When you delay things you know you should be doing to get more money, it not only affects your money position and future wealth, but it affects your psychology so you put off other important things in your life.

Whether it is self discipline, procrastination, lack of focus, self control, it does not matter.  When something is to be done, get in and do it now.

Joseph Ferrari, a psychologist at DePaul University, estimates that 25% or Americans are chronic procrastinators who show “habitual delays in meeting deadlines”.  

The very sad thing is that if things are left and not done, they become harder to do, and can often lead to very serious consequences.   Consider not getting your car serviced, it could lead to a very serious accident.  A small amount of time in getting the car to the mechanic could save a huge amount of time in hospital, let alone the pain and suffering.

When it comes to money, most of us know what is good for us, it is just that we do not do it when we should, and this can lead to not doing it at all.    For many important things, what we do will not only reap a reward in the future, but we will be proud that we have done what we should, and this is great for your self-confidence.  Be careful of those things that we see as a benefit now, many times they are the things that should be put off. 

Don’t muddle through your life thinking you can do important things later, while getting immediate gratification for unimportant things – it is a horrible way to live your life, and certainly will not improve your life.

You can improve your life immensely just by taking the time every day to prioritise the things you need to get done, then the important things will get done first.  Make sure you have some priorities listed for doing those things that will stock up your Money Store.    This can be done a number of ways, particularly having a priority for the day not to spend any unnecessary money and to work on those things that bring in the $$$.

People are realising that the fact they do not have more money is just not their fault – it is all in the human mind and brain wiring.   I am always shocked to hear about wonderful people who still have nothing to show after years of working hard  – I know how they feel, I used to be the same.   Thank goodness I was able to break the pattern.   

Also, so many people have admitted that they have little money management in their life!  Gee, I am glad I started on a course of action to get myself in great financial shape.  I so want to have this happen for everyone, particularly when it is so doable.

We shall try to give an overview in the next postings of the areas one needs to consider to get rich and in such a way that awesome happiness is the ultimate target.

Interestingly, money will not make you happy, but being happy will make you money!! 

Is this a shock?   Yes, most of us go through life doing things backward.    There is a load of evidence that money will not make you happy, and we will not go into this here due to time restrictions.  But the reverse is true.

People who are happy and generally in a good mood are more likely to:

• learn new skills,
• see things in a broader context and see the big picture,
• think of creative solutions to challenges,
• follow through with actions for what they want,
• to work well with other people,
• to persist instead of giving up.

These are all ingredients in the recipe for how to make more money – there are a few more ingredients, however without the above your success to get rich will be made so much harder.

A study of nearly 300 workers at three US companies found that the happier they were, the higher their salaries were eighteen months later.  CEOs who are more cheerful are more likely to have more productive workers who generate higher profits.  And day traders who stay in a good mood regardless of whether they made or lost money tend to earn higher returns over time.

Neuroscientist Richard Davidson has also found that people with greater activity in the left prefrontal cortex – one of the main areas where the brain seems to generate happiness – produce more antibodies after a flu shot, suggesting that their immune systems are stronger.

Are you surprised?  The happier you are, the more money you are likely to have, and the longer and healthier your life will probably be.  

A sad thing is that this relates to personal happiness -  there are some very rich people who do not care if everyone around them is miserable; they are happy though and although they get rich, there are other issues they will need to deal with in their life.  Also there are actually people who get happy and rich on the misery of others!  Do not discount the importance of Karma.

Your Action Step 1:    If you want to have more money, consider if something is affecting your happiness?  Is it in your environment, work or home?  Is it people, business or personal?   Is it your attitude?   Know that if you have challenges with the first two, it is likely that this is caused by the third or your lack of taking control of your life!    You have the power to change your attitude, do this first by taking control, then work on solving the issues of the other two.   If you do not – how can you hope to change your financial situation!!!!!    Is there something that would really make you happy? take planned and thought out action to achieve this.

We will continue with further steps in future postings.  We also look at what else you need to do to be Rich, and in the next article – how to Get Lucky for both money and happiness.

