out how much you need to live on for the first year and double that. Take a local small business course and have a professional help you develop your business plan. Know how much you need to start bringing in at what point so you can be sure that you are going to make it.

While dreams are an important part of making this all happen, you’ve got to be realistic to get where you want to go.

2. Downsize Your Lifestyle

We bought an affordable, duplex in a downtown area of a mid-sized, vibrant city. The rental apartment pays for a good portion of our mortgage and since it’s small we have very low heating costs. While we do have to get creative about living with a family of five in a small apartment, it has afforded us flexibility as we start up our businesses.

In the first year of my husband’s business we sold our car to help with living expenses. Living downtown made this doable until we were able to buy a more affordable used car.

Take an honest look at your life and see what you can do without and what’s your deal breaker. For us quality food is a must. In fact, food is the biggest expense in our monthly budget, but that feels very important to us. We’re more than happy to share one cell phone and skip on the cable because we find wireless internet allows us to view entertainment when we want.

3. Get Money in the Door–Fast!

What’s your instant money maker? Focus on that first. You might have to do work that isn’t exactly what you envision for the future. That’s okay–get the money in the door, get your business established and after you lay the foundation you can start to move towards bigger and better projects and visions.

Priority number one is getting the bills paid and food on the table. Your savings is going to be dwindling fast and the sooner you can get money in the door the better.

Be smart about it though, make sure your money maker is a step in the right direction–towards a career and business you are enthusiastic about.

4. Implement a Strong Family Rhythm

It’s not fair to take your kids on a wild ride. Well, it is a part of life, but you can help them get through any transitions and potential family stress by anchoring yourself in a strong daily rhythm (this is different than a schedule). A rhythm moves with your family giving you the flexibility you need, while providing stability. This way–when life starts to get bumpy you have something to stand on.

5. Remember THE PLAN

Our plan towards self-employment and self-sufficiency was (and continues to be) a series of overlapping steps.

First my husband stuck with his “money maker”  even though it’s not what he ultimately wants to do. While he brings in a steady income I’m setting up the launch of my business. As I begin to bring in more regular income the plan is for him to ease up and have more room to evolve his business into more of what he wants. Eventually we want to find a happy medium that’s flexible and secure. We want to use that flexibility of being self-employed to share the responsibility of bringing in income and taking care of the children.

Great plan, right? Well, there are plenty of ho-hum Tuesdays where we look at each other and say, “Why are we doing this?” Avoid letting the day-to-day stuff distract you from your bigger goals. Talk about where you are heading often. Make a visual map of where you are going and how you are getting there and put it somewhere you can see it everyday. Try to remember that this normal Tuesday is part of a bigger picture. Don’t get lost in the every day.

6. Enjoy the Journey

That being said–try not to be so focused on your goal that you forget to enjoy the journey. After all when you reach those five year goals your baby will be running around and talking and your toddler will be an entirely different kid. Don’t miss their childhood! Revel in the every day miracles of first steps, a lost tooth, and silly moments.

7. Get Support

Plug into a bigger support network like an online tribe or a local small business community. Having access to people who understand your challenges is very helpful. Even better–find local families who also live an unconventional lifestyle so you can swap childcare and have friends who share your new “normal”.

8. Take Time to Celebrate–Simply

We’ve been living the past few years as a start-up on a tight budget. Rather than skip out on the celebrations, we adjusted our style. My husband and I realized if we swapped childcare with friends for a few hours we could go out and have a drink and an appetizer for half the cost of a full dinner out and yet it felt just as decadent.

Celebrating is an important part of keeping your life joyful and happy. Kids don’t need fancy things to have fun–they want your time and attention.

We set aside a family night movie with Netflix and our favorite (affordable) Mexican take-out. We’ve learned to have fun with the simple things and to tell you the truth, I don’t feel like we’re missing anything.

Living outside of the 9 to 5 with a family in tow will take some careful planning, creativity and resolve, but if you desire this lifestyle it’s possible and rewarding.

Hillary blogs about entrepreneuring with school free kids, mindful family living and the New American Dream.  If you enjoyed this article, you can check out another of her popular posts at If You’re Not Happy Here, You Won’t Be Happy There.

Also, you can visit Life…Your Way to see all of the Ultimate Blog Swap participants!

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

Earlier this week, I heard Bob Stoops speaking about achieving success and winning.  For those of you that don’t know, Stoops is the head coach of the University of Oklahoma football team. 

