“Ah… The New Year! It keeps coming at us just a little bit faster every year, doesn’t it?”
Burt Peake, Jr. is a Wealth Advisor with over 30 years of experience working with Knoxvillians. He was born and raised in Asheville, NC. His favorite hobby is fly-fishing in the Smokies. Burt has become a regular contributor to our blog!
A Better Year, A Better You
New Year’s Day, they keep coming at us just a little bit faster every year, don’t they? So, we reflect, we resolve, and go headlong into the new year. What will really be different this time? Have you thought about that? What will be the things you do in 2019 that make It a better year and you a better you?
While this writer doesn’t have some magic way of knowing what changes the readers of this blog want or need to make for 2019, there are some things you might want to consider to help you on your way.
You might not want to make a long list of resolutions that you won’t keep.
Make just a couple. Write them down. I’ll wait, go get a piece of paper.
Ok, now, you want to “Live Invested”, so write down those few things that are really important to you, that you will invest in this year. Be realistic, remember how fast New Year’s Days are coming around. You might have a health goal…lose weight, run a 10k, hike up Mt. LeConte with the kids or grand kids. Whatever it may be, write it on the paper. You might have financial goals. I want to save more money this year, reduce debt, pay the house off. Write that down. You might want to do more to be involved at church, help at the hospital, work for a charity. Write that down.
Next, let’s make those goals specific.
I want to lose x pounds, run or walk a mile non-stop, save $5,000, teach a Sunday School class, be on a committee at church, donate x hours per month to a charity.
Now, get yourself a brand new 2019 calendar. If one of your goals was saving money, you can download free calendars online that will work great! Let’s go to the January page.
Now think about the things you want to change.
Why are they so hard for you? What is it about YOU that made these things make your list? Be honest with yourself. Are you a procrastinator, are you compulsive about some things? Whatever it is write it down, too. THESE are the things to change to make the other things possible. See why we want to keep our resolutions list to a short one or two. Many of the changes you make in yourself to accomplish one thing can help you in other areas of your life.
If, for example, you wrote “I want to lose 20 pounds”, you might want to write on January’s page “lose 2 pounds”. Piece of cake, right? NO, stay away from the cake, poor choice of words. You can abuse this calendar by writing all over it because it is yours. So, write what you will do each day to lose those 2 pounds this month. Eat less? How much? Eat better? Omit what and add what? Exercise more? How and where? Be specific. Look at your calendar each morning to remind you. You might note each night what you did or didn’t do.
Say you will save more $.
Write that down. Break it down to monthly and daily goals. Are you going to take your lunch to work instead of buying it every day? Wow, that could help on the weight loss goal too! Will you pay yourself first and invest the first 10% of what you earn? Is this the year you decide to get serious about investing and call for help from an advisor? Make that call a January activity on your calendar.
I think you get the picture here.
One or two important resolutions. Write them down. Break it down into small things you need to address in you to make it work. Track your progress and reward yourself for milestone accomplishments. Share your goals with a friend or spouse to be accountable. You can do this, you really can! Invest in yourself, and live invested! Make it a great 2019!