Here’s to your Awesome Happiness,

Sharyn

Improve Your Life Academy

 sharyn@seriousselfimprovement.com

What people will do to market a product!   Secret to this…., Secret to that….!  It does get irritating after a while.  I must admit to falling into the trap a few times, and I really was thinking there was some sort of secret, but there is not.   It is just unfortunate so many people do not do the personal development to give them the information that makes life so easy, and makes it so easy to be happy just about all the time.

There are essential ingredients to anything.   If you are making bread, there are essential ingredients, and you need to put them together in a certain way, that is quantity, order, whipping in certain places.  The same thing applies to get rich, or to be happy.

So, success, what are the ingredients.  Firstly you need to know what it is you want success in, and be fairly precise.   Be careful of having a goal that is really a wish.   There is a lot of talk about having a very precise goal, writing it down, having it very specific to the nth degree.   Personally this does not work for me, what does?

I make a decision.   My decision at the start of this year was “I have written and promoted a book that will give good value to everyone who reads it, and will give tremendous value to those who not only read it but also put its strategies into action to “get rich and have awesome happiness“.     One can be rich and one does not necessarily need to be happy, but there is not much point to this.   If one wants to be happy, my experience is that to be rich at the same time adds to the joy of happiness as it allows you to have so much more freedom to do things for yourself and others.   There is a fine balance, I have lived through these challenges, let my experiences help you to get this success the easy way!

I have a strategy to implement my decision.    The general outline of this strategy is:

1)    Network and research, know my clients and readers as well as I know myself, have the right mentors and coaches in my own life and in my book production.

2)   To take massive action, be totally focused on getting the results I want, and to not stop until I get those results.

3)   To overcome any blockage or any procrastination.

4)   Plan the strategy, prepare procedure and timeline, allow flexibility.

5)   Reality check – be real, stay real.

So it is coming soon “How to get rich and be happy……….How to be happy and get rich”

If you would like more details on any of our books or if you would like to read more on this subject, click above right and we will be happy to send you updates.

Sharyn

Caring and Sharing  -  sharyn@seriousselfimprovement.com

There are three components critical to getting wealth:

1)    Your value to others – if you do a service that others value, they will pay you for it, and the more people that value it the more you will receive – also the higher the perception of the value of the product the more people will pay you.

2)    Your value to yourself – your self worth is critical to you keeping the money that your service gives you.  Without this value on your self worth, the money will not stay with you.

3)    Your value of the medium of exchange, ie cash, money.  Money is only a medium of fair exchange between talents of individuals.  It in fact balances the exchange of these talents in time and in value.

We are in this article dealing with item 2).   

Whoever values themselves will spend wisely and invest wisely the money they receive.   Money will end up with the people who value themselves and who value money.  People who feel unworthy will not keep their  money.   If you do not value money, it will leave you and go to people who do value it.   So if you do not value money, you had better start working with us in Improve Your Life Academy, so you change this very limiting pattern.

What is also awful, is that if you do not handle money wisely, you will need to work for it all your life and it will control your life.    So you have given your money to a total stranger, or worse, to someone you do not like, and you then have to go through the hassle of working even harder only to give it away again.   This is insanity, and that definition is doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome!    Do not let money control your life.  You must learn how to control the money in your life.

You will know of many people who build up great fortunes with their talents, only to have this fortune leave them due to poor investments, lavish spending, or other means that they seem to have tried to get rid of the money.  This comes from them not being fulfilled in their life, not having a high value on themselves and not having a high value on money.   Sometimes those people have to continue working, even when they are old and beyond it.  So sad, people will feel sorry for them and say they are ‘over the hill’.

You owe it to yourself to want to be wealthy, therefore you need to work on knowing and appreciating your value.   This is totally within your control.     You will not be fulfilled and happy unless you have self worth, so this is something really worth achieving. 

We are discussing this in more detail through emails with our subscribers.  If you want more information, just complete the box, top right.

Sharyn

Caring and Sharing in Improve Your Life Academy

sharyn@seriousselfimprovement.com

Many people would not agree with our title “More money, more life”.   It is however a fact of life in our current society, that having a comfortable income is essential to having a comfortable life.   It also stands to reason that to have your Ideal Life, you need the income commensurate with achieving that Ideal Life.     An Ideal Life is not funded on credit, in fact in any Ideal Life, there needs to be a healthy surplus of income the ideal amount of which is depended upon your thoughts and feelings for security and investment and spare money for adventures and just spontaneous fun.