During his ten years at Oklahoma, he has won 109 of 123 games, the most wins by any Division 1-A school during that period.  He also led the Sooners to become the 2000 BCS National Champions.

I’m a graduate and fan of Oklahoma State University, a rival of Oklahoma, but even I have to admit that Coach Stoops’ winning record is impressive.  Obviously, Stoops knows what it takes to win and he knows how to motivate others to achieve success.  I believe we all can learn from his wisdom.

Three things Stoops said it takes to be a winner

Winning doesn’t just happen by chance.  It also isn’t just about talent.  There are plenty of talented people out there that don’t end up successful in their field.  I think Stoops hit on three things in his talk that are key to being a winner.  Here they are:

1.  Have a well-prepared plan

Football teams spend a lot of time preparing for each game.  They practice, analyze the other team, watch films, memorize plays and decide on a game plan.  But, Stoops emphasized that he asks for a lot more than that.  He stresses to his coaches that everything they do should have a thought out purpose.

He believes that the more thorough the plan, the better chance they have to win.  They plan meetings.  They plan what they want to say.  They plan how they are going to plan. 

Preparation has become almost a religion in the University of Oklahoma football program.  This is what has made them winners.  They don’t wing it.  They plan for every eventuality.

In football, as in life, you have a limited amount of time to prepare.  You can’t waste a single minute.  You have to use your time wisely.  This level of preparation and planning is what separates the shining stars from those left in the shadows.

2.  Start with great expectations

You must set the bar high to achieve great things.  A leader must cast a grand vision to lead his team to victory.  He’s got to stick his neck out and show that he believes they can win and win big!

Stoops doesn’t begin the season telling his players that they’ll play the first few games to see how things go and then decide on their goals for post-season play.  No, he starts with great expectations.  He sets the bar high and paints a crystal-clear picture for his players and coaches of where he wants them to be at the end of the season.

Coach Stoops knows that you have to start with great expectations and then even if you fall a little short, you’ve accomplished something big.

3.  Refuse to use excuses

Finally, you’ve got to reject any and all excuses for failure.  Stoops said that they are out there everywhere and often they are so tempting to accept.

It would be easy for Stoops to say, “We lost because our star running back was injured” or “We lost because of a bad call from the official.”  Often the fans and the media would buy these and let the team off the hook for not winning, but where would that leave them?  As losers, that’s where.

Stoops stressed that in football and everything else in life, if you want to be a winner, then you have to work through the hard times.  You’ve got to put your nose to the grindstone and press your way to the other side.  It takes hard work and perseverance to be a winner.

Once you start using excuses to cover up your mistakes and rationalize away your failures, you have started down a slippery slope leading only to Loserville!

Follow Stoops advice and be a winner in life!

I was very impressed with what Coach Stoops had to say.  These three things really stuck with me.  I believe they are a big part of what has helped the University of Oklahoma win so many football games.  But, more importantly, I think we can follow his advice to become winners ourselves!

What part of Stoops’ winning strategy can you use most in your life?

 Photo by Billy A

I’ve never delivered a graduation speech, but I imagine it is pretty tough deciding exactly what morsels of wisdom that you’d like to pass along.  What is it that graduates need to know to take what they’ve learned in school and use it to lead a successful and fulfilling life?  Is there any insight you can impart in 5 to 7 seven minutes that will unlock the door to the best life has to offer?

I don’t have the answers, but I do have three questions that I’d suggest every new graduate consider.  If I had to give a graduation speech, this is what I’d base my talk around.

My three life planning questions for new graduates

As a new graduate sets out planning their life and deciding what path to follow, here are a few things I would suggest they ask themselves.  If you can figure these things out early, you will achieve a great deal more success in life.

1.  How do I make myself stand out from the crowd?

There is a lot of noise in our world.  There is also a lot of competition.  Every new graduate wants to set the world on fire.  However, many of the flames fade because we they never figure out exactly how to stand out from the crowd.  They fail to market themselves properly.  They fail to make themselves remarkable.

Standing out from the crowd and rising above the mediocrity that dominates our world is mostly about making yourself valuable.  It is not about hype and fluff, the kind that finds its way onto resumes, because that stuff gets exposed fast in the real world.

