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Taking One Step Forward And One Step Back

Written by Darrin Greene · Leave a Comment

step forward 300x199 Taking One Step Forward And One Step Back I don’t know about you but I get very discouraged when I’m working hard at something only to see no progress.

Here’s what I mean: Some time ago my wife and I had the revelation that using debt to become financially well off wasn’t working for us. We decided to stop going further into the hole and to go the opposite way. It was one of the best decisions we could have made.

So we started down that journey but we quickly found out that just because we stopped digging a hole didn’t mean anything unless we started to fill it back in. We overlooked the fact that trying to maintain the same lifestyle with buying clothes, eating out and even going on trips wasn’t going to cut it. At the time we didn’t see the problem with continuing to buy these things because we were using cash. The thing was, our debt load wasn’t changing (sure we were paying the minimums but that’s only there to keep you in debt as long as possible) and this was where we felt like we were taking one step forward and one step back. Discouragement quickly set in. It wasn’t until we made some changes to our lifestyle that we started to see any real progress.

How do you avoid finding yourself and your family stuck in this trap? You have to do what it takes. Ladies, if that means not buying that purse because it goes with your jacket or guys, not buying the latest fishing lure, then so be it. It’s only for a season so the uncomfortable position that you have found yourself in can be cleaned up. The bigger the price that you pay to win, the quicker you will be at the place you are dreaming of.

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Pick Up The Phone

Written by Darrin Greene · Leave a Comment

Phone 300x225 Pick Up The Phone

How many times does the phone ring and either you don’t feel like getting off of the couch, don’t feel like talking, or you don’t want people to know you’re home? Hey, I only blog about things that I experience and do myself – I’m with you on this one.

Here’s what amazes me. It only takes one second, one action and even one conversation to change your life. I know that some will think that one thing will always be negative, but what fun is life when you’re thinking like that?

Start to step out of your comfort zone. Say high to the new neighbor, ask someone out for coffee, or give a helping hand to the one who needs it. Give life the opportunity to rock you in a positive way.

Why aren’t you answering the phone? Who knows, it could the missing link to what you’ve worked for all this time.

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Are You Focused?

Written by Darrin Greene · 2 Comments

Target 300x273 Are You Focused? Are you focused on one thing or on many things? Right now I’m finding myself to be focused on many things and because of that, I’m not getting the results that I want.

As I’m learning, multitasking – though I do it by default, leaves all sorts of things not done or results in a finished product that isn’t that good. With that being said, I need to become more focused.

If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.

- Zig Ziglar

In all that I do, I want to be intentional and do it well. Shooting an arrow at 5 different targets at one time won’t get you anywhere. It’s not until you focus at one thing that you will hit the bulls-eye.

If you have lost focus or are focusing on too many things, try stepping back and aiming at one.

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What If?

Written by Darrin Greene · Leave a Comment

question 300x300 What If? Asking the question “what if?” will either hold you back from going forward or enable you to step out in confidence.

The “what if” #1 – Holding you back:

What if I fail? What if I lose money? What if….Thoughts like these can very well be holding you back. Worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet and even if it did, probably wouldn’t look anything like you thought it would. For some it gets as bad as not leaving their home in fear of the “what if” happening.

The “what if” #2 – Enabling you to step out in confidence:

Asking the “what if” question can help measure risk and whether or not you should do something. Asking it this time is not out of fear, it’s out of wisdom and it gives you options. For instance, if you are deciding whether or not to buy a home. One could think, “what if one of us loses our job – could we afford the payment on one income?”. As you can see, “what if” accompanied by options can give you confidence to step out. It has the power to change the once emergencies in life into inconveniences.

Next time you say to yourself “what if?”, make sure you don’t stop there.

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The Time Is Now

Written by Darrin Greene · Leave a Comment

Ever look back and think, “if only I did this back then” or “I could be finished now if I had started back then”?

A new year is approaching and many people are getting ready to make some changes. Now I think that resolutions are great, but I don’t think that we need to wait for a big day to start doing something that will greatly improve the lives of our family and ourselves.

It’s easy to find people around us that sound like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. “I can never get ahead in life, I will never have more money, Thank God it’s Friday, Oh God it’s Monday”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m here to help, but if this is your attitude there’s not really much of anything that anyone can do.Not to mention, it doesn’t make it very fun for anyone to be around you.

It has become custom in our culture to do what feels right now and pay for it later. This a vicious cycle that can go on for generations. Why not reverse the cycle and pay the price now – not only so you can live out your dreams with no strings attached but also so you can change the lives of those in your family tree?

I’m not going to say that it is easy, but it’s worth it. It hurts to sacrifice to pay off debt from years past. It hurts to say NO so later you can say YES and not have remorse for saying it.

So what does it take to make a change in your financial world? It’s YOU! Stop waiting for circumstances of life to change. Do something about it. Start telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went. Stop buying something just because it’s on sale. It’s the little decisions that are going to take you closer or further away from your dreams. It’s your choice.

Don’t let another year go by only to say “I should have” again. You’re the solution and you can do it. It’s time to get fired up.

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The Little Things Matter

Written by Darrin Greene · Leave a Comment

When’s the last time you told your spouse you loved them? Did you pick up your towel after your shower? Are there dirty clothes from yesterday still laying on the floor? These are little things in life but when not done on a regular basis, they can turn into big things. Really, these are some of the things that people are fighting about in marriage counseling. When you look at it that way it is easy to see that the small things do matter. If we understand that fact, then why are a lot of us either in a job [...]

Why Wait Until 2012 To Make Things Happen?

Written by Darrin Greene · Leave a Comment

Think about it. How many great ideas get swept under the rug when we intended them to be the resolutions that would improve our lives? Change it up a bit this time around. Let’s not wait until Jan.1st to start. Maybe you have a great thought but are waiting to act on it. Why? Waiting may only cause you to lose some much needed momentum that would have pushed you in the right direction. Or, let’s say you don’t have any ideas going through your mind, but know you want to make a change. Maybe you should be getting some [...]

Know Your Passion, Then Do It

Written by Darrin Greene · Leave a Comment

My wife, Laurie, and I were talking last night (actually not just last night – it is a continuing conversation) about finding what you are passionate about and then doing it. Both elements of this statement can be quite difficult. For instance… Scenario #1: A guy/gal goes through life starting out jumping from job to job, possibly beginning a business or two, only to find out that nothing that was done gave any true joy or purpose to their life – it wasn’t something they were passionate about. Scenario #2: A guy/gal knows what it is that makes them come [...]

Less Is More

Written by Darrin Greene · 2 Comments

If you have read some of my posts like “SOLD,” you may have noticed that Laurie and I are on quite the journey. Looking at the two main factors in getting anywhere financially speaking, our income has to go up and/or our outgo has to go down. Though the income side of things is important, we have taken a serious look at the outgo side of things. I have to tell you, taking a hard look at your needs and wants and making sure they are in the right category is not the easiest thing to do. Why is that? [...]