7 Steps to Getting the Income for your Ideal Life

These steps sound very boring to many, and maybe they are, but they are the foundation to get to your Ideal Life with More Money and More Life.   You might even say, of course I need to know this, but have you put pen to paper – this is a very important step to getting your Ideal Life, not just knowing this but doing the exercise and working through the process.

1. Know what it means to have Your Ideal Life – what are your goals, achievements and objectives – What Do You Really Want .   Be prepared to make these Decisions that you will put everything you have into achieving;
2. How much extra annual income do you need to fund the  Decisions towards your Ideal Life – how much do the things you want in Item 1. cost you in $ terms;
3. What is your current annual income (presuming this remains valid for the next year – if not vary it accordingly);
4. How much will need to spend annually on your general expenses, base this on what is it costing you now to live?
5. What is the difference between Item 3. and Item 4?    Hopefully your income is more than your expenses ie a surplus!
6. From the amount in 2. above, deduct the surplus in 5. and this is the amount of money you need to increase your annual income.
7. You can either decrease your expenses, or increase your annual income, but unless you do this you cannot support your Ideal Life in this form.   Do not compromise, get working on decreasing the expenses AND increasing the income, both are achievable!!

Everything, yes everything, is achievable if you are, after doing this exercise, prepared to make the Decisions you need to make towards your Ideal Life.   You are not making a Decision that is not thought through.   You have the cold hard facts and you are still prepared to move forward. 

You can achieve what you want.   I know, I have achieved everything I have wanted (including making $million plus) when I have worked through the process.   I might add, you still need the process even if you do not need more direct money for your Ideal Life, as you might need more time and then you will need more money to give you more time – more on how to do this later.

The rest is easy……….you just have to follow our soon to be released video which will give your a specific Strategy and Process.   If you would like us to send you the Video Release ABSOLUTELY FREE, you can let us know your email in the subscription box above right.

Sharyn

Caring and Sharing in Improve Your Life Academy

CLICK   ON   THIS   LINK:             Think and Grow Rich

The heading introducing the Book says “This book could be worth a million dollars to you”.    I am sure you have probably read “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill.  I read it this time every year.  It is the type of book that you need to read many times over, take action, and each year I take more action and achieve more.    Will you join me and we will both get even more done next year, get that Ideal Life which we all endeavour to achieve, and live with Awesome Happiness.

The Introduction says :    “What do you want most? 

Is it money, fame, power, contentment, personality, peace of mind, happiness?”

We continue to quote from the introduction “The Thirteen Steps to Riches described in this book offer the shortest dependable philosophy of individual achievement ever presented for the benefit of the man or woman who is searching for a definite goal in life.”

Contributions to the book are from Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, F. W. Woolworth, Dr Alexander Graham Bell, William Wrigley Jnr, George Eastman, Theodore Roosevelt, Elbert Hubbard, Wilbur Wright, Charles M. Schwab, John D. Rockefeller, and many others, need we say more.   The book was inspired by Andrew Carnegie who amassed such a huge fortune and wanted to give his secrets to Life through the author Napoleon Hill. 

If you have read it, here it is again.

If you have not read it, YOU MUST!!   It will change your life.

CLICK   ON   THIS   LINK:             Think and Grow Rich 

With our compliments and with gratitude for your support.   We look forward to being in your life again in 2011.    We are looking forward to launching our Video “More Money, More Life”

A very Happy Christmas in relaxation, fun and rejuvenation,

Sharyn

Caring and Sharing

Improve Your Life Academy

sharyn@seriousselfimprovement.com

How have your finances been in 2010.  Well, if you are like most people, you have had better years.  But why is it that some people go from strengh to strength regardless of the economic circumstances.  Even stranger, someone like Donald Trump can be broke one minute and wildly rich the next.   I am glad I have been through the same so I know the secrets and have also experienced both sides, so I do not need to be on the wild side any more.  Now I enjoy my life just how I want it.    My aim now is to pass as much as I can on so that my clients not only improve their life in finances, but also are able to use their financial ability to make a great life.   Money is of no value without the lifestyle to go with it.   Many people have financial success but do not know how to live their Ideal Life.