It is about discovering your unique niche.  It is like putting together a puzzle, but instead of trying to find the shapes that fit perfectly together, you are trying to figure out exactly how your talent, skills, education, life experience, personality and values gel into the ideal mold.  The faster you figure this out, the more success and happiness you will experience!

2.  How do I break free from the grip of traditional thinking?

Life is full of options.  You do not have to live yours like your parents others have lived theirs.  But, I’ll warn you now, there is an invisible tractor beam that will constantly try to pull you back to the way you should live meaning the way that others have lived their lives.  The tractor beam is called traditional thinking.

Traditional thinking tells us we should get a job, a spouse, a pet, a mortgage, 2.5 kids, a new car, a backyard and a life others approve of.  I would encourage you to challenge this way of thinking.  Do what you’ve always wanted to do right now.  If you dreamed about traveling, then do it!  Push the fear aside and go for your dream.  You’ll thank yourself later.

You can always settle down, search for a job and do the traditional thing later too.  By the way, the traditional thing isn’t all bad, not by a long shot, but you are standing in a very special time.  You have the freedom to live big and go for your dream.  Don’t miss it!

3.  What do I still have left to learn?

I know, I know you just graduated.  You’re full of education.  In fact, you’re stuffed.  You have a PhD in learning.  What else could there possibly be?  Well, you probably won’t like this, but I’ve got to tell you that your learning has really just begun.  Education is wonderful, but real life has a lot of lessons to teach you that you failed to learn in school.  Bummer, huh?

Instead of setting out to teach the world all you learned in school, open yourself up to all the world has for you.  Some of these lessons are crucial.  They are the most important things you’ll ever learn and life won’t stop teaching you until you get them.  This is where the “school of hard knocks” comes from.  Life will knock you around some if you are hard-headed about learning the lessons she has to teach you.

The faster you learn these lessons, the further down the road you’ll go.  What are these lessons?  I wished I could tell you, but they are somewhat unique for every person.  Some you’ve already picked up, but others you are still waiting to learn.  Be open and life will guide you to what you need to know.

Graduates, I welcome you to life!  Wear it well.

I think these are some of the questions I would offer to new graduates.  After all, there are a lot more questions in life than there are answers, but that’s what makes it interesting to live!  I challenge you to go out, live, love, explore and wonder at life.  Think big, but never forget that what really matters is usually found in the small things.

These life planning questions are food for thought.  I hope you’ll ponder them and use them to guide your actions over the coming days.  You are embarking on a journey that is like no other.  Wear it well.

Photo by m00by

Success requires a lot of planning, hard work and perseverance.  It often demands that we get up early, take risks and make sacrifices.

Do you have the enthusiasm, passion and staying power to make it?  Are you organized, focused and determined?  All of these factors will play a part in your success!

No matter how much motivation you start with, we all need a boost from time-to-time.  Are you ready for a 10,000 volt jolt of super motivation?  Great!  Read on.

5 Articles that will give you a dose of super motivation to succeed

You’ve come to the right place to find the motivation you need to stir you to stop procrastinating and start succeeding!

You are sure to find the inspiration and advice you need to help you become successful in life in the articles below.

1.  Start with a little inspiration from great motivational quotes!

Need to get fired up?  Well, you’re in luck because Eric at Motivate Thyself has helped put together The Very Best Motivational And Personal Productivity Quotes On The Planet!  Eric shares some of his favorite quotes, but he also has encouraged his readers to share their favorites in the comments.  This truly is one of the greatest collections of motivational quotes available in one place.  Go motivate thyself!

2.  Create a plan for your life!

What exactly is it that you want to accomplish?  Have you taken the time to truly map out your goals and desires?  If not, then take some time to read A Guide to Creating Your Life Plan over at Life Optimizer.  Donald provides a ton of ideas and resources that will super-charge your planning effort!  He even goes on to give advice on exactly how to get started executing your life plan once you have it written.

3.  Take responsibility for your own success!

The only person that is going to significantly contribute to your success is YOU!  That’s why you have to take personal responsibility for your life and make it happen!  Henrik at The Positivity Blog explains this masterfully in 7 Timeless Thoughts on Taking Responsibility for Your Life.  This article will not only motivate you, but will also help you overcome some of the most common mental obstacles to success.

4.  Increase your productivity to get there faster!

Sometimes we know what we want to accomplish, but never seem to make any progress toward our goal.  Fortunately, Glen at PluginID shares with us One Sentence That Will Guarantee Unrivalled Productivity.  This is a simple, but powerful story about how to set priorities and make real progress toward any goal.  The thing that is so motivating about this article is that it makes us realize that achieving true success does not have to be complicated.

5.  Stay motivated to finish the race!

Are you already in the middle of accomplishing a goal or project only to find your motivation lacking?  Well, my friend, never fear because Hani explains 5 Ways to Stay Motivated to Finish What You Started at Pick The Brain.  This practical advice will get you back on the road to success in no time.  I have used these techniques myself, so I know they work!

Get motivated and achieve the success you desire

I guarantee you that if you’ll just read the articles above you will find the motivation and practical advice you need to get off high center in your life.

Apply the information in these terrific resources and you will start accomplishing more and making phenomenal progress toward your goals!

Did you find these articles useful?  Let me know by commenting below!

Photo by gcoldironjr2003

Well, you might need to consider a staycation.  This is the latest term for a stay-at-home vacation.  Isn’t it nifty?

With proper planning and an open mind, a staycation can be relaxing and enjoyable.  It might be just what the doctor ordered for the recreation and rejuvenation you need!

Here are ten articles to help you properly plan your staycation

The key to a fantastic staycation is to put a little forethought into it.  You need to plan it just like you would a vacation away from home.

Fortunately, several authors (including me) have already done a lot of the work for you.  We have written some terrific staycation articles that will cut your research time in half.

Here’s everything you need to know to have a wonderful staycation!

1.  Convincing your family a staycation is the right thing to do

Last year when gas prices were so high, I wrote Beat High Gas Prices This Summer With A Staycation.  In that article, I detailed how a hometown vacation could not only save you money, but could also be more relaxing than a traditional vacation.

Well, gas prices have gone down, but the need to conserve our money and to chill out are probably even more desirable now than a year ago.  The benefits I offer should make a staycation very attractive to even the most seasoned traveler.

2.  A staycation can even be a good choice for teens on spring break

Our teens may have to stay a little closer to home this year for spring break.  Family budgets are tight so, airfare may be out of the question.  Fortunately, this article offers 10 At-home Spring Break Activities That Can Turn Blah to Fun.

Honestly, some of the suggestions in this article appeal to me too!  They are a little more on the adventurous side.  In fact, your teens might gain a whole new respect for their local area after you help them use these ideas to plan a spring break staycation!

3.  College students can even enjoy a spring break staycation

Cancun and Fort Lauderdale might be a little quieter this year.  However, lack of funds is no excuse for co-ed boredom.  Yes, even college students can plan themselves a great time while staying close to home or the university.

In Staycation, All I Ever Wanted: 10 Ideas for Your Spring Break at Home, Emily offers some terrific ideas like hosting a dinner party and having a weeklong film festival as ways to recuperate during the week without classes.

4.  Got preschoolers?  You can still enjoy a successful staycation

Let’s face it, preschoolers can be a challenge on any vacation.  They can be cute, cuddly and loving one minute and holy terrors the next. 

Have you ever experienced the frustration and embarrassment when your toddler has a meltdown in a restaurant or other public place?  If you have a child under five, then chances are you have.

Well, Simple Mom says a staycation can still be fun even with a preschooler.  In Maximize Your Staycation With Preschoolers, she offers some tips you absolutely should read to ensure your time away from work is the pleasurable and relaxing time you desire!

5.  Staycation fun for school-aged children

Okay, we’ve covered the teens, college co-eds and preschoolers.  What about school-aged children?  Well, in Frugal Living: “Family Fun Staycations”, you’ll find all kinds of fabulous ideas to entertain your students during their free time.

This article offers suggestions on everything from fun web sites to theme days.  You can pack a week with back-to-back activities with what you’ll find here.  It will save you from hearing the dreaded, “I’m bored” during the break!

6.  Still need more ideas for things to do on a staycation?

I hope you’re not superstitious because Debbie offers us 13 things to do on a staycation.  The only thing that will doom your alternative vacation is not reading this article!

This list of fantastic fun will help keep you out of your normal routine and on track to rediscover all the recreation available just minutes from you home!

7.  Enjoy the outdoors?  This will set your staycation on the right path

For most of us, there are a ton of great adventures to be found just around the corner from our homes.  Our local state parks and recreation areas are super places to unwind and reawaken the Grizzly Adams in us all.