It all comes down to knowing what it takes to make you rich.  This starts with knowing what being rich means to you.  What does this mean in improving your life.  What are the outcomes that will make you feel successful and feel that you have achieved a rich life, whether it be in money, in time or in other achievements. 

I like the phrase that I am told comes from Martin Luther King, “Success is in the Training not in the Triumph”.  That’s right, you need to know what you need to do to achieve the Triump and get into the training now.

Are you planning on having a more successful year financially in 2011?   I believe it is a good goal every year, why not always be more successful in every area of your life?

We are currently working with clients to move them forward for financial success in 2011, however two things stand out as being most important:

a)   You need to make Decisions that will support your drive and motivation to be more financially successful;

b)   You must have a process in place to achieve the results and outcomes that you desire.

We can show you how to do both.  We would be happy to send you an Outline of how you can be financially successful to get the Goals you Dream about in your Life.

Our video on getting you into great financial shape is nearly there to be released.  We will release this to our subscribers first, and we will not be charging our subscribers , so just sign in a the right for a free copy to get in Great Financial Shape in 2011.

Alternatively if you would like any information immediately, I am happy to answer your questions personally.

Sharyn

Caring and Sharing – contact sharyn@seriousselfimprovement.com

5 Ways to be Charming

We continuing on from our previous post where we discussed this topic and the great information from Brian Tracy.

1.   We have already dealt with the first way to be charming with Acceptance.

2.   Appreciation:  Whenever you express appreciation to others for something they have done, small or large, their self esteem increases.  They feel more conpetent and capable.  Their self image improves and their self respect soars.  And how do you trigger this wonderful feeling to others?  It is simple.  You say “thank you” on every occasion, for any large or small reason.

I can wholly support this and it is so easy to do this.  Not like Acceptance, I find it hard to follow Brian’s advice on Acceptance and am still working on this.

There is nothing more demoralising than doing something for someone, particularly considering you have used your time, that is a part of your life, and then not receiving acknowledgement.   This leads on to the next point Brian gives us.

3.   Approval:  It is said that “babies cry for it, men die for it.”  Throughout life, all humans have a deep subconscious need for approval of their actions and accomplishments.  No amount of approval ever satisfies for long.  The need is ongoing, like the need for food and rest.  People who continually seek opportunities to express approval are welcome wherever they go.  Perhaps the best definition of approval is “praise”.  Just remember, whenever you praise other people for something they have done, their self esteem is elevated.

This is a great point and again not hard to implement, however we would add that when giving praise it must be honest and sincere.  Do not make the mistake of being fake just for your own approval.

The final two points will follow

Many of our clients have developed the advantages of self esteem from their work in the Academy.   What do you need to be charming?   According to Brian Tracy – Self Esteem.  This make sense.

Brian tells us that self esteem is ‘how much you like yourself’ and is the sum total of how important and valuable you feel you are at any moment.   We work with our clients to know they are important and valuable at all times.  This is just so relevant to having Awesome Happiness in Your Life.  Mind you, you must ensure that you have the right type of mentality about being personally important and valuable, the wrong attitudes will irritate other people and rob you of self esteem in the future.

The Secret of Charm?  Make others feel important – the deepest craving of human nature is the need to feel valued and valuable.   When someone makes you feel important and valuable, the feelings you get from interaction with them bring you to a perception that they are charming.

Five Ways to be Charming

1.   Acceptance:   The greatest gift you can give other people is the attitude of “unconditional positive regard”.  That is you accept them in their entirity, without limitation.  You never criticise or find fault.  You are totally accepting of everything about them.  This is the starting point of being charming.

Just consider though that this is a wonderful way to go through life.   It is tough to take this approach, but once you do you will just live in an amazing space in your life.   You should have this attitude not only to others, but also to yourself.

I must admit to not have mastered this attitude yet, but I am getting there.

More of the five ways to be charming in the next article.   Also our thanks to Brian Tracy who we have enjoyed following for over ten years.  His books are so insightful, check them out on Amazon.

And if you want some action exercises and regular updates for this topic and others, just complete the box at the right – you will also get our free report “Reclaim Your Life”.