Sound inviting?  Well, this article will provide you with excellent tips for getting the most from an outdoor staycation.  I love the suggestion to go geocaching or take a hike!

8.  Staycations aren’t just fun, they are also green!

A staycation is not only inexpensive and fun, it can be eco-friendly as well!  Staying close to home can have a lower impact on the environment.  For instance, it preserves fossil fuels and reduces pollution.

How to Take a Money-saving Eco-friendly Staycation gives us tips on vacationing at-home and being green at the same time.

9.  What about the food?  Good meals make a staycation great!

I love eating new and interesting foods when I travel.  Well, fortunately you don’t have to sacrifice the culinary experience when you choose a staycation this year!

Here are some tropical recipes to spice up your staycation.  This article includes ideas for complete exotic meals.  You can learn to make everything from Caribbean salsa to Acapulco Chicken!  No duds for your taste buds here.

10.  A big list of ways to enjoy yourself to wrap things up

The simple pleasures in life are the best!  Marc and Angel offer us 101 Dirt Cheap Ways to Enjoy Yourself.  This one isn’t exclusively about staycations, but it certainly provides things to do that fit very nicely with the concept.

You are sure to discover some things that would have never otherwise crossed your mind in this fantastic list.

A staycation can be a fun-filled time for the whole family!

Even if you were skeptical at first, I hope you can know see all the possibilities that a staycation holds.  Who knows?  It might turn out to be the best time you’ve had with the whole family in a good long while!

Have you tried a staycation?  What was your experience?

Photo by Thunderchild tm

5 tips to keep your personal budget flexible and alive

Flexibility is one of the keys to maintaining a healthy budget.  Here are some ideas for keeping your budgeting efforts flexible to keep them alive!

1.  Create a custom budget each month

Your budget or spending plan should be customized for each period.  Sure certain expenses stay the same every month, but some things fluctuate or only occur once in awhile.  Your monthly budget needs to be a living document.  It needs to evolve as life does.

Make sure you take a little time at the beginning of each month to make a list of expected expenses that will occur in the upcoming thirty days.  Also, revaluate the amount you are budgeting in each of your spending categories.  You may need to increase or decrease certain things to more closely match your estimated expenditures.

2.  Don’t be afraid to make mid-month budget adjustments

Continually reevaluate your plan as you proceed through the month.  If necessary, move money from one category to another to make your budget reflect real life.  Our budgets are just plans.  They are not written in stone. 

One budgeting goal is to avoid overspending.  It is important that we are firm in our resolve toward this end, but we need not be rigid about the amount spent in each category.  Move money around to make things work.

Of course, you don’t want to rob your grocery category to make an impulse purchase, but if your electric bill runs a little high, you might need to take some away from your eating out category to cover it.

3.  Create new budget categories when needed

If you have an expense that seems to keep catching you off guard, then create a specific category for it.  I had to do this for children’s activities.  We kept spending money to allow our daughters to participate in extracurricular activities, but we didn’t have money set aside for it.  I kept having to take it out of another category.

This unplanned expense often left us short in another area.  Be sure to capture these expenses and create a category for them.  I’ll even create the category mid-month so that I don’t forget to budget money for it the next month.

4.  Set money aside for personal spending

We all want to feel like we have some individual control over how we spend our resources.  What is important to one person, especially in marriage, may not be a priority for the other.  I think the best way to handle this is by allowing each person a certain amount to spend each month.

Assign each spouse an amount each month that is their money to blow however they want.  It may not be much when you are running your debt snowball, but at least it is something.  The feeling of control will go a long ways toward keeping your budget alive.

5.  Discuss and agree on the monthly budget up front

If you are married, go over the budget with your spouse before the month begins.  Be sure that you are both in agreement and committed to the plan.  This will help avoid sticky situations as the month plays out.

A budget that is created and ratified by only one spouse will feel rigid and restrictive to the other member of the marriage.  You have to work as a team for the budget to succeed over time.  Participation in the process is the best way to achieve buy-in.

A flexible budget is a budget we can live with today and tomorrow

We want our budgeting efforts to succeed.  A great way to keep them alive is to remain flexible.  A plan must change as the situation changes for it to remain viable.  A rigid budget will only create frustration and resentment.  It is of the utmost importance for us to avoid these pitfalls as we budget our money.

What do you do to keep your budget flexible?

Photo by jhull

The case for long-term thinking as a success factor

Dr. Edward Banfield of Harvard wrote about this in his book, The Unheavenly City Revisited.  Banfield set out to discover why some people become financially independent over the course of their working lives while others do not. 

He expected to find that factors such as education, intelligence, family background, and influential contacts would be the answer to his question.  However, what Dr. Banfield discovered was that a person’s time perspective or how far they project into the future when deciding actions to take in the present largely determined their success.

The results of a failure to think long-term

It seems to me that a lot of what created the mortgage and financial crisis we are dealing with is short-sightedness.  Consumers failed to delay their purchases until they could truly afford a new home.  Bankers loaned money to unqualified buyers because they wanted to make an immediate profit.  Politicians encouraged this behavior because they wanted to give more Americans what they desired to get their vote.

Everyone involved decided to immediately gratify themselves without consideration for the long-term impact.  Apparently, none of these people looked into the future far enough to predict the outcome we are experiencing.  This failure to plan long-term is what created the crisis.

A real-life example of long-term thinking

Obviously, some people think long-term while others do not.  An example of this that stuck out to me early in my life occurred at high school graduation.  Some of those that I graduated with went on to college while others immediately began working. 

I’ll admit going to work looked pretty good.  After all, these people earned decent money, drove nice cars, and were able to move out and get a place of their own.  They immediately began enjoying a better life.

Those of us that went to college poured our meager resources into paying for tuition and books.  We didn’t have time to work as much so we earned less, plus we had to study instead of enjoying ample leisure time.  Basically, we made sacrifices believing in the promise of a better future.

I’ve never had the opportunity to poll my classmates to determine the specifics of how this worked out, but according to the Census Bureau, college graduates earn about twice as much over their working lifetimes compared to high school graduates.  This is just one example of how looking to the future when making decisions results in greater success.

The psychology of long-term thinking

Why do some people choose to consider the long-term results while others are more apt to take immediate gratification?  Well, researchers point to the need to relieve tension versus the need for goal achieving.

Apparently, those who want it now have a keen desire to relieve the tension created by doing without.  This relief of tension outweighs any future gain.  They can’t seem to delay gratification.  Of course, this impacts their decision-making across the board which typically leads to less productive results.

Those that are long-term thinkers are more about setting and achieving goals.  They have a vision for their life and are willing to give up certain things today to reach their goals tomorrow.  As seen in the example above, this usually results in greater achievement.

How to start thinking more long-term

I believe everyone can achieve greater success by exercising more long-term thinking.  Banfield found that the longer your perspective when making decisions, the greater achievement.  Therefore, we all have room to improve.  Here are some ideas for increasing your long-term thinking.

1.  Create a vision for what you want your life to look like

What do you want your life to look like 5, 10, or 20 years from now?  Where do you want to be living?  What kind of work do you want to be doing?  How do you want to be spending your time?  Who do you want to be spending your time with?  A very effective and creative way to do this is by creating a vision board.  This is especially helpful if you are a visual thinker.

2.  Write out specific goals for yourself

Goals serve as a road map for the future.  They will help to keep you on track.  However, you have to write them out and review them often for goals to work effectively.  Write out the goals you want to accomplish in the next 1-year, 5-years, and 10-years.  You should then develop plans for achieving your goals.  This is essential to get the most out of your career, finances, marriage, and leisure time.  It also helps you to expand the horizon of your thinking.

3.  List your activities and prioritize them

What is most important to you?  Make a list of all the ways you spend your time.  You might want to do this over several days to get an accurate picture of where all your time goes.  Once you have this list, go back and prioritize the activities.  Decide what current activities you can delegate or eliminate to give yourself more time to focus on achieving your goals.  The more time you devote to what is really important, the more likely you will be to succeed.

4.  Practice worst-case scenario planning

The idea is to get yourself looking down the road and anticipating various outcomes to help yourself choose more appropriate long-term courses of action.  When you face an important decision, write down a list of possible outcomes.  Include in this list every worst-case scenario that you can dream up.  Once you’ve done this, then consider ways to prevent these worst-case scenarios through actions you can take in advance.  Again, this will help you broaden your perspective and achieve greater success.

Your greatest tool for creating success

The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs…one step at a time.  ~Joe Girard

A part of long-term thinking is understanding the quote above.  It is being able to delay gratification believing that greater success is just around the corner once the hard work is done.  Long-term thinking is a form of risk management for life.  By taking the time to better prepare yourself, you increase your probability for success.  We all need to embrace this idea and use it daily to achieve all that we desire.  Long-term thinking gives us a power tool toward living life to its absolute fullest!

How has long-term thinking helped you in your life?

Photos by gutter and marc_eliot

Thinking about perspective while high in the clouds.

I started thinking about this when I was flying back from California this week.  I had a window seat and I was looking out over the vast desert and towering mountains down below.  I have always found the landscape fascinating from 35,000 feet.  I could see winding roads snaking through the brown, rugged mountains and tiny islands of civilization nestled in the green valleys.  I imagined myself lost and trying to find my way out of what sometimes appeared to be desolate, isolated surroundings.  From my vantage point in the plane, I could see that a home, community, or highway was just over the next ridge or just through a clump of trees.  However, if I was on the ground fighting for my survival, I would have never known.  I could have easily gone in the exact opposite direction and gotten even more deeply lost.

Situations in life can rob us of our perspective.

This is the way it seems in life as well.  We often get lost in our circumstances.  We get stressed, depressed, or overwhelmed by the immediate situation.  In this emotional state, we start contemplating our options.  We consider compromising our standards just to get out of the situation.  It’s weird how even one bad day can totally take the wind out of our sails and get us started in totally the wrong direction.  Yesterday we might have been gung-ho and completely committed to doing the right thing, but today someone criticized us or others are being difficult to get along with and suddenly we are ready to give up, throw in the towel and quit the fight.  We are ready to take off down an unproven and often dangerous shortcut.

The big picture helps to restore the proper perspective.

However, if we could just see over the next ridge, we would realize that we aren’t as lost as we sometimes feel.  We would know that the refuge and direction that we need aren’t far off.  We would know that good times and relief are just around the corner.  Hope and motivation would fill us because we would know exactly what to do to get to where we want to be.  We would have a renewed sense of energy because we would know that if we just hike a couple of miles in the right direction that we will reach our goal.  We would know that our hard work and dedication to excellence is going to pay off.

What to do to regain perspective and achieve excellence.

Are you feeling lost right now?  Is there a sense of desperation in your actions?  If so, then let’s use some suggestions that are helpful in a true survival situation for getting your life back on track and regaining your perspective:

1. Stop and gather your senses – Don’t panic!  You have to calm yourself down and take control of your emotions so you can formulate a sensible plan.  Get away from all the distractions and busyness for a day or at least a few hours.  In Are You Afraid of the Silence?, Cameron Schaefer states, “Noise has become for us at age 24 [or 44 ] what a night light was at age 5.”  The noise keeps us from truly reflecting and thinking about the things of meaning in our lives.  We need to take some time in quiet and solitude to sort things out. 
2. Make a plan and chart a course – Write down what you really want. I want to live a life of integrity, loyalty, commitment, wealth, and achievement.  What do you want?  Write it down.  Committing what you want to paper is important.  You have to have a plan.  It helps us develop a vision in our minds that serves as a map.  You can’t get to where you want to go, if you haven’t chosen a destination.
3. Take an inventory of what you have – In a true survival situation, you need to conserve everything that you have to deal with whatever situation might arise.  All resources become vital.  You have more to rely upon than what you are counting right now.  Think about your positive qualities and past successes.  What skills, qualities, talents, or resources helped you achieve what you have so far in life?  How can you more effectively utilize those same strengths to achieve a positive outcome in the present situation?  Count your blessings!  Be thankful for all that you have.
4. Be patient – True survivors are often those that stay put, conserve their energy, and wait to be rescued.  They do not make rash decisions without considering the possible consequences.  We need to be patient.  Help is on the way!  Have you ever had a solution to a difficult problem come to you when you were sleeping or while playing with the kids at home?  Sometimes we just need to give our minds some time to work on the problem.  The problem solving capacity of our minds often performs better when we are consciously distracted.  Give yourself some time before doing something you might regret.  The answers will come.

Excellence and achievement comes to those with proper perspective.

Use these suggestions to calm down, refocus on the big picture, and formulate a sensible plan before moving forward.  This kind of perspective can help you to avoid making a big and costly mistake.  Remember, some mistakes are irreversible and can cause irreparable damage to your reputation and relationships.  Heading in the right direction is more likely when you have followed these suggestions.

Photos by rla579 and tricky ™

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